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Logie nominations March 29
The 2010 TV Week Logie nominations will be announced on Monday March 29th.
They will be announced as usual at a morning event in Sydney, this year at 8am from the Ivy Pool Bar in George St.
“With so much great television being produced locally, the TV Week Logie Awards are an ideal opportunity to recognise and applaud the talent we have here in Australia,” Editor Nicole Byers said.
“Long running favourites like Home and Away and Neighbours are being joined by productions such as Packed to the Rafters, Underbelly and MasterChef, creating a …
$250m fallout for government handout
That $250m Rebate has fast become the story that won’t go away.
Media are scrutinising at it from every angle: putting Conroy under the gun, pushing the arguments by Pay TV, attacking Tony Abbott, and even getting quotes from the PM in support of some popular TV shows.
Following on from claims Conroy skiied with Kerry Stokes in Colorado, The Age has noted he enjoyed the following freebies:
-Tickets to the Melbourne Cup last year as a guest of the Seven Network.
-Tickets to watch his AFL team, Collingwood, take on Essendon and Carlton in …
Seven launches Kitchen Rules
Channel Seven launched its new reality cooking contest, My Kitchen Rules, to media in Melbourne last night.
The slap-up dinner in the function room atop South Melbourne Central, Andrew O’Keefe was host for the night, introducing media to the show’s two judges Pete Evans and Manu Fieldel, plus the two Victorian contenders, best mates Clint Yudelman and Noah Rose.
A string of Seven celebs sat down for dinner including Sonia Kruger, Ed Kavalee, Peter Helliar, Jennifer Keyte, Peter Mitchell, David Brown, Tim Watson, Mike Munro, Corrine Grant, Damien Richardson, Axle Whitehead, …
FremantleMedia Australia appointments
FremantleMedia Australia has announced two external appointments and three internal promotions as part of a new management structure.
Jason Stephens (The King, Choir of Hard Knocks, Triple Zero Heroes, Newstopia, Killing Time) has been elevated from Director of Development to Creative Director. Focussing on new business opportunities and creative partnerships, he will continue to develop new formats.
As Director of Television Content, Cathie Scott (MasterChef, Big Brother, So You Think You Can Dance, The Biggest Loser) will oversee factual and entertainment programs. For the past 6 years Scott has been an executive producer …
France picks up MasterChef
Now France is picking up MasterChef, following recent news that the US is adapting the format from Shine Reveille.
The US pick-up was specific about basing production on the Australian broadening of the UK format by FremantleMedia.
French network TF1 has begun casting the series set to air on primetime in 2010. It is the first sale by newly-established Shine France.
TF1 commissioner Laurent Storch added: “MasterChef will be a major show for TF1 in 2010. We are delighted to be not only developing this unique and innovative format but also working …
2.6m stop for the Cup
UPDATED: A whopping, dare we say Shocking, 2.67m Australians stopped for the running of the 2009 Melbourne Cup yesterday -the third biggest audience of the year.
Given that it was a daytime event, and that millions more would have watched it in groups at homes, venues, workplaces and more, the success is all the more sweet. It truly lives up to its name as the race that stops the nation.
It stands as Seven’s biggest audience all year, beaten only by MasterChef’s finale, the AFL Grand Final (both TEN) and the premiere of …
Gordon Ramsay to front US MasterChef
The Australian format adaptation of MasterChef has been picked up by the FOX Network in the US and will be spearheaded by Gordon Ramsay.
Reveille will produce the show, originally based on the UK series, which is said to closely resemble the Australian series. FremantleMedia was given considerable freedom in stripping the series by rights owner Shine, and the results were spectacular.
FOX won’t be stripping the series, however, sticking to around 12 – 15 eps.
Gordon Ramsay, who has appeared in several franchises for FOX, will co-produce and star in the programme. Although …
TEN to launch new channel
The TEN Network will launch a new digital channel in 2010, reports the Courier Mail.
A third digital channel will launch sometime in the next 12 months, it reports.
Commercial networks are currently allowed two SD channels and one HD channel. Currently TEN has TEN, ONE HD and ONE SD which retransmits the feed from the 24 hour sports channel. But as GO! and 7TWO offer entertainment formats they potentially erode TEN’s market share. And as half the country is now on digital it makes the ONE SD channel less viable -except for …
Biggest Loser host to be revealed
TEN will announce its 2010 host for The Biggest Loser tonight on The 7PM Project.
The new host will be chatting with the team.
Names speculated so far amongst media include former contestant Alison Braun, Jackie O, Hayley Lewis and even Magda Szubanski -who subsequently ruled her name from the running.
Jackie O no doubt has much on her mind following her husband suffering burns during a burn-off at their weekend retreat.
An outside chance is former MasterChef host Sarah Wilson, who is also taking up presenting roles in Pay Television.
Former host Ajay Rochester …
Gary Mehigan: “Chris didn’t cheat”
“All I can say is the simple answer to the question ‘is it fixed?’ the answer is no,” insists MasterChef’s Gary Mehigan. “I mean who pre-orders their meat from Coles?
“I think the accusation was that Chris cheated and his girlfriend rang up up Coles. But have you ever tried ringing Coles and ordering a rib-eyed steak? I challenge you to source a good piece of meat like that.”
MasterChef judge and mentor Gary Mehigan says he finds it hard to believe claims that Chris Badenoch cheated in the TEN reality series.
Last …
Twitter triggers MasterChef stoush
A rather amusing article popped up yesterday in The Age after a stoush between MasterChef judge George Calombaris and columnist Winsor Dobbin.
Dobbin had Twittered about a “sellout” by the chef in doing promos for Coles Supermarkets, a major sponsor of the TEN reality series.
According to Dobbin, he received a phone message from Calombaris inviting him to ring back and discuss the matter.
Here are some select points he said were raised in what was obviously a rather lively conversation:
- Do I know how many kids MasterChef has encouraged to cook?
- I’m a …
Hey Hey the Reunion
“Before we were rudely interrupted in November 1999 I was saying….” said Daryl Somers….
And with that Hey Hey it’s Saturday was back on the air.
After ten years in the wilderness the show that epitomised a golden era of Nine television was back before an adoring audience of fans who had missed it almost as much as its host.
Within minutes of returning, the hallmarks of the show were evidnt. Somers’ banter with his off-camera crew, Blackman’s one-liners inserted for a comic rise, whimsical sound effects, cheeky subtitles, cartoon gags and only …