The ABC has confirmed the Gruen television show franchise, which includes the original “Gruen Transfer” and its ” Planet” and “Gruen Nation”, will not air this year and reports suggest there are doubts about it returning in 2015.
Fairfax Media reports no plans have yet been finalised for the high-rating show’s return in 2015, despite claims by the ABC and other sources that plans are in motion for a 2015 Gruen season. Gruen’s absence from ABC’s lineup this year has been attributed both to the demanding schedules of its host and as well as the lack of “major events”, such as a national election or the Olympic Games.
According to Fairfax, the show’s host, comedian Will Anderson, is touring the United States. Panelist Russel Howcroft is busy as the general manager of Channel Ten and Todd Sampson is filming a documentary series and has joined the board of Fairfax Media.
Since its debut in 2008, host Wil Anderson and advertising experts Sampson and Howcroft have examined advertising, news, sport and the forces at play in the forms of spin, branding and pubic relations. “Gruen Planet” and “Gruen Nation” averaged 1.2 million viewers last year, reaching 1.3 million for its finale in November, a high figure for the ABC.
The show’s co-creator Jon Casimir has since taken on a new role as ABC TV’s head of entertainment. According to Fairfax, the ABC will only air the program if it can “improve upon the previous seasons, or evolve the franchise.”
“It has never been the plan to retire the franchise, which has been enormously successful for us. But as it’s panned out, we’ve not been able to get it back on air in 2014,” said an ABC spokeswoman in a statement. “We very much look forward to seeing as part of our programming in 2015.”
