Mixed response to debut of Ten’s new show The Circle
Network Ten’s debut of new daytime chat show The Circle launched this morning to a mixed response from viewers commenting online.
The show, which aired from 10am to noon, is hosted by TV veteran Denise Drysdale, Big Brother runner up Chrissie Swan, Max TV presenter Yumi Stynes and reporter and singer Gorgi Coghlan.
The network is hoping to replicate the success of US show The View which features an all-women panel including Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters.
The Circle today attracted mixed reviews on social networking site Twitter, with one user tweeting it’s “a heaving pile a crap”, while another tweeted “I have come to expect the worst of Australian morning TV, but #thecircle is a new low”.
But Swan appeared to be a favourite among some viewers, one person tweeting “Chrissie from Big Brother is hilarious!”, while another said “Nup I’m done with #thecircle. Do love Chrissie Swan though”.
And Wicked star Rob Mills also gave it a vote of approval, tweeting: “Is it wrong to like the new show The Circle? It craps on The View.”
The show went head to head with Seven’s The Morning Show and Nine’s Mornings with Kerrie-Anne, both of which start an hour earlier at 9am.
The Circle was brought in to replace the low rating 9am With David & Kim show.
Nine’s own version of the The View, called The Catch-Up, was axed after less than five months when it launched in 2007.
Comments on Twitter:
- TweetsOfRenee: After expecting the worst, I have to admit that new show #TheCircle is actually not that bad lol. Chrissie from Big Brother is hilarious!
- trvllngjwllr: @RobMillsyMills Our women know humour, #TheCircle was LOLarious
- DiMat2009: who else likes the new show #TheCircle ??
- RobMillsyMills: Is it wrong to like the new show #TheCircle? It craps on the view. Must get out and enjoy the day. Taking my mum shopping.
- zoe_myers: I have come to expect the worst of Australian morning TV, but #thecircle is a new low. Even the lovely Chrissie Swan can’t save this horror.
- OverArrow: To be frank, #thecircle is a heaving pile a crap. Hate to say it but would prefer Mornings with KAK than this.
- @petertaggart: if they say “ding dong drysdale” one more time I will “ding dong blow my brains out” #thecircle
- @TV_Rev: IT BURNS MY BRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #thecircle
- 41BabyProject: What makes The View so successful is the gritty arguments and opinions. #TheCircle
- 41BabyProject: I don’t think it’ll work, based on today. It’s too Kerri-Anne morning-show-like, with promotional segments etc. #TheCircle
- jons68: Inane sexist banter of no purpose cue another infomercial. Why can’t we seem to eqaul USA at such things, including Breakfast TV #thecircle
- simonband: RT@jons68:I’m sorry,#thecircle sucks. So far two realty TV contestants, 1 being a host & a Domino’s informercial.
- georgielc: Nup I’m done with #thecircle. Do love Chrissie Swan though
- jons68: I’m sorry, #thecircle sucks. So far two realty TV contestants, 1 being a host & a Domino’s informercial. Stick to #theview, they do politics
- AbiMoustafa: So, it’s only ten minutes into #TheCircle but I’ pretty sure we’re witnessing the start of something GREAT!
- JennaIsWriting: Do people really still say, “The rest, as they say, is history” ? Is it 1996? FFS. #thecircle #ormoreaccuratelythecirclesucks
- tanjem: Who are the drab women hosting “The Circle”? Are they trying to copy “The View”? Boring opinionated waffle, won’t last a season. #thecircle
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
Linkedin
I know twitter is the new black, and no offense to the above tweeters, but are these comments really representative of the circle’s success or failure?
User ID not verified.
What made it more difficult was sharing a name (and hashtag) with the new Bon Jovi CD/Tour. Guess which one was more popular?
Also, is Millsy trying to wangle an appearance on a show sympathetic to ex-Idols?
User ID not verified.
Fair question on Twitter.
Clearly it’s not a demographically sound focus group, but it’s not bad as an immediate snapshot either while something’s on air or in the hour or two afterwards.
They were, after all, right about The Spearman Experiment: https://mumbrella.com.au/tv-viewers-deride-tens-20-to-01-lookalike-the-spearman-experiment-9323
Certainly, I can’t think of a better immediate alternative.
Tomorrow, of course, we’ll have some viewing figures.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Australia will never ever be able to do TV like they can in the US. Ever. They should just cut their losses. Australian humour just doesn’t make for good chatty telly. It’s too forced, tries too hard, no one is truly themselves. When can we see some women on their who are themselves?! Or get a flamboyant over the top gay male to be the head of the panel -at least the housewives will if anything be highly entertained!
User ID not verified.
Well, I had to watch what had replaced my “Morning Show” – JUST ONE TIME.
Never again, I swear it.
Why do programmes with all women in them seem to need to be just stupid, with so many giggles at things that have no comedic merit in them whatsovever?
I really miss the beautiful Kim – she’s very intelligent, mixed with a wonderful sense of humour, and occasional lapses of “political correctness”, which were always hilarious. I liked David’s somewhat uptight style very much. When it came to interviews, they were always with interesting people, who knew their topics well, and then Kim and David’s intelligence came to the fore – asking non-confronting questions of the guest, yet managing nevertheless, to bring out the subject content perfectly. They didn’t seem to be phased by somewhat controversial topics, and didn’t necessarily agree with the interviewee. I thoroughly enjoyed the programme – along with the re-runs during the summer though Mary Ann Bigger’s voice was somewhat of a trial.
I hope that both Kim and David’s talents are used somewhere else, I should hate to have lost them forever.
Leah Jones.
User ID not verified.
I agree with Leah Jones. Why are panel shows for women by women so bad? Probably because there is no such thing as a show that will appeal to all women so why do they try? We’re not all interested in talking about parenting. They never really cover sport.
And please – mUmBRELLA needs to do better than cut and pasting from Twitter. I hate this is the way journalism has gone too.
User ID not verified.
I haven’t watched The Circle yet, but in response to Leah Jones and What?, the reason these shows are so bad is because of the TV execs who are stuck in a groove and think intelligent women might be too challenging for their ~perceived~ audiences.
Let’s move away from reality show contestants and b-grade actresses and find some real women, and ditch those bloody stupid infomercials, or squash them all into 15 minutes of drivel so we can choose to skip them.
Imagine if we did have a show that was on par with The View – who could feature?
Allow me to offer up a potpourri of names that could guarantee some stimulating discussion: Sorrel Wilby; Natasha Stott-Despoja; Nikki Gemmel; Margo Kingston.
And if we do have to have actresses involved, let’s get some good ones: Rebecca Gibney; Magda Szubanski; Judith McGrath;
There are plenty of strong, smart and opinionated Australian women around – let’s not relegate them all to the back of the line because they don’t look (or think) like Barbie.
User ID not verified.
Loved The Circle, refreshing and real…
User ID not verified.
Well all I can say, the fact that Rob Mills has given it the thumbs up must indicate that the show is a stinker!!!!!!!!!!!
User ID not verified.
The worst show ive ever seen, weve got Chrissy, annoying and not at all funny, Denise Drysdale, should be in Silent Movies, Yummi stynes, and ex rock chick reporter, an arrogant upstart, and the other one….is just a non entity.
They talk crap…..thats when you can actually hear what theyre saying, because most of the time they are being drowned out by that audience laughter
Truly cringeworthy, a show for the Dame Edna Everages out there
User ID not verified.
The Circle is awful. The advertisements (yes, they are advertisements – advertisements which are by no means informative), are excruciating – especially the ones where too thin people do strange things on exercise equipment. Who would want to end up looking like that? Yuk. What a narcissistic way to spend your free time. Yet another reminder to never switch the tv on during the morning!!
User ID not verified.
I love the Circle, real, honest and a joy to watch. Love the hosts and love to see a full figured lady on this show as host, who is just wonderful and just makes everyone feel at home.
Big hugs ladies, love it.
User ID not verified.
THE CIRCLE IS JUST TERRIBLE. I ADORE DENISE DRYSDALE BUT POOR DEAR JUST IS NOT RIGHT ON THIS OR ANY TALK SHOW. TELEVISION IS A VISUAL SO WHY ON EARTH DID CHANNEL 10 GATHER TOGETHER SUCH A VISUALLY DRAINING BUNCH. THAT MOUNTAIN OF A WOMAN MAKES ME FEEL SICK EACH TIME I SEE HER SHOVEL FOOD INTO HER MOUTH. THE SKIINY ONE IS SUCH A PAIN, A TRY TO BE WHO WILL NEVER BE. THE OTHER ONE IS JUST A NON EVENT AND DEAR DENISE IN THE MIX. CHANNEL TAKE IT OFF AND LETS SEE SOMETHING ENTERTAINING. DAVID AND KIM AT THEIR WORST WAS SO MUCH BETTER.
User ID not verified.