Couch Time
Couch Time | |
---|---|
Genre | Television block |
Presented by | Labby Hawkins Stav Davidson Billy Bentley Jess Skarratt Carina Waye |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 1,620 |
Production | |
Production locations | Brisbane, Queensland |
Running time | 2–4 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | Eleven |
Release | 11 January 2011 31 March 2017 | –
Couch Time is an Australian
Couch Time aired its final episode on 31 March 2017.
Hosts
Original Replacement Final
Name | First Show | Last Show |
---|---|---|
Jason "Labby" Hawkins | 11 January 2011 | 2 January 2015 |
Stewart "Stav" Davidson | 11 January 2011 | 2 January 2015 |
Billy Bentley | 9 February 2015 | 31 March 2017 |
Jess Skarratt | 9 February 2015 | 8 January 2016 |
Carina Waye | 22 February 2016 | 31 March 2017 |
- Notes
- Stav Davidson returned to the show as a guest on 29 January 2016.
History
Couch Time premiered alongside the launch of Network Ten's new multichannel Eleven on 11 January 2011, originally created to have the hosts be recognised as "the faces of Eleven", and "add personality" to the channel.[1] It was designed to draw a lead-in audience for Eleven's evening programs, especially Neighbours,[1] originally hosted by radio presenters Jason "Labby" Hawkins and Stewart "Stav" Davidson.[2] From its inception, the program aired weekday afternoons from 4:00 pm until 6:30 pm, introducing Neighbours. The show is filmed in Brisbane.
In January 2015, it was announced that Hawkins and Davidson would be leaving the show, with Hawkins moving to New Zealand, and the pair's Brisbane radio show also concluding. Ten confirmed that Couch Time had not been axed and that new hosts were being sought.[3] The pair's final show was on 2 January 2015. The two new hosts were announced as Jess Skarratt and Billy Bentley, who began hosting the show on 9 February 2015, fronting a redesigned set and format.[4] On 14 September 2015, the Neighbours-themed segment of Couch Time moved from before the night's episode to after, with the overall block airing from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm.[5]
In January 2016 it was announced that Skarratt would be leaving the show to return to university and that a replacement host would soon be found.[6] Her final show was on 8 January 2016. To celebrate the show's fifth anniversary, a new-look set styled like a loft apartment debuted on 11 January 2016, with Bentley joined by guest hosts.[7] Carina Waye joined the show as a new host on 22 February 2016.
The concluding segment of Couch Time returned to 6:30 pm on 13 March 2017; the block now airing from the original 4:00 pm until 6:30 pm timeslot.[8] It remained in this slot until the final episode. It was announced in March 2017, that the series would be ending due to a "reallocation of resources". The last episode aired on 31 March 2017.[9]
Format
Couch Time airs on weekday afternoons and features a block classic sitcoms along with local
Controversy
Over the years, segments by original hosts Hawkins and Davidson were criticised by viewers of Eleven and attracted negative commentary online.[3]
In 2013, a community television presenter from Perth legally challenged
References
- ^ a b c Shearer, Geoff (11 January 2011). "Network Ten launches channel 11 with classic shows aimed at under-30s". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ Rossi, Damien (23 January 2011). "Stav to become dinky-di". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ a b c Knox, David (3 January 2015). "Labby & Stav exit CouchTime on ELEVEN". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (9 February 2015). "New hosts for Couch Time". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- Southern Cross Media. Archived from the originalon 31 January 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Couriermail.com.au | Subscribe to The Courier Mail for exclusive stories". Dsf.newscorpaustralia.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "Couch Time looking for new co-host | TV Tonight".
- ^ * Twitter acknowledgement: Billy Bentley [@BentleyBilly] (13 March 2017). "Yeah back at 6.30 and not 7 from tonight" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Knox, David (15 March 2017). "Axed: Couch Time". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- ^ Knox, David (14 July 2014). "Survey says desperate? TEN roadblocks Family Feud across 3 channels". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ Knox, David (14 March 2017). "Family Feud no longer simulcasting". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ "About the Show". Tenplay.com. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ "TEN vs Community TV in legal battle for the Couches". TV Tonight.
- ^ "Stand-off ends over naming rights for the Couch". TV Tonight.