No Renewal for Big Brother in Australia

SYDNEY, July 14: After
eight successful seasons, Big Brother in Australia will not return to TEN’s schedule in 2009.

The series finale of the
hit format, produced by Endemol Southern Star, will air on July 21. TEN’s chief
programming officer, David Mott, said that the network is “immensely proud of
the show and the incredible success it has enjoyed since premiering in 2001,”
and adds that TEN is “ending the season on a high note.”

TEN's CEO, Grant Blackley,
added: "Big Brother has
been an important franchise for the network but we are confident this is the
right decision at the right time for TEN. Importantly, as Big Brother represented up to 120 hours of TV, we now have an
opportunity to further diversify our schedule with new, exciting and bold
programs for viewers and advertisers.”

He continued: "We are
already in discussions and development with Australian content providers and we
have a number of exciting prospects. We expect to announce these programs in
the near term. We will also rely on our ever-expanding slate of programs from
our two prolific U.S. studios—Twentieth Century Fox and CBS
Paramount."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski