Less than a year after it was formally announced, the team behind screenPLAY announced that the show had been cancelled. It’s the second cancellation of a show about video games from a major broadcaster in two years, and as expected, fans have been vocal in their displeasure at Channel Seven’s decision.
The first announcement came out via the official screenPLAY account, but each of the show’s hosts (Stephanie Bendixen, Nic Richardson, Miles Ross) and some of the production crew eventually expressed their sadness through their own social accounts later that evening.
That’s a wrap.
A special thanks to those who put me up for the job, and the crew for putting up with me on the job.
Real 😢
But the true gratitude goes to the community, the MVPs. Your passion, hilarity and love for the show was inspiring.
This was a dream come true.
— Miles Ross Jnr (@MilesTheRoss) April 30, 2018
Thank you, always, for your support and encouragement. I’m curled up at home now with my many furry animal-children, a cup of tea, and the soothing sounds of @Pierreth‘s Dota2 clicking on the next room. x
— Stephanie Bendixsen (@hexsteph) April 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/NichBoy/status/990843445349564416
https://twitter.com/matthewworboys/status/990903784854335488
It’s with great sadness that one of the greatest rides of my life has come to a close. Super proud of the work all my beautiful screenPLAY family did over the last year. https://t.co/X03e8qPi1I
— Will Yates (@Willbo__) April 30, 2018
Fans expressed a lot of anger at Channel Seven for the decision, while others noted that they mostly engaged with the show’s content through YouTube or other channels.
Channel 7 cancelled screenPLAY. Lasted a year. Wasted TV gaming show production. Truly sad news. I have watched every episode from the beginning to the ending. I remember CH7 was interested in investing gaming, hiring experience-hosts, & eSports things. CH7 give up. #screenPLAYau
— Joshdachu (@Joshdachu_) April 30, 2018
It just shows how much the television industry doesn’t know about digital content. I always knew that the TV show wouldn’t do brilliant, but they did have their digital content to fall back on. I can only wish that @Channel7 and other networks can learn from this #screenPLAYau
— Connor (@ConnorLaFrenais) April 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/Helalost/status/990847503653220357
https://twitter.com/UberTimmeh/status/991093682693591040
Noooo. This is genuinely awful news. Your work was awesome. The new studio was dope. Ahh this blows. Your YT channel was my favourite new find. From England loved your work. I want more from Miles, Nich and Steph.
— McMystery RS (@McMysteryRS) April 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/bobbu_Rossu/status/990915816286638080
Other users also questioned Seven’s foresight in airing screenPLAY at the timeslot they did (having moved around on Thursday nights, before being shifted to Friday), while others questioned whether commercial Australian television is capable of supporting digital-first ventures like screenPLAY, or video games in general.
https://twitter.com/xxceL/status/990954230197321728
Man it really sucks that #screenPLAYau is cancelled only 10 episodes into their second season! I could kinda see the writing on the wall after they put it on so late at night on a bloody Friday (a.k.a. the place they send shows to die). But I’m still gonna miss it. 😭
— MattyG (@AmmoGlitter) April 30, 2018
Seven’s decision also means the cancellation of screenPLAY‘s esports league, which the network had announced was in the works in the middle of last year.
“In many ways this also represents a new, predominantly millennial audience for Seven – digital and social media natives as opposed to linear TV consumers – but one which we greatly look forward to
serving directly through our exciting screenPLAY platform,” Seven’s chief digital officer Clive Dickens said at the time of screenPLAY‘s announcement.
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