Ten axes Saturday Night Rove after two episodes
Ten’s attempt to woo consumers back to its channel on a Saturday night has hit a speed bump, with the network announcing it has cancelled Rove McManus’ Saturday Night Rove after two episodes.
The show was scheduled to run for six episodes. It debuted to 244,000 metro viewers, and fell to 138,000 for its second outing on Saturday.
WINNER! :trophy: @MrKRudd #SaturdayNightRove #KRuddHandBallChallenge pic.twitter.com/nk245I4zGy
— Saturday Night Rove (@SatNightRove) August 31, 2019
Its premiere during Ten’s Pilot Week experiment last year – when it was known as Bring Back Saturday Night – had 203,000 metro viewers.
The story of the show’s axing first broke tonight on TV Tonight, with McManus then telling Mumbrella via a spokesperson that the audience simply wasn’t there.
“It was clear looking at the numbers that the audience we hoped would find a free-wheeling live show on a Saturday night just weren’t there,” McManus said. “We spoke with Ten today and we both called it.”
“The opportunity to play live in front of Australia again was fun, no matter how brief, and I would like to thank my amazing co-stars, the behind-the-scenes team and everyone at Ten who got behind Saturday Night Rove.”
McManus had previously told Mumbrella he believed there was an audience ready and willing to return to their couches, and free-to-air television, on a Saturday night.
“We have to remember that one of the most successful television shows we ever had was on a Saturday night, Hey Hey It’s Saturday which almost ran for 30 years. So there is an audience there, and I know it was a much much different era to what we have now with the ways people can consume their content and the list of options that is seemingly endless. But I do feel there is an audience we aren’t being served on a Saturday,” he told Mumbrella ahead of the show’s launch.
“If you don’t want to watch sport, if you don’t want to watch a murder mystery from the BBC or if you’re not happy to watch a movie that’s 20 to 30 years old, then, of course, you’re going to go off free to air and start searching elsewhere.”
He said with the right care, love and attention, the show could grow into something successful.
Ten, the network behind Rove’s successful early 2000’s show Rove Live, and his production company’s The Project, was also disappointed with the outcome.
“Unfortunately Saturday Night Rove hasn’t resonated with viewers the way we had hoped, so Rove and Ten have made the decision to remove it from the schedule,” a spokesperson told Mumbrella.
“Rove is a sensational entertainer and a close friend of 10, and we thank him for all his hard work, and all the laughs, on Saturday Night Rove.”
Over the weekend, TV Blackbox revealed the show was embroiled in backlash after editing viewers tweets. The tweets, which in their entirety were critical of the program, were edited to appear to be endorsing it, and then used in promotions.
It’s obviously a very different viewing world now from when ‘Hey Hey’ ran for 30 years. (See Netflix, Stan, YouTube, etc)
Rove is obviously very successful and very talented. Setting aside the entertainment attributes of ‘Saturday Night Rove’, one of the factors behind the Simpsons’ success over three decades is – apart from its brilliant humour, appealing to a number of demographics – is it is apolitical. It lampoons both Republicans and Democrats.
On previous shows, Rove’s apparent regard, for example, for former prime minister Kevin Rudd has been evident. But would he have had ex-prime minister Tony Abbot or Scott Morrison on the program? (In general, has there been a left of centre aspect to other offerings, also?)
Making your political stance evident might be nice from a personal standpoint. But are you alienating half of the population who hold different political views?
I know of people who say they wouldn’t watch xyz program because they don’t want to have political views thrust upon them.
To cite an Australian example, could you have picked what enduring TV icons Graham Kennedy’s or Bert Newton’s political views were?
User ID not verified.
How is it expensive, educated and experienced execs at 10 couldn’t see what was blindingly obvious to illiterate, anonymous pundits on Mumbrella?
It should have got to 0 eps, 1 was risky and 2 indulgent.
User ID not verified.
Can we finally call time on Rove McManus now.
User ID not verified.
Well this makes the ad where I have no audience feel a little awkward…
User ID not verified.
“It was clear looking at the numbers that the audience (…) on a Saturday night just weren’t there,” McManus said.
Can’t get away with that. The audience are there.
The show just has to be good.
User ID not verified.
…political thrusting
User ID not verified.
Glad this show has been axed. Rove suffers from little man syndrome and finds humour at others people’s expense. He was never a good host nor will he ever be. He thought he was all that and a slice of toast back in the day and packed his little man’s suitcase and shuffled off to LA or wherever in America, because he thought he was so hot he was going to take it by storm…..pfft……What happened to Rove? He come running back to Australia now because things didn’t work out thinking he was going to slot back in….wrong!!! People aren’t interested in Rove anymore. Heaps better shows on tv and a lot better talent than Rove. He had his chance, he blew it by heading overseas. See ya Rove, don’t let the door smack you on the arse on the way out. Definately no loss to Chanel 10.
User ID not verified.
Hey Rove – tell your mum I said goodbye! 😉
User ID not verified.
I agree there is an audience. We watch Graham Norton and I think it rates ok. Rove tries too hard to be funny and the centre of attention when it should be on his guests. And get better guests – Kevin Rudd!
User ID not verified.
Show us [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
User ID not verified.
Exactly Fred TV!
There was almost twice as many people watching the first week (when there was an AFL match on at the same time) who would have been looking for entertainment that they clearly didn’t find appealing enough to return for more.
The format plainly needed adjustment – even from the pilot – and it seems they’ve just decided if the audience doesn’t like their first idea then they won’t give them anything!
Sunday Night Takeaway was given 8 episodes to flounder at these kind of numbers on a far more important night of the week. Seems nobody at Ten had the intestinal fortitude to stick it out again.
User ID not verified.
Michelle, I have thoroughly enjoyed your substantial body of work on TV over recent times. Keep it up, and I look forward to more of it.
User ID not verified.
The project failed because it was not properly programmed.
Theatre is about many things, but it is primarily about mystery, conflict, love, laughter, and tragedy.
The so-called “show” was about as ill-conceived as any presentation could possibly be. I have nothing against the presenter or the guests, but to be popular as a host, one must give the viewers something to love and something to want to come back to, not a star performer, or “wannabe” in this case, and not a featured guest who, in spite of a good education and a clever mind, is in my opinion, a self-centred backstabbing intellectual bully with a track record of “Look at Me”, “Dive for cover”, Abandon Ship, and “Grab it and Run”.
Yes, there certainly is a Saturday night audience out there, but they require and deserve much better than this half-hearted attempt at local stardom and a rating grab.
User ID not verified.
Na was just rubbish.
User ID not verified.
Mrs. Doubtfire really did the number on Rove, next he might dress up as a lady and be more popular? Just no Peter Heller and that other annoying woman…
User ID not verified.
I’ve enjoyed Rove over the years, but he’s lost his sparkle. I watched some of the first episode with hopes that it could be a bit of fun like the old “Hey, Hey”… perhaps even something I could watch with my kids like we used to do with our parents.
Saturday Night Rove is NOT something you can watch with your kids – and if we’re honest, who is the audience at home on a Saturday night? It’s not 20 and 30-somethings…it is predominantly families with young kids. As a parent, I would like to watch wholesome grown-up TV – not children’s shows, nor ‘edgy’ political agenda stuff full of bad language and outrage – we get that in our faces all day all week. Saturday night TV should really just be light entertainment and escape. We all need something to lighten up all this earnest adulting we’re doing all over the place! 😛
User ID not verified.
It was axed because it was s..t. Plain & simple. Rubbish content created by Rove himself. The writing was on the wall when he door knocked some guy for a promo for the show and then stupidly crossed live on opening to the same guy who promised to watch, but obviously had better things to do than to stay home on a Saturday night to watch vacuous, infantile humour by a presenter who lost his mojo decades ago. I’m happy he’s gone because his ego was his undoing. That fact that shows like SNL still flourish is testament that good content will attract dedicated viewers, sadly we haven’t found the solution here in Oz.
User ID not verified.
….interesting analysis and I never thought about that factoring into The Simpsons success.
but also, maybe the new Rove show was just dogshit.
User ID not verified.
What went on in my lounge room, on Saturday night was more interesting, and would have rated higher, than what happened on Rove.
User ID not verified.
Was a laugh a minute. That’s a long time to wait. Our cheesey Rove needs a game show. How about Turbulence! First, the 2 contestants eat a pizza each. Then, with every wrong answer their aircraft style seats bounce around , like in turbulence. Each wrong answer and the turbulence gets worse. And worse . First one to vomit is out. Bring in another player. Be funny as. Ellen would do it.. Call me Channel 10
User ID not verified.
My Mum pretended she didn’t know him.
User ID not verified.
I really liked rove on the dr who show
User ID not verified.
Nick, for the last time, enough of the innuendos about your amorous exploits.
User ID not verified.
Hey Hey audience was a younger baby boomer and Gen X profile. There is an audience but it isn’t the Hey Hey audience they have gone and Dicky Knee now drives an uber. Would D-Gen or Big Gig work now? That Genre may have just have seen its day. But someone give Judith a late-night gig.
User ID not verified.
surely we can do better agree it was a load of bollocks
User ID not verified.
Very true. Sad Rove could not see that. Seems surprised we are not the gullible dupes we once were.
User ID not verified.
Agree. Remember Clive Robertson and Graham Kennnedy’s IMT? Just show the news of the day and make humourous comments. Even get ‘live feedback’ via the net, as SBS do on PopAsia. Audience will love it. They love to see their names up on the screen. Maybe a guest music act like on Rockwiz or HeyHey. Are always promoters looking to flog a toruing band and get free airplay. Agree, host n
User ID not verified.