Ben Elton Week 2: This is it

It's D-Day for Ben Elton. Well, technically tomorrow is: the day when the ratings come out.

But it's undoubted that tonight is Elton's final chance to prove himself, mostly to viewers at home, and to a lesser extent, Nine execs, who will be looking for any promising signs.

And God knows, there certainly weren't many in Week 1.

Basically, if Elton wants a third week, at the very least, there will have to be a ratings increase of at least 100k. Its ratings were 455,000 in its first week so to equal that would be almost remarkable.

So, let's be realistic here and analyse this question; does Elton even have a snowflake's chance of pulling that off?

We all know that the show was pretty bad in its first week, and the media certainly knew that too. The press and reaction was almost universally negative.

So, keeping that in mind, we can look at these factors in terms of its possible week 2 ratings.

Retention rate: People on twitter also panned it, so you'd have to imagine very little would tune in week 2.
However...

Those who peruse the news sites would have seen Elton state he got the mix wrong and there was too much smut. Of course he wasn't completely repentant, but this would have won him at least a touch of respect and brings at least some intrigue as to how the show has changed.

Of course, this will only bring in a small percentage of those who watched last week, let's say less than 50%.

Word of mouth: This will be almost all bad, so I wouldn't expect too many new sets of eyes. However, it does play into the car-crash factor, as in so bad that you have to watch. Don't expect this to be a huge element though.

So, you'd have to say that Elton's only hope is that people will be forgiving enough to give him another shot.

My post last week, "Bye Ben", wrote his show off after ratings last week. So Elton was smart in pleading his case to TV Tonight and Jon Faine in the week- but really, it was his only hope.

But still, it will be interesting to watch tonight. For mine, it would need to be about three times as funny (if it can be measured) to keep this viewer watching next week (assuming..., etc.).

I don't think it has the potential to be, based on last week's show, but I hope I am pleasantly surprised.

But let's face it, even turns out to be brilliant (look at Micallef Tonight), in the cold light of day, no show can be saved from the swinging axe known as the ratings.

Your Gen Returns for 2011

In a rarely seen occurence in modern day Australian TV, a non-Underbelly, non-Rafters program has returned for another season.

Yes, Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation has returned for 2011.

Tuesday night's episode returned with Leisel Jones, Julia Zemiro and Kevin Harrington in their respective generational teams.

Now in its 3rd season, it remains quirky quiz show which is, essentially, a vehicle for Shaun Micallef. And let's face it- and it's been said before- Josh is annoying in his ignorance and constant squirming, Charlie is annoying in his smugness and his eyeball-vessel bursting laughing at Shaun and Amanda, well, never comes across as side-splittingly funny.

But it's Australian after all, and still not a bad way to pass the time. However, as we all know, no Shaun = no show. Well, at least not a good show.

Well, after 44 episodes and a celebrity list boasting nearly every network personality (well, almost) and most B-grade Australian celebrities, what's changed?

Well, there's a new chair.



Yup, on with 2011.

Ben Eltons wants sitcom, pony, Jupiter, etc.: An education in Australian TV

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Ben Elton has already been floating ideas for an "all-Aussie sitcom" in the Herald Sun, even before the first episode of his "live sketch comedy show" goes to air.

Talk about getting ahead of yourself... or counting your chickens before they're hatched... or something. Either way, Elton isn't quite well-versed in the way of Australian TV yet. Here's a quick rundown.

If you want to have any chance of pitching a show, you need to become an established success, a proven ratings winner. You can do this one of two ways; the Shaun Micallef approach.

Pretty much the only person on commercial TV at the moment who could pitch a sitcom would be Shaun Micallef. However, this has been after years of hard work on smaller projects, such as Newstopia, Welcher and Welcher, the Micallef P(r)ogram(me), etc. You even have to endure slight ratings failures such as Micallef Tonight. However, he can lay claim to having something called "integrity". Now, he has shown that he can produce a show that rates in Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation. He is now the most powerful man on TV.

Him and Charlie Sheen.

Unfortunately.

Yes, this is the other approach you can take. But hey, that's Australian TV, you've got to accept the good with the bad and the bad and the bad.

I am almost certain that if CBS wanted to send some sort of vague message by canning Charlie Sheen/Two and a Half Men that he could fly to Australia and produce a miniseries in which Sheen just lies on the ground, a là Hasslehoff's hamburger-eating stylings. Just Call it "One Man".

If you add in another line like "One Man: It's Like Underbelly", and feature strobe-like flashing of breasts, it's already got another million viewers before you can say "Matthew Newton". Oh, and don't forget celebrity guests, or "friends", as Shane Warne likes to call them. For that matter, Shane Warne would be the perfect guest.

He would almost certainly give them their first exclusive by showing some choice videos off his mobile that he has filmed with Elizabeth Hurley.

So, if he wants to go talking up the next big sitcom, I suggest first making sure his current show Live From Planet Earth is a hit.

And just one thing, I'd suggest not to start posing with schoolgirls (or actors dressed as them). Sometimes context is important.