Our blog gets a mention from The Australian newspaper today!
In its latest media round-up, the paper reports on the frustration felt by Australian fans of Out of the Blue following the shoddy treatment it's received from Ten.
Under the headline Big Blue, they point out that Out of the Blue has a loyal fanbase but has been shunted around the schedules right from the beginning. They also kindly give a link to this blog.
So, welcome to any new readers! We hope you enjoy what the site has to offer. This is pretty much the only website which gives regular updates on what's going on with the show, so if you want to be kept informed about schedule information, media coverage and what the cast are up to, bookmark us and check back often.
If you want to help the show, there are two main things you can do. First of all, the Save Out of the Blue petition and Out of the Blue Second Series petition are always in need of new signatures.
Secondly, if you're an Australian fan, contacting Ten to request a better slot and network backing for Out of the Blue would be another great thing to do. Many fans have been using the Contact Us forum on Ten's own website to do this, but they don't seem to pay any attention to it.
For that reason, we're recommending writing to your local Ten office using the relevant address on this page. It obviously takes a little bit more effort than using the internet, but if you're here, you'll probably agree that Out of the Blue is worth it. We won't get a new series of the show if things don't pick up in Australia, and the best way to make sure that happens is by keeping up the pressure for a regular timeslot on Ten - and not just one episode a week!
Finally, if you're looking for a place to chat to other fans, the Facebook group is very active, with multiple postings and discussions going on every day. Cast members have also been known to post on there, but you'll have to join to find out who!
Thanks for visiting and carry on supporting Out of the Blue!
Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts
Monday, 13 April 2009
Monday, 6 April 2009
Aussie ratings: April 5
Out of the Blue returned to Ten last night after being taken off for Formula 1 coverage the previous weekend.
There were no unexpected miracles in terms of the show's ratings, but it did manage to get the highest figure that it's had since being taken out of its 10.30pm slot.
Episode 47, which explored Jarrod's surprise inclusion in Philby's will (and airs on Fiver in the UK tonight), pulled in 316,000 viewers, a rise of 27,000 from what it got two weeks ago. It was ranked 29th for the day.
There were no unexpected miracles in terms of the show's ratings, but it did manage to get the highest figure that it's had since being taken out of its 10.30pm slot.
Episode 47, which explored Jarrod's surprise inclusion in Philby's will (and airs on Fiver in the UK tonight), pulled in 316,000 viewers, a rise of 27,000 from what it got two weeks ago. It was ranked 29th for the day.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Out of the Blue messed around by Ten again
Is Out of the Blue about to set the record for the most timeslots given to a show in living history?
We only ask because news has just come out that the timeslot on Ten in Australia is changing yet again.
Last week, the show moved to a new 1-hour 5.30pm to 6.30pm slot, but that's proved to be short-lived. From this Sunday, the show is back to 30 minutes only, but it's still starting at 5.30pm. Repeats of The Simpsons are back at 6.00pm.
The TV Tonight blog, which is reporting the news, is pretty much saying that the only reason the show is still on air in Australia is because of the local content credit it gives to Ten, rather than them having any loyalty towards it.
The bright side is that 5.30pm is a less competitive slot, so perhaps the show can build up an audience without having to contend with major news competition on the other channels. However, you have to wonder whether viewers will simply get bored of wondering when on earth the show's going to be on and give up completely.
It's a shame because the show is now getting to a really good point. Sunday's episode will see the return of Blade as he tries to get his revenge on Bec. Unfortunately since their last encounter aired after midnight on Ten, many fans will probably be wondering what the hell is going on.
We only ask because news has just come out that the timeslot on Ten in Australia is changing yet again.
Last week, the show moved to a new 1-hour 5.30pm to 6.30pm slot, but that's proved to be short-lived. From this Sunday, the show is back to 30 minutes only, but it's still starting at 5.30pm. Repeats of The Simpsons are back at 6.00pm.
The TV Tonight blog, which is reporting the news, is pretty much saying that the only reason the show is still on air in Australia is because of the local content credit it gives to Ten, rather than them having any loyalty towards it.
The bright side is that 5.30pm is a less competitive slot, so perhaps the show can build up an audience without having to contend with major news competition on the other channels. However, you have to wonder whether viewers will simply get bored of wondering when on earth the show's going to be on and give up completely.
It's a shame because the show is now getting to a really good point. Sunday's episode will see the return of Blade as he tries to get his revenge on Bec. Unfortunately since their last encounter aired after midnight on Ten, many fans will probably be wondering what the hell is going on.
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Aussie ratings update
Out of the Blue debuted in its new 5.30pm-6.30pm slot on Ten in Australia today and ratings increased slightly as a result. As previously discussed on here, the show has pulled in figures like 170,000 and 266,000 viewers since being moved to 6.00pm on Sundays a few weeks ago.
In its latest outing, the show attracted an average of 307,000 viewers over the hour. It's not a fantastic figure given the timeslot, but not a total disaster like some previous weeks. Repeats of The Simpsons (which still seem to be quite a popular choice on Ten) used to air in the same slot and one episode got 385,000 in the week before the show was replaced by Out of the Blue.
Some positives are that the show did well to increase its audience this week given that the last 30 minutes still went against news shows, and with the Australian bushfires, people would understandably be even more interested in those broadcasts than usual. The show seems to be in the process of building up its audience again - but whether Ten gives it the chance to continue doing so remains to be seen.
Weirdly, the catch-up episodes on Ten's official site are ahead of the TV broadcasts, with some already up on there that have yet to air! Perhaps that shows just how little attention they are paying to the show!
In its latest outing, the show attracted an average of 307,000 viewers over the hour. It's not a fantastic figure given the timeslot, but not a total disaster like some previous weeks. Repeats of The Simpsons (which still seem to be quite a popular choice on Ten) used to air in the same slot and one episode got 385,000 in the week before the show was replaced by Out of the Blue.
Some positives are that the show did well to increase its audience this week given that the last 30 minutes still went against news shows, and with the Australian bushfires, people would understandably be even more interested in those broadcasts than usual. The show seems to be in the process of building up its audience again - but whether Ten gives it the chance to continue doing so remains to be seen.
Weirdly, the catch-up episodes on Ten's official site are ahead of the TV broadcasts, with some already up on there that have yet to air! Perhaps that shows just how little attention they are paying to the show!
Monday, 2 February 2009
A few updates
- Out of the Blue has now aired its first episode on Fiver! The advert for it has been put on at pretty much every opportunity over the past two weeks, and anyone who was intrigued by the promotion has now had a glimpse of what the show is like. The Fiver announcer said that it was great to have another Aussie soap on the air, and declared that the first episode was "awesome". If she thought that was awesome, she'll be running out of adjectives in a couple of weeks once the murder mystery has started properly and the really good episodes have started to air!
- The show is available to watch online via Demand Five. Thanks to Alaina for the link.
- In Aussie news, the show has now aired for the final time in its 30-minute 6pm Sunday night slot. As previously discussed on here, it now starts airing double episodes from 5.30pm to 6.30pm each week, starting this Sunday. As well as airing the usual Sunday evening episode yesterday, Ten also put a new episode on after midnight. It was time for the Lucia/Kirsten/Blade storyline, and as the episode had an "M" rating for adult content, they couldn't show it in the early evening - at least not without making cuts. Hopefully this will be the last scheduling mishap and the show now gets some stability in Oz.
- The number of signatures on the Save Out of the Blue petition continues to rise as more fans realise that Thursday's BBC Two episode was the last one. Though they couldn't be bothered to tell fans this after the episode had aired, the BBC have now updated their homepage for the show for the first time in months to include the message: "Out of the Blue is no longer being shown on the BBC."
- Over the next few months we'll try to pass on any information we can find about what the cast are up to. Here's our first nugget of news: Zoe Carides, who played Pia Jones on the show, has been taking part in the Short & Sweet Festival in Sydney. The theatre event sees audiences turning out not just to watch one play, but to watch 10 or 11 - with each being just 10 minutes long.
Zoe's play is called Duals. According to the Australian Stage website, the short production explores "fame, fidelity and family". It seems that the site's reviewer was impressed by Zoe, too: "Brilliantly cast, this piece is clearly theatrically sophisticated: and brilliantly acted. Zoe Carides as the genuine and forgiving makeup artist Susan, is well matched to the diva actor Tessa (Alice Ansara)."
- The show is available to watch online via Demand Five. Thanks to Alaina for the link.
- In Aussie news, the show has now aired for the final time in its 30-minute 6pm Sunday night slot. As previously discussed on here, it now starts airing double episodes from 5.30pm to 6.30pm each week, starting this Sunday. As well as airing the usual Sunday evening episode yesterday, Ten also put a new episode on after midnight. It was time for the Lucia/Kirsten/Blade storyline, and as the episode had an "M" rating for adult content, they couldn't show it in the early evening - at least not without making cuts. Hopefully this will be the last scheduling mishap and the show now gets some stability in Oz.
- The number of signatures on the Save Out of the Blue petition continues to rise as more fans realise that Thursday's BBC Two episode was the last one. Though they couldn't be bothered to tell fans this after the episode had aired, the BBC have now updated their homepage for the show for the first time in months to include the message: "Out of the Blue is no longer being shown on the BBC."
- Over the next few months we'll try to pass on any information we can find about what the cast are up to. Here's our first nugget of news: Zoe Carides, who played Pia Jones on the show, has been taking part in the Short & Sweet Festival in Sydney. The theatre event sees audiences turning out not just to watch one play, but to watch 10 or 11 - with each being just 10 minutes long.
Zoe's play is called Duals. According to the Australian Stage website, the short production explores "fame, fidelity and family". It seems that the site's reviewer was impressed by Zoe, too: "Brilliantly cast, this piece is clearly theatrically sophisticated: and brilliantly acted. Zoe Carides as the genuine and forgiving makeup artist Susan, is well matched to the diva actor Tessa (Alice Ansara)."
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Out of the Blue's future & how you can help
Out of the Blue is currently facing an uncertain future. The BBC has stated that it will not commission any further episodes beyond the first series, which consists of 130 episodes. However, fans still believe that there could be a future for the show and have been campaigning with this aim.
A petition - backed by some cast members - has been set up in order for fans to express their interest in seeing the show on another broadcaster. Please sign the petition if you have not already.
Success in Australia could also prove to be beneficial to the show's future. Network TEN is a channel with few Australian dramas and a high-quality show like Out of the Blue could turn out to be a great long-term investment for its schedule. Ten has a Contact Us forum on its website which allows viewers to share their thoughts with the Powers That Be. Alternatively, there are also postal addresses for this purpose. If you're an Aussie who believes that Out of the Blue deserves a better slot, write to Ten online or by letter and let them know. (Note: If you use Ten's Contact Us forum, try to look through the pages for existing threads about the show rather than adding your own - we want to be heard, but equally don't want to be a nuisance for the people who run the site.)
It's unclear if Five have any plans for the show beyond showing the repeats on Fiver. If you wish to show your appreciation for the soap, Five also has a Contact Us page. Bear in mind that Five have already been quite good to Out of the Blue, with heavy advertising on-screen and giving it some decent slots.
The BBC has given up on the show. However, if you wish to share your thoughts on the way the show has been treated, perhaps they will reconsider their 'axed within a week' approach when it comes to other projects. Check out the webform link from this page if you wish to get in touch with the BBC.
A petition - backed by some cast members - has been set up in order for fans to express their interest in seeing the show on another broadcaster. Please sign the petition if you have not already.
Success in Australia could also prove to be beneficial to the show's future. Network TEN is a channel with few Australian dramas and a high-quality show like Out of the Blue could turn out to be a great long-term investment for its schedule. Ten has a Contact Us forum on its website which allows viewers to share their thoughts with the Powers That Be. Alternatively, there are also postal addresses for this purpose. If you're an Aussie who believes that Out of the Blue deserves a better slot, write to Ten online or by letter and let them know. (Note: If you use Ten's Contact Us forum, try to look through the pages for existing threads about the show rather than adding your own - we want to be heard, but equally don't want to be a nuisance for the people who run the site.)
It's unclear if Five have any plans for the show beyond showing the repeats on Fiver. If you wish to show your appreciation for the soap, Five also has a Contact Us page. Bear in mind that Five have already been quite good to Out of the Blue, with heavy advertising on-screen and giving it some decent slots.
The BBC has given up on the show. However, if you wish to share your thoughts on the way the show has been treated, perhaps they will reconsider their 'axed within a week' approach when it comes to other projects. Check out the webform link from this page if you wish to get in touch with the BBC.
Out of the Blue on Network Ten
Australia's Network TEN bought the rights to Out of the Blue shortly after it was commissioned by the BBC and finally started airing the show in a 10.30pm slot on Mondays to Thursdays from November 2008.
The show performed well in its late night timeslot - with an average of around 335,000 viewers - prompting Ten to try it out in an earlier 6pm slot on Sundays from January.
From February 8, fans in Australia will be able to see double episodes of the show on Sunday nights from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. You can also catch up with the episodes on Ten's website if you miss any.
Ten appears to be doing its best to find a place for the show, but still seems slightly wary of giving it a regular evening slot on weeknights.
The 130-episode run is likely to be broadcast in full in Australia as it has been in the UK. Out of the Blue gives local content credit to Ten, meaning that it's unlikely to leave the episodes sitting on the shelf.
The show performed well in its late night timeslot - with an average of around 335,000 viewers - prompting Ten to try it out in an earlier 6pm slot on Sundays from January.
From February 8, fans in Australia will be able to see double episodes of the show on Sunday nights from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. You can also catch up with the episodes on Ten's website if you miss any.
Ten appears to be doing its best to find a place for the show, but still seems slightly wary of giving it a regular evening slot on weeknights.
The 130-episode run is likely to be broadcast in full in Australia as it has been in the UK. Out of the Blue gives local content credit to Ten, meaning that it's unlikely to leave the episodes sitting on the shelf.
What The Critics Said
Out of the Blue has attracted a loyal cult following with its BBC Two airings, but don't just take our word for it that the show is great. Here's what the critics have said about the show over its run.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph following Out of the Blue's launch in April, the critic James Walton admitted that he was intrigued by the show's murder mystery plot - describing the hook as "quite neat" and the programme itself as "promising".
The Daily Mirror was also enthusiastic about the show, writing: "Oo-er. Forget Neighbours - this is more like a warmer Big Chill, Desperate Housewives Down Under or a better acted Echo Beach - with all kinds of dark secrets buried in the sand waiting to be washed up by the tide."
The Guardian was impressed by Out of the Blue's mature tone in comparison to its rivals Neighbours and Home and Away. The paper commented: "Au-ssies! Everybody needs good Au-ssies! But wait a minute ... stepping into Neighbours' slot is something a little more grown up - with drink, gangs and even a murder."
The Times was yet another British newspaper which was won over by Out of the Blue's compelling plotlines, describing the show as "compulsive, classy, fast and slick".
British website The Soap Show has also been supportive of the show. As the killer was about to revealed, the site described Out of the Blue as "much underrated", adding that it had done well to build up a cult following after its change of channel, slots and often being taken off-air for summer sport.
Australia's The Daily Telegraph newspaper has also been enthusiastic following the show's premiere on Network TEN. Its writer Andrew Mercado described the show as "an adult soap" which was "more grown-up than Neighbours".
Let's hope there's more praise to come for Out of the Blue as it settles in on Fiver and continues to air on Ten.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph following Out of the Blue's launch in April, the critic James Walton admitted that he was intrigued by the show's murder mystery plot - describing the hook as "quite neat" and the programme itself as "promising".
The Daily Mirror was also enthusiastic about the show, writing: "Oo-er. Forget Neighbours - this is more like a warmer Big Chill, Desperate Housewives Down Under or a better acted Echo Beach - with all kinds of dark secrets buried in the sand waiting to be washed up by the tide."
The Guardian was impressed by Out of the Blue's mature tone in comparison to its rivals Neighbours and Home and Away. The paper commented: "Au-ssies! Everybody needs good Au-ssies! But wait a minute ... stepping into Neighbours' slot is something a little more grown up - with drink, gangs and even a murder."
The Times was yet another British newspaper which was won over by Out of the Blue's compelling plotlines, describing the show as "compulsive, classy, fast and slick".
British website The Soap Show has also been supportive of the show. As the killer was about to revealed, the site described Out of the Blue as "much underrated", adding that it had done well to build up a cult following after its change of channel, slots and often being taken off-air for summer sport.
Australia's The Daily Telegraph newspaper has also been enthusiastic following the show's premiere on Network TEN. Its writer Andrew Mercado described the show as "an adult soap" which was "more grown-up than Neighbours".
Let's hope there's more praise to come for Out of the Blue as it settles in on Fiver and continues to air on Ten.
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