News, Top Stories Archive:
Looking for the magic touch
TEN’s line up for 2009 includes more factual series than ever, returning favourites and new international content. After a disappointing 2008, especially in the second half, TEN will need the magic touch to win back loyal viewers.
The network made the announcement today as part of a three day tour across the country.
Headlining the announcement is the acquisition of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Cooking show MasterChef Australia will replace Big Brother across a 7pm timeslot mid year.
Another 7pm strip show is yet to be announced.
The new locally produced factual shows include …
TV Forums report card
Since the advent of online, television fans have had ways of letting networks know what they think. No more writing letters to newspapers, it’s as easy as logging onto a network website anonymously and speaking your mind.
TV Tonight has been looking at how our networks embrace free and open discussion. Here’s how they stacked up.
ABC:
Within the ABC site there are individual show pages, many of which have open forums. Shows including Enough Rope, Compass, Can We Help?, At The Movies, Life at 3, Good Game, Media Watch, Spicks and Specks and …
Packered by the Rafters
It was the week the Packer family parted ways with Nine causing David Gyngell to vow to prove James Packer wrong, TEN announced a new channel, Pay TV launched another three, Minister Stephen Conroy signalled support for increased ABC & SBS funding, commercial networks (briefly) found a conscience but upset David Leckie, WIN sat down at the gambling table, Kath & Kim (US) got a greenlight for a full season, Andrew Denton announced the end of Enough Rope, David Tennant set his exit from his iconic role, Rove visited …
ONE HD bumps TEN HD into limbo
TEN’s “science fiction Thursday”, Neighbours catch-up, timeshifted News and documentaries on TEN HD could become a thing of the past with confirmation that there is no contingency plan announced alongside the launch of ONE HD.
TEN HD will continue on air until April when it is overtaken by TEN’s 24hr sports channel ONE HD. The current home of TEN HD, Channel 12, will broadcast the sports content in standard definition.
That leaves Smallville and other fan favourites in television limbo. Other shows including Torchwood, Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights …
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 …
Holy spin-offs, Batman!
The CW Network has given a greenlight to a pilot based on Batman sidekick Robin in his pre-Caped Crusader days, possibly to take the place of Smallville.
Smallville producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, as well as McG (Supernatural, Chuck) are behind The Graysons, which has landed a pilot commitment from the CW.
Just as Smallville focused on Clark Kent in the years before he became Superman, The Graysons will follow the world of Dick “DJ” Grayson before he takes on the iconic Robin identity and aligns himself with Batman.
The Graysons is seen …
9021-0h dear. TEN drops teen soap.
Less than a week after dropping Taken Out from its schedule, Channel TEN has now yanked 90210, including plans to slate the show on Friday nights from next week.
Only five of the episodes have aired.
The show started in Australia with a double episode attracting 837,000 and 666,000 in early September. This week it averaged 616,000.
TEN had already announced a move it to Friday nights from next week, replacing it with Supernatural, but that now won’t happen. TEN maintains that it still believes in the show and it will return later in the year.
In …
Seriously confusing Mondays
Updated. In the musical chairs that is Network TEN’s Mondays (seriously) comes another round of changes to keep viewers on their toes. Have some sympathy for the poor folk at Pagemasters who have to enter these into all your print guides…
Now it seems Supernatural is returning, with a double season premiere at 8:30pm Monday October 6th. The first hour screened in the US last week. A week later it screens at 9:30pm.
That pushes 90210 out to a new time of Fridays at 8:30pm, edging the movie The Bourne Supremacy to 9:30pm.
Plans …
Greek
We hear about fraternity brothers and sorority sisters in American media all the time. I even recall Ritchie and the Fonz once frocked up as sorority girls. It’s an aspect of American culture I don’t really understand, and I’ve never been particularly bothered with that shortcoming. Now, Greek has come along to explain it for me.
The ‘Greek system’, as it’s also known, is a social system for undergraduate college kids, built around alphabet names like Phi Beta Kappa. Many live in on-campus houses alongside senior members who oversee selection of the …
Airdate: Greek
Greek (or even GRΣΣK) is coming to FOX8 from 8:30pm Thursday September 18.
The teen comedy / drama follows students of Cyprus-Rhodes University who partake in the school’s Greek system. Freshman Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar) arrives at college and decides he no longer wants to be the boring geek from high school. He decides to pledge a fraternity.
The ABC Family drama has received good reviews for its portrayal of teenagers, including praise for depicting a gay fraternity member who struggles with the stereotyping and homophobia. It is created by Patrick Sean Smith who has …