Airdate: Elephant: Spy in the Herd

As previously reported, the success of David Attenborough is proving so popular for Nine that it is following Tiger: Spy in the Jungle with three more specials featuring lions, elephants and bears.

In fact, the ratings for this nature series have been so strong (this week getting 1.54m viewers) that Nine doesn't mind the fact that the next batch have actually screened in Australia before.

Lion: Spy in the Den aired on the ABC in 2001. Elephant: Spy in the Herd followed in 2005 and Bear: Spy in the Woods was on the Animal Planet channel as recently as April.

Still, Attenborough and his sage-like narration make for easy entertainment that is clearly working -including giving Sea Patrol a strong lead in.

Attenborough has also made two "spy" series on Wildebeests.

Press Release:

Following on from the success of TIGER – SPY IN THE JUNGLE, Channel Nine presents the next three instalments from wildlife master David Attenborough: LION – SPY IN THE DEN, ELEPHANT – SPY IN THE HERD and BEAR – SPY IN THE WOODS, commencing Monday, June 9 at 7.30pm.

LION – SPY IN THE DEN is an intimate portrait of what it’s really like to be a lion growing up to be king of the African plains. Filmed right under the lion’s nose, it features a state-of-the-art mini camera with surround sound hidden on an ingenious buggy disguised as a boulder. Producer John Downer says: “It gets so close that you can hear the cubs breathe as their whiskers brush against the lens.”

Over two years, Attenborough’s team watched lions for 3000 hours to produce this film which takes a fascinating lion’s view on life. “Bouldercam”, another of the special wildlife “spy” cameras, survives being sat on by an over-amorous male and chewed on by cubs, and becomes accepted as part of the pride.

The documentary shows cocky cubs taking on an angry hippo and being kept in a crèche where their mothers share suckling duties and dish out strict discipline. Comparisons can be made with domestic cats and lions as viewers watch the cubs getting stuck up trees, eating grass and generally causing mayhem.

ELEPHANT – SPY IN THE HERD is an equally engaging wildlife documentary and the most intimate portrayal ever of life in an elephant herd as it follows a family for more than a year.

A new range of “spy cams” were created especially for ELEPHANT – SPY IN THE HERD. Cameras were disguised as elephant dung in three different versions: “dungcam”, based on a pile of dung which can crawl around on hidden wheels; “poopcam”, a larger and faster version that can race towards the action; and “plopcam”, based on a single dollop of dung that is indistinguishable from the real thing. The intimacy of the dungcam images reveals the subtleties of elephant life in a way that has never been seen before and shows how these mighty animals share many human qualities.

The final part of the trilogy is BEAR – SPY IN THE WOODS which takes viewers within a paw’s swipe of the bear world and reveals the most ambitious deployment of the roving spy cameras.

Multiple camouflaged cameras unravel the lives of bears. Cameras plunge into the water as bears dive for salmon, swim with polar bears between ice floes, and follow the antics of cute cubs known as spectacled bears, which are the only bears to inhabit South America as well as being the inspiration for Paddington Bear.

One of the most astonishing devices in this whole arsenal of roving cameras is the “magi-cam”. Taking lessons from the world of magic, this camera uses a caterpillar-tracked device and, with the use of mirrors, effectively vanishes into the bears’ environment, making it all but invisible to the animals being spied on.

BEAR – SPY IN THE WOODS also tracks the giant panda in the wild, penetrating the bamboo curtain to gain an astonishing glimpse into the private lives of pandas – even capturing them doing handstands, and unravelling the mystery of the panda’s relationship with other bears. Throughout, this intimate bear portrait will make you feel as if you are right behind the lens.

LION – SPY IN THE DEN: 7.30pm Monday, June 9
ELEPHANT – SPY IN THE HERD: 7.30pm Monday, June 16
BEAR – SPY IN THE WOODS: 7.30pm Monday, June 23

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The HD loophole

UPDATED 4/6: TEN now apologises for an error in its amendments. Both SD and HD will be 2:30pm in Melbourne market.

If you're a Melbourne viewer of AFL then make sure that for next Monday's public holiday match you are watching TEN HD and not the standard definition channel.

Why? Because HD will be live, SD is delayed.

Next Monday, June 9 the Collingwood vs Melbourne match starts at 2pm live on the SD channel everywhere except Melbourne. This is a regular move designed to encourage ticket sales in the game's city of origin.

But the sport also screens on the HD channel. Therefore, it will screen live at 2pm, including in Melbourne. Talk about a loophole....

In Melbourne the SD channel will delay the game to 2:30pm, following an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.

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Push to curb Pay-TV gambling

Opposition communications spokesperson Bruce Billson has introduced a private member's bill to stop interactive gambling through pay-TV.

In February Two-Way TV, Tabcorp and Foxtel announced interactive gambling for Victorians via its Sky Racing channel.

Billson said he was concerned about the despair, economic and emotional hardship caused by problem gambling.

"Pay-TV gambling has commenced in Victoria with racing and many suspect it is just a matter of time before pressure mounts to extend it to betting on football codes, other sports and even in virtual casinos across the country," he said.

"This private member's bill was motivated by the failure of the Rudd Labor Government to act to stop an insidious new form of pay-TV gambling.

"It seeks to prohibit the roll-out of new gambling technology in the form of subscription television based interactive gambling (and) rejects the suggestion by proponents and gambling revenue-addicted state Labor governments that this new form of gambling is no big deal and is simply an extension of telephone and internet betting."

Two Way's interactive gambling is only available to Tabcorp wagering account holders requiring PIN access.

"(It) meets the appropriate security and integrity requirements, offers extended responsible gambling messaging and provides safeguarding of the service from possible use by minors," a spokeswoman for Victorian Gaming Minister Tony Robinson has previously said.

Source: The Australian Read more...

Practice to make perfect spin-off

Seven is now teasing media with the forthcoming Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice.

The series stars Kate Walsh as 'Dr Addison Montgomery' at the Oceanside Wellness Centre in California. It also features Tim Daly, Audra McDonald, Paul Adelstein, KaDee Strickland, Chris Lowell, and Taye Diggs.

While Seven is yet to confirm a date and time, it is widely tipped to move into the Grey's timeslot which should end at 8:30pm Sunday June 22. Brothers and Sisters concludes a week earlier, meaning Seven could premiere Practice the same night that Grey's ends at 9:30pm.

The series, created by Grey's Shonda Rhimes was interrupted by the writers' strike, with only 9 eps completed. It has been renewed for a second season in the US Fall. Seven will no doubt be hoping that the Olympics buys them enough time to fasttrack out of the first series into the second.

Press Release:

In PRIVATE PRACTICE, the much loved foil to hospital drama’s hottest hunks leaves Seattle Grace for the sunny surrounds of Los Angeles, California. The much-talked about new US series lands on Seven this month.

Addison rejoins forces with her med-school mates, now stars in their respective fields, at the Oceanside Wellness Centre. There she looks to settle down and leave her ill-feted loves behind.

But what she finds is a whole new world of trouble, tension and fun in this sexy drama-comedy. Kate Walsh is a cut above as Addison, the obstetrics and gynaecological specialist who went from “Satan” (so said her ex-husband Dr Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd) to a loveable leading lady.

“Kate Walsh was the break-out star in early seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and Addison is easily one of Australian audiences’ favourite characters,” says Seven’s Director of Programming, Tim Worner.

“PRIVATE PRACTICE is her time to shine and with an impressive cast around her she does exactly that.”

Grey’s creator Shonda Rhimes clearly agreed when she singled out Addison as the character compelling enough to carry her own series. After interruptions courtesy of the writer’s strike, Private Practice has already been renewed for a second season.

See what has got people talking in the US when PRIVATE PRACTICE joins Seven’s line-up of hit US series this month. Read more...

Kelsey Grammer suffers minor heart attack

Kelsey Grammer is recovering in a Hawaii hospital after a mild heart attack on the weekend.

Spokesperson Stan Rosenfield says Grammer is "resting comfortably" in an undisclosed hospital after being stricken on Saturday. He says the 53-year-old actor will be released early this week.

Rosenfield says Grammer, the star of Cheers, Frasier and the recently cancelled sitcom Back to You, was paddle-boarding with his wife, Camille, when he experienced symptoms.

The couple lives in Kona, on Hawaii's big island.

Rosenfield says Grammer was immediately taken to an area hospital where it was determined that he had suffered a "mild heart attack."

The spokesman says he is unaware of any history of heart trouble for Grammer.

He most recently signed for a single-camera comedy pilot, Roman Empire.

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Airdate: Crime Investigation Australia

The next instalment in the compelling Crime Investigation Australia series will look at the story of Sef Gonzales, a Sydney man who cruelly murdered his family in 2001 and spent twelve months playing the role of grieving family member.

Gonzales killed his three family members one by one then sprayed graffiti in the house, called the police and spun lies that he had interrupted intruders.

In this world premiere, CIA will include interviews with Gonzales' aunt and grandmother and never before seen police footage including his final arrest.

It airs Thursday, June 26 at 7:30pm on the C&I Channel.

Press Release:

FOXTEL’s popular crime series, Crime Investigation Australia, will explore one of Australia’s most chilling and cold-blooded family murders in the world premiere of CIA: The Gonzales Family Murders, airing on Thursday, June 26 at 7:30pm AEST.

Hosted by Steve Liebmann, this astonishing episode looks back at how Sef Gonzales, a young Sydney man from a privileged upbringing, managed to stab his entire family to death and then for nearly a year, live the life of the grieving son before finally being convicted of the three murders.

The episode features detailed re-enactments, vivid photos from the crime scene and interviews with key figures from the case including the investigating police. The special also includes intimate interviews with Sef’s aunt and grandmother as well as never before seen police footage including Sef’s final arrest.

Sef Gonzales was the apple of his parents’ eyes. He lived a privileged life with his family in a beautiful, two storey home in the north-western Sydney suburb of North Ryde. There was nothing his wealthy solicitor father Teddy and religious and protective mother Mary would not do for him or his younger sister Clodine.

But there were pressures within the seemingly close-knit Gonzales household that were invisible to outsiders. Sef’s parents were strict and had high hopes for their children.

They had demanded that Sef perform well academically, but he did poorly in high school and also at university. Sef soon had to lie to his parents about his academic results. He also often stretched the truth to impress his friends, telling them he was a successful businessman, model and singer. To gain sympathy, he even told people he was suffering from cancer.

Sef covered up his university academic failure by falsifying results, but when his sister Clodine uncovered Sef’s lies and told their parents, they threatened to withdraw many of his privileges such as use of his car. At the same time, Sef had argued with his mother over a girlfriend of whom she disapproved.

Sef decided to end what he saw as his suffering and, at the same time, inherit the family's fortune.

On July 10, 2001, 20-year-old Sef put his murderous plan into action. At home with only his 18-year-old sister Clodine, Sef crept up behind her and he began to bash her over the head with his baseball bat with such force it dented the wall behind her. Sef then proceeded to stab her again and again through the abdomen, before strangling her to death.

Then, when his mother arrived home with the groceries, Sef was waiting. He repeatedly stabbed her before finally cutting her throat.

He then waited another 90 minutes before he attacked his father from behind, severing his spinal cord.

In an attempt to cover his tracks Sef sprayed racist graffiti in the house. He then left to hide the evidence and later returned to raise the alarm with police.

Emergency services soon arrived to discover the remains of a frenzied attack. Sef claimed he had discovered the bodies when he arrived home and that he had disturbed a couple of intruders, who then ran off.

For nearly a year Sef lived the lie of the poor boy whose entire family had been so cold-heartedly taken from him, even making a public appeal for assistance in solving the murders.

It wasn’t until 2002 that Sef’s web of lies began to unravel, and in June detectives charged him with three counts of murder. On May 20, 2004, the jury found Sef Gonzales guilty on all counts and he was sentenced to three life terms without parole. He is currently serving his sentence in maximum security at Goulburn Jail.

FOXTEL’s world premiere of CRIME INVESTIGATION AUSTRALIA: THE GONZALES FAMILY MURDERS airs on Crime & Investigation Network on Thursday, June 26, at 7:30pm AEST. Read more...

Christmas for the Creek

BBC One is planning a Jonathan Creek Christmas special nearly five years after the series ended.

Alan Davies (Bob and Rose) will return to star in a 90-minute episode of the popular comedy drama.

David Renwick, who created and wrote the show, said, "After a five year break I think we're all looking forward to getting Creek back on the screen, and the BBC appear to be quite excited, so fingers crossed."

Filming is expected to start in the summer.

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Seven issues apology over All Saints

"All Saints values its audience and has the greatest respect for their commitment to the program.

"Without reservation, to any members of the audience who have found an element of a recent story offensive, Channel Seven apologises," said Seven spokesperson Simon Francis.

The apology follows an episode that prompted an outcry for linking incest with Down Syndrome.

Down Syndrome Australia sent a formal complaint to Seven about last week's episode titled "Never Tell", in which a woman pregnant from an incestuous relationship with her brother is told her child may have Down syndrome as a result.

The advocacy group is also considering legal action, a complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority and calling for a boycott by the show's advertisers if an apology and correction is not aired on All Saints tonight.

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Keeping score on that melee

At the height of its recent controversy, The Footy Show (AFL) attracted 756,000 viewers in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

At its lowest it was 597,000.

Prior to the "mannequin incident" it was regularly over the 700,000 figure in the same three states.

But the show has also benefited from headline news, including two stories (one about Sponsors dropping ads, the other about Nine resting Newman) strategically making news on a Thursday -the same day the show airs.

Its hometown audience has dropped from 487,000 in March to 380,000 in May. A week after its lowest return this year Nine announced Newman would be rested.

National ratings for The Footy Show are actually the combined figures of AFL / NRL editions, so to truly get an understanding of how the show has tracked, TV Tonight has dissected the AFL show in its three key markets, together with a timeline that tracks the events that have dotted this story.

TOTAL FIGURE / Melbourne / Adelaide / Perth
(Newman undergoes surgery / 60 Minutes story)
Mar 13 (Premiere / KISS performs) 728,000 462,000 138,000 128,000
Wed Mar 19 689,000 443,000 129,000 118,000
Mar 27 (Newman returns) 707,000 487,000 110,000 110,000
Apr 3 718,000 460,000 138,000 120,000
Apr 10 (Mannequin incident) 707,000 453,000 124,000 130,000
Apr 17 724,000 480,000 119,000 125,000
Apr 24 692,000 446,000 116,000 130,000
(Letter of protest from 'AFL women')
May 1 (“Liars and hypocrites” claim) 756,000 486,000 141,000 129,000
(Logie win / boos)
May 8 655,000 459,000 105,000 91,000
(Defamation case announced)
May 15 630,000 404,000 127,000 99,000
May 22 (Sponsors drop ads) 597,000 380,000 114,000 103,000
May 29 (Newman stood down) 660,000 425,000 114,000 121,000
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