"Seriously @ABCTV #nyeabc is the worst. You seriously suck. What did we do to deserve this? Oh I know. We stayed home #SydNYE," tweeted another person.
Ironically, the programme pretended it was being run by puppets from ABC's children's programmes and even showed the toys trying to deal with technical difficulties.
Celebrities - and some hard-to-place faces - appeared in an awkward montage wishing Australians a Happy New Year and plugging new programmes on the ABC this year.
"Have a good year and, and watch our show!" one ABC personality yelled out.
"ABC's NYE coverage is a who's who of celebrities... No, literally a who's who, no idea who any of them are," tweeted one viewer.
In the lead-up to the 9pm "family fireworks", the show's presenters, Eddie Perfect and Justine Clarke, led a search for the Playschool character Humpty Dumpty. The egg toy was eventually found on the top of the Opera House.
The stunt fell flat with many viewers.
"What a patronising, cringeworthy presentation for the 9pm fireworks. Just a bit embarrassed for Australia right now," tweeted one.
"And yet again the telecast of Sydney fireworks is totally lame and so badly scripted,' #cringe #abc #embarrassing," tweeted another.
"Every year it's the same excruciating, embarrassing fail," wrote a Facebook user.
Others were disappointed that a technical problem meant they not only couldn't get the ABC on their televisions, but they also couldn't live-stream the fireworks as promised.
- Daily Mail
