Aussie TV is losing its identity
It has been a massive week in Australian TV with the official cancellation of Network 10’s The Project and the news overnight that Q+A is being axed by the ABC.
What’s notable about both shows is that each represented a strong sense of the brand identity of each network over the past decade plus.
The Project was Network 10. It skewed young, had an city-fringe sensibility to it, and had a lightness of tone to it. Watch any 10 show since The Project began and you’ll find a similar sensibility running through them all. I wouldn’t say that The Project established that tone, but it was the most consistent show that 10 had and with a 16 year-run, it really served as the spine for 10’s identity over that time.
Q&A occupied a similar role on the ABC. Running a similar 17 years, Q&A became a quasi-town square, placing the show at the heart of the ABC and its audience engagement. A couple of years into its run it adopted an interactive Twitter element to the show and as a live broadcast, it felt like you couldn’t afford not to watch the show - it’s where the conversations that defined Australia’s politics and culture were taking place and being hashed out.
In recent years, both shows felt like they were well-past their use-by dates. The reasons are similar to the impact on a lot of TV as our viewing has shifted online. The community became more divided and more tribal. The desire for a shared conversation just dissipated.
The cancellation of both shows reflect a sign of the times. It’s very interesting their demise has happened in the same week - the industry has been sitting on its hands for too many years and it does feel like every TV network is looking at the realities of audience shift and continued decline and have realised it can’t afford to hold onto what had been working so well.
But what happens when networks lose the very shows that define their very identity?
Video on the rise for marketers
An interesting stat from IAB Australia this morning in their Video Advertising State of the Nation Report 2025: 27.5% of all online advertising investment is now allocated to video. So much of our media consumption over the past 20+ years has been driven by video. That has obviously accelerated over the past five years. So, it makes sense that ad-spend is following. I’m mostly surprised that it is only 27.5% (when you consider the expense of producing video over other ad types), but I’d expect to see that dollar figure rise steeply. It’ll be interesting to contrast this against next years report.
I’m at the IAB Australia Video Summit 2025 this morning. If you’re around, say hi.
News Desk
HBO Max is planning to roll out to a dozen more territories in July, bringing its footprint to 89 countries. Read: Deadline
Sunday’s live broadcast of the Good Night and Good Luck stage show was watched by 7.34 million global viewers, including streaming audiences on Max (US) and CNN.com. Read: TV Line
Kaitlyn Dever will lead season 3 of The Last of Us. That’s probably a spoiler to jokers like me who haven’t yet finished season 2. Read: Variety
Gloria Reuben has joined the cast of Blue Bloods spin-off Boston Blue. Read: Variety
Making a smart career move is upcoming Lois Lane and former Mrs Maisel Rachel Brosnahan. She’ll take over from Jake Gyllenhaal as the star of season 2 of Apple TV+ drama Presumed Innocent. It’s a good way to position herself as a prestige star, while also fronting a big superhero franchise. Read: THR
Joining the cast of Mike Flanagan’s Carrie TV show: Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Katee Sackhoff, Rahul Kohli, Tim Bagley & Heather Graham. Read: Deadline
Felicity Huffman is joining Doc season 2. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
The new Lena Dunham-created Too Much debuts on Netflix July 10.
When a heartbroken New Yorker moves to London hoping for a love story, she falls for an indie musician who's anything but the typical romantic hero.
Ballard debuts July 9 on Prime Video.
Ballard continues to bring Michael Connelly's bestselling novels to life, following Detective Renée Ballard (Q) as she leads the LAPD's new and underfunded cold case division, tackling the city's most challenging long-forgotten crimes with empathy and relentless determination. As she peels back layers of crimes spanning decades, including a serial killer's string of murders and a murdered John Doe, she soon uncovers a dangerous conspiracy within the LAPD. With the help of her volunteer team and retired detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver), Detective Ballard navigates personal trauma, professional challenges, and life-threatening dangers to expose the truth.
The Institute debuts July 13 on MGM+
"The Institute" follows the story of teen genius Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), who is kidnapped and awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did and who are all possessed of unusual abilities.
Marked debuts on Netflix in July.
Desperate to pay for her daughter's life-saving surgery, devout ex-cop Babalwa turns to an unholy savior to help her plan a daring heist.
That’s the newsletter for today.
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