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[Lexii-]

THE cash-strapped ABC is on the brink of signing a $6 million deal that could see the return of The Chaser team next year.

The proposed deal comes as the national broadcaster is under pressure over cuts to the Radio National line-up, which would see several programs, including the Religion Report, being podcast only.

It is believed that under the new deal, The Chaser team will produce a 10-part series, having refused offers from the three commercial networks. The team will get to keep 100% of the royalties from the back catalogue of its top-selling DVDs.

The Chaser's War on Everything was one of the ABC's best performers last year, drawing about 1.5 million viewers a week.

The episode in which members of the team breached high-level security at Sydney's APEC meeting of Asia-Pacific political leaders attracted more than 2 million viewers.

The deal is believed to be a record for an Australian comedy, eclipsing the $3 million Channel Seven paid for the fourth series of Kath & Kim.

It's a far cry from its humble beginnings. The Chaser started as a satirical newspaper with just $10,000 borrowed from the friends and family of the original team.

One of the team, Chris Taylor, was coy about the deal. "We're still in talks with the ABC, hoping to finalise a deal soon, but we haven't shut the door on the commercial networks altogether," he said.

"We've just learned that Channel Seven has picked up the rights to the American version of The Chaser," he joked.

"It stars Molly Shannon in the role of Andrew Hansen, and by all accounts it's a ratings winner. We're hoping it runs at least three weeks on Channel Seven before they pull it."

Last week, Seven yanked the US version of Kath & Kim due to poor ratings. While the Australian version of K&K has been a ratings success for Seven, not all former ABC shows have worked well on commercial networks. Shaun Micallef's show struggled to find an audience on Nine; The Fat, reinvented as 110% Tony Squires by Channel Seven in 2004, failed to take hold; and Good News Week attracts fewer than 1 million viewers on Channel Ten.

The Chaser team is also behind a new six-part series, Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure, for the national broadcaster.

$6 million. Seems a bit rich for the ABC doesn't it?

& this 'Choose Your Own Adventure' didn't they only contribute a couple of ideas?

[Eliza]

Anyone else wanna see what a shitload of money is?

Yeah, they only contributed in a producing sense. Oh well.

[grooviechickie]

I hope they're worth the $6 mill. CNNNNN was my fave, WOE was great, but their 2nd election special was a pretty dismal effort.

My only issue is that they can't play the pranks they used to, or wind up the pollies, because everyone now knows who they are.

[SG]

I hope they're worth the $6 mill. CNNNNN was my fave, WOE was great, but their 2nd election special was a pretty dismal effort.

My only issue is that they can't play the pranks they used to, or wind up the pollies, because everyone now knows who they are.

Maybe they'll have a "guest prankster" type of thing where they do more of the setting up of pranks and see how well different people can pull them off whilst the Chaser guys provide commentary. 

There might be a job there for you GC, become the first documented case of a prankster shagging a pollie after a booze fuelled taxpayer funded deal.  Forget trying for Kevin, we all know he gets pissed and doesn't even look at naked chicks, go for someone more likely to take the bait and jump in the sack with you, say Julia Gillard or Bronwyn Bishop. 

Don't try for Bill Shorten, he likes Russians and daughters of the Governor-General.

SG

[grooviechickie]

There might be a job there for you GC, become the first documented case of a prankster shagging a pollie after a booze fuelled taxpayer funded deal.  Forget trying for Kevin, we all know he gets pissed and doesn't even look at naked chicks, go for someone more likely to take the bait and jump in the sack with you, say Julia Gillard or Bronwyn Bishop. 

   Two redheaded women together in bed... I would rather that than be anywhere near The Rottweiler In Lipstick.

[~Julie~]

Aunty made a shitload from Chaser DVD sales don't forget... and other merchandise so it's not just $6M to produce a ten parter (odd... usually 13 eps/season). That would cover all production/post as well, so it's not performance fees. 

No doubt there would be an intnl sales component for ABC Commercial.

Chaser's a sure thing.

Chaser Broadcasting is the production co. for Leung I believe, just as Crackerjack produced CNNNN...   

[Adi]

Just in case you haven't seen it: surprise surprise, the figure's been a little inflated.

[~Julie~]

Oops.  Now that's a press release that's gone horribly wrong.
Livenews has picked it up too...

[Lexii-]

I can't get onto that link for some reason, could someone maybe quote it on here please?

[Adi]

The link I posted is to the article-response thread, where the original article was posted in full. This was all it said, at least when I saw it:

"When the Sun Herald/Sunday Age says we're getting $6 million for our next series on the ABC, they accidentally multiplied our fee by about a trillion! Whoops-a-daisy! Next time we're getting them to negotiate our contract!"

[Majorie]

The chaser aren't worth anywhere near that these days. One day I need to start a thread discussing why in fact they did turn so shit in the past year. I think when comedy teams are together too long they can become stale- that was the case for the working dog team. I'm sorry but hollowmen was no frontline and thank god you're here was just shit shit shit

[GreenFroggie]

Hollowmen had some funny moments, but some of their jokes i didn't think were funny, yet people in the room with me were pissing themselves laughing. So I guess it's different for everyone...

[Lexii-]

The chaser aren't worth anywhere near that these days. One day I need to start a thread discussing why in fact they did turn so shit in the past year. I think when comedy teams are together too long they can become stale- that was the case for the working dog team. I'm sorry but hollowmen was no frontline and thank god you're here was just shit shit shit

You know that the 6 million thing isn't true though?

[Majorie]

You know that the 6 million thing isn't true though?

Yes I know contracts that large are only reserved for d grade comedians like Rove and the Kath and Kim gang. Chaser are not that shit yet

[Lexii-]

Hahaha.

It's stupid though because one of the papers that reported it were saying 2 days ago that "The cash strapped ABC" 's budget won't allow The Chaser to go overseas and film a few episodes in America.... yet they can dish out $6mil?