All Stories FeedNews Archive:
New 13 part SBS drama for Tony Ayres
Filmmaker Tony Ayres is certainly a busy man.
His telemovie Saved went to air on Sunday night on SBS with positive reviews all round. He has also co-produced the three documentaries, Anatomy, starting tonight on the ABC, with his co-producer Michael McMahon.
Next up he is co-producing a feature film Lou, directed by Saved’s writer Belinda Chayko staring John Hurt and Emily Barclay (Prime Move, Suburban Mayhem, In My Father’s Den). And for SBS he has a new drama series in development.
“We’re in development with SBS on a 13 part drama series, written …
Cover Story
Published for 51 years, TV Week is an absolute survivor in both the television and magazine industry. And like all survivors it has had to embrace change in order to remain the market leader. While other TV mags have fallen by the wayside, TV Week under the Australian Consolidated Press empire, is still a force to be reckoned with.
In Australian television stars always know they’d made it when they landed their first TV Week cover. It’s the Rolling Stone of Aussie telly. But what does it take to get a cover …
TV Forums report card
Since the advent of online, television fans have had ways of letting networks know what they think. No more writing letters to newspapers, it’s as easy as logging onto a network website anonymously and speaking your mind.
TV Tonight has been looking at how our networks embrace free and open discussion. Here’s how they stacked up.
ABC:
Within the ABC site there are individual show pages, many of which have open forums. Shows including Enough Rope, Compass, Can We Help?, At The Movies, Life at 3, Good Game, Media Watch, Spicks and Specks and …
Packered by the Rafters
It was the week the Packer family parted ways with Nine causing David Gyngell to vow to prove James Packer wrong, TEN announced a new channel, Pay TV launched another three, Minister Stephen Conroy signalled support for increased ABC & SBS funding, commercial networks (briefly) found a conscience but upset David Leckie, WIN sat down at the gambling table, Kath & Kim (US) got a greenlight for a full season, Andrew Denton announced the end of Enough Rope, David Tennant set his exit from his iconic role, Rove visited …
NRL wins it but Seven takes glory
It was the week that TEN was in breach of subliminal ads (a ruling first leaked by TV Tonight), ACMA instructed Nine to sell part of its Darwin operation, two former premiers will now defend Pay TV v Free to Air battles, while two television gardeners faced off over the environment, a Footy Show comedian defended a school principal under fire, a musical about the media in Beaconsfield was branded as tasteless, a former Idol died in tragic circumstances, Perth’s Telethon broke its own record, SBS lost a top Drama …
Drama Exec leaving SBS
One of the best in the biz, Drama Executive Sue Masters, is leaving SBS citing personal reasons.
Masters has only been with SBS since April, previously with TEN and the ABC. During her tenure SBS has produced or developed Carla Cametti P.D, Bogan Pride, and Swift and Shift Couriers plus second seasons of East West 101 and The Circuit -she will remain as an Executive Producer on series two of The Circuit.
Masters has previously worked on dramas including Brides of Christ, The Secret Life of Us, Wildside, Seachange, RAW FM, …
Top Gear fans rant, but not to SBS.
After the widely-reported tumble for the second-episode of Top Gear Australia yesterday, SBS might be somewhat relieved to know that aggrieved fans of the show don’t have a central place to bitch about the show.
That’s because there is no blog or forum on the SBS website for the new show.
Other programmes enable viewer interaction and feedback including RocKwiz, Bogan Pride, The Mighty Boosh, Shameless, Skins, Inside Australia and Great Australian Albums.
SBS’ page for Top Gear Australia allows for no such feedback. Conspiracy? It sounds like it.
But SBS told TV …
Bogan Pride
Rebel Wilson is easily recognisable from her work in everything from early parody commercials for Australian Idol, to boisterous performances in Pizza, The Wedge and Monster House. So far her persona has been fairly synonymous with loud, cynical, mostly simple, working class characters. It remains to be seen whether there’s more depth behind her cheesy grin.
Now, thanks to her own self-devised series, Wilson has the time and freedom to prove herself.
On the surface, her character in Bogan Pride is another western suburbs underdog. Jennifer Cragg is an overweight teenager, the target …
Launching your inner Bogan
Bogan Pride had its launch last night in Melbourne, screening two episodes to an invited audience at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square.
In the crowd were cast and crew, family and friends, Adam Zwar and Jason Gann (both of Wilfred), John Safran, cabaret performer Eddie Perfect, Brian Mannix, choreographer Tony Bartuccio and Caroline Gilmer (Underbelly).
In fitting with the theme of the night, there were chocolates, assorted sweets and cupcakes on hand.
Creator, writer and star Rebel Wilson seemed pretty pleased with the reception, and well she should be. Along …
Summer on SBS
This week SBS announced highlights of its 2008 / 2009 summer programming, said to be the network’s biggest-ever line-up of new Australian shows. Some shows will launch before summer, but continue into non-ratings.
Its local productions are led by Top Gear Australia and Bogan Pride plus the arrival of the new drama Carla Cametti PD and Paul Fenech’s comedy Swift and Shift Couriers.
In addition, SBS has First Australians, produced by Aboriginal filmmakers, plus A-League Soccer and Tour Down Under. There’s new episodes of Newstopia, RocKwiz, Food Safari, Who Do You Think You …
Airdate: Bogan Pride
SBS’ newest local comedy Bogan Pride launches 9pm Monday October 6th.
Devised and starring comedienne Rebel Wilson the show is based on her experiences growing up in Sydney’s western suburbs. It shamelessly includes a musical number every episode. The opening episode features a synchronised swimming / water ballet number.
In addition to a cast including Sally Ann Upton, Lulu McClatchy, and Ryan Jones, Wilson has major behind the scenes talent in producer Tony Ayres (Home Song Stories, Walking on Water) and Michael McMahon (Home Song Stories, Wildness) and Oscar and BAFTA nominated director …