Bunch of has-beens and nobodies nominated for 2018 Gold Logies

THIS year’s Gold Logie nominations include a mob of has-beens and nobodies fronting shows people don’t even watch. Such is the failing currency of the little gold man that one nominee comes from a show that isn’t even on TV anymore, writes Susie O’Brien.

THE golden age of television is dead.

This year’s Gold Logie nominations include a mob of has-beens and nobodies fronting shows people don’t even watch. Such is the failing currency of the little gold man that one nominee comes from a show that isn’t even on TV anymore.

The most highly-paid, well-known TV stars such as Lisa Wilkinson, Carrie Bickmore, Samantha Armytage and Karl Stefanovic have missed out.

And there were no nominations for the hosts or judges on top-five shows such as MasterChef, The Voice or House Rules.

2018 Gold Logie nominees (from left) Tracy Grimshaw, Rodger Corser, Andrew Winter, Jessica Marais, Grant Denyer and Amanda Keller.

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In particular, the lack of nomination for Wilkinson is an embarrassment for Channel Ten given the big bucks they paid for her last year.

It goes to show there’s a lack of top-drawer talent on TV these days. Where are the kind of old-school performers like Bert Newton or Graeme Kennedy who could turn their hand to just about anything and make it fly?

A bunch of has-beens vie for the Gold Logie this year, Susie writes.

Bert Newton, four-time winner of the Gold Logie. Picture: News Corp

The list of Gold Logie nominees includes: real estate expert Andrew Winter (Foxtel’s Love It Or List It and Selling Houses Australia), broadcaster Amanda Keller (Ten’s The Living Room), actor Jessica Marais (Nine’s Love Child and Ten’s The Wrong Girl), Rodger Corser (Nine’s Doctor Doctor), presenter and journalist Tracy Grimshaw (Nine’s A Current Affair) and game show host Grant Denyer (Ten’s Family Feud).

The Living Room has been languishing as reality TV’s poor cousin for years but remained on air because of its up-market demographic.

The nomination for Amanda Keller would reflect the fact that it’s now started rating more strongly and was the 11th most watched program on Friday night. Keller, while a likeable host, isn’t Gold Logie material.

Same goes for Tracy Grimshaw, whose show A Current Affair recently provided a platform for disgraced celebrity gardener Don Burke to try and charm his way out of numerous sexual harassment allegations. Interestingly, the show has also been nominated for Most Outstanding News Coverage for that episode.

Grimshaw is a dogged interviewer but is coasting towards retirement these days. No doubt the golden nod is a reflection of the fact that ACA is rating well and was the sixth most-watched show nationally last Friday.

Grant Denyer, who’s been nominated for numerous Logies previously, has been short-listed for Family Feud, which was axed a few weeks ago due to falling ratings.

Love it or List It is a Foxtel show that’s only been on air for two seasons. Although its debut last year drew the largest audience of a series launch in Lifestyle history, its host Andrew Winter is hardly a household name.

Former Married at First Sight faces turned up to the nominations party. Picture: Matrix Media Group

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This leaves actors Jessica Marais and Rodger Corser as frontrunners. The only problem is that Marais’ show Love Child has been axed and The Wrong Girl is reportedly on the skids. Only Corser’s show Doctor Doctor is still going strong.

Other surprising nominations include former Bachelor Matty J and former Bachelorette Sam Frost for Most Popular New Talent. This is odd because both are hardly new faces on the small screen.

In recent years the Logies have suffered due to boring telecasts and weird voting procedures. These Gold Logie nominees will do little to turn things around.