Earlier this year Seven announced that one of its most popular programs, Dancing With The Stars would return to its spiritual home on Seven, with a new format and an all-stars twist. The special event series began its two-week run on April 11 and premiered to 744,000 viewers.

Mediaweek spoke with Seven’s director of production Andrew Backwell about the return of one of the networks most famous brands, the changes to the format, and the power of nostalgia.

“It obviously started on Seven 17 years ago. I was head of programming at Channel Nine at that time, and I remember Seven announcing they were doing a new dancing show and my first reaction was “ooh, I can’t see that working”, then the ratings came in and it was enormous. For 15 seasons the ratings just pumped away, it did a brilliant job,” explained Backwell.

The show returns in a different format to its predecessor, now it is a pre-recorded two-week television event that sees the return of the show’s finest, including five former champions and four wildcard entrants.

The celebrities are divided into two groups, taking to the stage on alternate nights across the season. The leaderboard will be determined by a combination of judges’ scores and scores from the studio audience, with eliminations in every episode.

Ultimately six couples will make it through to the Dancing With The Stars: All Stars grand finale, where they will face off for the coveted mirror ball trophy and prize money for their nominated charity.

Backwell described the decision to bring back Dancing with the Stars as a no-brainer once they adjusted the way they made the show, with the whole series taking two and a half weeks to record.

“We had our schedule planned and the tennis moved two weeks later due to Covid. We looked around and thought ‘what big formats are out there that are available that we can do over a two-week period?’, and we thought that Dancing with The Stars is one of the top 10 formats in the world, produced in over 57 territories, but it’s only ever been done live once a week. Nobody has ever pre-recorded it and done it as a two-week big event.

“It made it a very cost-effective model because we could pre-record a number of episodes in a small gap. And you got a better product because you’ve got post-production.

“By bringing back all-stars, you get a better standard of dancing because you’ve got stars that have done it before. They know what it entails, they’ve got some experience now, so the standard of dancing for the series is the highest it’s ever been in this market because they’ve done it before and can dance.”

How did Covid impact production?

Like most productions in the world Dancing with the Stars: All Stars was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but Backwell said that while production was affected, the quality of the product remained the same.

“Warner Brothers, because they’re an international company, had a very strict Covid policy. There was a lot of protocols in place, in fact, I wasn’t even allowed on set unless I had a negative test within seven days.

“I had to get tested just to go on set to supervise and watch the program. We had an audience there which was completely kept separate from any of the cast and the crew, so there were a lot of protocols in place.

“In the end, I don’t believe it impacted the quality of the show, I thought the show was great to have an audience there. The celebs and everyone behind the scenes wore masks, but on camera, it didn’t look like a Covid show.

“We’ve seen a number of these entertainment shows shot during Covid, and they kind of don’t look as glossy as they should, they have no audience and there are people wearing masks. We managed to do the show, Warner Brothers and BBC did a brilliant job, shooting in Covid but it doesn’t look like a Covid impacted show at all.”

How did the stars align?

Along with the former contestants returning to the dance floor are original hosts Daryl Somers and Sonia Kruger, plus the original judges Helen Richey, Todd McKenney, Paul Mercurio and Mark Wilson. Backwell said that Seven wanted to plug into the nostalgia of the show that has been created over the last 17 years.

“The all-stars format for us was a no-brainer because what we wanted to do was try and hook into the heritage. It was a number one rating show for many, many years. So, what we want to do is try and tap into some of that nostalgia.

“To get Bec Hewitt back to TV was a big win for us because she hasn’t done anything for so many years. Someone like Ada Nicodemou is fantastic, and Manu Feidel, Tom Williams. These are people that made a big noise at the time when they won the series and to have the best of the best compete seemed like a really good idea.

“And then to tap back into nostalgia, that’s why we got the original judges back who were fantastic in the early days, and I think it added a ‘where are they now?’ element. The proof is in the pudding, they had a relationship, they gelled, and I think they were very, very strong.”

How Seven chose the Wild Cards

The show is not just all all-stars, with four wild cards also being chosen for the show. Backwell said the wild cards added to the dynamic of Dancing With The Stars.

“I think Schapelle Corby, was controversial, there were a lot of people that thought we shouldn’t have cast her. I personally think she adds a lot to the show, and I think it’s really good that Australians got to see a different side of Schapelle. An absolutely lovely person, very genuine person, she put her heart into it and gave it a good go which I thought was great for people to see another side of her.

“Then we have Renee Bargh, obviously had previously hosted The Voice here, a very good dancer, does very well in the series.

“Matty J tapped into that Bachelor audience, they loved him. Then Jessica Gomes who has been a supermodel, looks fantastic on the dance floor.”

Nova’s Red Room Live Stream is back in 2021 with The Kid Laroi set to entertain listeners with an exclusive Q&A fan experience in late April.

Sydney born and raised singer and rapper The Kid Laroi has become the youngest ever local solo artist to reach #1 on the ARIA Album chart with his mixtape repack F*ck Love (Savage). This follows the 17 year old, LA based artist’s 1 billion global streams for the mixtape alone and almost 150 million streams in Australia for his catalogue.

After competing in a radio competition in 2016, he earned respect from Chicago rapper-turned-industry executive Lil Bibby. This support lead to on stage performances alongside the late JuiceWRLD, who became a friend and mentor. In 2018 he recorded his debut EP 14 With A Dream and saw the standout Blessings take off. A freestyle over Drake’s Tay Keith-produced Nonstop added to Laroi’s success.

His most recent mixtape F*ck Love (Savage) has achieved global success after reaching #1 on the ARIA Chart and reaching #3 on the US Billboard charts and #10 in the United Kingdom. The mixtape is available to stream here now, including the hit  Without You.

Listeners and fans have the chance to win an invite to Nova’s Red Room Live Stream Experience with The Kid Laroi by listening to the Nova Network and entering online at novafm.com.au. The event will consist of an intimate experience where fans will have the opportunity to chat and ask The Kid Laroi all their questions.

Nova’s Red Room has seen over 250 international and local artists perform. Nova launched Nova’s Red Room Live Stream in April 2020 to continue to connect artists and their fans with artist like Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Conan Gray, Yungblud, Benee, The Vamps and James Bay signing on.

Zenith Australia today announced the promotion of Jonny Cordony to the new role of managing director – Sydney, charged with leading the brand’s vision for the Sydney office, developing teams, and driving strategic partnerships and growth outcomes for clients.

After almost three years as Sydney general manager, Cordony takes on the new position effective immediately.

Zenith Australia’s CEO, Nickie Scriven said: “I am so thrilled to announce Jonny’s promotion to the newly-created role of managing director, Sydney. The expansion of his remit is a testament to his strong leadership of our Sydney office, people, clients and new business pitches. Jonny is a key member of Zenith’s executive leadership team in Australia and I look forward to his ongoing contributions to the agency in this next stage of his career.”  

On his new role, Cordony said: “I am truly humbled by the opportunity to continue my progression in such a dynamic industry and business. From starting out as an account coordinator all those years ago, to taking on such a hugely fulfilling, challenging and exciting role, I’d like to thank our amazing talent, clients and strategic partners for all their support and trust. I am proud of our continued momentum at Zenith and I look forward to continually challenging ourselves as a business in 2021.”

Cordony has been with Zenith for almost five years, joining in 2016 as national communications planning director. Prior to that, he held group business director roles at various agencies, including as regional businessn director in Hong Kong for Dentsu. 

New business wins led out of Zenith’s Sydney office last year included Kellogg’s ANZ, H&M ANZ and SBS.

Zenith has recently announced a number of new appointments, including that of Vikki Pearce to the role of head of digital in Melbourne. Pearce commenced in her role in April and is reporting into the agency’s national head of digital & data, Joshua Lee.

The Mint Partners, an integrated brand and communications consultancy has added a trio of new travel clients to its roster for 2021.

With demand for domestic air travel at levels not seen in months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mint has signed the Virgin Australia Group and Tourism Tasmania to their growing portfolio of food & beverage, fashion, design, and property clients. Mint are also working with Marriott International planning the relaunch of Sheraton Fiji Resort.

Genevieve Taubman, co-founder and co-director of The Mint Partners said: “We are delighted to expand our travel and tourism portfolio at a time when most of Australia is searching for inspiration on what destinations to explore first.

“The strategic review of the business we completed last year is continuing to produce strong results with local businesses and organisations seeking our help to rebuild their brands in a vastly different media landscape.”

The agency last month signed Dexus, Simone Pérèle, Roger Vivier, Cbus Property, Hill Street and, Sonoma, and was engaged by the City of Newcastle to work on its 10,000 Reasons campaign.

Virgin Australia Group has chosen the Sydney agency to handle a PR and activation project for its Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program.

Tourism Tasmania will partner with Mint for the PR and influencer component of their 2021 winter campaign to entice visitors to the island state for winter.

The agency will also manage the relaunch of the Sheraton Fiji Resort, Denarau for Marriott International when borders between Australia and Fiji open. The refurbishment is aligned with Sheraton’s brand vision, The World’s Gathering Place and will boast an integrated resort escape for families & couples.

The Mint Partners has worked with travel clients including Marriott International, Pier One Sydney Harbour, W Hotels (Bali, Brisbane, Melbourne), The Ritz-Carlton Perth, The Tasman, Mount Lofty House, Seabourn Cruise Line, andBeyond, Sri Panwa, Peninsula Hotels, and Art Series Hotels as well major lifestyle brands.

ABC Classic and ABC Jazz content manager Toby Chadd is departing the ABC after more than three years of giving voice to diverse Australian music, creativity and talent on the national stage.

Toby leaves ABC Classic as the national network enjoys its strongest audience reach figures on record. His tenure since 2018 has also featured the launch of the annual Festival of Female Composers, the ABC Jazz Artist in Residence program, and last year’s national Classic Choir amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ABC Classic and ABC Jazz this month also launched a composer commissioning fund to champion under-represented voices, continuing the networks’ long tradition of nurturing Australian music-making.

Chadd will move to his new role of director of artistic planning with the Australian Chamber Orchestra after leaving the ABC on 30 April.

Chadd said it had been a privilege to work with the ABC’s classical and jazz teams over the past eight years, including four years on the ABC Classics music label. “Every day I’ve been reminded about how important music is in all our lives, as we hear from audiences about the solace, inspiration and stimulation that our networks bring them and see record numbers tuning in,” he said.

“ABC Classic and ABC Jazz occupy a unique position in the Australian landscape, enjoying collaborations with a whole host of astonishing musicians – broadcasting their live performances to a national and international audience and building new projects that develop our culture and nurture future voices and audiences.

“In an increasingly fragmented media world, the unique power of radio to reach into our lives, combined with the cultural remit of a public broadcaster, has never been so important. The ABC’s broadcasters, technicians and producers are world-beating and working with them is a thrill that I will miss dearly. But I’m looking forward to listening and watching as they continue to connect us with the world’s greatest music.”

Chris Scaddan, ABC head of music & creative development, said: “ABC Classic & ABC Jazz are both stronger than ever thanks to Toby’s leadership and the continued work of the whole team. We saw this especially in 2020, when record audiences turned to ABC Classic for companionship and fine music to help them through the pandemic.

“We’re really going to miss Toby’s creative spirit and endless enthusiasm for the content and the team. He’s been an inspiration and we wish him all the best for his new role with the ACO.”

ABC broadcaster Joe Gelonesi will act as content manager for ABC Classic and ABC Jazz while a permanent replacement is found.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier continues its run at the top of the Australian Overall and Digital Original charts this week, although fellow Marvel TV show WandaVision has crept back to the top of both New Zealand charts.

On both the Digital Originals and Overall Australian charts, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is currently sitting at 30.7 points above market average.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is the third Disney+ show in a row to hit the number one spot after The Mandalorian took the top spot ahead of their second season launch in October 2020. WandaVision took over as the show to beat on February 2nd this year.

With the first episode being released three weeks ago, episode one of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was ranked as the most watched series premiere ever on Disney+ during its opening weekend. It debuted on the charts at number eight on the top ten Digital Originals in Australia, and made number three on the Digital Originals chart for New Zealand.

The anime Attack on Titan continues to perform well on the Overall charts, coming in third in Australia at 23.2 points above the market average, and seventh in New Zealand at 14.2 points above the market average. This is likely to continue as the manga that the anime is based on draws to a close.

Primetime News
Seven News 998,000/1.019m
Nine News 959,000/921,000
ABC News 688,000
10 News First 358,000 (5:00 pm)/ 226,000 (6:00 pm)
SBS World News 196,000/158,000

Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 740,000
7.30 627,000
The Project 274,000 (6:30 pm)/ 436,000 (7 pm)
The Drum 199,000

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 257,000
Today 201,000
News Breakfast 185,000

Late News
The Latest 124,000
ABC Late News 155,000

Nine

Married at First Sight powered Nine to #1 again last night with a primary share of 24.7% and a network share of 32.4%. MAFS had 1.032m tune in for the second half of the show’s vow renewals as Liam and Georgia‘s relationship crumbled during the vows. However, on a more positive note, Rebecca and Jake and Belinda and Patrick had happy endings.

Following MAFS, The special Botched: Most Shocking Patients had 398,000 tune in which was up on last week’s regular episode of Botched which had 310,00.

Seven

On Dancing with the Stars last night 588,000 tuned in as Schapelle Corby’s short run on the show came to an end after the 43-year-old was eliminated.

In the bottom two with Matty J, Corby’s version of the jive wasn’t good enough to keep her in the competition. This was up on Monday nights episode of DWTS which had 558,000.

DWTS was followed by a double of The Good Doctor with audiences of 305,000 and 243,000.

Home and Away was the top non-news show on Seven with 605,000 viewers.

10

The Cube is nearing the end of its first season, airing its penultimate episode last night as sisters Lina and Nawal had redemption on their mind after the pair previously appeared on Family Feud, where a wrong answer from Nawal cost the family $10,000. The episode brought in 219,000 which was the lowest ratings for the show this year.

This was followed by a double of NCIS that brought in 215,000 and 188,000 viewers.

On The Project, 274,000 (6:30 pm) and 436,000 (7:00 pm) watched as the show covered Christine Holgate‘s testimony, MRNA vaccines, and the Manuka Honey trademark tussle. 

10 Peach had a rare multichannel win with 3.0%.

ABC

Anh’s Brush with Fame featured famed actress Jane Seymour who has been everything from a Bond girl to a medicine woman, to being the oldest person to appear in Playboy. The episode had 549,000 viewers which was slightly down on last week’s episode with Kate Ritchie (556,000).

This was followed by ABC’s sleeper hit, Old People’s Home for 4 year olds which had 546,000 viewers, this was down on last week’s season premiere which had 593,000.

7:30 also had strong numbers last night with 627,000 viewers, the episode was hosted by Laura Tingle and featured former Aus Post CEO, Christine Holgate.

SBS

The top rating show on SBS last night was a repeat of Who Do You Think You Are? with 209,000 viewers.