‘Worst piece of television I’ve ever seen’: Warnie miniseries savaged

Shane Warne’s extraordinary life is almost made for the screen but the social media backlash to Channel 9’s miniseries has been brutal.

The early reviews are in and it’s not great for Channel 9 on the first night of the Shane Warne miniseries.

The first of two parts aired on Sunday night with the second set to follow on Monday night but social media has savaged the opening episode.

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Starting with Warne getting dropped in 1999 in the West Indies before returning to the beginning of his career, it covered his devastation at getting delisted by St Kilda, getting selected for Australia and dropped soon after, the Ball of the Century and into the John the Bookmaker scandal.

It also covered his love life with his wife Simone Callahan and into the diuretic scandal which saw Warne banned for a year in 2003.

Alex Williams as Shane Warne in Warnie. Picture: Nine

But while Warne is one of the most beloved and unique characters Australia has ever seen, fans could not say the same about the series.

CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy said it was: “Real bad. Shocking script and just a lot of cringe.”

Former Cricket Australia communications officer Matt Cenin posted: “30 minutes of the #Warnie telemovie … atrocious. What an embarrassment.”

One social media user wrote: “This is really good if you take out the actors and script and just look at the archive footage.”

This #Warnie special on 9 is the worst piece of television I have ever seen.

— GavWav (@GavWav) June 25, 2023

Super casting AB and Borat… @Channel you can’t be serious #Warniepic.twitter.com/FnnjhiBQS5

— Damien Meyers (@damo8980) June 25, 2023

This #warnie series on 9 is already highly cringeworthy, poorly directed, and rougher than sandpaper gate. Warnie and Packer sitting somewhere highly bemused. I'll keep watching, see if it improves 🤣

— Jason Oxenbridge (@JOxenbridge) June 25, 2023

I’ve had enough. This is an absolute disgrace and is tarnishing a legend of the game. It should have never seen the light of day. Shame on you @Channel9#warnie

— Kyri Tsavaridis (@KTsavaridis) June 25, 2023

“Warnie” is absolutely horrific. Honestly, who thought this was a good idea?

— James Moss (@Mossy_j) June 25, 2023

Shane Warne would be embarrassed!! And so should channel 9 and anyone involved in this #warnie

— brad kelly (@bradkelly16) June 25, 2023

Come on @Channel9 this hot garbage you call #warnie looks like it was put together by a high school digital media class. Surely this is a joke

— Mark Jarrett (@MarkJarr) June 25, 2023

Warne died in March 2022 but six months after his death shocked the world, Nine revealed it would make the miniseries just six months later.

At the time, it was slammed by Warne’s daughter Brooke.

“Do any of you have any respect for Dad? Or his family? Who did so much for Channel 9, and now you want to dramatise his life and our family’s life six months after he has passed away? You are beyond disrespectful,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.

Brooke also confirmed the family had met with producers, while a Nine spokesperson said the network and Screentime, the company producing the series, had collaborated with the family.

Alex Williams and Marny Kennedy as Shane and Simone Warne

However, last week, Callahan, who was married to Warne between 1995 and 2005 savaged the show before it had aired.

“I haven’t wanted to read into too much about it, but I think it’s a bit unkind and mean spirited to be honest,’’ Callahan told the Herald Sun.

“It’s my opinion. He’s just passed, let him rest in peace. And for the kids, I just believe that they’re not showing any compassion at all by putting this out there in such a short amount of time after this has happened.

“To be honest but that’s how I feel about it.”

The reaction hasn’t appeared to get any better.