Showtime will fast-track the new series of Sons of Anarchy to Australia just two hours after its US premiere.
It has revamped its plans for the US drama, which was set to premiere at 8:30pm on Sunday on Showcase.
But it will now screen first at 3:10pm Wednesday -just two hours after its US premiere. Short of being a Live screening such as an awards show, this is as good as it gets.
It isn’t even making viewers wait until primetime, so it can be recorded on the IQ if you are a devotee.
Sons of Anarchy will still screen at 8:30pm Sunday on Showcase as originally planned.
Fingers crossed Dexter is next on the express list.
@PJC, it’s great marketing and it is what we want! I follow entertainment sites from the US too and I hate being so many episodes behind I have to avoid goss on my shows for spoilers. This is the difference now, we’re online and we want it now, why can’t we? Why be patient, it’s entertainment, I love my TV and I love my foxtel and I’m happy to pay for the privilege!
@bill
Just finished Sons of Anarchy on Showcase, and was glad to see the show have a nice 5.1 audiotrack.
I’ve noticed that none of the ‘fast tracked’ episodes of Grimm, and the last episode of Falling Skies, have DD5.1 soundtracks. I wonder if this is Fox8 being cheap
Why? I’m all for seeing my favourite programmes quickly but I can wait till the next night, week, fortnight.. even month after its premiere screening in the US. Surely people can’t be that impatient these days that they just have to have it just minutes after its first airing in the US..?
This isn’t about what people want but more a marketing gimmick for Showtime or Foxtel.. don’t be fooled people.
I remember Ten screening a short run of fast tracked House Tuesday nights here, which was about 6 hours after te US screening. While 10 minutes after the US screening is excellent, I think within a six or so hours after is pretty darn good as well.
@ryan – it’s PayTV, not the same rules as FTA when it comes to PG ratings.
That is wonderful!
The last ep of S3 (2010) is on One this Wed. Anyone know when Ten/One will start S4?
I just realized on at the same time as SoA in the US is Parenthood on NBC, what I’d give for Seven to show this 3:10 pm on Wednesday, even if it was on 7TWO or 7MATE!
How do they even play it @ 3.10pm? Isnt it a bit over the top for after school?
Pay TV channels have different management and ownership. Some channels are Foxtel owned and operated. Showtime channels are not. SoA has always premiered on on Showtime channels. Older seasons may subsequently appear on other channels, but it’s always about premieres. And yes, there are always replays….
showcase still confuses me, when it started it was about showing a whole season. but they just show the really popular before they air on another channel, if they ever do.
why isn’t sons on fx or soho?
That dude was talking about the price of pay tv and that they are giving us better programming and more new programming, yet there are still more channels showing more re-runs, in the 4 years that I have had foxtel I’ve seen two and a half men move from Arena to Fox8 and then to comedy.
Weeds is another one it appears on two or three different channels. law and order as well.
David what about Doctor Who, it’s on iView right after the UK airing, around 5am our time and you don’t need Foxtel to see it, just a decent Internet connection!
But this is good news and something FTA would never do, on there broadcast channels.
This should be common practice if they want to curb piracy. Especially with big ticket shows like Game of Thrones, Dexter and Breaking Bad. They can’t afford to wait because the audience isn’t going to. Clearly they can deliver this content within hours so they need to be able to do it more often
Too bad its part of the Movie channels, ill have to watch elsewhere.
I don’t think HBO would allow a simultaneous screening but letting it air 10 minutes after the US is pretty bloody good. Expect to hear more announcements on other Showcase series soon … Express from the US!
For all the foxtel bashing on the other post… You can’t get this FTA!
Well that’s pretty impressive! It doesn’t make me want to go and find other ways to watch it before it airs in Australia, which I wont mention.
This should be the norm not the exception. Actually, for broadcast stuff like this I would be happy with next night e.g. Sunday night in the US is broadcast on Monday night here.
is there anything preventing them from doing a live screening?
That is amazing, would of been good if they did the same for Dexter S7 also(I think it is still being Fasttracked, but not as fast as 2hrs!).