Mon Apr 23

[SBS/7:30pm] Mythbusters - Exploding Lighter - Can a small, disposable butane lighter suddenly ignite with the force of several sticks of dynamite? The Mythbusters gang tries to set a lighter on fire by hitting it with a golf club and trying to light it with sparks from a welder.
[SBS/8:30pm] South Park - Go God Go - Cartman's plan to propel himself into the future goes horribly wrong.
[SBS/10:00pm] Wilfred - Dog Eat Dog - Sarah sees an 'old friend' on TV. Adam and Wilfred, being on each other's wavelength, crack jokes about this 'old friend'. Their mirth comes to a grinding halt when Keith turns up on the doorstep. Keith is a well known film star. Wilfred gives Adam a wry smile - "you got your work cut-out for you." At that moment, Keith introduces his dog, Cyros. Wilfred also has his work cut out for him. Guests: Damian Walshe-Howling, Angus Sampson.
[SBS/1:10am Tue] Queer As Folk - Melanie's ex-girlfriend turns up for the Pittsburgh annual Pride Parade. She wants Melanie to go with her as "Dikes on Bikes" but Lindsay tells her they're walking in the "Marriage Initiative". (From the US, in English) (Drama Series) (Rpt) MA (L,S,A) WS

[Seven/2:00pm] American Tragedy. PART 1. O.J. Simpson's 'trial of the century' is considered one of the most dramatic cases in American history - an epic that took place before the eyes of a fascinated and shocked audience worldwide. Not only was the outcome of the case controversial, but the events that led to the judgment hold their own sordid tale. Starring CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, VING RHAMES, RON SILVER, BRUNO KRIBY, RICHARD COX, DIANA LAMAR and RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON.
[Seven/7:30pm] The Rich List.
[Seven/8:30pm] Desperate Housewives. NO FITS, NO FIGHTS, NO FEUDS. Gaby accuses Carlos of sabotaging her new relationship. Tom and Lynette try to make Kayla feel like part of the family. Susan visits Mike in jail to tell him how she can help. The residents of Wisteria Lane are shocked by Bree's dinner guest. Guest starring MARK DEKLIN and DIXIE CARTER.
[Seven/9:30pm] Brothers and Sisters. FAMILY DAY. The Walker family airs its dirty laundry in Justin's rehab group therapy session. Kitty considers a tantalizing proposition from Senator McCallister. Guest starring ROB LOWE.
[Seven/10:30pm] Boston Legal. THE NUTCRACKER. Alan defends a mother fighting for custody of her preteen daughters, who happen to be white supremacist singers. Brad and Denise try to persuade a new client against suing God for the death of her husband by lightning, and Denny tries his first major case in a while when he helps a waitress try to regain custody of her anorexic child.
[Seven/11:30pm] Scrubs.
[Seven/12:00am Tue] Last Comic Standing.

[Nine/7:00pm] Temptation. Battle of the Footy Codes.
[Nine/7:30pm] What’s Good For You. Road tests 3 non-surgical facelifts.
[Nine/8:30pm] 1 vs 100
[Nine/9:35pm] CSI NY. “Hung out to Dry.” Guest: Edward Furlong.

[Ten/7:00pm] Big Brother
[Ten/8:30pm] Supernatural. "Nightshifter"
[Ten/11:15pm] Big Brother Up-Late. Hosted by Mike Goldman.
[Ten/1:15am Tue] The Late Show With David Letterman

[ABC/8:00pm] Australian Story
[ABC/8:30pm] Four Corners
[ABC/9:20pm] Media Watch
[ABC/9:35pm] Difference Of Opinion. Jeff McMullen hosts a lively discussion with a panel of influential thinkers debating the bright ideas and bold solutions to the big issues confronting Australia.
[ABC/12:20am Tue] Bad Cop Bad Cop : The Loaded Dog. In suburban Sydney, the cops are the fat blue line. The face of modern policing, they keep the peace on the streets and a piece for themselves. Comedy series from Blue Murder writer Ian David. CAST: Michael Caton, Daniel Wyllie. Rpt.

[Showtime/8:30pm] Brotherhood
[Ovation/8:30pm] Cat Stevens: Majikat
[Ovation/9:30pm] Bee Gees Story Read more...

First Review: Big Brother 7

Last year Big Brother made news for all the wrong reasons, none of which need going over here.

As interest groups, christians, talkback radio and parliamentarians debated the merits (or lack thereof) of the show, TEN was sent back to the drawing board to balance societal concerns and justify the show's role on our screens.

Tonight we had our first look at what they came up with.

At first glance, they didn't seem to do much tweaking. No, this Big Brother looks to be starting out just like every other.

Whoever is in charge of casting has sent in a bunch of busty, muscly, blonde, twenty-somethings who pretty much all seem split from the same cell. Where is the diversity? In age, ethnicity, class, religion and sexuality there is little to discern one from the other.

It's as if Channel Ten pulled them out of a focus-group for Neighbours.

I only saw one who isn't apparently whitebread, and one who is proudly Mormon.

Here was an opportunity to change the perception of partying singles and middle-class bogans. TEN will no doubt defend that the group is peopled by lawyers, rural folk, a young Liberal, tertiary graduates and that we have yet to see their complex characteristics. But what if the lawyers behave as bad (or worse) than an uneducated party-boy? Do we get the society we deserve?

I can't help but think that TEN's only response to the fracas of 2006 was to pull Big Brother Adults Only and throw in a young Liberal in the hope that he behaves worst of all.

There is, albeit, further diversity amongst the six potential housemates that viewers will vote in: one Muslim, and one guy from PNG (if you're going to waste 55c have a think about adding these two). I hear whispers one of those guys may be gay. The fact that BB didn't put them in the house only underlines a missed opportunity. In the UK we have seen wildly diverse casting that reinvents the format.

In other changes to the show, the environmental-friendly house is a nice touch, as was allowing the girls to watch the guys enter. In the eviction arena life seemed as identical to BB06 right down to the untouched theme tune and credits. At least we have the astute, personable and experience of Gretel Killeen at the helm.

BB has made noisy claims that there is no cash prize. But at every turn he is selective about his wording: "as we launch Big Brother there is no cash prize" or "today, there is no cash prize." Just as the word "live" was deceptively used for its pre-recorded and edited show, so too is BB not to be trusted on this one. Expect ongoing opportunities for the housemates to "earn" their kitty vis an array of activities.

BB is still big business, and one of TEN's most durable formats. But early indications suggest that TEN has opted for the mantra that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Last year, however, many were sending TEN signals that it already had. Time will tell.

We'll be watching.... Read more...

Fugly nominations closing

Just a reminder that nominations for the Fugly Awards are closing shortly.

You can nominate in any or all of the categories at www.fugly.com.au

Thereafter a shortlist of ten nominees will be open for wider voting on Wednesday April 25.

Television's alternative winners are announced on Friday May 4.
Read more...

BB's frathouse

At 32, "Travis" is the eldest housemate currently in the new Big Brother house.

From Victoria, Travis, is a truck driver who loves "The Castle" and can't wait to fire up the barbie.

Great....

With 11 other housemates all aged in their twenties it doesn't look like the make-up of youthful Aussies is about to change this year. I suppose if none are in their late-teens then technically it is an "older" group than last year. But that's a moot point.

The names and photos of the housemates were first leaked on the Behind Big Brother Australia website, but have now been plugged via Sunday newspapers.

They include a former bodybuilder, karaoke host, opera singer, hairdresser, underwear model, lawyer and a mormon. One is the son of a Liberal MP -a nice response to the governmental anger of 2006.

Others will enter the house via public vote.

Behind Big Brother Australia
Source: Herald-Sun
Big Brother Watch Read more...

Resume battlestations. Seven wins.

In the first ratings week since the Easter break, everything old is new again.

There is no change in the heirarchy and no significant shifts in the differences between the networks, with Seven winning a 28.8% share to Nine's 27.2%, Ten's 23.1%, ABC's 15.7% and SBS' 5.2%.

While the gap between Seven and Nine was narrower than the last official ratings week (Week 13: 31.1% / 25.6%) that was a week sunk by the FINA Swimming. The other notable result this week was the lift by Network TEN, which had its best weekly result all year.

Top show for the week was Dancing with the Stars which at 1.95m had its biggest audience this year. Seven's Tuesday share over the opposition (37.3% to 23.1%) was staggering. Yet the strength of Seven News continues to consolidate the network's position, as the top show of the night on Monday, Wed, Thu, Fri and Saturday. Only TEN's Biggest Loser stops a dream run on most nights. The weight loss show caused Seven to fight for the same demographic on its "Beautiful Sunday" making it anything other than pretty. Ugly Betty landed fourth behind the ABC. Other top shows for Seven were All Saints, Today Tonight, Desperate Housewives, The Rich List, Better Homes and Gardens, Australia's Got Talent and My Name is Earl.

Nine will be pleased to see its trusty Sunday schedule return to favour with CSI, 60 Minutes, Sunday News and CSI Miami all beating the opposition. Skewed to male and older viewers, the shows skated across divided Seven and TEN viewers. On Tuesday Nine was so far behind Seven it hardly seemed to be trying. Elsewhere, McLeod's Daughters and Missing Persons Unit did ok.

TEN, which boasted its "best Sunday / Monday" performances actually got its best result on Thursday. Interest in The Biggest Loser (1.3m) concluding is causing headaches for Seven and Nine. House, Rove and Bondi Loser were its other winners. The coming week is the equivalent week that TEN famously won last year. Can they do it again?

The ABC continues to boom with The Chaser and Spicks and Specks but it was actually the premiere of Robin Hood (1.3m) that took everybody by surprise. There are decent performances on Sunday, Wed, Fri and Saturday. Newcomer The Sideshow earned a humble 648,000, and will clearly seek to trade off word-of-mouth.

Saturday was the best night for SBS, followed by Monday.

Ratings Week 16.

Kindly credit this website when posting in messageboards, thanks! Read more...

Rachel coming home

The wonderful Rachel Griffiths has been confirmed as a Guest Presenter at the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards.

Griffiths, who is Melbourne-bred, will be home to present the awards for Most Outstanding Actor and Actress on May 6.

Currently appearing in Brothers and Sisters for Seven, Griffiths' addition so far continues the night looking less and less like a Nine affair.

Aside from the Red Carpet hosts, not one Nine personality has been announced.

But don't expect it to stay that way.

If the organisers can confirm the cast of the Fantastic Four sequel to appear (currently in advance negotiations) then perhaps Nine will rush Nip / Tuck back to screen. Aussie Julian MacMahon appears in both.

Source.

Logie watch. Read more...