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Video Hits canned

Tue 5th Jul, 2011 in Local News

After over two decades of lulling us out of hang-overs on the weekends, Channel Ten music television staple Video Hits has been axed.

Currently hosted by Faustina ‘Fuzzy’ Agolley and Dylan Lewis the show had been the world’s second longest running music program behind the Eurovison song contest.

The axing comes amidst network wide cutbacks being made by chief executive Lachlan Murdoch, who reportedly told the staff in an email on Sunday that there would be “an inevitably painful restructure” ahead.

Despite the sad news, here at FL we are choosing to find the silver lining in the situation. Now Video Hits is gone and Dylan Lewis is presumably out of a job perhaps it is time for the ABC to revive the greatest music program of the late 90s, Recovery.

For four years Recovery entertained us with endless awkward interview moments and some genuinely amazing musical performances. From Rivers Cuomo’s jet-lagged interview disaster to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion smashing up the ABC studios, music television didn’t get much better.

So, in honur of another fallen TV program and in the hope that ABC starts re-running old Recovery’s to fill the lag in Saturday morning music television viewing we have put together out top 25 favourite Recovery moments, from musical performances to interviews gone awry.

READ FASTERLOUDER’S TOP/ MOST AWKWARD 25 RECOVERY MOMENTS

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gumbuoy

gumbuoy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Count me in for the Recovery revival.

humanracin

humanracin said on the 5th Jul, 2011

most modern pop music is dead to me...

Veitchy

Veitchy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

def crank recovery.

therat

therat said on the 5th Jul, 2011

It was pretty much only an infomercial anyways mixed in with some truely terrible interviews.

batdan

batdan said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I won a competition in 1993 on Video Hits. Metallica snake pit and meet n greet. I'm sure the show was crap back then too.

gumbuoy

gumbuoy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

one time i clicked on to video hits to see Myf Warhurst sitting on a couch, introducing an interview, "I'm here with one of the best bands in the world right now, the Black Eyed Peas!" Pan across to see Fergie, Will and whoever sitting there.

Myf was dead to me from that day.

hellboy1975

hellboy1975 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

The silver lining is that this shitty show is no longer on TV

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQFYUKgYbO4

How many people in this video don't want to be there. Answer: All of them.

batdan

batdan said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Hit List TV is the worst though. I lothe that show.

crimsoncircles said on the 5th Jul, 2011

shit show. glad it's gone. bring back recovery.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

There always seemed to be more competitions running than actual music.

Back in 2002 or something I won a Gameboy Advanced with 8 games, Sony Stereo system, and a bunch of first-release DVDs "to the value of $500". Turned out I got 8 movies because they costed $40-$50 each.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

If you won the equivalent competition on an ABC music program, you would have won a magazine telling you how good all those items are.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Or the latest Like A Version compilation.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

http://www.waycooldogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/old-man.jpg

Those fucken kids with their Gagagas and their Kane West. Why doesn't Perry Como do something new?

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

http://www.waycooldogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/old-man.jpg

Those fucken kids with their Gagagas and their Kane West. Why doesn't Perry Como do something new?

How come nobody wears dungarees anymore?

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Fifteen dollars for a movie? In my day, it cost you ninepence!

mebjolz said on the 5th Jul, 2011

i just hope this means i'll never again have to see katy perry's ugly head on a saturday morning, that bitch makes a hangover so much worse

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I beg to differ.

http://sprinkledinpink.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/katy-perry-hot-0409-lg.jpg

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Just lower your view a bit.

http://www.gamertshirts.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/katy-perry-snl-elmo-skit.png

therat

therat said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I agree, she'd be the breast thing for a hangover.

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/images/img_gal/7798_katy-perry-esquire-3-500x652.jpg

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I guess Katy Perry really is the reason Video Hits got canned...

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I wonder why they costed that much?

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

It was 2002, a 2 megapixel camera cost $350, a DVD played was about $500, HDTV was a pipedream and you were 8 or something.

ETA: Oh shit my Latino is showing. Hope this isn't Arizona.

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Ah cool, didn't actually know that. Disregard my previous post!

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

You don't have to tell me, my dad worked in electronics so I used to know the prices of everything when I was a kid.

It was just a joke, which is now irrelevant since I now know you're ESL. Don't mind me! :)

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

No. Pay him out.

I was paying him out for being ESL.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Pay me out, then lobby the government to implement laws to keep me out. That's how it works, right?

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

"Thems damn immagintz come here n carnt even speeks the language proper. Right Barn?"

"grrrrrrkggzz"

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Lachlan Murdoch to Video Hits: Fuck off, Channel Ten's full

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Anyone want to chip in and buy SQ a sense of humour for his 21st?

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I'll make sure to return the favour by buying you a copy of 'Respecting Others for Dummies'. ;)

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Sadly, I don't think anyone has been boring enough to write that book. Go for it, you've got until October.

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

http://lashawnbarber.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/broken_record.jpg

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I thought vinyl was cool with hipsters?

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Back on topic for a sec, I just realised that the last time I watched Video Hits was 3 years ago. This was on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NThDC48-e2o

It was all about this when I was a kid (one of the first music-related things I watched):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h2PJqUMoY0

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

I think he was saying that he's a broken hipster.

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Thanks guys, so much love around here.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Don't worry, dude, I'm sure your 7-inch will be getting rave reviews before too long.

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Oldgregg, why did you hack MAB's account? :p

oldgregg

oldgregg said on the 5th Jul, 2011

ha, brilliant work all round there.

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 5th Jul, 2011

i once saw Axle Whitehead recording Video Hits...............thought i needed to get that out there. .....

therat

therat said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Did you also see his knobhead?

sarcasm_mister

sarcasm_mister said on the 5th Jul, 2011

yeah he had it out between takes.

daveyac8881

daveyac8881 said on the 5th Jul, 2011

This is sad / overdue. I used to love Video Hits when I was younger, watched it every weekend after Saturday Disney. I stopped watching when they got hosts.

The Great Monkey War

The Great Monkey War said on the 5th Jul, 2011

Better get a can opener then if you want shit TV!

themhumm

themhumm said on the 5th Jul, 2011

they did it to them selves really by focussing on the horrible side of music and that low iq fuzzy. with any luck channel v with its current mensa staffing will follow or at least a restructure. oh mercy the times we are a livin' in.

chickenman

chickenman said on the 6th Jul, 2011

time for chickenman to get a show up and running, with guests. mmmm ponder. sponsors anyone????

Demanufacture

Demanufacture said on the 6th Jul, 2011

i would love to see recovery back.. but with dylan hosting? he has gotten old and fat, and shows his douche hip hop tastes now. keep him as a commentator on 20 to 1 and get new blood. hot chick from a aussie band would work.

batdan

batdan said on the 6th Jul, 2011

is Casey Donovan in a band?

Faris

Faris said on the 7th Jul, 2011

good god that dead weather interview was terrible i felt sick watching them, especially that 'hip hop' business.

grattan

grattan said on the 8th Jul, 2011

Epic sign off from Fuzzy:

Faustina Agolley
The Party's Over, Farewell Video Hits: A Thank You to the Viewers and the Industry.

Dear Friends,

Irrespective of whether you like me as a presenter or not, your assumptions or opinions of me or my work, I wanted to shed some light on the human aspect of Australia's longest running music video show. Too often in this industry, and particularly at the moment, TV shows are written up as a business and purely that. I want to give credit to the people that have been a part of Video Hits where I feel is needed most. I can't express this in the format of our show, our presenter segments on the show run for a maximum of 3 minutes at a time, and if you have that kind of attention span when it comes to reading, then I suggest you take a tea break after each paragraph or stop here cause this ain't a press release.

Video Hits as you know, has run on Network Ten for 24 years. For the majority of that time, the show was very much a pop focused program with a heavy focus on programming clips from the United States and the UK. Like many of you I grew up on the show, taped the clips on my VHS tapes, and don't get me wrong, I love me some pop music, but it was Rachel Moor's appointment as Executive Producer almost 9 years ago that gave a drastic and much needed change to the show, her input added more years to the show's lifespan by making it more profitable for the Network and made it even more relevant to its audience which only grew with her leadership. Rachel Moor, the face you don't see on your TV screens each weekend, is the face behind Video Hits.

Lover of The Pixies, Nirvana, Split Enz and Silverchair, over her 9 years, Rachel turned a core production of two people into a team of six, her most immediate impact was being the first and only EP on that show to champion Australian artists. Rachel was the first to play artists such as Missy Higgins and got behind the likes of amazing Australian artists - John Butler, The Sleepy Jackson, Xavier Rudd, Sarah Blasko, Sneaky Sound System, The Presets, The Grates and in more recent years Empire Of The Sun and Art Vs Science just to name a few. Aside from diversifying the clip play, she saw a long term plan for the show to align itself with other great things in our music industry, our biggest tours and festivals. It started off small, the first tour Video Hits got behind being US rapper, Chingy and in more recent years Video Hits has been a presenting partner for tours with Kylie Minogue, Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Beyonce to festivals like Homebake and her ultimate personal goal, the Big Day Out.

Wife to Simon Moor, MD of Kobalt Music Publishing Australia, and mother of two boys under 7, in 'business terms', Rachel quickly became one of the most important assets to the Australian Music Industry. She played with the politic that came with network TV, bent the rules when she could, made new ones, and when it came to programming the show, the most important aspect of Video Hits, she didn't fuss over whether songs "tested well with focus groups", she just used her best resources, her common sense, her love of music and her ears. She took the show all over the world, gaining access to artists in production of incredible albums and spotlighting artists well before breaking in Australia.

It is a shame that the show is coming to an abrupt end, especially after it's influence on the Australian music industry and for Australians who love music and have watched the show across two and a half decades. This decision was out of all of our hands and it was in the eyes of those who decided the fate of the show, was purely a business decision rather than a content one. I am so proud that the team, Rachel, Maria, Blayke, Chris, Karen, Dylan, Sarah, Tamar, Candice and Melissa worked so hard on something that so many people love. Change is inevitable in the landscape of television and unfortunately Video Hits draws to a close this August.

Thank you to the presenters that were apart of the show before us, Axle (well, we crossed over a few weeks) and Kelly then Nathan, Hayden and without any disrespect to any other presenter, past or present, in my opinion the best television music journalist in Australia, Dylan Lewis. A rare find in this industry, Dylan does not carry any kind of ego to his role, this is a credit to his longevity in the business (starting from his days on Recovery) Dylan just loves music and he's damn good at his job. Having Dylan on Video Hits only added to the existing rapport of the show, we all loved his intelligence, his unmatched music knowledge and his shared passion to create good music television. His interviews have a brilliant rhythm of framing the identity of the artist, their career, their passions, with enough information for any avid fan, or viewer being introduced to a particular artist for the first time. Dylan had a genuine interest for everyone with a spirited comedic flair and empathy. Yes, he's exactly the same off camera. I have no doubt this won't be last you will see him on television.

A heartfelt thank you too to all those in the industry directly and indirectly help shape the show in some way, all the record labels here and abroad, the indies, management companies, tour promoters, PR agencies in music and fashion, especially Paul Maloney and Under The Wing, the Australian Government (Youth Week), the charities, the advertisers. Closer to our team the other departments within Network Ten in Sydney and other cities thank you to Executive production, camera and sound, hair, makeup and wardrobe, publicity, marketing, travel, sales, promos, finance, HR, dispatch (Sydney Services), security, Corporate affairs, and for anyone I didn't mention, but you know we all say hi to each other in the hallways of Ten, thank you!

To Tim Clucas, David Mott, Grant Gillies and moreso Rachel Moor for being in control. Thank you for letting me have a shot at commercial television with VH. Thank you for letting me grow with the team and work on the craft of interviewing and researching, for allowing me to share ideas for the show, broadening my my interest in television production, for trusting me and letting me learn from my mistakes.

Aside from just creating shows to air each weekend, you Rachel, along with the wonderful attitude of the Network treated us all like human beings, you were so supportive of our personal lives. On a personal note, you protected my privacy and private life as much as you could from crazy people and gossip writers, let me back important charitable and social causes within the show and in my spare time, allowed me to appear on other Network programs and for the first twelve months of the show, you were supportive of me completing my University degrees by flying me to Melbourne each week so I could attend lectures and tutorials and then graduate.

For those who have sent messages of support, suggesting how horrible this situation is, I appreciate your words of kindness, it is sad for the show and the viewers, I'm not sad about this job that I love coming to an end. With my perspective, this is nothing compared to some of the stuff I have had to deal with in my personal life.

As for my future, I relish in the unknown, I appreciate the job offers that have already come my way, I have ideas as to where I want to continue to work, hopefully something more cerebral... Where i dont say 'dude' out of habit every few minutes, an Australian production or overseas, who knows?

I look forward to filming the final episodes with the team. I trust it will be a great production and I guess I will find out when I'm back at Network Ten on Monday. I also look forward to cooking a big feast for the crew as a small scale last hurrah to us being together under one roof. They are like family, I see them every day and our breakup is the only thing that will make me cry. In fact, I know I'll be a mess!

Thank you audience of Video Hits, old and new, those who watched intently and for those who had it on in the gym, in hospitals, in airports, or on in the house as 'background noise'. You are the very reason why this show existed, to share music, the great communicator. Love to our dear friends at Rage, "Rrrraaaaageee!!!", Channel V and MTV. Keep at it, you're the only hope of music tv continuing in this country. I wish you all the best.

Saturday 6th August 2011, the final Video Hits episode to air on Network Ten. Tune in party people and keep on rocking in the free world!

Love, Faustina Agolley... 'Fuzzy'

berlinchair101

berlinchair101 said on the 8th Jul, 2011

rodismdotcom

rodismdotcom said on the 8th Jul, 2011

I always got the impression that this show was subsidised by Record companies who paid Ch10 in order to get their artists "favourable" airing.

"Oh isn't it great that Jo-Beth Taylor's latest song debuted this week at #86 in the charts..."

With record companies struggling financially as never before is it purely coincidental that this show has been axed with "cost cutting measures" cited as the reason"?.

Seriously this show woulda cost bugger all to make. Maybe less than 30 mins out of what 2-3 hours a week of actual filmed footage?

rodismdotcom

rodismdotcom said on the 8th Jul, 2011

Oh and Fuzzy should be locked in as a regular on the Q and A panel so her future is assured...

daveyac8881

daveyac8881 said on the 8th Jul, 2011

A rare find in this industry, Dylan does not carry any kind of ego to his role, this is a credit to his longevity in the business (starting from his days on Recovery) Dylan just loves music and he's damn good at his job. Having Dylan on Video Hits only added to the existing rapport of the show, we all loved his intelligence, his unmatched music knowledge and his shared passion to create good music television. His interviews have a brilliant rhythm of framing the identity of the artist, their career, their passions, with enough information for any avid fan, or viewer being introduced to a particular artist for the first time. Dylan had a genuine interest for everyone with a spirited comedic flair and empathy. Yes, he's exactly the same off camera. I have no doubt this won't be last you will see him on television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpeaeKzHV6c

Is she kidding?

daveyac8881

daveyac8881 said on the 8th Jul, 2011

A rare find in this industry, Dylan does not carry any kind of ego to his role, this is a credit to his longevity in the business (starting from his days on Recovery) Dylan just loves music and he's damn good at his job. Having Dylan on Video Hits only added to the existing rapport of the show, we all loved his intelligence, his unmatched music knowledge and his shared passion to create good music television. His interviews have a brilliant rhythm of framing the identity of the artist, their career, their passions, with enough information for any avid fan, or viewer being introduced to a particular artist for the first time. Dylan had a genuine interest for everyone with a spirited comedic flair and empathy. Yes, he's exactly the same off camera. I have no doubt this won't be last you will see him on television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpeaeKzHV6c

Is she kidding?

RustyinBondi

RustyinBondi said on the 10th Jul, 2011

What do you mean used to!

grattan

grattan said on the 4th Sep, 2011

SBS to the rescue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00dwaYr4m-0

Piko

Piko said on the 4th Sep, 2011

Scarily I randomly caught some of that this morning Grattan. I have listened to some asian pop before and this was as bad as expected! Its no different to how the American and Australian pop music industries work really. But more songs about romance instead of booty. Guys singing about broken hearts just doesn't really do it for me.

batdan

batdan said on the 4th Sep, 2011

I saw it too! My daughter wasn't sure about it either.

Piko

Piko said on the 4th Sep, 2011

Unless its Gotye hehe

SlowerQuieter

SlowerQuieter said on the 4th Sep, 2011

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 4th Sep, 2011

J-pop/K-pop brings back weird high school memories that I'd rather be left in high school

batdan

batdan said on the 4th Sep, 2011

4evablues said on the 4th Sep, 2011

cmon...we have rage!!! cant compare the 2.....only time i watched video hits was when i was 12, taping alice cooper's poison on vhs. the lil teens are sad but this may get more people watching rage who promote good music!!