Viewers notice movie change on TV after Sydney shark attack

Channel 9 has been forced to make a very late change to its programming after this week’s shark attack, but viewers noticed something was up.

Channel 9 has made a late change to its programming, with famous shark film Jaws scheduled to air just one day after a horrific fatal shark attack in Sydney.

The 1975 thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg centres around three men who try to catch a huge great white shark after it kills multiple swimmers in a town.

The movie was scheduled for 7.30pm on 9Go! on Thursday, just a day after a swimmer was killed by a shark off a popular Sydney beach.

While Jaws was still listed on television guides, the film shown in the timeslot instead was 2002 action movie XXX starring Vin Diesel.

Twitter users, who noticed Jaws was scheduled but had not realised it wasn’t actually playing, wasted no time in calling out the obvious bad timing.

“9Go given the shark attack in Sydney yesterday – you’re really screening #Jaws tonight??? #poortaste,” one user wrote.

“Comon Go! … read the room … shark attack yesterday in Sydney and you have Jaws on tonight,” said another.

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Channel 9 decided not to air Jaws after a fatal shark attack in Sydney.

There was praise from those that did notice the movie had been swapped out.

“Nice touch from Channel 9 to take Jaws of TV tonight. Even if they didn’t update the program guide,” one man wrote.

News.com.au has contacted Nine for comment.

The swimmer tragically killed by a shark off Little Bay on Wednesday afternoon was identified as 35-year-old diving instructor Simon Nellist on Thursday evening.

He has been remembered as a lover of the ocean and marine life enthusiast.

Emergency services were called to the area near Buchan Point, Malabar, after receiving a report that a shark attacked a swimmer in the water just after 4.30pm on Wednesday.

Authorities located human remains at about 6pm.

Beaches at Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse were closed and will reopen on Friday.

Lifeguards surveyed the beaches on jet skis and used drones to search for sharks along the coast but there were no further sightings.

Originally published as Viewers notice movie change on TV after Sydney shark attack