Is Channel 10 about to change the TV game?

For the last few years 7.30pm has been the big battleground for commercial TV, but now Channel 10 has seen an opportunity and it’s a very smart move.

Last night Channel 10 announced a brand new show set to air Tuesday nights at 9pm. The Cheap Seats will take a fun look at the week and is produced by Working Dog.

Obviously, any TV fan knows the pedigree of Working Dog. From Frontline to Thank God You’re Here to Have You Been Paying Attention?, these guys know how to make TV hits.

But what’s more interesting is 10’s play for the 9pm space – a timeslot Aussie networks seem to have forgotten about.

Just yesterday on the TV Blackbox podcast, I talked about how audiences want content at 9pm. The success of Have You Been Paying Attention? this year proves that point. HYBPA? has often been the #1 entertainment show of the night, beating the multi-million dollar 7.30pm productions.

*Hear our conversation about the 9pm timeslot in the latest episode of the TV Blackbox podcast in the player below, or search for it in your favourite podcast feed

It’s my belief 10 could turn this slot into a ratings winner and it appears they are thinking the same thing by commissioning this show. I commend the move.

Now, I haven’t seen the show to know if it will be a hit or not, but I will say the promo did make me laugh… and that’s a good start!

But even if this show doesn’t work, that’s not to say 10 should abandon the idea of local programming at 9pm. Both Gogglebox and HYBPA? have shown 10 can rule this timeslot with the right shows (and that’s the hardest job in TV – finding those hit shows).

If 10 starts making some real inroads in this slot, just watch and see how its rivals react. Maybe, just maybe, we will see aa whole lot more local programming in the later slot – programming that can draw audiences away from the streamers.

Watch this space.