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Airdate: Durham County
Critically-acclaimed Canadian drama Durham County is about to get a run on ABC2.
The 6 part drama, which has already aired on Pay TV in Australia, stars Hugh Dillon as Toronto Detective Mike Sweeney who moves his family to suburban Durham County to start over after his partner is killed and his wife Audrey is diagnosed with breast cancer. But he soon discovers that his neighbour and childhood nemesis may be the killer.
This award-winning Canadian drama also stars Australian actress Hélène Joy (Water Rats, Stingers) as Audrey Sweeney.
They say there’s only six …
Vale: Dave Grant
Melbourne comedian Dave Grant has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer, aged 50.
He died on Sunday.
“Surrounded by his loving family @ 4.25pm today at his home, my loving partner Dave Grant peacefully past away free of pain and suffering,” his partner Karen Livingstone wrote on Facebook.
Comedians including Peter Helliar and Charlie Pickering also paid tribute to Grant, who performed stand-up routines on several TV variety shows and had guest roles in Neighbours, Stingers and Eagle & Evans.
In December friends and family were concerned for his safety when he went missing …
Aussie writer to be honoured by US Publicists
Australian writer and NCIS Executive Producer Shane Brennan will be honoured by America’s ICG Publicists.
Brennan, who also oversees NCIS: Los Angeles will be feted at the publicist society’s 2010 awards in March, receiving a small-screen showmanship award.
“Shane has been described as a whirl of energy, producing, writing and editing episodes of two of television biggest hits,” awards committee chairman Henri Bollinger said. “He also has a keen sense of what will attract an audience. Something we call showmanship.”
Last year’s recipient was Chuck Lorre.
Brennan joined Crawfords Productions as a scriptwriter on Cop …
Pay TV more than just Killing Time
Killing Time, next year’s 10 part drama on the life of disgraced Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser (pictured), will be the biggest undertaking yet by TV1.
Re-telling the life of a high-flying lawyer who came crashing to earth with cocaine addiction, being disbarred and imprisoned, the story will be produced by FremantleMedia. Executive Producer Jason Stephens told TV Tonight he was looking forward to working with the Pay TV channel again, after their successful union for the Graham Kennedy telemovie, The King.
“In terms of trust they give you room …
Killing Time drama series for TV1
TV1 and FremantleMedia Australia are joining forces for Killing Time, a new 10 part crime drama series based on the true story of disgraced lawyer Andrew Fraser.
In a statement, FMA said, “The series follows the story of Andrew Fraser’s rise from small time lawyer to successfully defending the most infamous criminals this country has ever seen, and then his ultimate downfall and imprisonment for five years in maximum security. His clients included Dennis Allen, Jimmy Krakouer, Alan Bond and those accused of the Walsh Street murders.
“At the top of his game, …
Jason Clarke wins CBS deal
Australian actor Jason Clarke, who had a lead role in Showtime’s Brotherhood series, has signed a talent deal with CBS, to star in a drama pilot targeted for next season.
He is the third actor from an unnamed 2009 CBS drama pilot about a U.S. attorney, to land a future place within the network.
Adam Jamal Craig and Eddie Cibrian were added as regulars to NCIS: Los Angeles and CSI: Miami, respectively.
Prior to his US success, Clarke appeared in Halifax FP, Heartbreak High, Wildside, Murder Call, Home and Away, Murder Call, White Collar …
Directing accolade for Ken Cameron
TV director Ken Cameron will receive a special award for excellence in TV direction from the Australian Director’s Guild Awards next week in Sydney.
Cameron will receive the Michael Carson Award for his body of work which spans more than three decades.
Amongst his achievements are 1989’s Bangkok Hilton (pictured), 1991’s mini-series Brides of Christ and the two-part series My Brother Jack. These works won Logie and AFI Awards.
He has also directed episodes for The Strip, The Alice, Satisfaction, MDA, Stingers, Stringer, White Collar Blue, Police Rescue and Special Squad.
Other titles include Miracle …
Hill and Phelps to the Rescue
Updated: Les Hill and Peter Phelps will star in Nine’s new action drama, Rescue Special Ops, (aka Rescue, Rescue Squad).
Also featuring Libby Tanner (All Saints), Gigi Edgley (Stingers) and Daniel Amalm (Home and Away, Two Fists, One Heart) the series follows elite ambos responding to extreme calls.
The show features ‘Dean Gallagher’, and ‘Chase’, brothers: competitive alpha males, who argue over everything, agree on nothing, but defend each other from outsiders no matter what. In previous information on the show, the roles were aged 29 and 26.
Cast have begun arduous training …
Vale: Frank Gallacher
Actor Frank Gallacher (pictured, right) passed away yesterday in a Melbourne hospital. He was 65.
Gallacher, who was born in Scotland, appeared in countless Australian dramas including MDA, Stingers, Fergus McPhail, State Coroner, Janus, The Man From Snowy River, GP, Skyways, Prisoner, Rush, Matlock Police, Division 4, Bluey, Boney and the mini-series Boys From the Bush, Nancy Wake, All the Rivers Run, The Last Outlaw, Brides of Christ and Against the Wind.
His film credits include roles in Amy, Mr Reliable, Proof, King of the Mountain and Peter Pan.
He was a defiant actor …
Jason Clarke, legal eagle.
Australian actor Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) will join the ensemble of an untitled CBS’ U.S. Attorney drama pilot.
The project revolves around a team of federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan.
Clarke will play the powerful, charismatic section chief who oversees four lawyers and a handful of paralegals in their overlapping cases.
His local credits include Murder Call, Wildside, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, All Saints, Farscape, White Collar Blue and Stingers.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Ellen gets a late showing. Gone: Weeds
Here’s an amendment that even TV Tonight missed in the flurry of changes that have been coming through this week.
Do you want the good news or the bad news (well you already read the headline, right?).
As of Monday Nine will be screening The Ellen DeGeneres Show twice daily, once at 12pm and another late at night.
It starts the late nighters at 11:30pm Monday 16th and continues weeknights, usually at the same time (Friday is pushed to 1:30am). Nine has been re-screening Ellen recently on 9HD.
The bad news is it has backtracked …
What’s happened to HD?
Programming on HD channels has taken a holiday at some networks, with fleeting attention by networks to provide decent alternative viewing.
On some days next week on TEN HD there is only 3 hours of dedicated programming. On other days there is none.
Evening HD programming has dried up over summer on TEN, with no alternatives once provided by shows like Monk, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, Torchwood, Eureka and The X Files. Those shows have now either concluded, without being replaced, or simply stopped.
When TEN HD was announced by TEN it promised “50 hours …