2017 Upfront: TEN promises growth to continue
Domestic schedule at 7.30pm year-round, the return of Russell Coight, and much more
• Domestic schedule at 7.30pm year-round
• The return of Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures
• New Local Content: Sisters, Wake In Fright, Common Sense, The Biggest Loser: Transformed
• New series from the US include This Is Us, Bull, 24: Legacy
Network Ten this morning announced its content lineup for 2017 and the further expansion of its industry-leading online service tenplay. The broadcaster held its Upfront event at a breakfast in Sydney, with the programming detail to be presented to a Melbourne audience on Monday.
Highlights from the Ten Network announcement this morning:
After increasing the primetime audience of the main TEN channel for the third consecutive year, Network Ten heads into 2017 with an exceptional lineup of returning content – across all genres – and key new domestic and international properties on TEN, ELEVEN, ONE and tenplay.
The new domestic content includes The Biggest Loser: Transformed, Common Sense from the makers of Gogglebox, all-new episodes of the classic series Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures and two major drama events, Wake In Fright and Sisters.
Paul Anderson at Screen Forever 2015
Returning content in 2017 includes proven successes such as MasterChef Australia, KFC Big Bash League, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Gogglebox Australia, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Offspring, The Wrong Girl, The Project, Family Feud, The Living Room, Shark Tank, Australian Survivor, The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia and many more.
Network Ten Chief Executive Officer Paul Anderson said: “Every night of the week, television draws a willing and engaged audience of 16 million people, something no other medium can match.
“Growth, momentum and consistency have been the hallmark of Ten in recent years and that will continue in 2017. Next year we will create year-round consistency in our 7.30pm franchises, something Ten has never achieved before.”
“The 7.30pm content strategy is book-ended by the summer television sensation that is the KFC Big Bash League, which starts in mid-December each summer and runs until late January.
“It will continue across the year with proven hits such as MasterChef Australia, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia, Australian Survivor, The Living Room and The Biggest Loser: Transformed, a refreshed and contemporary version of the highly successful franchise.”
Anderson said Network Ten’s investment in new domestic content such as Australian Survivor, The Wrong Girl and Todd Sampson’s BodyHack was paying dividends and would continue in 2017.
“TEN was the only primary commercial free-to-air channel to increase its primetime audience this year and we achieved our biggest total people audience since 2012.
“As a network, we had our highest commercial shares in total people and 25 to 54s since 2011. Tenplay continued to produce remarkable growth in online catch-up viewing and live streaming, while Ten cemented its position as the leading free-to-air network across social media,” he said.
New Australian series for 2017
Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures
He’s back! After a 15-year break, Australia’s best-loved outback adventurer returns with a brand new series from Working Dog.
The Biggest Loser: Transformed
One of Australia’s most iconic and enduring series will return in 2017 in a contemporary and empowering version, The Biggest Loser: Transformed. Hosted by Fiona Falkiner with trainers Shannan Ponton and Libby Babet, and produced by Endemol Shine Australia, The Biggest Loser: Transformed will see a group of everyday Australians tackling relatable weight issues and undergoing transformations of their bodies and their minds.
Common Sense
From the creators of the global phenomenon Gogglebox Australia comes Common Sense, a highly entertaining new show being produced for Foxtel’s Lifestyle Channel and Network Ten by Endemol Shine Australia. Common Sense will feature a cast of real people and their real opinions as they round up the week’s most talked-about news topics while in conversation with one another in their workplaces.
Sisters
A contemporary, feel-good drama from the makers of Offspring, Sisters deals with the big questions: what is the real meaning of “family”, nature versus nurture and why it always pays to have a DNA test with someone before sleeping with them. The answers will come from a cast that includes Barry Otto, Magda Szubanski, Catherine McClements, Lucy Durack, Maria Angelico, Antonia Prebble, Dan Spielman, Roy Billing and Remy Hi.
New US series
This Is Us
From the writers and directors of Crazy, Stupid, Love, This Is Us is a smart, modern series that follows a group of people – some of whom were born on the same day – as their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in surprising ways.
24: Legacy
A spinoff from the classic series, 24: Legacy will chronicle the story of Eric Carter, a US military hero who returns home after leading a mission to assassinate a terrorist leader only to find he and his squad members are now the targets of assassins.
Bull
Former NCIS star Michael Weatherly plays Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time.
Sport on Ten
Network Ten presents the KFC Big Bash League and the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League – live, free and exclusive. The KFC Big Bash League returns on 20 December. A bumper schedule will see 35 matches played in 40 days, including four double-headers.
The launch of tendaily
In 2017, Network Ten will capitalise on the growing demand for short-form content with the launch of tendaily.
Drawing on the resources of Network Ten and other content companies, tendaily will be a standalone, full-service, mobile-first website offering extensive, exclusive and premium short-form news, entertainment, lifestyle, sport and parenting content from breakfast to bedtime.
Tendaily will also offer native advertising opportunities and will provide a strong social media footprint with bespoke quality content.