Ten axes The Project after 16 years, goes for 6pm current affairs

Ten has confirmed it will shut down The Project later this month after 16 years and more than 4500 episodes.

Ten says it will replace the “news delivered differently” panel with an hour-long news and current affairs show that will go head-to-head with Seven and Nine’s news bulletins at 6pm. That show, reportedly called Behind The Lines, will be followed by game show Deal Or No Deal at 7pm.

Sam Taunton, Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris and Georgie Tunny

The change represents Ten’s biggest programming shakeup in over a decade. Until now it has differentiated its timings with news beginning at 5pm for an hour, followed by Deal Or No Deal at 6pm and kicking off The Project on the half hour at 6:30pm. Now viewers have a more aligned offering on the commerical channels, with no half-hour challenger at 6:30pm.