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The thin blue line
Tomorrow night on Rush, Inspector Kerry Vincent (Catherine McClements) is pulled over for drink driving. Without giving too much away, she doesn’t take kindly to the directive, which begs the question: how much can you get away with when you’re filming a drama about the force?
Rush and City Homicide both depict a fictional “State Police” which affords them the luxury of stories that aren’t in collusion with Victoria Police.
Producer John Edwards spoke to TV Tonight about the benefits of not having to seek police approval on scripts.
Surprisingly, the move is not …
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 …
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 …
Vince out for Underbelly 2
No surprises here, Vince Colosimo is the latest Underbelly actor to rule himself out of the sequel, being prepared by Screentime for the Nine Network.
He told Moviehole his part won’t factor into the storyline of the next series.
“The next instalment is ’75 to ’85,” he said. “Then, next year, they might do ’85 to ’95 – and the character I play will come into it again. So I’m not in this next one, but if they get the all clear to do it, I’ll be in the next one”.
A large …
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 …
Darkly deconstructing Dexter
Online media continues to be a great space for the deconstruction of television, allowing fans of programmes to see behind the scenes.
This photo of a patient Michael C. Hall sitting on the set of Dexter is one of many that are featured in a photo shoot in “Hollywood Backlot”, a feature of the LA Times. You can see a lot more on make-up artists working on grisly murder victims, and other actors from the third series, which has just launched in the US. Here’s another on Terminator: Sarah Connor …
Woof. Wilfred’s comin’ back.
Bong-smoking dogs across Australia rejoice. Your favourite mutt is heading back into production.
Jason Gann and Adam Zwar are returning to their comedy series about a talking dog, Wilfred.
The SBS comedy in which Gann wears a mangey dog suit screened last year.
Wilfred is the pet of Sarah (Cindy Waddingham) who doesn’t take kindly to her new boyfriend, Adam (Adam Zwar). The layered dynamic between the three central characters was one of the charms of the show, along with the ridiculously zany premise of a talking dog.
Gann, who most recently appeared on Mark …
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 …
TEN’s week to smile
Channel TEN is enjoying one of its best weeks in a long time, currently sitting in second position after two nights in Week 39, just 0.8% behind Seven.
That’s thanks largely to the performances of Australian Idol and the Brownlow Medal.
Cyndi Lauper’s appearance on Idol on Sunday night nabbed the station 1.34m viewers, beating both 60 Minutes and shrinking Dancing with the Stars. Last night she returned to sing “Time after Time” to the tune of 1.1m viewers. Next week Darren Hayes is guest judge.
TEN also had the 2008 Brownlow Medal in …
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 …
US crits on “Worst Enemy” and “Mentalist”
Christian Slater’s new drama for NBC, My Own Worst Enemy, is high stakes for the network, which will need a breakout hit in the Fall Season.
Despite early clips disappointing critics in July, there has been much movement behind the scenes. Now a first episode screener is hitting critics, and The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd likes what he sees.
He writes:
The episode is a snappily written, fast-paced thriller that shows Slater can be a — and I’m really trying to avoid using the word “surprisingly” here — likable TV star. He plays …
The Rush identity
Television crews are always at the mercy of the elements. 90km winds and torrential rain were bearing down on the cast and crew from Rush yesterday. It was the last thing director Andrew Prowse needed when all he wanted to capture was a crucial scene of a gunman taking potshots at his lead characters. But Prowse was pragmatic, and with over two decades of television under his belt it wasn’t hard to see why.
As a director who has worked on Wildside, Heartbreak High, All Saints, McLeod’s Daughters, Farscape and even Wonder …