Iconic Australian TV show set to be axed after 14 years on the air: TV network plans to replace it with an ‘addictive’ new format
An iconic Australian game show is set to be axed after an impressive 14-year run, according to industry rumours.
Millionaire Hot Seat, which airs weeknights at 5pm on Channel Nine and is hosted by network stalwart and ex-CEO Eddie McGuire, is reportedly on the chopping block.
Nine is looking to replace Hot Seat with a local version of the popular British game show Tipping Point, reports TV Blackbox.
Executives have their sights set on filming their own Tipping Point at the show’s UK studios with ‘Aussie expats and tourists’ as contestants.
This will save the cost of setting up a whole new production in Sydney or Melbourne.
Channel Nine game show Millionaire Hot Seat, hosted by network stalwart and ex-CEO Eddie McGuire (pictured), is set to be axed after an impressive 14-year run, according to reports
It is unclear whether English host Ben Shephard will front the Australian version, or if he will be replaced by a British-based Aussie presenter.
The UK version of Tipping Point, a quiz that combines elements of luck and general knowledge, already airs weekdays at 3pm on Nine, after it replaced the 9News Now bulletin in December 2019.
It’s possible the British and Australian versions of Tipping Point could air on the same channel with a one-hour gap between them.
This already happens on Channel Seven, which airs The Chase UK at 3pm followed by The Chase Australia at 5pm on weekdays.
Millionaire Hot Seat is believed to be facing the axe because of its declining ratings.
Despite the game show recently celebrating a milestone 2,500 episodes, Nine executives are aware the series is not delivering the audience it used to.
Nine is looking to replace Hot Seat with a local version of the popular British game show Tipping Point, which is hosted by English TV presenter Ben Shephard (pictured)
Applications to be a contestant on Millionaire Hot Seat were recently closed, which adds weight to the rumours the show is about to be cancelled.
Millionaire Hot Seat, initially named Hot Seat when it premiered on April 20, 2009, is a spin-off to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which first premiered in 1999.
It is Australia’s longest-running quiz show and remains the only program on Australian television where it is possible to win $1million.
Executives have their sights set on filming their own Tipping Point at the show’s UK studio with ‘Aussie expats and tourists’ as contestants. This will save the cost of setting up a whole new production in Sydney or Melbourne. It is unclear whether Shephard (pictured) will front the Australian version, or if he will be replaced by a British-based Aussie presenter
Millionaire Hot Seat, initially named Hot Seat when it premiered on April 20, 2009, is a spin-off to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which first premiered in 1999. It is Australia’s longest-running quiz show and remains the only program on Australian TV where it is possible to win $1million
