Thank God You're Here: articles


Seven to launch new Thank God you're here season after Easter

CHANNEL 7 is set to roll out one of its biggest guns in the 2009 TV ratings war.

Seven, which at the end of last year poached Thank God You're Here from Channel 10, is set to launch the new season of the monster comedy hit after Easter.

The show, produced by the renowned Working Dog team and hosted by Shane Bourne, has been forced into new production facilities because of a shortage of studio space in Melbourne.

The show, in production this week, is being filmed in a Royal Melbourne Showgrounds pavilion, also home to ABC sitcom The Librarians.

The show's judge Tom Gleisner says the team was rapt with its new digs.

"We needed something big to accommodate our audience and this is perfect here," he said. "It's turning into a bit of a studio lot."

Seven is said to be paying more than $1 million an episode for the comedy.

Ten launched the comedy in 2006 and it was an instant hit. In 2007, it was one of the highest-rating shows with an audience average of 1.86 million.

Seven, with the signing of the contract, instantly strengthened its campaign to make 2009 its third consecutive win in the overall ratings.

Media analyst Steve Allen says the show is "another feather in Seven's bow".

"It adds the right demographics to Seven. It helps take their overall audience younger."

By Darren Devlyn
March 21, 2009
Herald Sun