David Tench Tonight
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| David Tench Tonight | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Comedy / Talk Show |
| Creator(s) | Zapruder's Other Films |
| Starring | Host David Tench |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| No. of episodes | 15 of 26 (as of 23 November 2006) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode (inc. commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel Ten |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) |
| Original run | 17 August 2006-25 December 2007 – |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
David Tench Tonight was a television talk show created for Network Ten in Australia. The series features David Tench, an animated fictional character as host. The name "Tench" is a partial anagram created from the name Channel Ten.[1]
Tench had conducted interviews with various celebrities including Pat Rafter, Nick Lachey, Ronn Moss, Nelly Furtado and Ella Hooper.[2]
The studio audience is made up of the general public who are able to attend the show taping.
The 2006 season finale (episode 15) was shown on 23 November 2006. A Christmas special aired on 25 December 2006 at 10:30pm.
It was reported in the Daily Telegraph on April 5, 2007 that David Tench Tonight was axed by Network Ten[3].
Contents |
[edit] Technology
The actor behind the digital Tench is Australian actor Drew Forsythe.[4].
Tench is rendered and animated in real-time using motion capture technology. The guests are therefore able to see him and respond to him in real-time.[5]
Radio host Mick Molloy, who was a guest on the 11 October 2006 episode, clarified on his radio show Tough Love that the David Tench desk has no-one behind it and the guest speaks to a television setup behind the desk to "interact" with David Tench.
The character of Tench was conceived by Andrew Denton and technically designed by Australian visual effects company Animal Logic.[2][5]
Animal Logic is using the VICON MX40 technology to create David Tench.
The concept of an animated talk show host is not entirely new. Hand-drawn animation was used to bring Space Ghost to life in the 1994 talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. An earlier similar gimmick was used in the British talk and music video show The Max Talking Headroom Show, featuring Max Headroom. Max, however, was not computer-generated but was realised by a clever mixture of prosthetic costuming and video effects, and was also able to interact with his guests.
[edit] Viral marketing
Before the program's airing, Network Ten utilised a technique called viral marketing to create publicity for the then unestablished show and character. Publicity included small spot television advertisements with David Tench quotes written for the show, accompanied by the simple tagline, "finally, someone real on television."
A large amount of general interest was generated with seemingly minimal effort. However, this method of marketing was criticised by some as a cheap stunt to fool people's better judgment.[1]
[edit] Revelation and premiere
During the finale of Big Brother 2006 on 31 July 2006, Network Ten had revealed Tench as an animated talk show host with an American accent. However, he often lapses into a quasi-Australian accent during his interviews.
The 30-minute premiere episode had aired on Thursday, 17 August 2006 at 8.30pm (AEST).[6]
The show had moved to a new timeslot - Thursdays at 9.30pm AEST. The timeslot switch was promoted as a change to accommodate a new (in the network's words) "naught[ier]" content shift for the program, although based on the steady decline of viewing figures, it is easily visible that this is a change based on an attempt to reclaim audience share in the preceding timeslot.[citation needed]
[edit] Public opinion and media regarding David Tench
- During the week prior to debut, various Australian breakfast and morning talkback radio programs including The Cage on the Triple M radio network and Kyle and Jackie O on Sydney's 2Day FM discussed David Tench Tonight in relation to recently-axed programs such as Channel Ten's heavily-promoted Yasmin's Getting Married.
- On the morning of the first episode, The West Australian newspaper compared Tench's appearance to Liam Bartlett, who had recently left Perth radio to join 60 Minutes.
- ebroadcast.com.au reported that the ratings for the first show averaged 1.162 million viewers to be number 10 on the most-watched list but was behind new shows that premiered the same night including Celebrity Survivor.[7]
- The City Weekly (a Sydney publication) discussed in its 24 August 2006 print edition how Channel Ten tried to pass off a promotion for David Tench Tonight as a "legitimate" news item during its 5pm main news bulletin.[8]
- David Tench was interviewed by Flip Shelton in the Herald Sun regarding his background and return from the United States to host David Tench Tonight (despite the obvious fictitious nature of both the character and the identity outside the character).[9]
- ebroadcast.com.au reported that the ratings for the 3rd show averaged 810,000 viewers in Australia,[10] followed by an audience of 580,000 viewers the following week.[11] The 5th episode ratings rose slightly to 790,000 viewers. Overall the numbers are extremely poor for the show's primetime slot and does not bode well for the series' future.[citation needed]
- The 6th episode ratings dipped to 650,000 viewers nationally.[12]
- The Daily Telegraph has discussed Drew Forsythe, the voice behind David Tench, and how he goes about "playing" Tench via motion-capture technology.[13]
- The 7th episode ratings were the show's worst to date - 430,000 viewers nationally.[14]
- ebroadcast.com.au discusses the ratings and the battle David Tench Tonight has since moving to the newer timeslot of 9:30pm.[15]
- The Australian newspaper (via news.com.au) reports that Andrew Denton and Anita Jacoby are in Europe pitching David Tench to television networks at the MIPCOM television sales conference - the article also reports that Network Ten originally committed to a 26-episode run merely to make the series' development viable. The article also discussed the poor ratings of late.[16]
- The 8th episode ratings had raised from the 7th episode dip - 610,000 viewers nationally.[17]
- The 9th episode ratings dipped again slightly to 600,000 viewers nationally.[18]
- The Daily Telegraph reported that The Wiggles endured a "lashing" in a then-upcoming episode (19 October 2006) and may not want to return for a second interview.[19]
- 10th episode ratings rose slightly to 630,000 viewers nationally.[20]
- 11th episode ratings dipped again to 580,000 viewers nationally.[21]
- The 12th episode ratings dipped further to 480,000 viewers nationally.[22]
- Ratings for the 13th episode raised slightly to 500,000 viewers nationally and the 14th episode ratings held again at 500,000 viewers nationally.[23]
- Ratings for the 15th and final episode in 2006 dipped to the show's worst-ever figure to date - 390,000 viewers nationally.
[edit] Cancellation
Andrew Denton was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph on April 5, 2007 and confirmed that David Tench Tonight was axed by Network Ten[3].
[edit] Segments
- A Tench Thought - A thought by Tench.
- Return Fire - David Tench will read a letter or two from viewers and respond controversially.
- For Legal Reasons - Tench says some controversial things that his lawyers and celebrities' lawyers tell him to apologise for.
- You Got Me, Dave - A prediction if a celebrity came on the show; most notably, calling Germaine Greer a revolting old reptile for insulting Steve Irwin.
- Last Burst of Tench - Tench will finish with a brief, controversial statement.
[edit] Episode List & Guests
[edit] Future Guests[24]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Andrew Denton's cartoon capers", Sunday Herald Sun, 2006-08-13. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
- ^ a b . Poor ratings end show's run. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on April 5, 2007.
- ^ . Radar:Big Head Strikes Again. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on November 6, 2006.
- ^ a b McWhirter, Erin. "Virtual Tench makes history", NEWS.com.au, 2006-08-14. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
- ^ "Ten's animated host a world first", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2006-08-14. Retrieved on August 15, 2006.
- ^ "Third Time Lucky for Seven", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-08-18. Retrieved on August 18, 2006.
- ^ "Inbox page - Idiot's Box", cityweekly.com.au (print edition and online), 2006-08-24. Retrieved on August 24, 2006.
- ^ "A Tench shone", The Herald Sun, 2006-08-30. Retrieved on August 30, 2006.
- ^ "Ratings Report", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-09-01. Retrieved on September 1, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 7 September 2006", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-09-08. Retrieved on September 8, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 21 September 2006", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-09-22. Retrieved on September 22, 2006.
- ^ "TV hero pushes boundaries", news.com.au - The Daily Telegraph, 2006-09-24. Retrieved on September 24, 2006.
- ^ "Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 28 September 2006", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on September 29, 2006.
- ^ "Why Australian TV need David Tench", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on September 29, 2006.
- ^ "Tench seeks a bigger audience", news.com.au (The Australian), 2006-10-05. Retrieved on October 5, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 5 October 2006", ebroadcast.com.au, 2006-10-06. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 12 October 2006", ebroadcast.com.au (data supplied by OzTAM), 2006-10-13. Retrieved on October 13, 2006.
- ^ "Anchors away at ARIAs", www.news.com.au - Daily Telegraph, 2006-10-15. Retrieved on October 15, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 19 October 2006", ebroadcast.com.au (data supplied by OzTAM), 2006-10-20. Retrieved on October 20, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 19 October 2006", ebroadcast.com.au (data supplied by OzTAM), 2006-10-19. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 2 November 2006", ebroadcast.com.au (data supplied by OzTAM), 2006-11-03. Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
- ^ "Seven Network Ratings Report for Thursday, 9 November 2006", ebroadcast.com.au (data supplied by OzTAM), 2006-11-10. Retrieved on November 10, 2006.
- ^ "Behind the scenes of David Tench", The Advertiser, 2006-08-23. Retrieved on August 28, 2006.
- ^ "Tell-all Reggie", news.com.au, 2006-08-28. Retrieved on August 28, 2006.
