Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries under a cloud as ABC tries to broaden audience

A THIRD series of Miss Fisher is 'under consideration' but not a certainty as ABC tries to attract a younger audience.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, starring Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher, is yet to be commissioned for a third series

The ABC is out to attract younger viewers to its main ABC1 channel in 2014, with research revealing it has the oldest audience of any of the Australian TV networks.

Fusion Strategy figures show that the median age of ABC1 viewers is 63 - far and away older than SBS (57) as well as Channels 7 (49), Nine (45), and Ten (41).

The ABC move to attract a younger audience appears to be one of the reasons that Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is yet to be green-lit for a third series.

The hit Aussie period crime drama, starring Essie Davis, isn't part of the ABC's recently announced 2014 drama slate despite averaging around 1 million viewers per episode.

The move to a younger audience comes from the ABC's recently-appointed Director of Television, Richard Finlayson.

This year, the ABC snatched third place from Ten. That great result hides a drift to an older audience by the ABC. A decade ago the median age of its viewers was 57.

"ABC1 is travelling well … however we acknowledge that our reach into some younger demographics has been in decline in recent years," Mr Finlayson says.

"By thinking audience-first, we intend to reverse this trend - attracting more viewers from all demographics to our quality program brands and creating fans for life."

Youth appeal ... actor Chris Lilley as Jonah in ABC TV show Summer Heights High. The ABC will screen a new series in 2014 centred around Jonah.

The ABC recently announced its 2014 program line-up which includes younger-skewing programs including the revived Spicks & Specks, new comedy Utopia from the Working Dog (The Castle) team, a Chris Lilley series based on schoolboy Jonah Takalua, and a new series from The Chaser team.

In the drama stakes, Rake, starring Richard Roxburgh, is set for a third series. There will be a second season of family drama The Time of Our Lives and Craig McLachlan's The Dr Blake Mysteries, as well as another Jack Irish telemovie with Guy Pearce.

New dramas include Crownies spin-off Janet King, with Marta Dusseldorp, Anzac Girls, set in 1915, and the Carlotta telemovie with Jessica Marais.

Back again ... Richard Roxburgh's Rake is set for a third series on the ABC

It would appear that even if a third series of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries gets the go-ahead, and that is no certainty, it wouldn't screen until 2015 at the earliest.

"Regarding Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, we're thrilled with how our audience responded to this wonderful program," Mr Finlayson says. "A third series of Miss Fisher is currently under consideration."

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