Shak axed
Posted January 13th, 2010 by debritz
The most popular story on this blog in recent times has been about the Queensland-produced Channel 9 kids' show The Shak. The show's many thousands of fans, then, will be extremely disappointed to hear reports currently circulating on Twitter that the show - along with all other in-house children's programming - has been axed. If true, this would mean job losses in Brisbane and elsewhere.
Update: Channel 9 has reportedly denied it's axing all in-house production, but The Shak is not being renewed. That's still bad news for Brisbane and local production.
Jan 15 update: The Courier-Mail has caught up with the story here.
Brett,
Sydney and Melbourne won't take the brunt if this is true.
Brisbane will, as it is the home of The Shak, and is home to their kids gameshow output too (think back to Challenger, with Dougie the Pizza Boy).
But I'd love to say this on my soapbox here, Brett, on behalf of every Queensland viewer, to simply, boycott Nine News from tonight. Let Lofty go from his perch, to delivering news to a few thousand, as only those who don't understand the issues (i.e. local TV jobs) will be watching. Lofthouse's ratings, are no issue, compared to the slaughter of jobs that QTQ has had to endure in the last six months (Extra axing and associated job cuts, production job cuts and now this), if this plan by Nine indeed goes ahead.
Brett, looks like my idea to boycott Nine News was doomed to fail, but for some reason, some person (not me) has put the following on The Shak's Wikipedia article:
A plan is in place to boycott National Nine News in response for Channel Nine cutting Jobs. Ratings for Nine news have now dropped.
It was quoting my first comment on this post wrong: It was, is and always will be a Queensland issue, as we have lost too many jobs in the TV industry in recent months, with far too few jobs created by all stations, (particularly 7 and 9), to make up the shortfall, and I was only suggesting a local (i.e Brisbane) boycott, to send the message to Nine to retain at least some local TV production for national use, (as Nine's O&O studio space will be slashed when GTV-9 leaves Bendigo St in Melbourne) as a major priority for the network.
I bet Nine -- as well as Seven and Ten -- wishes it could sell its real estate on Mt Coot-tha, but I understand it's a lease deal and if they leave, the land returns to being State forest. Nevertheless, I understand Nine's sales team is now located in the more convenient and socially convivial surrounds of West End.
It will be very sad, if true.
There's so little being produced in Brisbane as it is, and The Shak was always fun.
There's a LOT of creative talent in Brisbane, and it's frustrating that the city's artistic/cultural/creative industries will continued to be hampered by economic rationalisation.
I understand the reasons why, but I don't have to like it. :)
Miss Clumsy, Brett
I reckon Nine's about to pull the plug on tradition. I hate to say this, once The Shak winds up, there will be no more national production at QTQ. Nine, will just most likely move the kids division to Melbourne, and launch the replacement program using Victorian talent.
Why I said tradition, after all, Jackie Mac, KAK, Tony Johnston, 4KQ's Laurel Edwards and many others have shaped the QTQ legacy since 1959, with short gaps between new projects. It took a Sydney beancounter to destroy our long held traditions.
The Shak was doomed to fail when Picasso left and "Willow" replaced her.