Development on the updated Young Doctors is said to be coming along nicely, with executives at FremantleMedia very happy with the early scripts of the medical soap.
But production is not expected to begin til later in the year with a likely airdate in early 2009. This contradicts the 2008 programme slate that Nine pitched at the end of 2007.
Nine's head of drama, Jo Horsburgh told TV Tonight, "We’re not anywhere near shooting yet, we’re still developing it."
Responding to the "2008" promise she said, "It might have been because that was the early days of development. We will start shooting this year but whether we end up being ready in time to go to air this year that’s still debatable at this point."
The show is Nine's attempt to update the long-running 1970's series (pictured), combining soap and melodrama with medical storylines. It is a formula that has worked so successfully for Grey's Anatomy.
"They’re young doctors and you do get a glimpse into their personal lives," she said. "It’s not a medical drama as much as say an All Saints or ER. I think Young Doctors always skewed to the personal stories of the young doctors. The homage still goes in that direction. But obviously it’s going to be Young Doctors 2009, so it has to have that kind of contemporary ear."
Mark Fennessy, CEO of FremantleMedia, was similarly upbeat about the show's progress, and confirmed the show was looking towards 2009. The series will be a one hour weekly drama, shot in Sydney. When TV Tonight asked how it would reference the original series, Fennessy said it would still be based at the Royal Albert Memorial.
Some of the original characters would be retained, in name and personality. But they are entirely new scripts (and frankly they'd need to be), reflecting a contemporary world.
Casting is still some way off.
The chief developers of the early scripts are the two whiz-kid writers of the award winning The King Kris Mrksa and Jaime Browne. Collectively they have also written for East West 101, Wilfred, Secret Life of Us, Kick and the upcoming Carla Cametti PD.
"They’re great writers, they’ll bring a lot of fun to the series," said Horsburgh.
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