After working in the TV industry for 25 years there are still some things that surprise me… and this is one of them
Gogglebox has become a bona fide hit for Foxtel and Channel 10 and the ‘everyday’ Aussies we watch watching TV are now starting to become stars in their own right.
Angie Kent and Yvie Jones were the first to break out from the couch and score prime time TV roles. Others have followed with Symon Lovett and Adam Densten about to launch a new show on Fox Footy.
And the power of Gogglebox as a promotion tool has not been lost by its rivals at Nine and Seven.
It turns out both networks supply episodes and new shows ahead of transmission to be critiqued by the Gogglebox ‘experts’.
One executive told me if you believe in your show you will hand over the episode, but there are no guarantees their commentary will be favourable;
“They don’t give a preview of what they are going to say – so you take your chances”
It seems the promotional opportunity for a show to be seen on a competitors network is enough to convince executives to take that chance.
Endemol Shine Australia produces many of Australia’s biggest shows, including Gogglebox, which means they have access to many of the shows critiqued by the cast. Early access allows the production to run smoothly and work ahead of time as schedules would be very tight if they had to wait for each program to air. By having these tapes they can shoot multiple episodes in a day, saving time and money.
But who knew rival networks could play along so nicely?
Gogglebox is awesome! No wonder it’s smashing ratings on a Thursday night.