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Party Tricks flop puzzles producer

John Edwards has produced more than 35 series, miniseries and telepics since 1985 in his illustrious career and has rarely made a misstep creatively.

So the producer was as surprised as Network Ten executives when Party Tricks opened poorly last month and even more so when the ratings for the second episode plunged by 32% and never recovered.

The 6-part drama has appealing leads in Asher Keddie and Rodger Corser, was created by Michael Lucas, one of the core writers on Offspring, and produced by Endemol Australia’s Edwards and his long-time collaborator Imogen Banks.

Keddie stars as Kate Ballard, the Victorian Premier, with Corser as David McLeod, the opposition leader and her one-time secret lover.

The premiere was watched by 710,000 viewers in the five capital cities and the second episode drew just 476,000.  The consolidated ratings were a bit more respectable: 806,000 capital city viewers, up 14% or 97,000 viewers with time-shifted viewing for the premiere; and 570,000 up 20% or 95,000 viewers, for the second ep.

“We delivered the show we set out to make,” Edwards tells IF. “It was universally extremely well reviewed but it did not connect with mainstream audiences in the way we expected.

“I don’t know why. Conventional wisdom is that you don’t do shows about politicians because you don’t get mainstream audiences.”

So Party Tricks joins two other Edwards’ dramas which did not deliver the ratings he’d hoped for: Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War, and Ten’s 2005 medical series The Surgeon, which was clobbered by Nine’s RPA.

The producer’s next project will be his most ambitious yet if he pulls it off: a 40-part medical drama, which would be shot in 40 weeks, utilising a team of 10 writers and filming on a block-schedule with a slightly smaller than normal second-unit crew overseen by the director.

He has pitched the show, which he would produce with Mimi Butler, his collaborator on Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, Howzat! Kerry Packer's War and Rush, to networks and is awaiting responses.

“It’s a huge business undertaking which flies in the face of the prevailing trend to shorter-run series,” he says. “But it would provide a lot of programming flexibility and with this volume of work I am trying to develop a new generation of writers, directors and star casts. That’s my ambition.”

  1. I am loving Party Tricks – particularly the last two episodes – and can’t wait for next week. I don’t know if that’s a potential direct conflict but certainly Corser and Keddie’s frisson should have gotten more attention. The direction and writing is particularly good too.

    I wonder if being up against Big Brother has hurt some of the female audience numbers.

  2. I am incredibly surprised by the lack of ratings for this show. I have just begun to watch it, online on the networks channel. I am enjoying it immensely. The storylines, the characters, actors, locations et al are very slick and well put together. I wonder what the viewership was like online as opposed to offline. Do they consider both when releasing ratings data? If not, perhaps they should. I hardly watch television per say. I always watch it online, when I want, on the device I want and often more than one episode at a time.

    Thanks
    Ludwina Dautovic

  3. I’m enjoying Party Tricks. I think the biggest problem is Ten scheduling it on Monday nights where it’s up against the big guns from Seven and Nine, and even ABC1 which always is strong on Mondays.

    Perhaps Ten might have had better luck running this on a Wednesday or Thursday night where it’s not buried by the competition.

  4. Edwards answered his own question. “Don’t do shows about politicians.” Especially right now. Jaded public has had a gutful. Last thing they want to do is settle in on the couch for a good night of scripted telly and watch… politicians.

  5. PARTY TRICKS was patently aimed at a female market and never proclaimed to be any more than a MILLS & BOON story set in the Victorian Parliament.

    So I’m not sure what the realistic market expectations were, but the figures cited above seem in keeping with the advertised and delivered product.

  6. The premise was a big turn off. There nothing sexy about the liberal or labor party as far as the electorate is concerned. So the two getting it off together? Blegh. it was kind of like contemplating your grandparents having sex. No thanks.

    Also there’s reasons why this so rarely happens so it beggared belief a bit.

  7. I think Party Tricks is absolutely brilliant. The script and acting are both exceptional. Also very excited for next week’s episode. I’m a little concerned that the ratings will mean no season 2…

  8. Love this show. The ratings are not the result of it being a poor show. I wonder if it is more so that people don’t want to admit that they enjoy watching a show about an affair- though I love this show there is something about it that makes me not want to admit to others that I watch it and enjoy it- and If people aren’t talking about it and spreading the word then the ratings are less likely to pick up. Great show and only down side is I want more than 6 episodes! Keddie and Corser are a great match, the tension is brilliant.

  9. I didn’t bother watching because it was about state politics which really has very little interest to me or I suspect most people. Being on channel 10 wouldn’t have helped.
    Another Medical drama? It will live it Offsprings shadow for a long while.

  10. Party Tricks is great television. Beautifully written and acted. My wife and I love it. I work in government and I can attest to its accuracy. Such a shame it has not found a bigger audience. If people are watching Big Brother over Party Tricks, then we really need to fear for the collective intelligence of this nation!

  11. “Conventional wisdom is that you don’t do shows about politicians because you don’t get mainstream audiences.”

    I’m not s great fan of Aussie TV Drama, but PARTY TRICKS did grab my attention. I think mainstream audiences have been numbed and dumb-down with reality shows that are killing braincells. But I do love my shows with politics and the sort, HOUSE OF CARDS (both versions), THE WEST WING and the likes.

  12. Nope, people aren’t interested in TV about politics, which explains such abject failures as West Wing, House of Cards (UK and US versions), The Thick of It, Veep, Yes Minister, Party Animals, Borgen …
    Maybe it’s just a case of the right show on the wrong channel or the soap factor being too high (or too low). Or perhaps we are all so disillusioned with real politicians that we have no desire to see them as entertainment.

  13. D’oh :
    1. it’s on a dying channel with no sense of its own identity or audience.
    2. The show, even for TEN, is still lame. Couldn’t decide if it was comic our serious. Took all the soft options, flirted with great material but backed off at every turn. Its not hard to imagine the tougher, controversial version that could have been made for ABC.

  14. I’m wondering what planet JimmyT lives on when he calls West Wing; House of Cards;Yes Minister and Borgen abject failures! Apart from huge fan bases these shows won awards and deservedly so.

    I am very sorry that Party Tricks is finishing – the acting is great, photography very easy on the eye and the script and direction are both very tight.

    I agree that if the lost out to Big Brother, we are in big trouble. The suggestion that it is not realistic is a hoot. How realsitic was Asher’s character of Nina – would anybody seriously want their baby delivered by a woman who spent half her life in a dream sequence, mooning about like an adolescent. Despite the lack of reality it too was a great show with a top cast. Just like Party Tricks.

  15. um … Catherine.

    Just guessing, but I think JimmyT is on Planet Sarcasm.

    I suspect his point was that compared to political dramas like THE WEST WING and BORGEN, PARTY TRICKS was a soap opera for Young Adults.

    But I’m just guessing …

  16. May I suggest. The programmer review at the day & timeslot. The program is first rate. Writing, cast, production.

  17. West Wing; House of Cards;Yes Minister and Borgen are about shows where the politics are important. State politics is hardly the same high stakes world.

  18. I have just started to enjoy Party Tricks…the 5th episode which I watched today was particularly well written. and acted. I am guessing that I am spot on the target market and I have to say, I am a HUGE offspring fan and I have found it very difficult to watch Aaher Keddie who I love as an actress, play a role other than Nina Proudman…so soon after the finish of offsprong….next season…assuming no offspring, totally but channel 10 have messed around with its viewing public specifically my target market this year and I think from chatting to the girls, that this might have a little to do with it..

  19. i be impress with this show i have really enjoy it and disappoint there wont be a season two and it was at a unfair timeslot

  20. I’m thoroughly enjoying this show, as are a quite few friends. Great cast, clever story, looks fantastic too. But one problem is, as much as we’re into the show, none of us are watching it on broadcast. I caught about 20 mins of the first ep live, but only just caught up on subsequent eps last week. I worry that shows like this, new dramas that appeal to smart, young-ish, very mobile viewers, are at a pretty big disadvantage right now. Hopefully they’ll have a better home with the streaming companies coming in, because the programs that actually work in the overnight ratings- mostly reality and sport- have no appeal to me whatsoever!

  21. My family and I love Party Tricks. Very cleverly done and makes you wait in anticipation for the next episode. The cast have been selected very cleverly. Each one performs their role well. Bring on another season of this brilliant show!!

  22. I’m hooked on this show. Brilliant writing, visuals and acting. Shame that the general public still prefer reality TV crap. For me, that crap includes Dancing With The Stars….

  23. I am so disappointed to read that Party Tricks had poor ratings. I just loved it and couldn’t wait for the last episode to unfold. I actually came to this web site as soon as the episode finished, hoping to find out if another season was already in production! Such a shame that it most probably won’t happen!

  24. Great show great actors review the timeslot and don’t change nights and times once it been decided people get sick of there shows moving around and can’t keep with the forever changing days and timeslots and just wait for it to come on DVD which doesn’t help ratings
    Defiantly a 2nd season needed at a better stable timeslot
    Also one that doesn’t compete with blacklist on ch 7

  25. I´m a big fan of Party Tricks from Spain who has watched all 6 episodes online and is very sad to read here that due to poor ratings there won´t be a season 2 of the show.
    I think they should take into consideration all the viewers from across the globe that will make this a successful show despite Australians ratings.
    The script is very well written and the characters are brilliantly plaid by the cast.
    I truly hope they reconsider it and give it a well deserved season 2.

  26. It was ok. 1, its about politicians, right between campaigns for election terrible time to air it and 2, asher keddy is loved by love my way and offspring fans so to ditch offspring for this you have your audience that’s upset they possibly won’t see another ep of offspring and is this the trial replacement? It doesn’t compare.

  27. I could not agree more with Hugh O’Brien. I work in Government and have always been entertained by the accuracy of the show in its depictions; I quite often clapped and laughed out loud at how life-like it was. They absolutely nailed it with the help of such a talented cast. Will be sourly disappointed if the producers don’t make another season!

  28. Brilliant show! Please please do another series.I am shocked it didn’t rate well? More advertising and different time slot might help? One of the best shows I’ve watched in years!

  29. i loved Party Tricks. Had to watch it online due to working. What a shame it didn’t rate well. Really loved it! Thanks for just 6 episodes

  30. I LOVED Party tricks!! I watched it online as time slot didn’t suit me. I enjoyed it almost as much as Offspring- and that is saying something. It was different, well written and well acted. Please bring it back for season 2!

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