First it was the Hollywood Reporter.
Now the NY Post reckons we spoiled their FlashForward too.
“But in Australia — where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated until May — viewers saw the original episode that we won’t see until Thursday night.”
Yes, we’re just busy bees stuffing turkeys in readiness for next May. Not.
“No word yet on whether Disney will try to re-adjust the schedule in Australia to avoid the same thing happening in the weeks ahead,” it said.
Earth to America: It won’t! We’re all on hiatus here until Febu-bloody-aury! December and January are ‘non-sweeps in Oz!’
TVByTheNumbers also ran a story under the headline: ‘If FlashForward’s ratings drop this Thursday, blame the Aussies!’
It picked up on the Hollywood Reporter story noting, “James Hibberd reports that with our Thanksgiving holiday the Australians got an episode ahead (and presumably will remain so at least for another couple of weeks) and have unleashed it into the wild via Torrent downloads and other illegal streaming sites. What Hibberd didn’t report is that just like in the USA, FlashForward’s ratings have tanked in Australia since the premiere.”
Got that right.
We promise not to upset your precious schedules. Sheesh.
A Prime Minister or Two have advertised Thanksgiving in May in Australia. I think they try to make it into some religious event which is probably why almost all 21 million Australians ignore it.
How many shows in the past have we had to wait 6 months to 2 years to catch up on. So let the 300 odd million Americans suck it up.
Oh man, and here I was, all ready to fly over to Sydney and watch the annual Myer Thanksgiving Day Parade! Giant inflatable Ned Kellys over the Opera House! Floats in the shape of the 48-215 Holden!
should we blame them for spoiling shows we havent seen yet?
@brisvegas
Your story is funny and I can replicate it. Remember speaking to someone in the US many moons ago on the intertubes. They asked where I was from, and I said Scotland. “Scotland near Atlanta?” was the amazing response.
They had heard of a town of a few hundred called Scotland in Georgia but not the country of Scotland… Ireland, CA and Scotland, GA eh?
we, do not have friggin Thanksgiving in Australia. WTH. why make a big deal of Aus getting the ep before America? Bleh.
I see that there are only 2 comments at the NY Post regarding this story, both of them from Aussies picking the reporter up on the “Thanksgiving” remark and over 400 comments about Tiger Woods. So apart from the NYP reporter’s beat-up, it’s a real non-issue.
@Shane
You’re good on stereotypes, unfortunately they rarely reflect the real world. See my post again, the final line is the salient one.
Oh and who are these Yank-haters? Most Australians I know fall over themselves trying to be more like them, not less.
Perfectly said David!
Pretty shoddy journalism, but before going off at the Yanks and getting all high and mighty, watch an episode or two of Media Watch. Dont think our media in Oz is a lot better. Today Tonight and ACA are 2 of our top rating shows. Scary stuff!
Let’s be honest…most of the world, and not just Americans, believe we have kangaroos in our back yards, and cook shrimps on the barbie. We have a lot to thank Paul Hogan for…not!
@Bazza, I think you’ll find that Blind Americanhating Aussies are the worst kind there are.
Yes, the US is big and scary and (most times) sticks its nose where it’s not really wanted, but everything Russel said is correct. The Aussie media is so desperate for us to be “The World’s Mate” that any time Any Aussie gets the remotest bit of positive press in the US, then they are hailed as our new all conquering hero – but the moment we get slagged for Anything, no matter how trivial, every single media point in the country throws a hissy.
And, for the record, I am not a “Yankophile”, I am a wanna-be Canadian
Typical American tabloids, not checking their facts properly before writing a story.
Bazza: dont you mean 52 states and 52 state capitals.
Hangon, let me try to care.
The funniest thing about all this is that the editor in chief of The NY Post is an Australian, Col Allan. He hasn’t taught them much about Australia in his 8 year tenure. Col’s they guy who took K-Rudd to that NY City strip club.
If it makes the yanks feel any better I promise not to view my DVR’d FlashForward ep until the weekend.
@Russel
Ahhhh Yankophile Aussies, the worst kind of us there is.
Mate the dumbest of us knows more about the USA than the smartest of them does about Down Under. Why would this be? Well, I distinctly recall having to learn the names and capitals of all 50 US states when I did geography at school and that’s just one example from a selection of many. Still no idea why, to this day.
But back on topic… This whole affair is a thinly disguised attempt at publicity for a show that was tanking badly.
“where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated until May” … since when do we celebrate thanksgiving?
Guys. Trust me. This is a non story in the US. No one here is “upset”.
In fact it’s fair to say for the 5 years I’ve lived here Australia is generally a non story.
Again – Australia: greatest country in the world. But this anti USA Americans are stupid rants are embarassing to read. Australians are so desperate to have our country loved and worshiped by the world that when we are not we throw a tantrum.
It’s cringe worthy!
@rich, now that i have re red the article it does seem to be tongue in cheek, just like david’s article is, although the ny post seem to have taken the thanksgiving day in May comment literally . also you have to remember that this is just one article which does not represent the intellect of a whole nation, just like sometimes Australian news articles are incorrect and poorly written. i’m sure most readers wouldn’t automatically believe that Australia celebrates thankgiving in may, just like im sure most people hear wouldn’t believe an article that said that America celebrates the queens bday.
Why do american’s think the whole world revolves around them! it makes me Sick!
It aired in the UK the following night, so it would have leaked then, why blame us?
I don’t see the Americans getting this upset when Canadian networks run US shows early and they leak as torrents. Or when DVD screeners of episodes turn up sometimes months before they air anywhere, for that matter.
Smacks of jealousy to me. And I can’t fathom why. We should be jealous that we had to endure FlashForward and they didn’t!
I’m just wondering how long till iiNet gets blamed for this…
3… 2… 1…
These comments are hilarious. Best comic relief ever! To all those that have commented to far, you have made my day.
To think, its all because of one episode of a tv show! Americans! Pffft.
The New York Post is a trashy tabloid, getting trashier, that is now owned by Rupert Murdoch.
It does not represent the American “media”
wow, look at all this reaction!
I totally agree with Russell, this is such a non-story, it’s just aussies with big heads. If you actually read the article by Hibberd it specifically says, “For the record, Aussies do have a Thanksgiving holiday, but it’s in May and they don’t really do it right.” So even he admits it’s not an actual ‘Thanksgiving holiday.’
Further the tvbythenumbers gang thing is just a tongue’n'cheek thing if you guys actually follow the website.
How low can you guys go?
Before we know it, the Yanks will be blaming us for 9/11.
I knew most Americans were out of touch with what happens in the rest of the world, but honestly, “Thanksgiving in May” ???? Didn’t realise the Pilgrims picked up the Mayflower, carried it across the continent, dropped it in the Pacific and sailed to Australia.
As for having an episode of “FastForward” spoilt. It’s a boring show. It’s ratings are nosedriving and production has been “paused” in the USA. So what’s the USA gonna do about it? Invade us. Talk about having a media that reports nonsense instead of News. And all those naughty people shouldn’t have been downloading it should they, so it’s their own fault.
LOL, LOL, LOL etc.
Wow nothing works Aussies up more than people not knowing a lot about our country. Why is everyone so upset? You think the Australian media has reported everything 100% correctly about NZ, the UK, or the US over the years?
I live in the US and I am always reading Australian websites that get things wrong about the US. Always! I love Australia dearly and think it is the bst country in the world, but most Aussies really do suffer from small country syndrome.
So we celebrate Thanksgiving in May eh? No one told me about it.
Who cares???
It is not as good as hoped and it needs to go … there were far better shows that should have survived … and who cares what America thinks anyway … they still think they are the centre of the universe … Wrong!
Jack!
obviously the Hollywood reporter does not read their comments section as it is full comments about how australia does not celebrate Thanksgiving in may. also if the ny post and tvbythenubmers did their own research instead of just copying what the hr said they would have picked up on these errors.
America, please, stop with this Australian Thanksgiving nonsense. You’re making a fool of yourself.
No one tell America that it is Thursday here many hours before Thursday hits their shores.
Precious!!
Not all Americans are Yanks.
I still remember the laughs when I tried to describe fairy floss to my American Aunty (born and raised in Capri, Italy though) and in her southern Georgian shriek responded with “oh, don’t you mean Cotton Candy!!!” – no Aunty, it’s freaking Fairy Floss where I come from!
Bet they hate that we celebrate New Year’s Day before them too!
It did feel good watching FlashForward before the rest of the world though.
What about all the times we have to watch a bloody repeat because there is a break in the schedule in America!!! Bloody Yanks!
@David S – lets not forget the toilets flush the wrong way here and we drive on the wrong side of the road. Americans as some of the worst educated people in the world when it comes to international affairs, and they elected one as their President some 9 years ago…
@Craig: “haha, even their top notch journos at The NY Post are idiots”
The NY Post isn’t really noted for its top rate journalism, it’s basically just a gossip rag these days (they might as well rename it “The Page 6 News”). Not that this excuses shoddy journalism in any way.
I worked with an American once who told me of his rather dim young neighbour in California, she went on her first OS vacation to Paris and returned to breathlessly report that “they don’t celebrate July 4th over there.”
I’ve dealt with several Americans (mostly college educated) over the years that simply couldn’t comprehend that our seasons are the opposite to theirs, one once asked me if we therefore celebrate Christmas in June…
that’s got to be a joke right? Looks like US turkey celebrations include fair amounts of booze, or all the grown ups are out of the office for the holidays and some work experience kid has gone to town. How is it a spoiler if you have to seek out the torrent, download the torrent, and then get it into a form you can view.
God, what idiots. It’s not like it’s the first time Australia has leaked an episode of a TV show onto the internet before the US saw it anyway. Who the hell cares if we leaked it??? No one has forced you to download it! At least be grateful you morons we’re letting you see it before your TV channels air it! Who’s saying it’s specifically targeted at your country anyway? Sorry we ruined your “precious holiday”. Didn’t realise your computers were set to be forced to download the episode. Urgh.
And yeah, I’ll take the day off next May as well
. That’ll go down well.
I really dont want to jump on the “yeah,americans are so dumb….” band wagon.
However – in fairness, I’m just guessing that they think that Australia is somewhere in the US?
While in states a few years back, I once told a guy (mid 40s’) I’m from Ireland….and his reply was “……..in California?”, to which I replied “ummm no….Europe”.
True story.
@ryan: Your wish is already coming true. The show has been shedding viewers pretty regularly. ABC hasn’t really had a strong year, even their comedies have all performed worse than expected (the best of the bunch is Modern Family, but even that is nothing even close to a ‘hit’).
American’s are so funny. They don’t even understand the meaning behind their own holiday to realise that we wouldn’t celebrate it!
haha, even their top notch journos at The NY Post are idiots
Oh, of course they did their research. The saw that someone else had written it online, therefore it must be true, so let’s reprint it on our site/paper. Sheesh!
spoiled means when someone tells you the plot of an ep before you have seen it, not when you watch the whole ep your self beofre it airs, im sure US viewers are more than happy to download flashfoward and see it a week before it airs, the only people who would be bothered by this would be abc, why are the ny post taking abc’s side over that of the viewers?
from what I see very few Americans are watching it anyway. I’m guessing this will push the show back to #1 “The episode the US Did Not Want You To See”.
They got the idea we celebrate Thanksgiving from a slight religious observance noted on thanksgiving.org.au. Let’s all take the day off next year and see what the boss says.
How do they not get that we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving? It’s specifically about the sharing of meals with the Native Americans and the White colonisers in North America – admittedly it wasn’t a story that ended well (colonisation and the exploitation of the indigenous population), but it’s a very specifically American story – hell, I teach that to my year 8 students as a part of Contact History. One has to wonder where they got the May idea from…There aren’t any public holidays in May in Oz, from what I can remember. But hell, if they want to give it to us, i’m more than willing to take a day off to eat some turkey!!
They got upset about the Hey Hey skit calling us backwards yet their allowed to be ignorant by saying we have Thanksgiving in May and ruined Flashforward for them.
I assume there have been no Americans ever leak any TV before it Airs.Must be us Aussie with the DVD screeners.
I wonder what the New York Post reporters boss–the Australian born Rupert Murdoch will think after reading this article.
They havent got a clue at all. Americans are just pissed off because we got it before them! Well Earth to America, Everything doesnt revolve around you!
Also Canada gets episodes of some shows a day or so before them. Bones and SVU are a couple of them.
Its so funny watching the American media try to see beyond their nation. Its quite funny!
Do American’s not realise they they release torrents world wide; way before any other nation. All the other network around the world need to compete with torrent leeching.
And do they not bother reporting it was also released around Europe same as Australia before the US got it; its one week I can’t see why they’re having such a whinge and bitch over it.
Of course blame the Aussies, don’t blame the Americans who decided not to air it, or those that download it instead of waiting 1 week, or the ones who neglected to tell ch 7 not to air it.
Is it really such an issue that we see it 1 week before they do, christ, get a life you bloody yanks.
Non ratings season blows (sometimes anyway, sometimes they even have better shows on).
These ‘reporters’ need to get a grip, check their facts and grow up!
Any comment from ABC, Disney or Seven yet David?
American media. That’s all I have to say.
even the NY post can’t do research, it’s not like there were stacks of comments on the hollywood reporter article indicating that we don’t do thanksgiving, oh wait… yes there were! thanksgiving is an american holiday, why on earth would any other country in the world celebrate it, let alone us. people that ignorant deserve to have their shows spoiled. also love how none of them bothered to ask 7 what was going to happen in future weeks, instead they just assume we are going to be spoiling them for ages, there are magical things called telephones and the internet, they let you actually ask people questions and get answers in return, what a novel concept for these so-called journalists.
The Yanks are pi**ed because for once we got something before them? Cry more – you guys get Everything before us sometimes by months.
Thanksgiving in May? What happened to fact checking in Journalism these days?
Hope we get a day off in May for our ‘thanksgiving’…
lol, the yanks are the biggest losers in the world. Knowone cares what you yanks think! i hope flash forward bombs in america.
someone may have to remind me about this in May…
lol people have no idea about the facts when they write stories. Yanks have no clue in hell