All Stories FeedNews Archive:
Charlie puts the Sheen on Mondays
What is it about Melbourne viewers and Two and a Half Men? Last night the new episode hauled 635,000 in that city, rising to a big 1.58m viewers -and very probably assuring its place as the week’s top show. No doubt the end of the long weekend in Melbourne helped as viewers settled in for an early night.
Both the Charlie Sheen comedy and My Kitchen Rules have been battling it out for top place recently. Last night Seven’s cooking contest ina pseudo MasterChef kitchen settled with just under 1.4m viewers, still …
Inquest hears Charmaine Dragun was a “rising star”
An inquest into the 2007 death of former Channel TEN Newsreader Charmaine Dragun has heard she was a rising star within the network, with “everything to live for” and a wide circle of friends, a supportive family and a loving partner.
But Dragun, 29, had been battling a depression for ten years and changed anti-depressants three weeks before she leapt from a cliff at The Gap at Watsons Bay, in Sydney’s east.
Factors that may have led to her death are now being examined at a two-week inquest at Glebe Coroner’s Court, with …
Red Symons confirmed for Hey Hey return
Red Symons is confirmed to return to Hey Hey its Saturday.
Daryl Somers told the dedicated Facebook page of the news late last night:
Hi Guys
I wanted you all to be the first to know about some exciting news you might read in the papers tomorrow.
There’s certainly been a lot of speculation as to who’s going to be part of the line-up for Hey Hey this year.
It gives me great pleasure to let you know that Red is locked in and will be part of the fun in 2010.
We’re all busy working …
Seven’s Kitchen on the rise
As 2010 audience trends continue to settle, it’s good news for Seven but not so good for TEN on Mondays. And Nine had good news in the morning.
My Kitchen Rules is rising like a soufflé for the network. The reality show took a cool 1.47m last night, as the night’s #1 show. Seven also introduced 5 new teams to the gameplay surprising both contestants and viewers. The show beat Two and a Half Men / The Big Bang Theory (1.32m / 1.08m) and thrashed The Biggest Loser (658,000). TEN’s reality show …
Australian Story: “Something in the Water”
Tonight Australian Story begins the first of a 2 part investigation that asks “How clean and green is Tasmania?”
A local GP and a Sydney scientist join forces to solve an environmental riddle in Tasmania.
In 2000, local GP Dr. Alison Bleaney began noticing a rising rate of rare and unusual cancers amongst her patients at her practice in St. Helens on the North East coast.
With local oyster farmers worried about deformities suddenly appearing in their oysters Sydney marine ecologist Dr. Marcus Scammell was appointed by the Tasmanian Government to investigate.
Wondering if …
Dannii returns to AGT, Brian McFadden imminent.
Talk has ramped up on the two judging chairs beside Kyle Sandilands on Australia’s Got Talent.
The Sunday Telegraph reports on the return of the expectant Dannii Minogue, noting a Seven spokesperson confirmed her imminent signing.
Meanwhile media has tipped Brian McFadden to indeed win the third seat on the judging panel.
Last Thursday, entertainment reporter Peter Ford confirmed his role on Radio 3AW despite Seven declining to comment. Today the Sydney Morning Herald adds fuel to the fire, claiming he is in negotiations with the network. Both claims follow previous speculation that …
Red Symons breaks family silence
Samuel Symons, the 18 year old son of performer Red Symons, will feature in an upcoming episode of Australian Story, that details how at the age of four he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and not expected to live.
The diagnosis is one that Red Symons struggled to keep out of the eyes of the media for years.
Now after turning 18, Sam’s story could act as an inspiration to others.
After their son came home from kindergarten with a headache, Red Symons and wife Ellie would learn what lay before them …
TV Tonight Awards 2009: The year of Shaun Micallef
The votes are in.
Readers have spoken on their best and worst television for 2009 in the third annual TV Tonight Awards.
The winners: Shaun Micallef, MasterChef and Packed to the Rafters.
Over 1000 surveys were completed this year, and there were some definite trends. Some choices were clear decisions, others were tight races.
Several “winners” were also “losers” elsewhere, showing a divided audience, and a number of populist shows proved their mettle by staying ahead of underdogs.
Shaun Micallef won both Favourite Male and Most Underrated Performer, while Talkin’ ‘Bout Your …
ABC: 2010 returning programs
Following on from the select highlights for ABC 2010, some readers have been asking about returning shows.
As we know The Einstein Factor, Sunday Arts and triple j with the doctor have all ended.
Here is the list of returning Australian-made shows not previously noted for ABC1 and ABC2:
Australian Story (ABC1, ABC2, iView),
News Breakfast (ABC2),
7pm News (ABC1),
The 7:30 Report (ABC1, iView),
Four Corners (ABC1, iView),
Foreign Correspondent (ABC1, iView),
Lateline (ABC1),
Landline (ABC1),
The Midday Report (ABC1),
Insiders (ABC1),
Inside Business (ABC1),
National Press Club (ABC1),
Offsiders (ABC1),
Stateline (ABC1),
Behind the News (ABC1)
Asia Pacific Focus (ABC1),
The Gruen Transfer (ABC1, repeated ABC2, iView),
Hungry …
Australian Story special: Somalia hostage family speaks
The family of Nigel Brennan, the Australian hostage released after being kidnapped in Somalia, will speak to Australian Story in a speacial episode to air tonight on the ABC.
How far would you go to save your son or brother?
In August 2008, Bundaberg photojournalist Nigel Brennan was kidnapped in Somalia, along with Canadian reporter Amanda Lindhout. The governments of both countries requested a media blackout as they began negotiations with the kidnappers, who were demanding a multi-million dollar ransom.
But in May 2009, the Brennan family decided to talk exclusively to Australian Story …
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet? Just two weeks to go until the 2009 ratings end, with a baby Rafter, a new Idol, a Celebrity MasterChef, and a first Apprentice all due. Audiences are already showing signs of switch-off as numbers diminish -either from fatigue, daylight saving, multiple entertainment choices or all three. But they are hanging on for Julie Rafter whose motherly condition ensured she was the week’s top show. And Seven again won the week.
Seven Network won with 30.1% over Nine’s 26.3% and TEN’s 19.8%. The ABC had 18.0% and SBS …
Race that tops the nation
Week 45 saw Seven launch its new digital channel 7TWO with a mix of broad entertainment offering. It addressed the Nine / GO! combo that had upstaged it in the last few months. In sheer audience figures the 2009 Melbourne Cup’s record 2.67m viewers was the week’s top story. It was even Seven’s biggest audience all year. But the real news of the week was actually a lot more humble: the government’s lifeline to Community Television. After a lengthy campaign it will begin to dual-cast on analogue and digital some time …