Latest news with #TheBackPage
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Vale The Back Page, a rare and beautiful exception to Hunter S Thompson's TV dictum
'The TV business is uglier than most things,' Hunter S Thomson famously wrote. 'It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason. Which is more or less true. For the most part, they are dirty little animals with huge brains and no pulse.' Harsh, I know! But there are many exceptions. One of them was The Back Page, the sports panel show which has finished up this week after a 29-year run. As one who was on it for its first decade and a bitty, I have been inundated with emails, texts and calls this week, from those lamenting its demise. Inevitably, many of the obits have focused on its latter years – which is fair enough because, to my amazement, it has been bloody successful for the last two decades, too, and really was a great show. With its latter-day incarnation hosted by Tony Squires and boasting panellists such as Crash Craddock, Adam Spencer and Candice Warner, the thing was still working and doing great box office. I have no clue why Fox Sports has cut it off at the knees, save the possibility its new owners, the British-based DAZN, intend to channel more foreign content to this small outpost on the other side of the planet at the expense of local content. But I digress. For my obit, let me focus a little on the first decade, when The Back Page proved the antithesis of Thompson's dictum. It was a terrific show because we all really liked each other, and were close friends well beyond whatever we put to air. The show was the idea of the veteran sports producer Saul Shtein. Knowing that Mike Gibson, the iconic sports broadcaster from Wide World of Sports, would be at the Atlanta Olympics at the same time as me, Saul asked me to duchess him on the idea of the show, after Mike had politely rejected his first approach. Mike and I got together one day at the beach volleyball, when Australia had just got the gold medal, and I pitched again.
The Age
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Vale The Back Page, a rare and beautiful exception to Hunter S Thompson's TV dictum
'The TV business is uglier than most things,' Hunter S Thomson famously wrote. 'It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason. Which is more or less true. For the most part, they are dirty little animals with huge brains and no pulse.' Harsh, I know! But there are many exceptions. One of them was The Back Page, the sports panel show which has finished up this week after a 29-year run. As one who was on it for its first decade and a bitty, I have been inundated with emails, texts and calls this week, from those lamenting its demise. Inevitably, many of the obits have focused on its latter years – which is fair enough because, to my amazement, it has been bloody successful for the last two decades, too, and really was a great show. With its latter-day incarnation hosted by Tony Squires and boasting panellists such as Crash Craddock, Adam Spencer and Candice Warner, the thing was still working and doing great box office. I have no clue why Fox Sports has cut it off at the knees, save the possibility its new owners, the British-based DAZN, intend to channel more foreign content to this small outpost on the other side of the planet at the expense of local content. But I digress. For my obit, let me focus a little on the first decade, when The Back Page proved the antithesis of Thompson's dictum. It was a terrific show because we all really liked each other, and were close friends well beyond whatever we put to air. The show was the idea of the veteran sports producer Saul Shtein. Knowing that Mike Gibson, the iconic sports broadcaster from Wide World of Sports, would be at the Atlanta Olympics at the same time as me, Saul asked me to duchess him on the idea of the show, after Mike had politely rejected his first approach. Mike and I got together one day at the beach volleyball, when Australia had just got the gold medal, and I pitched again.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
TV host Tony Squires chokes back tears as he farewells viewers after his star-studded Back Page sports show was axed after almost 30 YEARS
Frustrated sports fans across Australia want answers after The Back Page screened for the final time on Tuesday night. The popular show was axed earlier this month after 29 years on the air, with Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley declaring, 'Everything has a lifespan.' In emotional scenes, host Tony Squires choked back tears as he thanked viewers for their loyalty across almost three decades. 'I am not going to lie, it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight, but go we must,' Squires began on show number 481. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. 'And so from everyone at The Back Page, goodbye.' It didn't long for sports enthusiasts to vent their frustration online. 'One of the best shows on TV. Watched every Tuesday. Bizarre decision to end it,' said one on X. 'Devastated. Great show that still had fuel in the tank, in my opinion,' posted another. 'Couldn't care less about all the endless NRL and AFL shows they have on. This is the type of show there should be more of, and they (Fox Sports) are getting rid of it,' added a third. Before Squires assumed hosting duties in March of 2013, the late Mike Gibson was the man in the hot seat, working closely with Billy Birmingham and famed reporter Peter Frilingos. Regular recent contributors have included Ironwoman champion Candice Warner, radio identity Ryan Fitzgerald and veteran News Corp sports journalist Robert 'Crash' Craddock. Some of the high profile guests over the years include legendary boxer Mike Tyson, three-time Olympic gold medallist Jessica Fox and rising athletics star Gout Gout.
Courier-Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
The Back Page: Fans say same thing as beloved TV show wraps up after 29-years on air
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Fans are up in arms after beloved long-running sports program 'The Back Page' had its final ever episode on Tuesday night. Earlier this month it was revealed that the popular sports show had been axed after 29 years. But in that time it had become a staple of many households' Tuesday night schedules and viewers were understandably emotional after the final episode concluded just after 8.30pm AEDT. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. In those 29 years, Australia has had eight Prime Ministers and nine Test cricket captains, yet the iconic sports program has only ever had two hosts, Mike Gibson and Tony Squires, as the show beamed into households around the country on Tuesday nights since 1997. And on Tuesday, an emotional Squires signed off for the final time as he admitted he doesn't want the show to end but that is the decision that has been made and therefore he and the entire cast must accept. 'I am not going to lie it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight but go we must,' Squires began. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. You can watch Squire's full The Back Page farewell in the player above. Tony Squires signs off for final time. Image: Kayo 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. ' … And so from everyone at The Back Page goodbye.' Immediately after signing off social media was flooded with tributes for the beloved show as many fans voiced their displeasure at the decision to dump The Back Page. 'Seriously why in the hell is this show ending??' one loyal fan of the show wrote on X. 'I hate it when good TV shows end. Farewell 'The Back Page', what an incredible run,' another added. 'I can't believe Fox Sports has decided to end The Back Page. TBP is one of the all-time great sport shows,' a third wrote. While others said 'Shame Back Page is going. Why do all the good shows end' and 'One of the shows I've watched every week is the back page. I'm truly sad it's ending'. The Back Page has welcomed more than 500 special guests (pictured Gout Gout appearing on the show last month). Image: Fox Sports Announcing the news earlier this month Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley said the decision to axe 'The Back Page' was not due to cost cutting, instead, the company believed it was time to move in another direction. 'At Fox Sports, we have introduced a number of new shows in recent times and we have more in final planning,' he said. 'The Back Page has been entertaining audiences for nearly three decades; there are very few shows that can claim that. 'Entertainment programming is a tough business in that it's like life itself, how everything has a lifespan. Even the great shows like 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' and 'The Back Page'. 'In a big country with different codes of football and unique tastes, it's extremely rare for a sports show to survive, let alone for almost 30 years.' Originally published as Fans say same thing as beloved TV show The Back Page wraps up after 29-years on air
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Fans say same thing as beloved TV show The Back Page wraps up after 29-years on air
Fans are up in arms after beloved long-running sports program 'The Back Page' had its final ever episode on Tuesday night. Earlier this month it was revealed that the popular sports show had been axed after 29 years. But in that time it had become a staple of many households' Tuesday night schedules and viewers were understandably emotional after the final episode concluded just after 8.30pm AEDT. In those 29 years, Australia has had eight Prime Ministers and nine Test cricket captains, yet the iconic sports program has only ever had two hosts, Mike Gibson and Tony Squires, as the show beamed into households around the country on Tuesday nights since 1997. And on Tuesday, an emotional Squires signed off for the final time as he admitted he doesn't want the show to end but that is the decision that has been made and therefore he and the entire cast must accept. 'I am not going to lie it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight but go we must,' Squires began. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. You can watch Squire's full The Back Page farewell in the player above. 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. ' … And so from everyone at The Back Page goodbye.' Immediately after signing off social media was flooded with tributes for the beloved show as many fans voiced their displeasure at the decision to dump The Back Page. 'Seriously why in the hell is this show ending??' one loyal fan of the show wrote on X. 'I hate it when good TV shows end. Farewell 'The Back Page', what an incredible run,' another added. 'I can't believe Fox Sports has decided to end The Back Page. TBP is one of the all-time great sport shows,' a third wrote. While others said 'Shame Back Page is going. Why do all the good shows end' and 'One of the shows I've watched every week is the back page. I'm truly sad it's ending'. Announcing the news earlier this month Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley said the decision to axe 'The Back Page' was not due to cost cutting, instead, the company believed it was time to move in another direction. 'At Fox Sports, we have introduced a number of new shows in recent times and we have more in final planning,' he said. 'The Back Page has been entertaining audiences for nearly three decades; there are very few shows that can claim that. 'Entertainment programming is a tough business in that it's like life itself, how everything has a lifespan. Even the great shows like 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' and 'The Back Page'. 'In a big country with different codes of football and unique tastes, it's extremely rare for a sports show to survive, let alone for almost 30 years.'
