New host needed to make AFL Footy Show great again
IT’S time to give Craig Hutchison the boot after the Footy Show’s ratings plummeted to Channel 10-like levels of failure. Here’s how Nine can save the program, writes Rita Panahi.
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IF you believe the scuttlebutt around town then the Footy Show is on its last legs.
That will no doubt be a source of joy to the program’s many knockers, including assorted mummy bloggers, feminist podcasters and green-with-envy members of the media, who would love to see the program’s demise.
Whether you love or hate it, there’s no denying that the show has left an indelible mark on the Australian TV landscape.
The question is, can it regain its former glory and arrest falling audience numbers, or has the program run its race after 24 years on television?
Last year, the addition of Rebecca Maddern, who replaced Garry Lyon, saw the show achieve numbers not seen since Eddie McGuire’s days as solo host.
Maddern’s debut drew an average audience of 425,000 in Melbourne alone, peaking at 510,000 viewers, helping Channel 9 win the night’s ratings by some margin well ahead of Channel 7, the ABC and Channel 10.
Of course, as the novelty factor wore off, the audience fell away. But Maddern is clearly a solid performer who can hold her own.
As the program’s first female co-host, she continues to bring a new perspective to a show that has always had a healthy percentage of female viewers despite being the source of regular outrage orgies among joyless, hypersensitive segments of the media.
In contrast, the addition of Craig Hutchison, who replaced James Brayshaw this year, has seen the Footy Show plummet in the ratings to Channel 10-like levels of failure.
Hutchy’s debut saw a touch fewer than 200,000 Melburnians tune in, and that figure has fallen further in subsequent weeks.
You know you’re in for a tough year when, despite all the hype and puff media pieces, the return of the country’s most watched football program is comprehensively trounced by the likes of Gogglebox and only narrowly beats the ABC’s Dream Gardens in footy-obsessed Melbourne.
It’s too easy to blame the falling numbers purely on the changing viewing habits of an audience that has access to pay-TV, YouTube and streaming services such as Netflix and Foxtel Now.
Yes, there are more options for discerning viewers than 20 years ago, but free-to-air TV continues to dominate the changing market, despite falling numbers.
So, here is my three-point plan to make the Footy Show great again:
1. It’s the content, stupid
Give football fans more of what they want: robust footy talk and more laughs. The former is often missing from the program and the latter can be a hit-and-miss affair.
Dave Hughes and Sam Newman are reliable comedic contributors, but the show needs to capitalise further on their talents.
Investing more resources in sketches showcasing the team’s strengths would be wise.
The best part of the NRL Footy Show is former player and coach Darryl Brohman’s “Small Talk” segment which sees him question a bunch of Auskick-aged kids about life, love, and much more.
It is clear that Brohman has an affinity with the young ’uns, and there’s a warmth there that can’t be faked, but there’s no reason why such a segment wouldn’t be just as funny hosted by a gruff Newman.
It would certainly be better entertainment, and with broader appeal, than having random footy nerds answer trivia questions.
2. The Panel
Just because a player is a champion on the field doesn’t mean they’ll have anything compelling to contribute on the panel. I’d rather hear from a lesser player who looks like he wants to be there and gives some real insights and personality. Players who have been media-trained to reveal absolutely nothing are dead weight on the program.
Before The Game was fantastic at extracting the best from footballers who seemed to be at ease among comics rather than former greats of the game.
3. A new host is an absolute necessity
Whatever warped logic Nine used to rationalise making Hutchison host is immaterial; the experiment has failed.
McGuire is the natural choice, but whether he’d want the role is another thing.
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Nine should throw a truckload of cash McGuire’s way, but ultimately that may not be enough, given his other commitments, including a deal with Fox Footy.
When McGuire left the program, it was averaging more than 450,000 viewers in Melbourne. This year, the program has recorded its worst ratings ever.
Some weeks the audience has fallen below 130,000 viewers in Melbourne.
There would be no Footy Show without Newman, who has been with the program since its inception in 1994. And Maddern, Hughes, Shane Crawford and Billy Brownless are keepers.
But the show is in desperate need of a strong anchor who can not only manage the personalities on the program but also ensure that the pace and direction of the production are on track.
If not McGuire, perhaps another pro with sporting credentials could step up. Channel 10 news anchor Stephen Quartermain could be a possibility.
The Footy Show has long been one of Nine’s flagship programs, and represents a significant investment for the network.
It has many loud haters, but it deserves to be given every chance to survive and recover its audience share.
Read more: Dave Hughes cops it on Twitter for Footy Show performance... again
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