Natasha Exelby dumped from Wake Up

Is this some sort of prank? Definitely surprised by this move.

In my mind they got rid of the wrong person. Now it will be just turn into a Sunrise/Today clone. Love Natasha’s work, hope to see more of her in the future.

A case of rearranging the deck chairs on The Titanic.

Wake Up with Tash, Tarsh and Matho.

So is it Tash or Tarsh that was dumped?

Are we left with Tash and Math?

Or Tarsh and Marsh?

That’s one foot in the grave. Next stop is the whole show – you can’t have just one host….

This doesn’t suprise me at all. It wasn’t working with her at all on the panel.
Although watching Tash, glare at Tarsh was quite entertaining.
Natasha & James are both good talents, so look forward to them thriving…hopefully!

Adam Boland lost the plot – Wake Up! “It’s a dog with fleas, kid. – Gordon Gekko

Sack all the producers of this show. Its not the talent its the formula. The formula is dead and predictable and the Producers behind it are wheeling out a dinosaur formula that nobody wants to watch. Of course they’ll never blame themselves. Its the Ten management that is so behind the eight ball it isn’t funny. They just go from one blunder to the next

“Ten used Lower Expecatations!”

“Australia’s expectations won’t go any lower!”

It may be rash to bone Tash, but it would have been harsh to bone Tarsh.

If Boland is taking the blame then shouldn’t he be the one to walk the plank? I am still trying to work out how they thought James Mathison was a good idea – surely in that role you need someone who both women and men find appealing. I’ve never met or spoken to anyone who finds this bloke engaging or likeable.
And Ch.10’s promos for the show are horrible. They need to axe their voiceover talent.

Good move. I watched the show once to give it a go. I thought she was very rude and over opinionated without knowledge to back her. I thought she repeatedly shot down the comments of other presenters. Maybe you should hire me! I’d be great!

Boland completely misread what millennials want from tv. He used his known formula of dumbing down news and giving the hosts nicknames and that’s it. That works for the Sunrise and Today demos but not what Wake Up was aiming for.

There’s no intelligent talk on the show and there’s simply no news. The Project gets the balance right with hard news coverage and a laugh or two.

Ten should have commissioned a show that was somewhere between the Project and MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Instead we’ve got an ex Australian Idol host on a beach.

The Producer has become the story.
That aint good.

I gave both Wake Up and Studio 10 a chance and was just left feeling insulted. I think anyone watching either show would be looking for something a bit refreshing, but they both follow the Sunrise/Morning Show formula to a tee. Studio 10 had some moments but infomercials every 10 minutes? Seriously? Just crap. Will be nice to see them break the mold a bit. Following the tried-and-tested formula isn’t working for them so far and viewers can see right through it.

My mother is a small shareholder in Network 10. She bought the shares at well above their current value. She tells me she is holding on to the shares in the hope that the company will have a turn around!

Is this turnaround going to happen? The only articles you see on Network 10 are sackings, large shareholders guaranteeing a line of borrowings and low ratings!

What do you media experts think?

Guarantee it’s driven by Q scores or similar.

Didn’t she originally say she didn’t want to do it and wasn’t on her bucket list? Why would you have someone on the team that never really wanted to be there by their own admission regardless of how it was sold to her. I think she was sold a poison chalice with this show and I think if I were her I would be glad to leave early and not part of what is probably the end result. I hope they can turn it around just at the least for their own self actualization. Good Luck.

Can someone tell me why should I switch from Karl and Lisa to Wake Up! ?

Now .. one lame untalented duck has gone .. begone with Tarsh .. she’s a freak’n news reader and IMO doesn’t cut the mustard as a host. and what about her voice .. had to turn off for the insult to my ears from both the T’s sounding like some kind of characture!! Though why should one expect TEN to hear the problem .. just listen to the hideous female Promo talent (or lack there of) they have .. and she’s new! Replaced one “nasal tone” pain in the ear for another “lower tone” pain in the ear … Who’s running the place ….. Hello … is there anybody working at TEN that actually looks and LISTENS to their own station ???? One thinks not!!!

Actually just ignore the whole station and watch the excellent ABC:)

Thank goodness Exelby has been shown the door.. If you feel the need to comment on every issue surely you would need some knowledge of the topic.
PS When you get your next Ch.10 gig try not to frown so much, after all you are on TV

I predicted it. She was rude.

Why on earth would you release this news at the same time as your up fronts? Any positive stories about next year are completely over shadowed by one bogan news reader.

It is surprising that the concept, adopted by 10 and then tied in with their thoughts of a void to be filled, has lasted as long as it has. It’ll be gone before Christmas

Did Channel 10 think they would stand a chance with the show. bring back BERT.That was when they were at their best

Well said Jack Bruce, ABC1 is pretty much it. If there were no ABC, I would sell my TV set and listen to records at night time. Sorry commercial networks, your promos suck, and so does your reality TV!!!

Fairy floss always comes to a sticky end!

Just let a few Uni students create their own breakfast show and format.

Promise it would perform better than this….

“Wake Up” is definitely something Ten should do and arse-sink this morning drivel. It’s wrong on so many levels, and the talent mix is just one. It’s doomed so cut your loses now, there’s no point in trying to embalm it for any future life.

Noelene, you have hit the nail on the head, bring back Bert!

Imagine Breakfast with Bert & Pattie?!

Why? Why NOW?

Why so close to Xmas and the time nobody will really notice comings and goings?

If Adam wanted her off the show quickly, why not send her off to Special Projects On Assignment? Send her to Indonesia… or somewhere. Disney World. The dollars would be iinsiginificent (compared to major ratings fail), it might spark some interest, would get her out of the picture at the same time disguising the real departure or dumping.

Then, as iin the classics, “grandma was playing up on the roof…”

It must be that the Network (“The Network!”) wanted a scalp or the advertisers wanted a scalp. Sacrifice her, peddle the story we’ve fixed the problem, we’ve taken direct, decisive and courageous action and hope that buys the time for the show to improve and results to lift.

Do ya’ think?

Otherwise why throw the body off the lifeboat so close to hiatus?

This is action being SEEN to be done.

I for one was very excited for this launch. As a twenty-something I’ve always felt disconnected from and bored of Sunrise and Today, so I hoped that the channel who brought us the brilliant The Project would provide something fresh and intelligent.

I really feel for Exelby. Having watched nearly all of the episodes, she did have some awkward moments, but no more than the other two panelists. I did notice some friction between them but I actually think that it was Matheson who initiated it – often Exelby would play the devil’s advocate, and he would shoot her down, taking it as a direct attack upon his own misinformed opinion.

Ten really needs to take a leaf out of its own book: The Project. A reliable, likeable newsreader/ anchor (Carrie Bickmore), a smart, knowledgeable, quick journalist (Charlie Pickering, who started as a comedian but has evolved into a wonderful interviewer), a funny man/ woman (Dave Hughes) and some rotated guest presenters who can also act as substitutes when the regulars are absent. They need to talk to people who actually know what they’re talking about, rather than chatting ignorantly amongst themselves. I don’t know if the morning crew is on a tight budget but they have so much tried and tested talent who would have been great on this program: Andrew Rochford (give him another chance! Can’t blame him for refusing to work with Henry), Meshel Laurie, Tommy Little, Tom Gleeson, Chrissie Swan, Hamish MacDonald, Peter Hellier, Waleed Aly… I know many of these have moved on now or have other morning gigs but Ten could have invested in their loyal fans and onscreen experience.

Well, what could be plainer? the producers are as unsure as ever, this is the sort of thing that confirms lack of knowledge, lack of cohesion, lack of direction and lack of conviction.

The two girls one guy approach was obviously nothing to do with discernment and talent placement in the first place. Where to from here? Ever onward and downward is my guess.

Artistic endeavor, artistic integrity and discerning programming, have all, it seems, ceased to mean anything, here it looks much more like bluster, guesswork, and gambling.

“Dumped’ in the headline is a bit harsh – there is a person at the end of all of this hung out to dry to save the network having to deal with the real issues. ‘Escaped’ might be more fitting.

Baris- because u shd watch Sunrise

Please let this be a lesson to all TV execs out there not to invent forced nicknames for hosts. It’s just awful.

Yes indeed, bring back Bert & Patti (or Ernie & Ding Dong)

Its like climbing Mt Everest in a tracksuit, to think that a new show in that timeslot can make significant headway in 16 days. 2 competitors, plus ABC and Sky and Breakfast Radio.

No disrespect to Exelby but this was always going to happen…just not right for the format of morning TV.

I can’t believe Boland go it so wrong….they did testing before launch and only three weeks down the track, changes are needed.

Natarsha Belling is a talent…relates well, is a journo, a mum, comes across well on TV, is smart…really all the ingredients needed for this. However, James is not the guy to co-host and while I have no doubt Boland was looking to give ‘ Wake Up ‘ an edgy/younger feel than 7 & 9 offerings, the success of those shows has been lost on someone who should by now know better.

Studio 10 suffers as well, The Circle should never have been replaced as a format, tweaking and staff changes could have been made to improve ratings in the timeslot. Studio 10’s format is fine but one has to wonder what has happened to Ita Buttrose, she just seems to be off the pace and in a strange way, (perhaps not her fault), awkward on the show. Bizzare. Hilderbrand has go to go….the token male on the show but he just makes the conversation dis-jointed all the time and off track when the ladies are having a serious discussion, this guy wants to be a comedian the whole show and it ends up leaving the natural flow of conversation off course and someone has to then get it back….just terrible.

If I was working at the network I would do the following:

WAKE UP

A) Keep Natarsha Belling
B) Hire someone like Cameron Williams from Weekend Today to co-host
C) Cut Mathieson
D) The news segments are poor, pre-recorded (obviously) and not flowing
E) The news needs to be LIVE and ideally there from the same studio
F) I’d take the show back to TEN Studios in Pyrmont, the beach is well….hmmm
Being back at TEN Studios, gives them more options to change sets
G) If need be..Sarah Harris formerly of Ch9 could be used on Wake Up as she
previously co-hosted Weekend Today with Cameron Williams with success.

Ch 10 can make these new programs work in the long run, no doubt, but talent selection and attention to detail must be perfect to build growth.

As for STUDIO 10:

A) Hilderbrand has got to go…not working with the format. He’s a turn off.
B) Ita needs to step it up…more life and involvement
C) The set is bad, closed in and not good on TV, open it up, set it back further from the cameras for god sake, it needs to be more relaxed visually.
D) Why not have the entire panel all female to be honest….sadly The Circle had it right in alot of areas and could have enjoyed better ratings had the network had some of the Studio 10 girls working on that show. That’s all history now.

Harris, Rowe and eventually Ita (come on!) working fine, add the extra female host
and off we go.

Boland doesn’t need to re-invent the wheel to enjoy success at Network 10, he just needs to make the right talent choices and allow some freedom.

Wayne, you leave my deck chairs out of this. I’ll put them wherever I want to – even on the cross-benches.

no small irony that the title for the show should be the catch dry for what Ten needs to do. Appalling waste of money

There just isn’t room for another morning show. The people who currently watch morning shows have their favorites to watch and don’t care that another one is starting.

It’s like they’re trying to create viewers out of thin air.

Marc, they ARE trying to create viewers out of thin air. They are trying to attract the younger viewer who is currently NOT watching morning TV. At least, that’s as much as I can figure. Why else be so different?

But they’re hunting with the wrong bait.

No doubt Ita is a big mistake; she represents an older, more conservative crowd. Bring her on as a “Tsk, tsk” disapproving oldie just for fun.

Adam Boland must have been nobbled from the start, having to make concessions to CYA and ‘blandise’ the show. He’s no dummy so I wonder…

Back when *I* was at TEN, we OWNED mornings. We had Kerrie-Ann (surely one of the best performers ever) and Gordon Eliot, the puzzed, bemused, naughty, clever boy on GMA backed with good Regulars.

Back then we went for Dad early getting ready for work and Mum after 8 as she had got the kids off to school and was settling with a cuppa.

Demos change.

The location is irrevelant, the set is irrelevant, what counts is THE TALENT.

As Producers we take young performers, make them Stars which is good for the show and the ratings but which also produces future rods for our own back. They all eventually go through the Diva phase; hopefully by then we have a handle on them and can ride out that phase until they wake up or get fired.

TALENT, beautiful one day, PITA the next.

However, Talent is both the oil and the fuel for shows.

Probably I’d dump Mathison because he’s a boy and I’d get Chrissy Whatsie or Kitty Flanagan, who is a great comic but also is whip-smart and cuttingly analytical.

Politics notwithstanding, I’d encourage the Team to take the piss out of all of them, plenty of material (watch Clarke and Dawes).

If I were the boss, I’d recruit from Youtube; Natalie Tran, I’d get Jenna Flowers to do a regular remote. I’d do a Wednesday whip around the nightclubs (Sydney and Melbourne) with a hot spunk. Whos is the top DJ in town right now? If you don’t know, you’re too old.

I’d make sure the show was flawlessly available on DEVICES other than Mum’s TV and I’d let advertisers know why.

I’d take people with Street-Cred, train them up, put them out of their comfort zone and get them to do all sorts of stuff.

Like, where’s the SVdP fashion segment? Look at 7 and 9 with their Buzz or Grill (who makes up these naff names?) all sitting in s row with virtually twin-set and pearls with carefully coiffed hair. Clone-city. What dude can grok that?

I’d also break “tradition” and have sensible, concise weather reports from outside but without stunts. You know, treat your young viewers as if sun and rain affected their lives – which it does!

I’d also get real with the Internet and Youtube clips. The “others” treat it all as a bit of a fad, a joke, (which is exactly the way RADIO people treated Television when it started). Go beyond the funny cats and falling kids.

We have Political Reporters, War Correspondants, Finance Analysts – but no Internet Reporter. Huh? SOME TV shows have a “what the papers say” segment. “What the papers say” is about as relevant to me as what the Morse Code Club tapped out last night.

And which papers? Herald, Telegraph, Age, Courier-Mail? Not BRAG, THE DRUM and those others which, if you don’t know what they are, you’re too old.

See where I’m heading here?

Trouble is, if they got it right for that demographic, they probably STILL wouldn’t watch.

YOLO.

Exelby always looked confused and just frowned a lot.

Oh my goodness me. This Producer has got it totally wrong. Get rid of Matho, he cant speak and Natarsha or whoever is a newsreader nit a presenter. Start again ch10

Bring back Paul Henry!

I miss Wurrawhy…

Bring back Mulligrubs 🙂

John Hollands has it pretty right IMO… now do all of that..with a huge lean to the political left, and you might just find those invisible viewers that are out there but not watching mum and dad on 7 and 9.

They are browsing the net at brekky coz the staid, right wing, boring and intellectually defunct breakfast shows arent aimed at them.

James is funny, but he needs someone equally as funny to bounce off.

Am I the only one who enjoyed Paul Henry’s black humour??? He was very generous with the young journalists (TV presenters) around the whole of Australia. Now it is boring – so disappointed. He was sarcastic but he could interview intelligently and very opinionated but so are shows on Foxtell. Does anyone out there agree with me? I never hear his name mentioned anymore.

Marie Smith- no you were not the only one that liked Paul. I agree completely. Channel 10 bring back Paul Henry. He was really entertaining and ad libbed. not like most presenters, just reading the autocue. like robots.

I predicted since the first day that this Wake Up program won.t last long. It will disappear in no time. It is boring, blunt and not attractive.

Noelene – thank you – appreciate your comments very much. We may be the only 2 that liked Paul Henry’s style – what a shame. So glad someone out there agrees with me at last!

I have to agree the two tashes look alike, just as ugly as each other.

Marie, Noelene – I couldn’t agree more.
I miss mornings without Paul Henry, though I disagreed totally with his politics, the guy just made me howl with laughter at times.
Thank god we have YouTube to reminisce.

I’m a 16 year old girl, before school every morning it’s the same rubbish, Carl and his fake laugh, fake smile and kochie making the dad jokes that frankly get old and of course next to them are the women sitting there laughing and smiling in all the right places. It’s pathetic. Yes the target demographic is not my generation, it won’t ever be.

Wake up, HAD an edge, a presenter that was a little dark and critical, Natasha. For me and quite a few of the young people I have talked to she was someone who did not always smile and agree to everything that her co-host’s said. At times she was the devil’s advocate, however, you need that in a news program! Someone who gives the opposite view.
Just my opinion, Natasha I hope you go on to bigger and better things, you were great to watch.

Noelene and Marie Smith – I agree Bring back Paul Henry but not that Katherine lady, she did not have enough talent or wit to work alongside Paul Henry. As she said at the wrap up, it took her a year to like him!
I was in NZ recently and he was on a program where he airs his views on different things like “what do you think of people who text on escalators”, knock em down was his reply…lol I agree!
He has also published a new book, caution there is some nudity in it because he likes being nude; don’t know how many of Ten’s viewers knew that about him. But maybe a nice Christmas present for yourself.

Fake laugh fake smile little girlie cackling away, really is this 10’s idea of a professional presenter? And that unshaven cool dude (not) is just a waste of space.