Ten confirms ‘dramality’ TV show The Shire after leak; predicts it will be ‘breakout hit’
Ten has rushed out an announcement of a new “dramality” (drama reality) series The Shire from production house Shine after video footage was leaked online.
According to a poster on Reddit, a caller from Ten made a “threatening” phone call after he posted a promotional video of The Shire on YouTube that he had seen shared on Facebook.
The Shire – inspired by US reality series Jersey Shore – will feature people from Sutherland Shire in NSW. The commission comes less than a month after Ten announced Being Lara Bingle, a reality series about the fashion model who is also from Sutherland Shire.
According to today’s announcement from Ten, The Shire will be “a bold, highly addictive ‘dramality’ series that follows the often outrageous lives and loves of a group of people who are destined to become the most talked about in Australia.
“With its stunning beauty and “tribe-like” community, the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south is the perfect location for this very real glimpse into the private lives of a distinctive group of Australian culture.”
It added: “From the boys next door, to the girls next door, from the heart-breakers, to the home-wreckers – The Shire is guaranteed to raise a commotion, and fast become one of the most talked-about shows on the box.”
David Mott, chief programming officer, Network Ten said in the announcement: “The Shire is a fascinating look into a unique sub- culture in Australia and the first time a local ‘dramality’ series is being introduced to the commercial television landscape.
“The genre has been a hit in the US (Jersey Shore) and the UK (The Only Way is Essex), changing the way people view television, and we intend to do the same.”
Production of the show starts a week on Monday. Mott said: “The Shire epitomises the progression of reality television and in this social media age, we’ve built a show that is not only entertaining but capitalises on all the twitterverse and blogosphere has to offer.
“It is the next step in the reality TV phenomenon TEN pioneered in 2001 when we introduced Big Brother to the Australian market and a strong, confident addition to our 2012 program line-up.”
According to the release, The Shire “has all the ingredients to become one of the breakout hits of 2012.”
The Reddit poster who uploaded the video under the title “Seventh layer of hell” said:
“So I was just sitting here minding my own business when I received a call from a private number. On the other end was a threatening male voice who identified himself as somebody from a certain Australian television network (who I am deliberately choosing not to name).
“He began interrogating me over a video that I had recently posted on Youtube, which had since been removed after a copyright claim. I asked him where he got my number and he said he would tell me if I told him who had leaked the video. I informed him that it was already doing the rounds on Facebook and I had just uploaded the file to Youtube, assuming it was simply a promo that they had already released. His reply was ‘unless you want our whole legal team breathing down your neck, you had best tell me who posted it’.
“It went backwards and forwards for five minutes with him giving me threats and me asking how he got my number and why he was being so ridiculously over the top. Once I pointed out that this was nothing but good publicity for the show, he began to calm down. I think he finally realised that I had no idea about any supposed leak and was merely reposting a ridiculous video.
“Long story short, a certain Network needs to spend less time on threatening potential viewers and more time on producing some decent content every once in a while.”
The video is no longer available on YouTube after a copyright claim by Network Ten.
Menawhile, The Spy Report reveals that a casting agency has been advertising for “a Shire surfer” and a “blonde bombshell” for the show.
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This is why we can’t have nice things.
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The Mayans were right
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Oh God.
Oh God.
Really?
Just…wow.
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“has all the ingredients to become one of the breakout hits of 2012.”
*Cough,bullshit cough*
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Calling it now: The Shire will not be a break out hit, but a flop, like most recycled garbage Ten try and brand as new entertainment. I didn’t think it was possible to dumb down what little local content we produce any further, but it looks like Channel Ten will pull it off.
As for Being Lara Bingle…I give it one episode before cancellation. Who green lights this stuff?
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The buzz this show has caused over the weekend just goes to show they’ll be huge interest in this. I remember when Big Brother launched and all the haters attacked it, the show went on to set records. People can say what they like, but I predict this will be a rating success.
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I’m really looking forward to this! I reckon it’ll get a lot of people watching.
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Hahaha classic can’t wait for this!!!
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“Leaked”. Is it wrong to be sceptical?
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I think you will find that a pilot has already been shot in Byron. Nice place to do it what?
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How many more flops will Mott schedule before he walks the plank? This is another ‘barker’ just waiting to happen. Seriously.
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Same same …..but different
Freshwater Blue on Facebook
19 February 2010
Be part of an Australian first and check out Freshwater Blue on Facebook – a cool new reality drama being premiered for free online. The show features a cast of 13 teenagers from Sydney’s Northern Beaches and documents their real-life journey from graduation to schoolies and into their first year of ‘freedom’. Full of drama, tension, laughs and heartache, Freshwater Blue is the story of thirteen teens beginning the rest of their lives.
The show will premiere online in early March, but until then we encourage you to take a look at the Facebook fan page at http://www.bit.ly/fwbfan to learn more about the show.
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@ Jean Cave – a pilot for The Shire made in Byron? That makes about as much sense as the premise of the show itself, which means it’s probably true!
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I just threw-up in my mouth a little.
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The Only Way is Essex is nothing like Jersey Shore. The UK’s equivalent of Jersey Shore is Geordie Shore, both done by MTV.
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Where can I find the
Pilot
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can’t wait to see it
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Ahh reddit, how I love thee
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Suddenly a whole lot of CUBs (cashed up bogans) realize their real estate values will plummet thanks to this show.
In fairness it was a good place to grow up.
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@Girl – usually up in the pointy end
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“It is the next step in the reality TV phenomenon TEN pioneered in 2001 when we introduced Big Brother to the Australian market….”
Pioneering?? It isn’t really called that when you buy the rights to an idea that has happened somewhere else.
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I only have one thing to say…whyyyyyyyyyyyy??????
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Why?
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oh please, all you wankers bitching about it are going to watch it for sure whether you publicly criticise it or not and you know it – youre just jealous your shit hole town didnt get chosen hahaha – see you at northies!
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It is nice to see that television stations in Australia have no respect for privacy law.
It is not their place to hunt down people they believe have leaked and threaten them. They should get the police involved and use the court system.
Any industry or organisation that attempts to preserve their own interests by misleading, threatening or abusing their own customers is very very sick and misguided indeed!
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JUst what we need anglo’s v moozies. not…
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hide your shame, sydney. hide your shame.
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