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This was published 7 years ago
ABC New Year's Eve coverage: Not terrible, just tedious
By Neil McMahon
Of the ABC's television coverage of New Year's Eve on Saturday night, let it be said: It could have been worse.
How do we know that? Because on New Year's Eve in 2013, as the new broadcast rights holder for the Sydney fireworks extravaganza, Aunty cannily delivered an evening of television that ensured no future coverage of the celebrations could ever be called the "worst ever". They got that out of the way on debut.
"Like a Quentin Tarantino remake of The Sound of Music," was my take on the hot mess the next day. And in the two subsequent years, public and critical grumbling continued, with the ABC production accused of everything from incompetence to leftist indoctrination.
Which brings us to last night's festivities. They were – alas – nowhere near as interesting as all that.
Perfectly agreeable: Ella Hooper and News 24 presenter Jeremy Fernandez hosted the ABC New Year's Eve telecast.Credit: Ben Cronje
If only! Because there is something to be said for the train wreck, which at least holds your attention even if for the wrong reasons. This latest New Year's outing was occasionally diverting but mostly dull, despite the best efforts of two perfectly agreeable and well-suited hosts in ABC newsreader Jeremy Fernandez and singer Ella Hooper.
What went right? The two hosts whenever they were on-screen; the Hoodoo Gurus cranking out a three-song set just before midnight; and of course, the actual fireworks, which endure as a triumph of pyrotechnic creativity unfurled on the world's most stunning city canvas.
What went mostly right? Some bits (though not enough, given how long it went on) of the Pub Quiz interlude, hosted by comedian Lawrence Mooney with a panel of celebrities squaring off in a trivia showdown.
But overall it was neither a coherent nor particularly compelling production, perhaps the inevitable fate of a late night of programming whose central motivation seemed to be appealing to that demographic sitting around at home wondering what was going on in Lorne.
There was nothing wrong with the musical acts shoehorned in to proceedings from the Falls Festival, but it didn't quite work as the foundation entertainment for a New Year's Eve broadcast in the build-up to midnight.
No. It was niche. What it needed to be was national.
Actually, what it needed to be was at least interesting and – given the occasion – sometimes exciting. It was neither. It also wasn't terrible; it just teetered on being an exercise in tedious time-filling.
And if you think about it, that's essentially what the New Year's Eve broadcast from Sydney is and has always been, whoever the broadcaster: a bunch of padding primped up as a TV show to kill time before the big bang at midnight.
With that in mind, there would seem to be three solutions to the problem.
It could be taken off the ABC and returned to commercial hands more expert than Aunty in delivering primped-up padding dressed up as a TV show; or it could be stripped right back to the essentials - just the fireworks, forget the time-filler; or, maybe Sydney City Council could abandon its exclusivity deals and throw the December 31 show open to all-comers. Let the ABC, SBS and the commercial networks all have a go at showing us how it should be done, and let the viewers land where they may.
Who knows, a bit of creative competition might bring all manner of sizzle and spark to an annual broadcast that is desperately in need of both.
Fairfax Media