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Current affairs surge at Seven
It was the week that current affairs and finance dominated. Ray Martin lamented the state of commercial news and current affairs at the same time as a former sports presenter won his first week behind a public affairs desk, a CEO lashed out at his rival networks but shot off about the starting date of his new current affairs project, while the network signed a former Sunday journo, TEN reported a 25% slump in earnings, a Telstra boss said Foxtel subscriptions were slowing, another Murdoch stitched up a production deal with …
Gone: Hole in the Wall, Wipeout, Motorway Patrol.
Fringe disappearing from Nine’s schedule wasn’t the only change within the programming department today.
It made switches to its Friday line-up from next week too.
Instead it’s bringing movies back to Friday nights, specifically, the Harry Potter series.
Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone will air next Friday Oct 24 at 7:30pm. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets airs a week later, Friday October 31st.
As a result a Friday edition of Wipeout and Hole in the Wall are out of schedule and plans to return Motorway Patrol are gone -thank goodness.
Gone: Fringe
Nine has just pulled the plug on one of it’s big new dramas, Fringe.
The big budget “thrilling new drama” the network recently promoted as with a big marketing push has been pulled from it schedule effective immediately.
Nine will instead move The Mentalist into its place from next Wednesday at 8:30pm, followed by CSI: NY.
This week the series rated a disappointing 671,000 viewers -thrashed by Criminal Minds’ 1.47m, beaten by Spicks and Specks 1.23m, and pipped by House’s 885,000 viewers.
The complex, futuristic drama starring Australian actors Anna Torv and John Noble has …
Airdate: Mythbusters: Super Sized Myths
UPDATED: Now shelved to be replaced by The Mentalist. CSI: NY remains at 9:30pm.
Nine has a two hour Mythbusters special “Super Sized Myths” set to air later this month.
The boys from Mythbusters are generally associated with SBS, but have also been seen fleetingly on the Seven Network.
The special will air at 8:30pm Wednesday October 29, meaning no Fringe or CSI: NY for that night.
Hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are back in this two hour special which hits everything possible! Sharks, taxis, rocket cars and cruise ships.
Knight Rider wins extra episodes
Knight Rider has been given an order for another four episodes by NBC -good news for the Seven Network which owns the rights to the show in Australia.
It follows extra episodes ordered for CBS’ The Mentalist, both just shy of a full season.
So far Fringe and 90210 have been picked up for full seasons.
In the US, Knight Rider has had a shaky start, so the four episode approval is a cautiously optimistic move by NBC.
In Australia the telemovie grabbed 902,000 viewers. Seven has indicated it will air the series in October …
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 …
Good news for The Mentalist, Entourage
CBS has ordered six additional scripts for The Mentalist, just shy of the nine that would give it a full season.
In its first two outings in the US, the show has won its time slot with an average of 15.4 million viewers.
On the back of the NRL Grand Final on Sunday night Nine managed a good 1.33m viewers, and gives the show a repeat outing on Wednesday night.
Along with Fringe and 90210 winning full seasons, this puts Aussie network choices in good stead -despite 90210 being bumped until summer.
Meanwhile HBO has …
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 …
Fringe wins full season
Australian actors Anna Torv and John Noble have just been given the thumbs up with news that FOX has picked up a full-season order of J.J. Abrams’ Fringe.
The sci fi thriller wins an additional 9 episodes taking it to 22.
After a so-so premiere in the US the show jumped significantly in Week 2 following House -ironically its competition in Australia.
So far it has averaged 10.7 million viewers and as the top new Fall series in adult demographics.
“The series has really taken off creatively, and it’s exciting to see that the …
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 …
Returning: Hell’s Kitchen. Gone: Kitchen Nightmares USA
When Gordon Ramsay is no longer working, we’re in serious programming trouble. But 712,000 viewers was all he attracted last night at 9:30pm, well down on his highs of 1.3 - 1.4m. Nine now gets that for repeats of Two and a Half Men.
Nine started the latest series of Kitchen Nightmares USA just days after its US screening. Airing on a Monday the first episode was virtually a recap, with Gordo going back to restaurants he had spruced up before. Last week the first “new restaurant” didn’t air til 10pm, following …
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 …