The Night Cap
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''The NightCap'' was an Australian
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...
broadcast on
7HD Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
. It was the first
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n television program to be produced exclusively for an
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multichannel. The show began broadcasting on 12 February 2008 and screened every Tuesday and Thursday night at 10.30pm. It was cancelled after the
Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
2008 television non-ratings period. According to producer Adam Boland, he NightCap was a late night panel show that would cover news in an 'unconventional' way.


The Panel

The show was hosted by ''
Seven News Seven News (stylised 7NEWS) is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia. National bulletins are presented from Seven's high definition studios in South Eveleigh, Sydney, while its flags ...
'' sports anchor Matt White alongside a panel that included former ''
Ten News 10 News First (set to rebrand as 10 News on 30 June 2025) is an Australian television newscast, produced by Network 10. The network's flagship news program airs at 5PM on weekday evenings covering local, national and world news, including sp ...
'' and ''
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'' host
Jessica Rowe Jessica June Rowe (born 22 June 1970) is an Australian former journalist, author and television presenter. She was the co-host of '' Studio 10'' on Network Ten until March 2018, and is Member of the Order of Australia for her mental health advo ...
, former ''
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
'' weather presenter
Monique Wright Monique Wright (born 18 May 1973) is an Australian journalist and television presenter. Wright is currently co-host of ''Weekend Sunrise''.
and
Triple M Triple M is an Australian commercial radio network owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo. The network consists of 45 radio stations with flagship stations broadcasting a mainstream/classic rock music format in Sydney, Melbourne, and B ...
radio host Paul Murray. The show was created by
Adam Boland Adam Boland (born 1977) is the managing director of the Australian production companyBohdee Media He was previously the executive producer of the Seven Network's breakfast show, ''Sunrise'', and created '' The Morning Show'' and ''Weekend Sunris ...
, who was an executive producer for ''
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
'' and '' The Morning Show'' on the
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
. Comparing him to American filmmaker Michael Moore, Boland described Paul Murray as a 'sharp tongue', 'right-viewed' shock jock. Unlike Paul, her views were passionately to the left in which she ' wears her heart on her sleeve'.
Monique Wright Monique Wright (born 18 May 1973) is an Australian journalist and television presenter. Wright is currently co-host of ''Weekend Sunrise''.
was the third panelists who was 'savvy' and 'super smart' who could talk about anything, making her invaluable on a panel. As his role as the moderator who would steer the conversation, Matt White was one of the 'slickest presenters' on television Boland believed. The final panelist was former ''Big Brother'' contestant Big Brother housemate Zach Douglas who was 'flamboyant', 'street smart', 'unpredictable' but still 'naïve'. Other than Adam Boland, the production team wasn't so supportive about Douglas' appointment with Rob McKnight telling Boland, "Sometimes you let your groin get in the way of your decisions.." and Zach was one of these 'groin decisions'. ''The NightCap'' would be aimed at a younger demographic and he felt Douglas could help get them traction.


The Debut

''The NightCap'' was a very cheap show to make and was produced by the Sunrise staff, 'for free'. As with ''The Morning Show'', Boland's mind was again caught in a 'spiral' on the eve of the debut. The classification for the show was unique in itself. American crooner, Beau, walked in the shot and put everybody on notice. His role was of that of Jono Coleman on ''Studio Ten''- the Voiceover guy with a difference. As the show was on 7HD, the ratings were never collected so no one really knows how this show rated. It was also broadcast live on Yahoo! The show took talk-back calls and rad out emails as they came in, and web-cams ere set up around the studio so the panel was viewed from several angles. It had different content and a very different style- Ten's ''The Project'' wasn't on air yet.


Ask Zach and Controversy

After the first week, two episodes, it was clear to Boland that Zach's contribution was limited and could only talk about fashion and gossip. Boland's attempts to give him a bigger role ''blew up in isface...'' . The new segment called 'Ask Zach', which obviously inspired ''Ask Ita'' on ''Studio 10'', allowed viewers to submit personal problems for Zach's honest. The first one was about sex, and he replied very controversially. Openly gay former Big Brother housemate Zach Douglas was reportedly removed from the original line up of
panelist {{Short pages monitor