Latest news with #Ten
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'I don't know what I'll do': The Project stars appear heartbroken in first reactions to Channel 10 axing their embattled current affairs show after 16 years
The Project panelists have reacted after Channel 10 confirmed the embattled current affairs program would be gone from the air within weeks. A Ten spokesperson confirmed to that The Project would end its run after 'almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes'. "The Project will air for the last time on Friday, June 27, ending an incredible run of almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes,' the network said in a statement. "The impact that The Project has had on the media and entertainment industry, countless careers, as well as on Australian society and culture, cannot be overstated.' On Monday evening's episode, the series' high-profile hosts—Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Steve Price, and Sam Taunton—appeared heartbroken during their first show since the news broke. "16 years is an incredibly long period of time for a TV show. It's a huge success to pull that off, and so many people have contributed to that," Aly said. "They all do a fantastic job, for example, Kim, who is operating Camera Three right now and look, it is a great shot. She's doing a wonderful job. "This is the way things work. A huge shout-out, though, to our viewers as well." 'This isn't goodbye, we will see you again more over the next few weeks, but I know and everyone who has worked on the show know these are the best viewers in Australia. It has been a privilege to serve you.' Channel 10 veteran Sarah Harris, visibly emotional, said she was "so grateful" to have contributed to The Project since 2022. "My first appearance on this show was as a Dave Hughes funny; I fell over during a media scrum outside court," she said. "But I am so grateful that I got to sit on this desk and play TV with all of you; it's been such a fun thing to do." "It's the people that make a show, and The Project isn't just the people on this desk; it is the cast and crew behind the scenes." Price, who is a guest on Monday evenings, said he doesn't know what he will do without his role. 'This is the best crew of people I worked with. I was 55 when I started here. I'm now 70, that's 15 years. How an old fat guy like me can survive that long? I have no idea. But I'm still here," he said. "I'm really sad today; Melbourne has lost an incredible investment in its culture with the people who work on this show. "People who come out with music bands and have written books and were actors will lose the opportunity to be able to talk about their products. "It won't be able to be done anywhere else. I'll miss it. I don't know what I'll do on Monday nights.' It is unclear whether the hosts will be deployed to other projects at Ten or leave the network entirely. The Melbourne-based program features a rotating lineup of regular presenters, including Georgie Tunny, from Sunday through Friday. The series' original panel consisted of Carrie Bickmore, Charlie Pickering, and Dave Hughes. And its most well-known lineup was arguably Bickmore, Peter Helliar, Waleed Aly, and Hamish McDonald. It was during this era The Project and its hosts picked up a trophy case of Logie wins, including Gold Logies for Bickmore in 2015 and Aly in 2016. Bickmore and Helliar left the show in 2022 amid reported budget cuts and declining viewership at the free-to-air broadcaster. Ten also faced mounting challenges as The Project's ratings dwindled due to criticism over its "woke" left-wing bias. A new program called Behind the Lines, hosted by high-profile journalist Denholm Hitchcock, is set to air in July or August. Ten's new materials describe Behind the Lines as an investigative series that exposes "hidden" stories which matter to Australians. 'Go behind the headlines with 10 News First as our reporters dig deep to uncover the facts, follow every lead, and expose stories that others try to keep hidden," a synopsis reads. 'Hosted by Denham Hitchcock, this investigation series shines a light on issues that matter to Australians – holding the powerful to account with fearless journalism.' 'Real stories. Real impact. The truth told straight.' Senior journalist Dan Sutton will executive produce the show alongside a fresh high-profile team from rival Network Seven. This includes journalist Amelia Brace, former Seven Spotlight presenter Denham Hitchcock and former Seven senior producer Bill Hogan.
Sky News AU
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘It's time for me to take a breath': The Project star Sarah Harris jokes about possible gig on OnlyFans after series axed
Sarah Harris has broken her silence for the first time since Channel 10 confirmed The Project has been axed. A Ten spokesperson confirmed to that The Project wound end its run after 'almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes'. "The Project will air for the last time on Friday, June 27, ending an incredible run of almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes,' the network said in a statement. "The impact that The Project has had on the media and entertainment industry, countless careers, as well as on Australian society and culture, cannot be overstated.' It is unclear whether the series' high profile hosts, including Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris, will be deployed to other projects at Ten or leave the network entirely. In a tongue-in-cheek statement, Harris teased that fans should 'keep an eye out' for when she starts a page on adult subscription content website OnlyFans. 'I've had a blast, but it's time for me to take a breath and spend some time with my boys… keep an eye out for my OnlyFans page,' she said in a statement shared via the program's official Instagram page. Harris, a Channel 10 veteran who previously co-anchored the canned daytime series Studio 10, joined The Project in 2022. 'Our supportive Queen, Sarah Harris, has spoken following the news that we are finishing up on June 27 and her boys are going to have the best time with their Mum over the next few months,' the channel said in a statement. The Melbourne-based program features a rotating line up of regular presenters including Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, and Georgie Tunny from Sunday through Friday. The series' original panel consisted of Carrie Bickmore, Charlie Pickering and Dave Hughes, but its most well-known line up was arguably Bickmore, Peter Helliar, Waleed Aly, and Hamish McDonald. It was this era that saw The Project and its hosts pick up a trophy case of Logie wins, including Gold Logies for Bickmore in 2015 and Aly in 2016. Bickmore and Helliar left the Melbourne-based show in 2022 amid reported budget cuts and declining viewership at the free-to-air broadcaster. A new half hour news program called Behind the Lines, hosted by high-profile journalist Denholm Hitchcock, is set air in July or August. It is understood Ten will be broadcasting the new show from Sydney to save on costs and already broadcasts The Project from Sydney on Sundays.
Sky News AU
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Network Ten axes The Project after 16 years on air
Network Ten has officially axed the current affairs program The Project amid dwindling ratings. After nearly 4,500 episodes and almost 16 years on air, the final show will be broadcast on June 27. Hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, and Hamish McDonald will reportedly leave the network.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Ending an incredible run of almost 16 years': Channel 10 confirm The Project will be axed within weeks
Channel 10 have confirmed their flagship currect affairs programe The Project is set to be axed within weeks. In a statement to a Ten spokesperson said, "The Project will air for the last time on Friday, June 27, ending an incredible run of almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes. "The impact that The Project has had on the media and entertainment industry, countless careers, as well as on Australian society and culture, cannot be overstated." More to come.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Project's stars leave Ten as program is axed, replacement announced
It has won 11 TV Week Logie Awards, including viewer-voted gold Logies for host Aly and former presenter Carrie Bickmore, as well as a Walkley Award for Macdonald and a Yooralla Media Award of Distinction. But the series has not been immune to the broader challenges facing Australia's free-to-air networks, including competition from streaming services such as Netflix, a 24-hour news cycle fuelled by social media, and the fragmentation of free-to-air audiences across a growing array of multi-channels. Last week, The Project attracted between 238,000 and 357,000 viewers nationally – numbers that one senior industry figure, who was not authorised to speak publicly, described as unsustainable. 'The Project has delivered enormous value to 10 over the years,' the television veteran said. 'It was very 'on brand' for the network, it punched above its weight with younger demographics, and it was a terrific vehicle for cross-promoting Ten's other shows. But one of the most important jobs of early evening programming is to deliver decent lead-in audiences to the next show. If there aren't enough viewers in the early evening, it makes it that much harder for those 7.30pm programs to succeed.' Like all Australian networks, Ten faces intense competition for advertising dollars from tech giants such as Meta and Google. 'The less revenue you have, the smaller your budgets become, which makes it difficult to keep doing what you've always done,' said one TV executive. 'Every show has a natural life cycle, though, and now is the right time for Ten to try something new. They've thrown everything they had at The Project, but we're living in a very different world compared to 2009 [when it debuted].' Aly told this masthead that The Project 'kicked down the door of how news could be done'. Loading 'In some ways it looks more conventional now than it used to because it led the way,' he said. 'It showed you could bring dry stories to life for an audience that might otherwise have ignored them. I've spoken to so many people who said it was the way they could do news as a family, the way they could engage their kids and get them thinking. And by and large, it took its audience to a more compassionate place. That's a pretty mighty contribution.' The Project's executive producer, Chris Bendall, said the show had given a voice to the disenfranchised and championed important stories and causes, including protecting Australian wildlife, helping farmers rebuild after floods and fires, fighting to end violence against women, and providing more than $3.5 million to families burdened by extreme medical hardship. 'Campaigns on marriage equality, a nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags, and returning a fair price to dairy farmers from supermarkets are just a few of the issues we have put on the national agenda,' Bendall said. ' The Project has always been a show that's unafraid to tackle the serious issues, but one that's never taken itself too seriously.' Among The Project's high-profile former hosts are Bickmore, Dave Hughes, Peter Helliar, Tommy Little and Lisa Wilkinson. Harris told this masthead that when she started working in television, she was about the same age as The Project is now. 'There aren't many jobs where you get to tell very human stories, and interview politicians and celebrities all while having a laugh – or ugly crying – in front of a live studio audience every night,' Harris said. 'I've had a blast [but] it's time for me to take a breath and spend some time with my boys,' she added, while joking, 'keep an eye out for my OnlyFans page!' Roving Enterprises creative director Craig Campbell, who created The Project, noted the series had hosted 'countless Australian actors and musicians', helping showcase the local entertainment industry. McGarvey, Bendall, Aly, Harris and Campbell each thanked the hundreds of staff who have worked on the show over the years. McGarvey praised Bendall for being 'unafraid to push hard discussions important to the nation and to everyday Australians', while commending Harris' 'warmth and wit … and dogged commitment to do justice to every story'. She described Aly as committed and compassionate, bringing 'weight and depth as a co-host and always providing intellectual rigour and eloquence … several of Waleed's groundbreaking interviews and commentaries on complex issues have changed the way many Australians understand the world around them'. McGarvey said that Campbell 'ensured that The Project supported and created public debate, educated and entertained and helped lead many important conversations which encouraged profound and necessary change'.
