Seven's Election Night: still done right?

With news that bogus Islamic flyers have been distributed by the husband of retiring Liberal member Jackie Kelly in the seat of Lindsay, she was forced to feebly defend the blunder as something of a gag.

"My view is that it is a bit of a Chaser-style prank," she said on ABC radio today.

Hardly.

So while the parties brawl over the rights and wrongs, media attention should now turn to the Seven Network, which has Kelly as a commentator in their coverage this Saturday night.

"Election Night Done Right" is the slogan Seven has run with.

Seven says of Kelly, "In May, she announced that following this federal election, she will quit politics to spend more time with her family. John Howard couldn't convince her to stay - but Seven has managed to lure Jackie Kelly onto the commentary team for election night." Lucky Seven.

Today in this online blog a story detailing the bogus flyer on Seven's own website, conveniently buries any mention of Kelly deep in the bowels of the article. You'd swear the network is distancing itself from her already. It doesn't even mention the small detail that her husband Gary Clark was one of those responsible, merely that she said, "I think its intent is to be a send-up, but it obviously hasn't worked."

Nine was quick to jump on the Kelly-bashing bandwagon today. She appeared on the Today Show getting a suitably-cynical response from host Karl Stefanovic. And A Current Affair didn't waste any time trawling over the affair either. Given her Seven role it's in Nine's interests to throw the mud in the lead up to the stoush that's to follow Saturday evening. Of course, it neglected to mention Kelly had been a participant in its own Dancing on Ice last year.

Nevertheless, while Seven keeps Kelly on the commentating bench this weekend, it's Your Call:07 is starting to look like the one on thin ice.

Sources: The Australian, ABC Radio, Seven Network
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Survey says.... Power of Ten auditions

Channel Nine has started the audition process for a mysterious "high-stakes, adrenaline-filled game show."

Except it's not that much of a mystery when you read the details about how the show works. It's The Power of Ten.

The show is a variation on the basic premise of Family Feud and The Rich List -guessing the results of surveys.

As Nine's website says, "Contestants will be tested to see if they have their finger on the pulse of the people and can accurately predict the results of our Nationwide Surveys. With only five questions to answer, the contestant who has the best take on the Australian mindset could walk away with a million dollar payday!"

The two stage audition process starts with a preliminary online quiz, and it's time-dependent. You only have 30 seconds to choose each of ten questions (in the on-air version you have 10 secs). If you move to the second stage Nine will let you know. As usual entrants must be Aussie residents 18yo or over.

The US version of the show is hosted by Drew Carey. Twelve eps have aired so far on CBS. The local production to air in 2008 will be the first version outside the US.
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ABC to build new Brissy HQ

The ABC will build new Brisbane headquarters in Newstead, set to open in 2010.

ABC managing director Mark Scott confirmed the announcement, following its previous site in Toowong being at the centre of a cancer scare late last year.

ABC staff were moved to Ten Network studios on Mount Coot-tha, and nine other locations around Brisbane.

The new headquarters will be on the corner of Breakfast Creek Road and Durong Street in Newstead.

"I would like to thank all ABC staff for their hard work since the relocation from Toowong almost 12 months ago," said Scott.

"Working in these challenging circumstances has not been easy and I acknowledge their professionalism and commitment to the ABC."

Source: Yahoo Read more...

More local fare coming to Subscription TV

The Comedy Channel is to develop two projects that were pitched at the recent Screen Producers Conference.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better is the working title of a comedy series that follows the writers, actors, producers and network executives involved in the painful birth of the first season of a sketch show.

The pitch by comedy writers Sean Condon and Rob Hibbert (great title, guys!) won the $25,000 development money from the Foxtel initiative Comedy Gold.

It has also granted funding to the runner-up, Jason Gann (Wilfred, The Wedge) for Jason and The Residents. A comedy that follows the rites of passage of a budding rock star as he fulfils his work-for-dole obligations at an aged-care facility. Sounds like a hoot!

Gann is also developing scripts for a potential second season of Wilfred.

Meanwhile Nickelodeon has approved $25,000 to writer Robert Greenberg (Dogstar, Round the Twist, Rock It!) to develop Bridget Goddess. He described the animated series thus: "Bridget knows she's an ancient Egyptian Goddess but convincing the rest of the world that she's more than a dung beetle is her big problem. Thy kingdom come thy will be dung."

Press Release:
A comedy set behind the scenes of a television sketch show is being developed by THE COMEDY CHANNEL after its creators fought off stiff competition to win a $25,000 development grant.

The series, which has a working title I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better, follows the writers, actors, producers and network executives involved in the painful birth of the first season of a sketch show, deconstructed and explored as never before.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better was created by comedy writers Sean Condon and Rob Hibbert, who will now develop their concept for THE COMEDY CHANNEL.

Announcing the winner at the SPAA Conference, FOXTEL’S Director of Television and Marketing, Brian Walsh said he was delighted to be able to support Australian comedy in such a practical way.

“THE COMEDY CHANNEL is Australia ’s only 24-hour channel dedicated to comedy, bringing you the best comedy from Australia and around the world,” Mr Walsh said. “We are thrilled to support this innovative, local comedy.”

THE COMEDY CHANNEL, which is owned and operated by FOXTEL, launched its Comedy Gold initiative as part of this year’s SPAA Conference, inviting writers, performers and producers to submit a concept of up to three-pages in length and visual materials of up to three minutes.

The winner receives $25,000 to develop their concept.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better was chosen from six finalists, judged by Mr Walsh, comedian Julia Morris and FOXTEL’S Head of Entertainment, Graham Burrells.

THE COMEDY CHANNEL has also granted the runner-up, Jason Gann funding to develop the pilot comedy series, Jason and The Residents. A comedy that follows the rites of passage of a budding rock star as he fulfils his work-for-dole obligations at an aged-care facility.

The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) Conference is the premiere business and networking event for film, television and new media producers. Read more...

First Review: Rampant

The theme for the 1983 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade was ‘On our way to Freedom’. Two years later it was ‘Fighting for our Lives’. The HIV virus was here.

The press release for Rampant: How a City Stopped a Plague boldly promises the story of how “poofters, junkies and whores contained the AIDS virus.” Twenty years ago we probably would have baulked at such terminology, but aside from the unfortunate play on words with “contained,” I like the fact this doco speaks my language.

If Oxford Street was the theatre of war, then St Vincent’s Hospital and the Taylor Square Clinic were arguably its frontlines. As Dr. Helen McCabe and Basil Donovan tell us, and as if we needed reminding, these were desperate times. But it was hardly an ideal time for Neal Blewett either, educated on ‘GRIDS’ the day after he was installed as Federal Health Minister in the 1983 Hawke Government.

Blewett, who admits to earlier homosexual experiences in his uni days, was determined to forge an inclusive, national response to the virus. Supported by his openly gay senior advisor, Bill Bowtell, Blewett sought the support of both the opposition and the gay community. As the Reagan administration fiddled Nero-like, Blewett encouraged advertising campaigns promoting safe sex. Here were government-sanctioned posters of naked men actually enjoying condoms.

Ita Buttrose, editor of the Daily Telegraph, was drafted to head up the National Advisory Committee on AIDS. She became our Liz Taylor, a woman who championed safe sex, who didn’t shy from a fight and who, contentiously, sold a message to the masses with the divisive ‘Grim Reaper’ campaign.

Meanwhile, illegal brothels were engaged in political dialogue. Needle exchange programs were initiated with IV drug users. The end result of this mammoth, uncharted medical campaign was that ‘society’s lowlife’ were indeed forging a war that has since won international admiration.

With recollections of Bobby Goldsmith, haemophiliac advocates and key interviewees including Professors Ron Penny and David Pennington, ACON’s Bill Whittaker, DJ Stephen Allkins (and yes, even Fred Nile) this is a virtuous archival documentary. It doesn’t tell us enough about how gay men were ignored by bureaucrats while their lovers died. Its victories will be small comfort for those who remember shame, fury, violence and death.

But as this response to a living virus continues with every passing day, it is worth acknowledging some of our achievements, too.

Rampant: How a City Stopped a Plague airs 8:30pm Monday Dec 3 on ABC.

Saturday December 1 is World AIDS Day. Read more...

Nine goes to the movies

The first week of summer programming is now locked in for the Nine Network.

Most of the news has already been published here before: The Big Bang Theory and the return of Waking the Dead, Extreme Makeover, Survivor, New Adventures of Old Christine, Men in Trees and King of Queens.

On most nights of the week Channel Nine will air a movie, although oddly, not in the sentimental Sunday night 8:30 slot.

Nine also has a delayed telecast of the 2007 AFI Awards on Thursday December 6 from 9:30pm. Hosted by Geoffrey Rush presenters will include Deborra-Lee Furness, Lisa McCune, Alan Dale and Antony LaPaglia. Sophie Monk will host a red carpet package.

SUN Dec 2
6.30 Christmas with AWW
7.00 Singing Bee final
7.30 Extreme Makeover
8.30 Waking the Dead
10.30 Movie: The Pledge

MON
7.00 King of Queens
7.30 The Big Bang Theory
8.00 New Adventures of Old Christine
8.30 Cold Case rpt
9.30 The Closer
10.30 Weeds
11.05 Girls of the Playboy Mansion
11:30 Nightline

TUE
7.00 King of Queens
7.30 20 to 1 rpt
8.30 Movie: Ocean's Eleven
11.00 Comedy Inc

WED
7.00 King of Queens
7:30 Men in Trees
8:30 Movie: Big Momma's House
10:30 Comedy Inc
11:30 Nightline

THU
7.00 King of Queens
7.30 Getaway rpt
8.30 Mystery Diagnosis special
9:30 2007 AFI Awards
11.30 Nightline

FRI
7.00 King of Queens
7.30 Airline
8.00 All I Want for Christmas special
8.30 Movie: Final Analysis
11.00 Nightline
11.30 Life of Grime - Edinburgh

SAT
6.30 AFHV rpt
7.30 Survivor: China (2 hrs)
9.30 Movie: A Man's Gotta Do
11.30 Penn & Teller: BS Read more...

30 Rock becomes 10:30 Rock for Seven

The first week of Seven's summer programming is now in (well it was in some time ago but those pesky Seven embargoes prevent TV Tonight from telling you any earlier).

One of the exciting new shows 30 Rock only gets a 10:30pm timeslot, obviously viewed as having the same cult audience as shows like Arrested Development. It airs twice weekly, Mondays and Wednesdays.

Shark is also back twice weekly, 8:30pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A new series of The Amazing Race premieres Thursday Dec 6 at 7:30pm. But this is the "skipped" series, meaning anyone who has seen the All-Stars series (#11) will be familiar with two teams that obviously didn't win -an unfortunate outcome from Seven's poor programming. New Bones returns 9pm, likely to shift to 8:30 or 9:30pm the week after. New American Dad follows at 10pm.

New eps of That 70s Show screen 7pm weeknights. The Royal airs 7:30pm Saturdays. There is also new Simple Life eps twice weekly and Six Degrees on Tuesday nights.

Ghost Whisperer and Boston Legal repeats have a new night, with an improved time for the latter. Grey's Anatomy repeats Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:30pm

Seven's plans to air new eps of Prison Break were thwarted by the Writers' Strike.

SUN Dec 2
6:30 Wild Vets
7:00 Whacked Out Sports
7:30 Ghost Whisperer Rpt.
8.30 Movie: Miracle
11.30 Movie: Big Trouble in Little China

MON
7:00 That 70's Show
7:30 Borderline
8:00 Surf Patrol
8:30 Criminal Minds Rpt
9:30 Grey's Anatomy Rpt
10:30 30 Rock
11:00 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
11:30 The Simple Life

TUE
7:00 That 70's Show
7:30 Sunrise presents: Your Song
8:30 Shark
9:30 Grey's Anatomy Rpt UPDATED
10:30 Six Degrees
11:30 Medical Incredible

WED
7:00 That 70's Show
7:30 Air Crash Investigations
8:30 A Touch of Frost Rpt. UPDATED!
10:30 30 Rock
11:00 Man's Work
11:30 The Simple Life

THU
7:00 That 70's Show
7:30 The Amazing Race
9:00 Bones
10:00 American Dad
10:30 Famous presents Hollywood Uncensored
11:00 Beauty and the Geek

FRI
7:00 That 70's Show
7:30 Better Homes and Gardens Rpt
8:30 Movie: Cold Mountain
11:35 Movie: Fierce Creatures

SAT
7:30 The Royal
8:30 Comedy Classics for Comic Relief
11:35 Movie: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Official: Seven summer line-up Read more...

Iconic TEN studios to go

It was once the famed Wentworth Detention Centre of Prisoner, but the Nunawading studios of Global Television is to be sold reports the Herald-Sun.

Principally the home of Channel TEN's Melbourne base it has also housed Neighbours, Rove, Thank God You're Here, Carson's Law, Perfect Match, The Comedy Company, The Price is Right, The Box, Young Talent Time, Breakfast a Go Go, Matlock Police, Eyewitness News and The Early Bird Show.

It has been home to everyone from Jana Wendt to Deadly Earnest to Marty the Monster.

Global is looking to sell the site for housing, believed to be worth about $25m. Neighbours will be forced to relocate to inner-city studios. This would create production headaches in lost travel time for cast and crew working at the nearby Pin Oak Court houses in Vermont. But the biggest, direct threat for the show comes from potentially losing the exterior 'Lassiters" sets, originally built for Holiday Island. TEN claims to have a secure contract until 2010.

Originally known as ATV-O it was the only purpose-built television studio in Melbourne until Seven's new docklands precinct. It began transmission in 1964. TEN moved its smaller productions to its Como Studios in 1992 leasing the site for Neighbours and Rove (which moved to its new South Melbourne home in 2007).

It was also the first home of FOX FM.

Source: Herald-Sun
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