News Archive:
David Tennant to exit Dr. Who
This is gonna hurt.
David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who after 2009.
He made the announcement at the UK’s National Television Awards to the screams of disappointed fans.
Tennant said “I’ve had the most brilliant, bewildering and life-changing time working on Doctor Who. I have loved every day of it. It would be very easy to cling on to the Tardis console for ever and I fear that if I don’t take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, then I simply never will.”
Tennant took up the role as the …
‘Alan Everywhere’ in Torchwood
Alan Dale will appear in next week’s episode of Torchwood.
It’s another credit to his impressive international CV which already lists Ugly Betty, Lost, The OC, NCIS, 24 and a host of others. A long way from Jim Robinson…
This year Dale has been appearing in the stage production of Spamalot in the UK, which required Lost to travel to the UK to shoot scenes for the last series.
The episode “Reset” also has another interesting guest role for fans of the Who-niverse too.
It airs 10:30pm Monday on TEN.
Prince Charles snubs Dr Who request
Russell T. Davies, executive producer of Doctor Who, has called Prince Charles a “miserable swine” for declining a request to guest-star on the series.
“He turned us down, the miserable swine,” said Davies.
He let slip the comment to the BBC at a literature festival over the weekend. He was asked about the Prince’s appearance while talking about his new book Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale.
According to the BBC, a spokesman for Prince Charles said, “We receive a great many requests, and it’s impossible to accept them all.”
Somehow I reckon Cpt. Jack …
ABC renews BBC output deal
Good news, gang.
The ABC has renewed a deal with the BBC which gives it a first option on Drama, Light Entertainment (including Comedy), Natural History, Music & Arts and Religion for the next two years.
The deal was stitched up at MIPCOM in Cannes.
The broadcaster will continue to have first choice over its popular shows including Spooks (pictured), Doctor Who, Dalziel and Pascoe and Silent Witness.
“We have an exceptional relationship with ABC TV and we are looking forward to strengthening it further as we develop our business in this key territory,” commented …
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 …
US dramas struggling for Heroes
As the global financial market continue to slide, so too are ratings for American television programmes in Australia.
Despite the recent cast member promo visit, last night’s premiere of Heroes’ supposedly revamped series managed a rather paltry 878,000. A second episode took 785,000. At 10:30pm the new season of Prison Break tanked at a lousy 387,000. Thanks to its early evening shows, Seven will be pleased it still won the night in 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54 demographics.
These are shows that two and three years ago were hailed as shining beacons for Channel …
ABC beats TEN as Seven wins
It was the week that American critics began to knife Kath & Kim (officially), ABC told staff it would cut up to 35 production jobs, Nine denied having a contract with the wife of a convicted crim, an actor lambasted his former soap, Today Tonight announced its next host would be a sports presenter and said its film crew helped -not hounded- an interviewee, Seven ’streamlined’ its Lotto results, buyers eyed a key production company, the Imparja / Nine Darwin deal fell apart, a TV critic died, and suddenly so did …
Doctor Who do you think you are?
SBS has an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? coming which features actor David Tennant. In this episode you’ll hear a lot more of his natural Scottish accent.
The excellent UK genealogy series shows celebrities tracing their family tree, which as anyone who has seen the show will know, becomes a wonderful piece of detective work, matched with some emotional moments.
This Sunday the subject is Julian Clary, in an episode which has already aired on the UKTV channel.
SBS has cleverly scheduled the Tennant episode after Doctor Who has concluded on …
New, local content wins Seven week
It was the week the “Prince of Darkness” descended upon Nine, the Imparja takeover of NTD9 inched closer, Seven lost an appeal relating to a children’s court case and lost a packet in the financial freefall, TEN signalled the return of boxing only to have its promoter caught up in a drug arrest, two networks fight over the contracts of one presenter, ACMA cancelled a community broadcasting license while a leak led to a Federal Police raid, the Government introduced a bill to firm the switch to digital, TEN turned off …
Airdate: The Sarah Jane Adventures
Nickelodeon has confirmed it has picked up the rights to The Sarah Jane Adventures, another spin-off from Doctor Who.
It will premiere Friday October 31 at 7pm.
The series stars Elisabeth Sladen who first appeared in the role in 1973 as a regular companion of the Third and Fourth Doctors. Sladen also appears in the season finale of Who on the ABC this Sunday night.
Pitched as a children’s series, the spin-off began with a special in January 2007 in the UK before the full series aired later in September. A second season launches …
Bored rigid by lack of competition, it’s Seven.
It was the week that Seven and Nine argued over Karl Stefanovic, Grant Hackett signed with Channel Nine, ASTRA again attacked the anti-siphoning rule –prompting an hilarious “bored rigid” response from Seven, Nine denied a takeover of its Darwin affiliate by Imparja, Grant Denyer landed in hospital, a former Idol was assaulted, WIN trimmed its Queensland newsrooms, SBS said sponsors wouldn’t affect its editorial on Top Gear Australia and networks and advertisers all held their breath as the US financial market went into meltdown.
And unsurprisingly it was another win by Seven …
Nine’s Sunday touchdown
‘Thankyou Rugby League’, is what Nine will be thinking today after a decisive Sunday win over the Seven Network.
The Storm v Warriors match gave Nine a perfect lead-in to its evening line-up and managed to snatch back the night it lost to Seven the week before.
Nine’s 29.8% share was a triumph over Seven, which came third on 22.5% behind TEN’s 22.8%.
Buoyed by the NRL, National Nine News hasn’t enjoyed figures of 1.63m for longer than many care to remember. That didn’t stop Seven sending out a Press Release today reminding media …