Jazz Thornton and Brad Coleman took home the Dancing with the Stars trophy in 2022. Photo / Warner Brothers Discovery
Jazz Thornton and Brad Coleman took home the Dancing with the Stars trophy in 2022. Photo / Warner Brothers Discovery
Warner Brothers Discovery has unveiled its slate of upcoming content set to air in 2023 - but it appears one of its most successful shows from 2022 won’t be renewed.
Dancing With The Stars, which returned with the network this year after a three-year Covid-induced hiatus, appears to have beenaxed as it doesn’t appear in the schedule of content set to hit our screens next year.
No specific mention of the show was made in the announcement, or the reason behind the decision not to renew it for this year. But it may just be because the celebrity talent pool in New Zealand is running dry - which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one after a bumper year of home-grown reality TV in 2022.
Dancing with the Stars was a ratings hit for the network this year, with over a million Kiwis tuning in to watch the premiere and the first elimination show in April as this year’s champions Jazz Thornton and Brad Coleman danced their way to the win.
Heartbreak Island, which returned to Three this year with an international cast after a three-year hiatus, is also notably absent from the network’s slate of content for 2023.
So, what can we expect to see on Three in 2023? Warner Brothers Discovery unveiled a round of fresh content - and some returning shows - at their annual showcase this evening.
Patrick Gower will head up his own regular series on Three next year, Paddy Gower Has Issues. Photo / Warner Brothers Discovery
After releasing powerful docos On Booze and On Cyber Crime this year, former Newshub journalist Patrick Gower will appear in his own regular series, Paddy Gower Has Issues, which promises “long-form factual content showcasing in-depth journalism and probing interviews”.
The new-look current affairs show promises to bring back the long-form investigative format for viewers.
And new series Tracked, hosted by Vinnie Jones, is billed as the “ultimate game of hide and seek”. British actor and presenter Vinnie Jones hosts the series, which will see eight teams test their physical and mental strength to evade capture by elite tracker forces in some of the most extreme environments in Aotearoa’s South Island.
If they can survive the weather conditions and escape the trackers, they stand to take home the $100,000 prize.
Vinnie Jones will host Tracked, a new series coming to Three in 2023. Photo / Warner Brothers Discovery
A Kiwi version of Couples Therapy is also set to hit screens, as couples from diverse backgrounds and orientations share their struggles with a therapist in a documentary setting.
Other local shows returning next year include 7 Days, David Lomas Investigates and The Block - despite backlash over the results of this year’s Redemption season, which saw the winning couple Ben Speedy and Chloe Hes make just a $4000 profit on their home while the remaining couples lost out.
Warner Brothers Discovery also announced the release of FAST channels - Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television - on the network’s online streaming service ThreeNow.
The 24/7 channels represent “a whole new emerging class of video streaming” and will offer viewers a customised streaming experience, according to the announcement.
