Details Emerge On 'Countdown'-Inspired TV Show In The Works

Australia has sorely missed a quality music-focused TV show but that could be about to change with news that a new program, heavily inspired by iconic show Countdown, is now in the works. 

Sydney entrepreneur Ron Creevey is the man on a mission to make it happen and is reportedly in talks with a major TV network about bringing the show to life. 

Creevey, who also runs Kings Cross venue The X Studio, tells The Music that the idea was inspired by his belief of a "huge void" of music on TV.

"Our platform from day one has exclusive content on about 100 different artists," Creevey explains of his studio. 

"Within 90 days… it’ll reach up to 5000 artists. It’ll make it one of the largest music platforms in the world. From there… next year we should be doing at least I’d say 40-50 local bands and probably another… 15 international bands that’ll just come through the venue itself.

"We’ve got so much content running through the studio and we sit there and we watch TV… we just have this huge void now that exists when it comes to music."

Creevey envisions a 30-minute program that would feature live music and interviews, similar to Countdown which he admits he was a massive fan of growing up, as well as its host, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum.

"I'm a huge Molly Meldrum fan, always was," Creevey says.

"From my perspective now and knowing what I know and seeing what I’ve seen, I don’t understand that something that is so important in our society…why do we continually walk away from this?

"I have nothing against reality TV shows or anything like that. It’s entertaining and it’s great to watch but equally at the same time, when major bands come through town like they always have, I’d just love to see and hear more about them.

"With Molly Meldrum and Countdown and even going back to the really early days of music videos, it was really entertaining. Now I find most things these days are extremely repetitious."

Creevey says his idea for a music-focused program would not only give back to fans of music, the labels and artists, but it could also help promote live music venues around the country.

"I am not tied to bands having to play through the studio," he insists.

"If anything right now, I’m probably the biggest advocate of more live venues in Australia. The more live venues that want to put bands on in Australia, we'd love to be able to promote them."

While he could not give a time frame as to when his show could potentially launch, Creevy reveals that discussions have already advanced to casting a potential host. 

"It’s a big decision," he says.

"There’s a lot of smart people out there, but you need the charisma of Molly Meldrum.

"It wasn’t just the fact that Molly was, like, the Wikipedia of music, he equally had the ability to communicate with all types of bands on a level that I suppose most interviewers wouldn’t have gone near.

"If he didn’t believe in something he would put that forward. If he did believe in something he would put that forward.

"I can tell you there’s a tonne of inspiration taken from the way he was an interviewer…and I can tell you, there is going to be a new face when it comes to interviewing acts definitely out of Australia."

Creevey is also still working on releasing previously unheard tracks by late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, as well as a documentary on the singer over the coming months with partner and producer, Danny Saber.

The works are being released to honour the 20th anniversary of Hutchence's death next year and while he says that the documentary is "probably 70% done", Creevey and Saber are now working on 15 different Hutchence songs. 

"We’ve got to get it right," he says of both projects.

"We’ve got to do it in conjunction with the family, respectfully, the right music and the right time."