Ten declined to officially confirm the news, but the newspaper [The Daily Telegraph] was told the decision was final and that production company Roving Enterprises would be advised.

The network’s director of programming, David Mott, said they were extremely pleased with the present success of the show.

“I’m so proud of this show after we took a huge risk and everyone wrote it off at the beginning.

“But we tweaked it, gave it a more newsy edge and Charlie’s old look was a victim of that process. The old look wasn’t right and the new one is. We’re very, very happy at how Project is coming along,” he added.

Network insiders suggested that the team’s recent image and wardrobe overhauls have also contributed to the improvement. Presenters Carrie Bickmore, Dave Hughes and Charlie Pickering were all given ‘straight-overs’ so they represented newsreaders.

RUMOURS about the future of Rove McManus at Channel 10 were flying again yesterday after a tip-off that staff on his TV show were told this week to look for alternative work next year.

Ten’s publicity department later denied production staff were advised to look elsewhere for jobs.

“We have checked with Roving (Enterprises) and no such discussion was had. As for what changes may or may not be made with Rove for 2010, this will be announced on the show this Sunday, stay tuned.”

Sunday night’s program is the final for the year.

McManus was last Friday spotted dining with Merrick Watts and Peter Helliar in Sydney, prompting talk that he might return to radio in 2010.

On the same day, Watts’ longtime radio partner Tim Ross ended his radio gig with Nova.

ROVE McManus is going to live life on his terms and he doesn’t give a hoot what TV executives, the media, or even you think about it.

It’s an “I’ll do it my way” attitude that’s won him a legion of fans, a thriving production company and a successful TV career for 10 years.

Another example of that “my way” spirit is McManus’s decision to delay the return of Rove in 2010 until April/May. The 2009 season finale is on November 15, so the 35-year-old will have nearly a six-month break.Rove has had its ups and downs. It peaked at 1.54 million viewers nationally in June but has dropped to about 880,000 in recent weeks after losing Dave Hughes and Carrie Bickmore and being shunted back into a 9.30pm timeslot. The show hardly featured in Ten’s 2010 program launch last week. Weekend rumours had it getting a major revamp for next year, perhaps into a Hey Hey it’s Saturday-style format.

A Ten spokesperson says: “Rove will be back in 2010.”

“With the 7PM Project, it’s a new show and I’m assuming it will need time to find its feet as a program and a format and hopefully people will give it that time,” McManus says.

“This show (Rove) is my love and my passion and it’s always what I’ve wanted to do. If everything else fell down, as long as I still get to do this thing I love the most then I’m happy.

“We have that (a connection with the audience) at the moment and I think that’s where my enthusiasm is coming from.

“When your personal life is in a good place it helps with your professional life as well.

“People say to me, ‘do you still have plans to go to the States?’ and (the answer is) no, because I’m happy with what I’m doing here.

“It’s nice to enjoy the ride, which I haven’t always been able to do.”

NETWORK Ten is planning to “rest” its flagging show Rove before a major overhaul that may turn it into a Hey Hey It’s Saturday-style variety program.

The network denied rumours Rove will be axed completely, despite the show hardly featuring at the network’s 2010 programming launch last week.

Ten’s head programmer, David Mott, said Rove would not return at the start of the year but he would not comment on the reason or when the next season would screen, The Sunday Telegraph reports.

A Ten spokesperson later said: “Rove will be back on Ten in 2010.”

A source close to the production said changes were being proposed to the Gold Logie-winner’s show after Ten executives eyed the recent success of Channel Nine’s Hey Hey It’s Saturday specials.

“Things will be different (on Rove) and, with the numbers attached to the recent Hey Hey outing, it’s possible to see a more encompassing variety-type format when we come back,” the source said.

Since the return of Australian Idol on Sunday nights, Rove’s ratings have again slid to under a million people nationally. Last Sunday it was well down on its 2009 peak, with just 852,000.

Recent media reports that the hiatus for Rove would enable its star, Rove McManus, to make changes to The 7pm Project were labelled “untrue” by the source.

The 7pm Project has struggled in its slot, with a nightly national audience of around 700,000.

Sydney University media lecturer Dr Marc Brennan questioned the future of Rove’s current format.

“It’s been through so many changes over the years to keep it fresh, there’s possibly nothing left, really,” Dr Brennan said.

David Mott, Network Ten’s Chief Programmer has also indicated this week it would run over summer and continue from February onwards.

RoveOnline

There’s been some messages from YouTube viewers located in Canada, U.S, France, NZ & Hong Kong all stating that they are no longer able to view the full show via Channel Ten’s RoveDaily website.

If you’re one of them, try contacting the show directly to see if they’ll reverse the decision on regional restrictions: mailroom[at]rove.com.au

Updated: Rove via Twitter:

Hearing a lot of people outside Australia are having problems accessing our website or are getting blocked. Not our doing but we’re onto it

Rove’s last episode for 2009 airs November 15th.

All this leads you to ask if he will be hosting or joining the panel on 7pm in the new year? Of course this is only reporting from Peter Ford… We’ll see.

ROVE McManus stopped caring two years ago. Don’t worry, the diminutive comedian didn’t let go of his professional passion.

But, all of a sudden, the negative barbs attached to his career – a landmark 10 years and counting – no longer penetrated.

See, it’s easy to knock McManus, and many have; for every fan the Perth-born and bred performer has attracted with his TV, radio and stand-up work, there are those who label him “lightweight” and an “alleged funnyman”, and pillory his approach to comedy as “safe”.

McManus used to ride this rough route, acknowledging the critical roadblocks and public potholes lining his path. But in 2007, in the year after the death of his first wife, actor Belinda Emmett, he stopped the car, got out and walked. From then on, he’s only listened to the opinions of those he respects.

“I used to read everything,” he said with a shrug. “I have scrapbooks of my first press clippings _ of the first TV Guide interview that made the cover. I thought I should, as it could reach the point later in life when people are like, `Bull, you ever did that’. I thought it would be nice to have these mementos.”

Now free of those critical demons, he admits there was a time when he allowed them to shape both him and his Network Ten variety program, Rove.

“As a performer, and as a program, we lost our identity for a while because we were too busy trying to please (and do what) everybody wanted, instead of what we think works,” McManus said.

“Some people aren’t going to like you. Why bust your balls trying to change that? If they think you suck, they think you suck.”

Back to the ratings, it scored 1,282,000 viewers nationally, coming in first in total viewers for the timeslot and in the 18-49, 16-29 & 25-54 age demos.

Compared to Home & Away with 1,236,00 and Two and a Half Men which had 1,152,000 viewers. The true test is seeing that it scores tonight and throughout the week.

Don’t forget to make your own comment about the show – tell us what you think.

What did I think? Thanks for asking! Uneven but room to improve. I thought it was a respectable first outing, the team seems to gel fairly well.

The set is quite distracting, as is the shaky camera work in Ruby Rose’s segment. The shaky handheld camera effects were not needed and viewers usually find it nauseating and unnecessary. That needs to be dropped. The key (image) behind Ruby of Sydney should also be a little less distracting. Keep it still basically.

The content itself was fine, mostly light hearted entertainment-like topics, I hope they branch out to other types of stories too. Carrie was solid, although I was waiting the punchlines after the news stories.

Charlie needs to loosen up, the studio audience needs to wake up and be a little more vocal (no applause coming to and from breaks was a bit weird, as was the delayed applause for Julie) and Dave – well Dave was his normal self.

I was surprised by James Mathison, he is a good addition to the panel, although I have a feeling he won’t be there every night.

Overall it was a strong start, we will just have to wait to see what Australia thought of it. It’s back tomorrow and every Weeknight at 7pm on Network Ten.

Update: Ruby Rose clarifies what she calls the ‘drunk cameraman’.

Thanks to everyone who watched the 7pm project sorry about the “drunk camera man” during sienna it wasn’t us it was a junkit. Odd I know. X