Plumbing the Australian zeitgeist

Australian audiences' tastes in lifestyle programming seem to change as often as the tide. At least that's what the feedback from AustraliaSCAN, a report that measures cultural shifts and social values in the country, would suggest. David Chalke, AustraliaSCAN director and social analyst, says that four or five years ago, the mood had changed from an external lifestyle focus to a 'home is the center of my universe' mentality. Then came a brief spurt of personal makeover programming, but the trend towards casualization put an early kibosh on that. The declining interest in personal looks and attire led to demonstrating who you are to the world through your home and car, says Chalke. Later came the redemption-type shows, such as The Biggest Loser, which rose in popularity as everyone started talking about the obesity and diabetes epidemics. While a couple of those shows stayed around, for the most part they drifted away, he notes.