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Biting the hand that feeds Wilfred
SBS comedy Wilfred has come under fire today for taking $1.5m in government grants across two series as “a comedy about a bong-smoking dog that has sex with a cat.”
“The cult SBS series Wilfred is also peppered with profanity, full-frontal nudity and jokes about rape,” notes the Herald Sun.
The show is one of many projects that was eligible for subsidy funding through Federal and State film bodies. Film Victoria has contributed $210,000 for first series and $294,048 towards the second while Screen Australia (previously the AFC) contributed $400,000 to Series One …
COPS L.A.C. cast complete
Roy Billing, Gary Sweet and Denise Roberts have all joined Channel Nine’s new drama COPS L.A.C.
The series, which focusses on “the fast-paced working life and complicated relationships of a diverse range of uniformed cops and plainclothes detectives” begins shooting in May.
Gary Sweet will play Superintendent Jack Finch and Denise Roberts is cast as Inspector Diane Pappas. The two veteran actors join Kate Ritchie as Detective Senior Constable Samantha Cooper and Martin Dingle Wall as her partner, Detective Senior Constable Rhys Llewellyn. Tom O’Sullivan stars as Senior Constable Nathan Holt, …
Logies in 3 yr Melbourne deal
The TV Week Logie Awards have signed a deal to remain at Crown Casino in Melbourne for the next three years.
The deal follows offers to relocate the awards night to Queensland.
While the 2010 Awards were announced some weeks ago as remaining in Melbourne, the latest announcement should stave off more attempts for some time. Melbourne recently lost the right to retain the AFI Awards after Sydney secured it for 2011.
The Logies also drew upon support from Melbourne Major Events, citing the event’s economic benefits to the State of Victoria.
Meanwhile rumours of …
Airdate: ABC2 Live Presents Bliss
From today ABC has the first in a series of looks at Bliss, the book by Peter Carey which has become both a film and an opera: following a four-minute death from a heart attack, Harry Joy returns to life finding the certainties of his former existence have entirely vanished.
Tonight at 10:05pm, Jennifer Byrne and a panel of experts explored the adaptation of Bliss the book to Bliss the film with Jennifer Byrne Presents: Books to Film on ABC1 (repeated on ABC2 on Sunday 14 March at 6.30pm).
At 8:30pm …
Airdate: Movie: Not Quite Hollywood
Here is a definite must-see for fans of Australian cinema. Not Quite Hollywood is an irreverent look at the burgeoning Australian film industry in the 1970s.
Winner of an AFI for best documentary in 2008, the film looks at ‘Ozploitation’ cinema; a time when Australian cinema got its gear off and showed the world a full-frontal explosion of sex, violence, and horror.
This is not your usual documentary full of boring anecdotes by dull historians, instead these are the real stories from the people who were there – wild, trail-blazing cinematic mavericks who …
2010 Logies: Who didn’t make the cut already?
Sarah Wilson was Presenter on the highest rating show in 2009 -but it wasn’t enough to land her on the shortlist for 2010 Logie Nominations.
The Masterchef host is now out of the race for Best Presenter and Gold Logie before the race even begins. But she is in good company.
Yesterday’s list of possible contenders published by TV Week again utilised a voting system it has employed in recent years: an individual numerical code for each actor, actress and presenter as a way of facilitating the results. It contrasts with a historical …
“Copious nudity” in Underbelly2 says NY Times
Underbelly has its US premiere this week on the DirecTV satellite channel.
As previously reported, it will actually begin with “A Tale of Two Cities,” the second in the gangster miniseries.
The New York Times describes the series as “a fact-based drama about the Australian drug trade that is in its third season on the Nine Network in Australia.
“That series, winner of both Logie (low-brow) and Australian Film Institute (high-brow) awards for best television drama, has told stories of dealers, police officers and politicians covering the late 1970s to about 2004,” …
Victoria at risk of losing Logies
More speculation that the Logies may be on the move today with the Brumby Government’s major events unit, The Victorian Major Events Company, reportedly being asked to belatedly consider backing TV’s night of nights.
VMEC already supports sports and arts events including the Australian Grand Prix, AFL finals series, Spring Racing Carnival, Australian Masters (golf), Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Nine and TV Week have been considering what is believed to be a tempting incentive from Queensland Events, the Queensland Government’s major events …
2011 AFI Awards shift to Sydney
The AFI Awards will have a new home from next year, at the Sydney Opera House.
Sydney has won the event after a 10 year run in Melbourne.
NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has announced that Sydney would host the film awards ceremony, from 2011 to 2014.
“Securing the AFI awards is a major coup for Sydney and it further reinforces NSW’s position as the creative capital,” Ms Keneally said. “All up we are spending $1.7 million per year and we think this is a good investment in a film and television industry that …
Cast return to East West 101
Following news that a third series of East West 101 was approved by SBS, the network has now confirmed the return of actors Susie Porter, Don Hany and Aaron Fa’aoso.
Peter Andrikidis is also back to direct.
The award-winning series will return in early 2011, which means other dramas shouldn’t see it compete in this year’s AFIs. But there are still Logie nominations ahead.
The seven part series will explore the fallout from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through crimes committed in Australia.
Vale: Monica Maughan
Respected actress Monica Maughan, best known for her television work in Prisoner, has died in Melbourne.
She also won an AFI and Logie award for her work in The Damnation Of Harvey McHugh, played Nana Scott to a young Graham Kennedy in The King, and appeared in numerous Australian productions including The Librarians, MDA, Blue Heelers, Crackerjack, Halifax FP, The Genie from Down Under, The Gillies Report, The Flying Doctors, Come in Spinner, Coln Carpenter, The Box, Matlock Police and Homicide.
Her performance in Nightmares and Dreamscapes “Crouch End” aired on Wednesday …
December 09: ABC3, Todd Lasance, Charlie Sheen.
December:
7TWO for Tassie / Darwin, ONE for Mildura.
Seven’s FlashForward “leaked” to US
Three Rivers in cardiac arrest
Secret Millionaire episode held over debt complaints
Seven loses C7 appeal
Nine loses ACA defamation case
Rumour: Logies for Queensland (again)
Animation company in restructure
Hey Hey cast waiting for the call
Nine confirms Cops LAC drama
ABC kisses and makes up over Lambert
ABC3 launch
Government reviews Aussie content on digital channels
Billy wins Channel [V] Presenter Search
Foxtel adds iPhone application
Prank on Rudd at ABC3 launch
Hey Hey inks 20 episode deal
Elliot ends the Rollercoaster ride
Wendell Sailor …