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Airdate: Schapelle

Nine's telemovie on the arrest, trial and conviction of Schapelle Corby will air on Monday February 10th.

2014-02-02_1851Now the embargo is lifted, I am finally free to advise Nine will screen its Schapelle telemovie, as 8:40pm Monday February 10th.

Based on the the arrest, trial and conviction of Schapelle Corby in 2004-2005, it features Krew Boylan, Jacinta Stapleton, Denise Roberts, Colin Friels, Les Chantery, Vince Colosimo, Francis Greenslade and Michael Croaker.

Nine’s Monday night premiere means it will avoid a head-to-head battle with INXS: Never Tear us Apart and Rake.

Produced by FremantleMedia Australia, it is directed by Khoa Do.

A 27 year old beauty school dropout from the Gold Coast, Schapelle was arrested at Bali airport with 4.2kg of marijuana in a bogie board bag.

At first, Schapelle’s arrest was barely noticed by the Australian media, but once photographs were published it sparked a media frenzy. And attracted a cast of colourful characters who came to her aid, including sister Mercedes (Jacinta Stapleton), mother Ros (Denise Roberts), father Mick (Colin Friels), and her ‘white knights’ mobile phone mogul ‘Mad Ron’ Bakir (Les Chantery) and Gold Coast lawyer Robin Tampoe (Vince Colosimo). Also prominent in her story are Foreign Minister Alexander Downer (Francis Greenslade) and Australian Federal Police boss Mick Keelty (Michael Croaker).

Schapelle avoided the death penalty but was sentenced to 20 years in Bali’s notorious Kerobokan Prison. To this day she proclaims her innocence. She is currently applying for parole.

From her prison cell in Bali, Schapelle Corby became Australia’s first multi-media celebrity of the internet era. Her case became front page news that captivated a nation and continues to polarise opinion.

Schapelle will also feature Russell Kiefel, Waseem Khan, Ngoc Phan, Liana Cornell, Charlotte Chimes and Orpheus Pledger.

20 Responses

  1. Yeah, while I’m interested to see it, I have been concerned about how she will be portrayed, given her families opposition to it. I hope they don’t show her as being guilty and show the corruption & incompetence of the Indonesian justice system. They refused to finger print it or weigh it. All the customs officers were handling it, not wearing gloves, and when Mercedes told them they needed to finger print it they laughed in her face and pointed out there was no point as they had all touched it. Their behaviour was unprofessional and an absolute disgrace.

  2. Just read the Corby family have not been consulted at all on the making of this movie, 9 is just taking the words from a book, so have not got the true story, the family do not seemed pleased with this and it appears that they couild take the matter further, why does channel 9 do a story which has obviously not been researched correctly. Interesting to see the outcome.

    1. It’s always tricky in true crime drama when those involved are not consulted. Such instances have been reported before and will be again. Do you think all the Underbelly families gave their ok for those series? Not saying it’s ok, but producers are obliged to move within the law, and defamation (as Paper Giants demonstrated) is still very real. FremantleMedia told me the book was one of several sources used with the screenwriter going much further in research and point of view. It’s a point frequently overlooked by many who oppose the project. Audience will decide if it is fair or not.

  3. Wouldnt it be a little spooky if Schapelle gets parole next monday going by news reports tonight.

    I hate all the publicity she is getting but geez you know you just want to watch.

    The thing is 9 say the truth will be revealed. They dont know the truth. Only 1 person does.

  4. Rake was rating <400k at 9:30pm Thursday last series, it won’t appeal to the ABC’s >50 Sunday night audience and most of its viewers will watch it on iview. The ABC probably thought it would be good counter programming against DA and would lower the average age of their audience before TOOL. But couldn’t be bothered pushing it back a couple of weeks once Seven looked like running INXS to start the ratings season.

    Sochi is more of a threat, it will pick up viewers without something particular they are keen to watch. Seven is hoping that a lot of people will be very keen to watch INXS.

    Nine pulled the Mentalist from Summer because it was rating too well. They could show that on Sunday (they still haven’t decided). They have TBBT, Love Child and Underbelly. But they will have to keep something back to show with House Husbands and Arrow in Winter.

    If Nine does succeed…

  5. @tvf – same goes with 7 and their use of Katy Perry’s ‘Unconditionally’ to promote Downton Abbey – makes no sense at all and makes me dislike the show and the song.

  6. I can’t understand the timing. With reports that Schapelle is soon to be released we have this telemovie now. Surely it would have made more sense to wait until she was released then show the telemovie complete with a “happily ever after” ending.

  7. How much of this is fact and how much is dramatized, think most of it will be the latter, how can they really know how Schapelle feels or felt during this time, only she can give you true feelings. Why can’t they let the poor girl alone, I certainly wont watch it as we have been having information about it for years, so what else can they possible tell us.

  8. Using the love song All of Me by John Legend to promote Schapelle is turning me off the telemovie. They are ruining a good song by using it to promote a telemovie that has nothing to do with love. Very wrong choice.

  9. “From her prison cell in Bali, Schapelle Corby became Australia’s first multi-media celebrity of the internet era”

    Seriously?? Guilty, innocent or whatever… she is no “celebrity”. I’m not watching this show if it’s going to make her out to be some sort of pop star celebrity.

  10. Can’t believe how well the cast have transformed themselves to look so much like the bogan family. The teeth on Jacinta Stapleton are so good! Denise Roberts was a perfect choice for the mother.

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