Out with a whimper! Plate of Origin’s final two episodes will air as a single three-hour event – after the Channel Seven show bombed in the ratings
Channel Seven’s new cooking show Plate of Origin will collapse its final two episodes into one three hour TV special, a new report claims.
TV Blackbox reported on Monday that the finale segments will run together on Tuesday, September 22.
The website claims Seven’s decision was prompted after the AFL scheduled the Collingwood vs Port Adelaide match for Monday, September 21.
Plate off the air: Channel Seven’s new cooking show Plate of Origin will collapse it’s final two episodes into one three hour TV special, a new report claims. Pictured (L-R): Matt Preston, Manu Feildel and Gary Mehigan
It comes after the show’s consistent struggles in the ratings.
Despite a huge promotional push from the network, the program premiered with 667,000 metro viewers.
The numbers have continued to drop each night, with 510,000 viewers tuning in a fortnight ago for Monday’s episode, while 419,000 people watched on Tuesday.
Last week, those number dropped further, to just 382,000 metro viewers.
Tough times: TV Blackbox reported on Monday that the finale segments will run together on Tuesday, September 22
Booted: The website claims Seven’s decision was prompted after the AFL scheduled the Collingwood vs Port Adelaide match for Monday, September 21
Not only was Plate of Origin defeated in the ratings by Channel 10’s The Masked Singer and Nine’s The Block, even Anh’s Brush with Fame on the ABC pulled in more viewers.
Former television executive Rob McKnight, who runs respected industry website TV Blackbox, told news.com.au: ‘The show’s dead.’
He continued: ‘With stiff competition of The Block, Plate of Origin just isn’t firing. When you get a drop-off like you did from night one to night two, that’s an indication that the show’s not strong enough for viewers to return.’
Struggle: It comes after the show’s consistent struggles in the ratings. Last week, those number dropped further, to just 382,000 metro viewers
Former television executive Rob McKnight, who runs respected industry website TV Blackbox, told news.com.au: ‘The show’s dead’
McKnight believes that viewers enjoyed the most recent season of MasterChef so much that they’re not interested in Plate of Origin, which has a ‘confusing format’.
Despite Plate of Origin bombing, Seven has had a strong year with the success of both Big Brother and Farmer Wants a Wife.
The recent Farmer Wants a Wife finale pulled in a national audience of 1.472 million. A new season has now been commissioned and will air in 2021.
It’s a hit! Despite Plate of Origin bombing, Seven’s had a strong year with the success of both Big Brother and Farmer Wants a Wife (pictured)