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Hungry for new ideas
Andrew Denton can’t think of any other show that he can liken to his newest project, Hungry Beast.
“Some of it is News, or more Topical than News. Some of it is Comedy and some it is in a strange nether world in between the two,” he told TV Tonight.
“I guess a better way to think of it is, in a traditional sense, like a showcase for new talent coming from all different directions. In a more contemporary sense it’s a bit like the internet, where you click between different worlds. You …
Good times for indie producers
Recession or not, times are pretty good for independent producers in Australia, according to an article in the US showbiz bible, Variety.
An article penned in the trade magazine’s unique writing style by Australian writer Michaela Boland paints a pretty rosy picture, based on the fact that Australian audiences are loving local product, together with networks that are happy to outsource.
The ABC, TEN and Nine are referenced as networks building their business on outsourcing of television. While the trend certainly isn’t new (remember Crawfords and Grundys?), there’s a lot more of it …
Seven in Killing Time crime drama
The Age has reported that Channel Seven is developing a true-crime drama about Melbourne’s criminal underworld.
The project, tentatively titled Killing Time, will be based on a book by Melbourne criminal lawyer Andrew Fraser, Court in the Middle: A True Story of Cocaine, Police, Corruption and Prison.
It deals with Fraser’s fall from grace and his time defending such high-profile clients as Jason Moran, Lewis Moran and Victor Pierce.
Fraser was a high profile Melbourne based lawyer imprisoned in 2001 for being knowingly concerned with the importation of a commercial quantity of cocaine. In …
Carey: “I was drunk before Denton show”
Appearing on The Footy Show, fallen footballer Wayne Carey expressed remorse for his bad boy behaviour and claims he is making recovery after hitting rock bottom.
Carey says he hit a low after an incident at his Port Melbourne apartment during which he was arrested. He also made a startling admission over his appearance on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton last year.
“Even after all those things had happend I went up to Queensland I continued to drink,” he said. “Drink at my brother’s house, have a few beers…. I went on the …
A gold year for Rebecca
Last night Julie and Dave Rafter, Australia television’s favourite new mum and dad, decided to keep the baby.
At age 44 ‘Julie Rafter’ faces a number of health challenges that were laid out to her by a doctor, some of which could be life-threatening.
The episode capped off an extraordinary first season for the new Seven drama.
Less seriously, actress Rebecca Gibney, also 44, could be facing a challenge of her own, when the TV Week Logie nominations are announced next week.
Packed to the Rafters was one of the success stories of 2008, arguably …
Australian Story remembers Matt
On Monday night, Australian Story will repeat a profile of disabled activist Matt Laffan, who died in Sydney on March 1st.
Ben Cheshire, one of the producers working on Australian Story since the program began in 1996, says, “Quite often, people ask me whether I have a favourite story from all those years. And the answer is yes.
“It’s the story of Matt Laffan, a bloke small in stature but big in heart, who became a great friend to me.”
Laffan …
The BS Word
ANDREW DENTON: ….you were going to be a professional soccer player, and at 16 you started training with the Rangers, knee injury meant you couldn’t do it.
GORDON RAMSAY: Yeah I started playing serious at 15 and invited up, offered a contract, signed, and then, you know, had a huge incident on a horrendous tackle. Smashed my cartilage in three places. Got better, six months later, tore a crucial ligament, back in plaster for six months. So the whole thing was a lot more difficult. Naturally left footed, couldn’t kick with my …
Mondays don’t make The Cut
The ABC’s foray into drama in a 9:35pm Monday timeslot didn’t fire with viewers last night.
The Cut managed a disappointing 562,000 viewers.
However another first-run Aussie drama, Underbelly, took a cool 2.2m viewers at 8:30pm on Channel Nine.
ABC’s drama was trounced by the Oscars 1.2m viewers, followed by Brothers and Sisters on 839,000 viewers. The news was worse for TEN with Dexter on a lowly 508,000 (such a shame for a knockout series).
When Enough Rope was airing in the same timeslot Denton was averaging around 1m viewers last year.
Despite airing at 9:35pm, …
Denton, Safran and drama lead ABC charge
While attention in the first week of ratings turns to a brawl between Seven, Nine and TEN, the ABC is focussed on the 52 weeks that make up our television year. Over summer it delivered several feature series that upstaged the commercials -at least in terms of quality.
It will soon launch its latest locally-produced drama, The Cut, starring John Wood, Matt Passmore and Julieanne Newbould.
Set to premiere at 9:30pm Monday February 23, the timeslot is another break away from the network’s traditional Sunday programming for local drama.
ABC’s Director of Television, Kim …
Talking Tina
Vocalist Tina Arena is a guest on the ABC’s Talking Heads this month.
Arena, chatting to host Peter Thompson will discuss her early years, including growing up on Young Talent Time, the ‘post-YTT’ years in the wilderness. The music industry wouldn’t touch her. There were jingles, pub gigs and a video clip focusing on her cleavage. Heading for Los Angeles, Tina says her song writing became a form of therapy. Her return to form arrived in the form of the “Don’t Ask” album followed by a family life based in Paris.
We …
Auditions: Project NEXT
Andrew Denton and the ABC have finally released more details of their obscurely worded Project NEXT -and it sounds very tasty indeed.
In a nutshell, Denton is looking for “the next generation” of Australian broadcasters, in both on-air and off-air talent.
Leaning heavily (though not exclusively) towards documentary, factual, news and current affairs, the hunt is on for people aged 18-30 to work as reporters, producers, camera/directors, editors, graphic artists, researchers and web content producers.
God bless Denton. Who else would have the foresight and might to make something like this happen? He has …
TV Tonight Awards: Underbelly wins Best Drama
TV Tonight readers have voted Underbelly the Best Australian Drama of 2008.
Channel Nine’s gangland mini-series polled ahead of Seven’s Packed to the Rafters and City Homicide. TEN’s Rush came in fourth place.
Kat Stewart and Gyton Grantley, who played the role of Roberta Williams and Carl Williams, both thanked readers for the win.
“Thank you TV Tonight readers, for voting Underbelly as Best Drama for 2008!” said Kat Stewart.
“Being based on real events that were still unfolding around us, the stakes felt pretty high. You dream of getting a job where cracker scripts …