First it was Big Brother, then it was Australia’s Got Talent. Now, the Nine Network is set to revive yet another reality television series, with a second season of Network Ten’s old franchise, The Shire, to air in December.
Despite attracting a low audience for its first season on Ten, Nine have picked up the series for a summer run insisting Australia had ‘fallen in love’ with the characters.
‘There’s no denying the fact The Shire actually began with a decent viewership,’ a Nine spokesman said.
‘The show has a cult following. It wasn’t the most loved show on television, but Australia certainly fell in love with the characters, particularly Sophie and Vernessa.’
The network highlighted the ongoing media interest in the plastic duo, long after the show had been originally axed, and promised they would be central to their new edition.
‘Sophie and Vernessa were great entertainment, and they were the show’s breakout hits. They’re a real inspiration to the younger women of Australia, and I think it just makes sense to get this show and bring these starlets to centre stage. It will be great entertainment, and they will have Australians everywhere enthralled.’
Nine believes that constant timeslot changes and an ‘inappropriate climate’ were the factors to the show’s demise. To combat this, the network will run the eight-episode second season in the summer time.
‘The other network ran the show in the middle of winter. It didn’t make sense. That and a cluttered schedule spelled the untimely death of the show,’ the spokesman said.
‘We’re going to be running it in the heart of summer. People will relate to this. We don’t have much content there, so we can guarantee it a solid timeslot.’
But that’s not all. Nine had so much success with bringing back reality juggernaut Big Brother to a family-friendly audience that the network plans to do the same with The Shire.
‘The Shire was made to be family friendly. You really only had to take one good look at the show, and it was premium family-time entertainment. Some parts of it were actually educational. We want to highlight these aspects of the show. We want this show to appeal to families and we want it to be educational. Again, having Sophie and Vernessa spearheading this program fits with that strategy.’
Also taking inspiration from its other revived show, Australia’s Got Talent, Nine also hinted at plans for ‘superstar’ guests.
‘Minus any injunctions we may face, fans of the show can expect cameos from the likes of Kylie Gilles, Rebecca Gibney, Chris Bath, Hugh Sheridan, Virginia Gay, Manu Feildel and Ronan Keating, all of whom we will be welcoming innocently into the Nine family.’
Nine’s version of The Shire launches December 2013
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