Nine pulls SHARK! from Perth schedule amid sensitivities following fatal shark attack
Nine has made a late programming change to its new celebrity reality series SHARK!, pulling the program from its Perth schedule just days before its planned debut in Western Australia.
The network had been due to launch the high profile series nationally this Sunday, May 31, however viewers in Perth will no longer see the opening episodes this Sunday or Monday night, despite the show remaining locked into schedules across the rest of the country.
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Instead, Nine Perth will air 60 Minutes at 7.00pm on Sunday night, followed by a replay of Live Aid: When Rock & Roll Took On the World. On Monday evening, Perth audiences will instead receive a replay episode of Travel Guides.
While Nine is yet to officially confirm the reason behind the sudden programming change, TV Blackbox understands the decision was made due to sensitivities surrounding the recent fatal shark attack in Western Australia.
The move comes just two weeks after a 38-year-old man was killed in a shark attack near Rottnest Island, north-west of Perth.
According to police, the man was bitten shortly before 10am on Saturday, May 17, at Horseshoe Reef. Authorities later confirmed he could not be revived despite emergency efforts at Geordie Bay jetty. The man died a week later, with his parents saying in a joint statement they were “heartbroken”.
The tragedy marked Western Australia’s first fatal shark attack since March last year.
The timing of the fatal attack has placed additional scrutiny on SHARK!. According to the network, the format was designed to challenge misconceptions about sharks while pushing participants to their mental and physical limits through increasingly dangerous encounters.
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However, the opening episode also contains a particularly confronting sequence likely to raise concerns in the wake of the recent fatality.
In one scene, a human shaped dummy is thrown into a shark enclosure before being violently torn apart by the animals within seconds. The staged sequence depicts the dummy being “fatally” mauled as fake blood spreads through the water during the simulated attack.
The graphic imagery forms part of the program’s early attempts to establish the danger posed by sharks before the celebrity contestants begin their own underwater experiences.
Filmed in Bimini in the Bahamas, the series features a lineup of well known Australians taking part in escalating underwater challenges involving bull sharks, hammerheads and tiger sharks.
Among the celebrities appearing in the series are Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus, The Block host Scott Cam, former Home & Away actor Lynne McGranger, influencer Tammy Hembrow, former NRL player Sam Thaiday and actor Matt Nable.
The celebrities are guided through the experience by Australian shark attack survivor and former Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder alongside shark researcher and photographer Annie Guttridge.
The series itself represents a significant programming gamble for the network. First announced during Nine’s upfront presentations last year, the Australian adaptation is based on the British format Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, which aired on ITV before later being cancelled after one season.
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Produced by ITV Studios Australia for the Nine Network, the series had been handed a major Sunday night timeslot nationally as the network attempted to position the format against established competition including 10’s MasterChef Australia.
Despite the Perth removal, the series currently remains scheduled in all other Australian markets.
Nine has been contacted for comment regarding the Perth programming decision.
You can read this author’s full review of Shark! here.
SHARK! remains scheduled to premiere Sunday, May 31 at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now in all markets except Perth.
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