The Shire casting new locals who audiences won't hate

Viewers don't seem to like The Shire, and Network Ten isn't happy about it!

Over the weekend, a talent agency associated with the network was allegedly cold-calling residents of the Sutherland Shire to ask if they were interested in being featured in the show.

"After they told me who they were, I told them I wasn't the kind of person they were looking for," one phone call recipient exclusively tells The FIX.

"They said they had really bad reviews, and were looking to change their portrayal of The Shire."

And it's not hard to understand why — it had hadn't even taken 24 hours for the mayor of the Sutherland Shire, Carol Provan to disown and publically denounce the series, saying, "It made Being Lara Bingle look like Q&A."

What do you think? Will adding new characters save the show? Or have you already switched off?

UPDATE: Network Ten have responded with a statement: "We are not looking to cast new people. We are delighted with the eclectic mix and diversity of our current cast for The Shire."