The Seven Network – Australia’s most-watched broadcast television platform – today unveiled its plans for development over the coming eighteen months.
Seven’s plans released today see the company build on this leadership with a string of renewals for major hit franchises and dramas and a portfolio of major sports events that will drive its audience delivery across 2017 and into 2018.
The Seven Network moves into 2017 with a new long-term partnership with the Australian Football League and a portfolio of major sports events across 2017-2018, including the AFL Grand Final, the Melbourne Cup, the Rugby League World Cup, the Australian Open, the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018 and the XXI Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April 2018. Seven is also the network of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020.
Seven today also unveiled key elements of a strong slate of new programmes that builds on the network’s leadership across primetime. And beyond Seven’s commitment to broadcast television, the company also released plans for its further development in the delivery of its market-leading broadcast television, publishing and digital content to all Australians.
Commenting, Tim Worner, Seven West Media’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said: “We are about delivering the best to our audiences wherever they may be and on any screen. We are unleashing more live events – across sports and our primetime. We are commissioning great Australian dramas. Our track record of success over the past decade provides us with the confidence to expand and build our market-leading content and delivery presence across all screens.”
Commenting, Kurt Burnette, Seven West Media’s Chief Revenue Officer, said: “Our business is built on the very best and proven content for our audiences and delivering those audiences on every platform to our advertisers – all driven by the power and effectiveness of television and Seven West Media’s monthly audience of 17 million Australians. Our strategy of major events, key franchises and an expanding sports portfolio underlines our leadership and commitment to securing the biggest and most-engaged audiences advertisers are seeking.”
Seven today confirmed a number of new programmes that will underpin the network’s commitment to Australian programming, including new major Australian drama projects: Olivia Newton-John, Warnie, Hoges: The Paul Hogan Story and new Blue Murder: Killer Cop, starring Richard Roxburgh.
Seven also confirmed 2017 seasons for Jessica Mauboy in The Secret Daughter, Rebecca Gibney in Wanted and Erik Thomson in 800 Words.
Australia’s most-watched programme – My Kitchen Rules – will again launch Seven’s primetime in 2017. House Rules is also confirmed for a new season along with two of Seven’s big hits from 2016: First Dates and Seven Year Switch.
Joining this portfolio will be a number of new series: Million Dollar Cold Case, Yummy Mummies, The Aussie Property Flippers, Murder Uncovered and, now being filmed under a veil of secrecy, a controversial new show that will be the most talked about program of 2017.
Seven has also secured two new US series: the comedy series Trial and Error and new action drama, Training Day.
Commenting, Angus Ross, Seven’s Director of Network Programming, said: “We are well-placed over the coming twelve months. We have great event and drama franchises and an extraordinary sports portfolio. We look forward to building on our ten consecutive years of leadership in primetime as we launch 2017 with the Australian Open and Australia’s most successful programme, My Kitchen Rules.”
New Australian Drama
BLUE MURDER: KILLER COP
Richard Roxburgh reprises his heralded portrayal of Australia’s most notorious former detective Roger Rogerson in BLUE MURDER: KILLER COP, leading an all-star cast including Toni Collette, Matt Nable, Dan Wyllie, Emma Booth, Justin Smith, Damian Walshe-Howling, Steve Le Marquand, Aaron Pedersen, Aaron Jeffery – and reprising their original roles, Tony Martin and Peter Phelps. A floating body, a drug deal gone wrong, and two former detectives the perpetrators. Life imprisonment is the end of Roger Rogerson’s story. The last Blue Murder ended with his expulsion in disgrace from the NSW Police Force. In this instalment, Rogerson struggles to make a living in a world that’s rapidly changing, caught between the pressures of criminals, police and a love that might save him. Written by Peter Schreck, directed by Michael Jenkins, produced by Michael Jenkins and Carol Hughes, and executive produced by John Edwards, Richard Roxburgh and Julie McGauran, BLUE MURDER: KILLER COP is an Endemol Shine Australia production for Seven, made with the assistance of Screen Australia and Screen NSW.
HOGES: THE PAUL HOGAN STORY
Starring Josh Lawson as Paul Hogan, Ryan Corr as John “Strop” Cornell and Justine Clarke as Noelene Hogan, HOGES: THE PAUL HOGAN STORY charts the meteoric rise of working-class Australian icon Paul Hogan whose easy, wise-cracking persona took him from the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the heights of a Golden Globe win, Oscar-nominated adulation, unprecedented box-office success and international superstardom, meanwhile forging powerful and enduring relationships along the way. Written by Keith Thompson and Marieke Hardy, directed by Kevin Carlin, produced by Brett Popplewell and executive produced by Jo Porter and Julie McGauran, HOGES: THE PAUL HOGAN STORY is a FremantleMedia Australia production for Seven, made with the assistance of Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
Celebrating how a nice girl can finish first, the story of Olivia Newton-John charts her trailblazing personal, musical and uniquely female journey through one of the world’s toughest industries. Selling over 100 million records to become the number one recording artist in the world and starring in one of the most loved film musicals of all time, Olivia is a true Australian hero and survivor who’s lived her life in the goldfish bowl of public attention, learning along the way to harness the power of her fame and defining her greatest success by what she has been able to give back. Directed by Shawn Seet, produced by Margot McDonald and executive produced by Jo Porter and Julie McGauran, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN is a FremantleMedia Australia production for Seven, made with the assistance of Screen Australia and Film Victoria.
WARNIE
Shane Warne is a walking tabloid headline. Women, parties, women, high-life and women. He loved being married but couldn’t help himself. And as he rolled from scandal to scandal he was also, through all this, the greatest cricketer of his generation. WARNIE explores the paradox that is the most admired, criticised and publicised Australian sportsman of the century. Written by Matt Ford, produced by Kerrie Mainwaring and executive produced by Rory Callaghan and Julie McGauran, WARNIE is a Screentime, a Banijay Group company, production for Seven, made with the assistance of Screen Australia and Film Victoria.
New Australian True Crime
MURDER UNCOVERED
Groundbreaking. Powerful. Gripping. Heart stopping. MURDER UNCOVERED is a breakthrough investigative news series that will blow wide open some of the worst, most infamous cases of unsolved killings and crimes in Australian criminal history. Each episode will revisit a different case that enraged and engaged the country, featuring new evidence, major breakthroughs and fresh leads that will have you questioning everything. Featuring award-winning journalist Michael Usher, chilling new details will be uncovered from never-before-given interviews with eyewitnesses to the crimes, the detectives who investigated, the victims, the prime suspects, and in some cases even the murderers – in their own words. From the team that made the critically-acclaimed Anita Cobby documentary and In Cold Blood… The Chris Lane Story, MURDER UNCOVERED will dramatically revitalise the crime genre. Just when you thought you knew it all…
MILLION DOLLAR COLD CASE
MILLION DOLLAR COLD CASE is cracking open the files of unsolved murders that have frustrated police and devastated grieving families for years. Police are determined to catch the killers, and have offered one million dollar rewards to help solve these horrific crimes. MILLION DOLLAR COLD CASE takes the viewer inside each investigation as cold case detectives track down the murderer. They have a message for the killers – you will be caught. Someone, somewhere knows who did it.
New Australian Ob Docs
YUMMY MUMMIES
In this brand new series from Seven Productions, these stunning young mums have model good looks, glamorous lives and are never seen without their high heels and designer wear – but their best accessory is their baby bump. As the Italian family from Adelaide get ready to celebrate the arrival of their new princess, things become very competitive when they try to outdo the Melbourne yummy mummies with the most lavish baby showers, extravagant push presents and luxurious babymoons. When these yummy mummies get together, nothing, and no subject, is off limits. But their glamorous, perfect lives are about to change and they have no idea what’s in store because… the babies are coming!
THE AUSSIE PROPERTY FLIPPERS
In this brand new series from Seven Productions, we follow Aussie couples who have found a way to get rich quick. They buy homes, they renovate, they sell – all in just a few short weeks. But with big reward comes big risk. Will it be flip or flop? And what are the secrets to their success?
Tim Worner, Seven West Media’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said: “We are about delivering the best to our audiences wherever they may be and on any screen. We are unleashing more live events – across sports and our primetime. We are commissioning great Australian dramas. Our track record of success over the past decade provides us with the confidence to expand and build our market-leading content and delivery presence across all screens.”
MY KITCHEN RULES
Pete Evans and Manu Feildel return with an eighth season of Australia’s number one regular program, MY KITCHEN RULES. An average audience of 2.32 million viewers tuned in this year to see Melbourne sisters Tasia and Gracia take out the 2016 title and $250,000 in prize money. Acclaimed chefs Colin Fassnidge, Karen Martini, Guy Grossi and Liz Egan return to Kitchen HQ next year to judge the new batch of aspiring home cooks. And when the MKR doorbell rings in 2017, expect new twists and a new face at the dinner table.
HOUSE RULES
Australia’s number one renovation show averaged more than 1.57 million viewers in 2016 and more than two million people tuned in to see Queensland twins Luke and Cody win and realise their dream of living mortgage free. In 2017, host Johanna Griggs returns with six new teams who will be faced with the huge task of tackling the worst house in HOUSE RULES history.
WANTED
With an average combined audience of 1.85 million, WANTED is Australia’s number one regular drama of 2016. In the first season, checkout chick Lola Buckley (Rebecca Gibney) and accountant Chelsea Babbage (Geraldine Hakewill) were thrown together by fate and circumstance in a thrilling chase across Australia in a car full of drugs and money. After a hair-raising pursuit across the starkly varied landscapes of Australia, the second season sees them journey the length of Thailand and New Zealand as they turn from the hunted into the hunters in an effort to bring the fight to their pursuers and unearth the truth about how and why this whole thing started.
800 WORDS
800 WORDS continued to charm in 2016 with a combined average audience of 1.5 million. When the series returns in 2017, George (Erik Thomson) is finding his place among the eclectic folk of Weld, as he raises teenagers Shay (Melinda Vidler) and Arlo (Benson Jack Anthony). George and Fiona’s budding relationship is headline news, however it’s Jan’s budding baby news that really sets the town alight. There’s new faces as George’s wayward brother arrives in town, but is that too many Turners for Weld to handle?
THE SECRET DAUGHTER
Returning in 2017 for a second series, THE SECRET DAUGHTER is currently the number one drama on Australian television. Starring Jessica Mauboy as part-time country pub singer Billie Carter and a stellar ensemble cast, the popular drama has captured everyone’s hearts with its warmth, humour and music.
FIRST DATES
Seven’s fly-on-the-wall dating show is back for a second series. The first series of FIRST DATES was a runaway smash earlier this year, averaging 1.28 million viewers. It won its timeslot with Australians tuning in to see singles from across the country go on blind dates. Cameras controlled remotely record the date from start to finish – from first impressions, through all the awkward, heart-warming and funny moments, to the end of the meal where they must decide if a second date is on the cards. Who will find love next?
SEVEN YEAR SWITCH
In 2016, SEVEN YEAR SWITCH was number one in its timeslot each week with an average combined audience of 1.479 million. The breakout hit series returns in 2017 with four new couples who are on the brink of separation. They will put their relationship on the line in order to save it, living with a like-minded new partner in an experimental marriage, to help them decide if they would be better off with someone else. Viewers will learn about each of the couples – how they met, how they fell in love, how their relationship took a turn for the worst and why they are willing to risk everything to mend it. Therapists Jo Lamble and Peter Charleston return to assess the relationships and support them as they adjust to living with an experimental partner. At the end of this social experiment, each of the couples will reunite and make the decision to either part ways or reaffirm their commitment for life.
Also back on Seven in 2017: HOME AND AWAY, THE CHASE AUSTRALIA and BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS.
New US Programmes
TRIAL AND ERROR
A serialised murder-mystery comedy, this documentary-style single-camera series goes into the heart of a quirky, small Southern town to follow the arrest and murder trial of a beloved, if idiosyncratic, poetry professor Larry Henderson (John Lithgow, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter) and Josh Segal (Nicholas D’Agosto, Gotham), the young “Northeastern” lawyer hired to defend him. Following the trial over the entire first season, this funny character-driven mystery is packed with physical comedic moments in tandem with the suspense of watching the case unfold. Larry, the accused, is vocal about maintaining his innocence, but as the cards stack, fall and shuffle, and the secrets come out… did he or didn’t he?
TRAINING DAY
A gritty, intense drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, TRAINING DAY is a reimagining of the groundbreaking film of the same name, beginning 15 years later and exploring a modern-day Los Angeles in all its guts and glory. The LAPD’s Kyle Craig (Justin Cornwell) is one of the good guys. An idealistic, rookie cop bumped up to detective in an elite and elusive unit that goes after the worst of the worst. He’s been tasked to expose the corruption of veteran cop Frank Rourke (Bill Paxton, Big Love), a charming but crooked, morally ambiguous detective. As the bullets fly and we enter the undercover world with these partners who don’t trust each other, who’s training who?
Sport
Seven is focused on delivering the biggest sports events to all Australians. Seven is the network of the Australian Football League and the Olympic Games. Seven’s long-term partnerships confirm the company’s leadership in sports television with the network continuing to dramatically expand its coverage of major sports across its digital broadcast television channels and accelerate coverage across online, mobile and other emerging forms of content delivery.
Seven’s commitment to an expanding presence in sport builds on the network’s unprecedented new agreement with the International Olympic Committee. Seven is the network of the the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang in 2018 and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020. Seven is also the home of the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
Seven’s agreements for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the World Swimming Championships join the company’s long-term commitment to the National Football League, including the Super Bowl, The Masters, Royal Ascot and Wimbledon as major international sports franchises for Seven.
Seven also has all-encompassing agreements for coverage of the Australian Football League Premiership Season, Finals Series, the Grand Final and Brownlow Medal, and the local Australian Rules Football competitions, the West Australian Football League, the Victorian Football League and the South Australian National Football League, the Bathurst 12 Hour Endurance Race, all major horse racing events including the Sydney Easter Carnival, the Stradbroke Handicap, the Melbourne Spring Carnival and the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, all major Australian golf tournaments, the Stawell Gift, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the New South Wales Shute Shield in rugby, and all major tennis tournaments in Australia including the Australian Open and the Davis Cup. Seven also has all-encompassing rights to swimming in Australia and is the network of the Australian Swimming Championships.
Platform 7
Seven today confirmed Platform 7 – the company’s new digital content division creating bespoke digital content for all social networks and audiences. Platform 7 is a new form of delivery of content from Australia’s leading content creators, Seven Productions. It will seek to tell new stories, with new talent to new audiences through original digital first formats; while also offering clients new ways to integrate their brands into bespoke digital content.
