Could The Footy Show be back on TV permanently next year?

Could The Footy Show rise from the dead to make a permanent TV return next year? A confirmed trial starring another program’s regular panellists could pave the way.

It was only given its last rites as a regular program three months ago, but a permanent comeback is a possibility for former ratings powerhouse The Footy Show.

Channel 9 has confirmed the Sunday Footy Show panel will front a special on the Friday night before this year’s AFL grand final.

“The Sunday Footy Show has been doing a great job delivering entertaining footy content and dominating the Sunday morning timeslot, so will step up for a special grand final eve edition on Friday September 27,” a Channel 9 spokeswoman told the Herald Sun.

“It’s going to be a massive grand final week on Nine.”

But Essendon great Tim Watson said on his SEN breakfast program this morning that the one-off show could pave the way for an incredible regular return.

Billy Brownless could be back on a Thursday night Footy Show. Picture: Mark Wilson

If that delivers ratings gold, then the Sunday morning team, hosted by Tony Jones, could slot into Thursday nights from next year.

“I can tell you that on the Friday night before this year’s grand final … Channel 9 will have their Sunday Footy Show panel all together,” Watson said on SEN Breakfast this morning.

“The feeling is that if it goes really well and if it rates really well, there’s a possibility that it may be the replacement Footy Show next year.”

Footy Show pioneer Eddie McGuire said a regular return would be a “big step”, but did not rule it out completely.

“It’s only history repeating itself because the first show that was done (in 1993) was the Sunday Footy Show as a Friday night grand final eve,” McGuire said on Triple M’s Hot Breakfast this morning.

“As a result of that, the next year (1994) we started The Footy Show.”

On the Jones-led Sunday morning panel is former AFL champions turned media personalities Nathan Brown, Kane Cornes, Matthew Lloyd, Billy Brownless, as well as AFL Media reporter Damian Barrett.

Channel 9 has already confirmed long-time host McGuire will be back with his original sidekicks Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade at Rod Laver Arena on September 26.

McGuire and Newman are back in September. Picture: Channel 9

“I’m so delighted that we’re putting all our resources into one spectacular Thursday night grand final week Footy Show,” McGuire said last month.

“It is a chance for us to pay homage to not only the Grand Final, but 25 fantastic years of The Footy Show.“

The new-look Footy Show was axed from Thursday nights in May after declining ratings, being regularly smashed by Channel 7’s Front Bar.

The 2019 Footy Show failed to resonate with viewers. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Watson also flagged Channel 9’s Footy Classified, featuring Lloyd, Chris Judd, Caroline Wilson and Craig Hutchison, could be ramped up from a weekly Monday show to three nights a week from next year.

McGuire said Watson was “throwing a few pies up in the air”.

“There’s bits and pieces, some of it is going to be right, some of it is not going to be right,” McGuire said.

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