The Australian reports that Sunday and Nightline have both been axed by the Nine Network.

Two news and current affairs programmes that once stood tall in the jungle of commercial network reportage are now gone. Over the past few years both shows, but Sunday especially, were stripped of their traditions and leadership.

It’s a sad day for network news.

The idiots are winning. At least they think they are.

Hot on the heels of Jericho and Veronica Mars, there is now a campaign to save dire, unfunny comedy The Class, with an online petition and an urge to send the network – wait for it – ERASERS! Genius.

Never mind the whole ‘how could anyone even watch The Class, let alone want to save it’ question – shows get axed, it’s a fact of life, deal with it. And if you are going to try and save it make sure the show is something worthwhile, not a show that should never have been made in the first place.

Already I have read breathless ‘Lets do a petition’ talk about Studio 60, ‘It worked with Jericho’. Where will it end?

Maybe we can start looking retrospectively at shows. Gee that Suddenly Susan was a great show, maybe we can send the network lazy susans. Or we can send potatoes to save M.A.S.H. Or drugs to get Miami Vice back.

Any suggestions? Come on people, we have the power…

Two media releases, in quick succession and no doubt related, came from Nine in the past hour.

The first tells us:

PBL Media today announced that Mia Freedman will leave the business this week after twelve months in the position of Creative Services Director for the Nine Network Australia and Editorial Consultant for ACP Magazines.
Mia’s role will now be absorbed by Nine’s Head of Programming, Michael Healy.

And then the second announces:

The Nine Network Australia today announced that a decision had been taken to cease production on its weekday talk show, The Catch Up.
The final broadcast will occur on Friday 15th June, 2007.

Nine moved The Catch-Up to a new timeslot at the start of the week but nothing could save it. The Y&R timeslot still needs something for the stay-at-homes. What will they try next?

Donald Trump has announced there will be no more Apprentice. Despite apparent network keenness Trump is just too busy, although he hinted there may be another TV project in the works.

Veronica Mars is the latest show to be caught in the whoosh of an axe, swinging through the air. So much hot and cold, back and forth had been going on for the past month, it’s not too surprising.

From the interweb:

NEW YORK – The CW [the Country Western for those playing at home --BB] network canceled the cult hit “Veronica Mars” and will try to pick up steam in its second year with series about the snobby rich, transplanted families and a bounty hunter for the devil.

The network, created out of the ashes of the former WB [Warner Brothers -- BB] and UPN [United Parcels Network... surprisingly -- BB], had already ended the long-running family dramas “7th Heaven” and “Gilmore Girls.” On Thursday the ax fell on “Veronica Mars,” which starred Kristen Bell as a wisecracking teenage private eye.

Corporate parents CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc. had hoped the CW [Country Western -- BB] could become a fifth major network by combining the best of its predecessors, but it has often slipped behind Univision in the ratings during a disappointing first year.

Full Story

A couple of sites in the US are reporting that, due to poor ratings, NBC isn’t renewing the US version of Thank God You’re Here.

Everything I’d read until this morning had been positive about the viewer figures – quite the interesting turnaround.

Looks like Jericho is doomed, rumours circulating it won’t be back next season.

Meanwhile 24 has been greenlit for another two season. This should take them through until 2123 in 24 time.

We were planing on covering Drive on next week’s Boxcutters. Unfortunately there is this news from TV Guide:

Multiple sources confirm that Fox has axed the Tim Minear creation after less than three weeks on the air. I’ll go out on a limb and say the show’s crappy ratings were to blame.

I’m a big fan of Tim Minear’s work, especially on Angel, Firefly and Wonderfalls. He seems to have no problem getting shows off the ground but keeping them on the air is another story entirely.
That being said, Drive was fraught with problems in both story-telling and casting. It’s not a huge surprise.