Ten axes children’s programs Totally Wild and Scope
Ten has axed Totally Wild after a 29-year run, in addition to science program Scope, resulting in a number of redundancies.
While the network would not confirm how many roles are impacted, Mumbrella understands staff working on the children’s shows will be able to apply for roles within the rest of the children’s department.
Totally Wild ran for 29 years
“Network Ten yesterday informed staff that Totally Wild and Scope will no longer be produced, which will result in a reduction of roles,” a spokesperson said.
“As a result of these shows no longer being produced, some on-air presenters and production staff will leave Network Ten. The network would like to thank those people for their dedication and hard work.
“No further details are available at this stage.”
Totally Wild will conclude in July, while Scope is not on air at the moment.
The decision comes five months after the government announced it would scrap children’s content quotas as part of a TV regulation shake up, effective this year. From 1 January, commercial free to air networks were no longer obliged to air at least 260 hours of children’s programs and 130 hours of pre-school programs annually.
Ten – which currently has two children’s dramas in post-production, Dive Club and The Bureau of Magical Things – said it is still “committed to creating and producing local children’s content, but its strategy has evolved to include the development and production of more children’s drama programs”.
“The Network Ten children’s department will remain an integral part of the business and will remain based in Brisbane,” the spokesperson added.
Across 2019 and 2020, the network also confirmed it would terminate Playing for Keeps, Trial by Kyle, Celebrity Name Game, and One Born Every Minute Australia. Dancing With the Stars and Bachelor in Paradise were also scrapped for this year. The business made other cuts across the network last year, seeing staff including Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Natarsha Belling, and Tim Bailey depart.
The company’s 2021 slate, meanwhile, features three new shows, Making It, The Dog House, and First Inventors, and a number of returning formats.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! wrapped up on Sunday and performed strongly for Ten, premiering to 1.03 million metro viewers and seeing 896,000 watch the final moments of the finale.
The Amazing Race, which launched to 501,000 metro viewers the night after I’m a Celebrity’s final episode, has struggled so far. It drew 493,000 for its second episode and 447,000 for its third, last night.
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Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
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