The Project: ‘There’s blood in the water for us at the moment’

After years of claims The Project is too “woke”, its ratings too low and its main hosts paid too much, Peter Helliar, Carrie Bickmore, Lisa Wilkinson and Waleed Aly answer their critics.

Cynical headlines are the backbone of the news business. And the hosts of The Project – Network 10’s flagship current-events and entertainment program – have heard, and read, them all, relying on a successful blend of cynicism, wry wonkiness and humour that have made the series a TV mainstay for more than 12 years.

“In a year that has been fraught and negative in the news space, I feel like, hopefully, kids got what they needed to learn, but didn’t feel frightened about the world [from us]” (Picture: Supplied)

But what was served up in 2009 as an exotic dish promising “news delivered differently” has, some critics say, grown stale – particularly as the show must now compete with fresher options across various platforms, particularly social media.

From an ever- revolving door of panellists with eyebrow- raising salaries to attention-getting segments both fair and foul, its unique blend of news and comedy have, of late, been garnering mixed reviews.

And when ratings started slumping last spring, naysayers started to wonder if The Project would either undergo a reboot, or even get the boot, in 2022.

That would be, well, news to the folks behind the desk – weekday regulars Peter Helliar, Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson – who say it would be premature to put a fork in them yet.

“I would have paid almost exactly zero attention,” Aly tells The Binge Guide of the idle talk around ratings woes and format changes.

“It just feels like familiar dance steps. It stops and it starts. And I’m not sure it has any connection to anything really happening.” Comedian and actor Helliar, who joined the panel in 2014, is equally nonchalant.

“Somebody told me there was a bit of blood in the water for us at the moment,” he says with a laugh, before turning serious as he considers wider-ranging feedback.

“Somebody told me there was a bit of blood in the water for us at the moment” (Picture: Supplied)

“It is confusing when you can see some of the trolling of the show on social media. It’s not like the old days when there were only four channels to choose from, so I can imagine you would get angry if none of these shows are catering to your nature.

“But there are a million on TV now. I don’t understand why anyone would spend any time criticising the show. Just move on to the next one.”

Not so subjective are viewer numbers. But Daniel Monaghan, senior vice president of content and programming at Network 10, tells The Binge Guide that overnight ratings are no longer the sole way to gauge success.

“Australians have more choice than ever before when it comes to where and how they view content,” he explains.

“While overnight ratings are still important to the industry, the full picture is becoming more important.” For that broader perspective, TheProject still relies upon its original recipe of tough journalism paired with engaging television personalities.

In this regard, the show’s proponents are vocal about its impact. Last year, Sunday Project co-host Lisa Wilkinson received a Walkley Award nomination for her groundbreaking interview with sexual- assault survivor Brittany Higgins, and the show itself received an AACTA nod for Best Factual Entertainment Program.

Many of Wilkinson and Aly’s rousing commentaries go viral, while Aly and Bickmore have won Gold Logies – a testament to their popularity.

The Project features in this Sunday’s The Binge Guide

As Bickmore points out, the show fills a void in that it provides informative viewing without fearmongering, giving households an opportunity to watch and digest the big headlines together.

“In a year that has been fraught and negative in the news space, I feel like, hopefully, kids got what they needed to learn, but didn’t feel frightened about the world [from us],” she says.

“The number of people who tell me they felt comforted when turning on the TV at night is lovely. Because we’re like family with each other, and we feel like an extension of families at home.”

The Project airs at 6.30pm weeknights and Sundays on Network 10.

Originally published as The Project: ‘There’s blood in the water for us at the moment’