Today I can break the big news that ABC TV’s Sunday morning political discussion program Insiders will be broadcast with a live audience on a permanent basis as well as adopting a whole new format.
The decision follows the success of last Sunday’s edition – the first to be broadcast from Canberra after production was shifted from Melbourne.
“The team at Insiders took the decision to make a bit of a splash with their first Canberra-based program and punted on broadcasting from the National Press Club with a live audience,” an ABC insider not from Insiders told me.
“The positive feedback means the program will air from now on with a live audience.”
But other sources within the national broadcaster have told me about even bigger innovations, all designed to breathe new life into the program that originally aired 22 years ago this month.
I am informed that the ABC has paid British public broadcaster the BBC “a small fortune” to secure the production rights to the talk show format used by popular Irish comedian Graham Norton.
“Using The Graham Norton Show format should drag in more viewers for Insiders,” a senior ABC source told me.
“Everyone is very excited and the rehearsals this week (below) have proved we’re on the right track.
“Graham Norton always has four or five guests and sometimes more on stage with him at once, so it means David Speers can interrupt a much wider range of political reporters and pundits.
“Buying the BBC format means Speersie can also include the popular ‘Big Red Chair’ segment in which Graham Norton uses a type of ejector seat to dispose of people telling boring stories. (main picture)
“The show will also be featuring a musical segment, usually David himself on trumpet interrupting a guest singer.
“I think I’m safe in saying that the new-look Insiders will be the biggest thing to hit the ABC since Frankly,” the source said.
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