The Chase Australia will introduce what Seven is touting as the most “devious, brilliant and unstoppable” Chaser the program has ever seen.
The new chaser, The Professor, will make his debut at 5:00pm today, 8 April, on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Australian game show royalty, 67-year-old David Poltorak aka The Professor brings a lifetime of quizzing experience to The Chase Australia, having served as an adjudicator and question writer on numerous Australian quiz shows.
Poltorak has appeared as a contestant on iconic shows like Sale of the Century, and the Seven Network’s Quiz Master and Beat The Chasers.
He joins a lineup of Chasers including Goliath, The Beast, The Governess, The Smiling Assassin, The Shark, The Supernerd, The Tiger Mum, and recent addition The Lightning Bolt.
The late afternoon slot remains a crucial set-piece for the networks heading into the nightly news and primetime slots. Last month, Mediaweek asked media buyers if the launch of Deal or No Deal on 10 or The Tipping Point on Nine will give either network the edge over Seven.
Peter Stowe, senior trading director at UM Australia, told Mediaweek that since its debut in 2015, The Chase has consistently dominated its 5pm timeslot in metro markets and developed a core loyal audience.
Part of the quiz show’s strength is its host of three years, Larry Emdur. Stowe said: “A lot of media buyers would have grown up watching him. He’s been around for a very long time. He’s a household name and a trusted family man.”
Michelle Hartley, investment director at Half Dome, said the new shows could “initially” threaten The Chase’s dominance but did not foresee it as long-term. “People might try all the other programmes, but they’ll return to The Chase.”
Thomas Macerola, Sydney head of investment at Zenith Media, called The Chase “a behemoth that dominates” in the genre in the Australian market and has created a loyal cult following with its viewers.
“Will the new entrants impact the program’s dominance? We may see fluctuations early in the year as new entrants are introduced. Still, I don’t believe it will significantly impact the viewership in the long run,” he said.
See also: Can Nine and 10 steal share from Seven with new shows?