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TV Tonight Awards 2009: The year of Shaun Micallef
The votes are in.
Readers have spoken on their best and worst television for 2009 in the third annual TV Tonight Awards.
The winners: Shaun Micallef, MasterChef and Packed to the Rafters.
Over 1000 surveys were completed this year, and there were some definite trends. Some choices were clear decisions, others were tight races.
Several “winners” were also “losers” elsewhere, showing a divided audience, and a number of populist shows proved their mettle by staying ahead of underdogs.
Shaun Micallef won both Favourite Male and Most Underrated Performer, while Talkin’ ‘Bout Your …
Merrick and Rosso ending radio gig
Comedy Channel duo Merrick and Rosso will finish their Nova radio show in Sydney next month after reports Tim Ross has opted not to re-sign with the station.
Both have been part of Nova since 2001, joined by Kate Ritchie in 2008.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Ross made his decision to leave following a “turbulent” meeting with network management last Friday. He is said to been keen to pursue other projects.
The duo, who have fronted several shows on television, hosted their latest series The Merrick and Rosso Show …
Government slow to respond to TV inquiry
It might be time for The Hollowmen to come back and explain this one…
Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin has criticised the Rudd Government after 14 months of failing to respond to the recommendations of a Senate inquiry into TV standards. It was June 2008 the findings were handed down.
The inquiry, which was held following an episode of Gordon Ramsay swearing 80 times in 40 minutes, recommended a review of the Australian Communication and Media Authority’s role, a streamlining of viewer complaints processes and requiring parental locks to be installed on …
Talking Heads: Graeme Blundell
On next Monday’s Talking Heads Peter Thompson talks to actor, writer and director, Graeme Blundell.
Blundell has directed over 100 plays, acted in about the same number and appeared in more than 40 films and hundreds of hours of TV, including The Hollowmen most recently.
He’s been Associate Director of the Melbourne Theatre Company and Artistic Director of Kinsela’s in Sydney, written biographies of Graham Kennedy and Brett Whiteley, plus his own autobiography, The Naked Truth, A Life in Parts and is currently regular columnist in The Australian.
But everyone still remembers him …
Logie Awards 2009: Gallery
“It’s good to be here,” said Gretel. “I have never personally won a television award.” Except for running second in a poll of TV’s most annoying host, she joked.
“This is a chance for me to say hello to you at home whom I have not seen in a long time.
“It is a little bit daunting to be back in the spotlight,” she conceded….
Radio jibe over Underbelly cameo
This is such a non-story it’s almost not worth visiting. But in the interests of helping to set the record straight….
Austereo’s Kyle Sandilands has criticised the fleeting Underbelly appearance by his radio rival Merrick Watts.
Yesterday Sandilands suggested Watts only took part in Monday’s episode for publicity.
“(I wouldn’t want) to have a Merrick Watts part where you get shot in the head two minutes into it,” he said.
“I’d want to be a full deal star, a real star.
“Not a bit part that you buy your way into.”
Production company Screentime denied that …
Radio active TV
“We decided to go with humour for the second series. Jokes. Funny,” insists Tim Ross.
“No, it’s more of the same but I think we’re in a better position with this one. Everytime you do a second series I think you’re much more comfortable. Your team gets its shit together. Not that people are always interested in what goes on behind the scenes, but we’ve gotten to know our writers and producers and editors, people who do our costumes. It’s a really nice team at the moment, everyone’s on the same page …
Logie Awards 2009: Nominees
Packed to the Rafters and Underbelly dominated 2008 television and so it is with the 51st TV Week Logie Awards.
Rafters leads with 11 nominations while Underbelly has, appropriately, nine. Rebecca Gibney, Kat Stewart and Gyton Grantley all have nods in acting for both popular and peer-voted outstanding categories. Gibney is also a front runner for the Gold. Both shows are also in as Most Popular Drama and Most Outstanding Drama.
The lists reflect a strong showing by Drama in 2008. While the magazine’s younger readers favour soaps, the industry also nods to …
A gold year for Rebecca
Last night Julie and Dave Rafter, Australia television’s favourite new mum and dad, decided to keep the baby.
At age 44 ‘Julie Rafter’ faces a number of health challenges that were laid out to her by a doctor, some of which could be life-threatening.
The episode capped off an extraordinary first season for the new Seven drama.
Less seriously, actress Rebecca Gibney, also 44, could be facing a challenge of her own, when the TV Week Logie nominations are announced next week.
Packed to the Rafters was one of the success stories of 2008, arguably …
The Hollowmen explains ABC funding
It’s lucky we don’t have The Hollowmen making decisions on ABC’s triennial funding. Otherwise they would have no hope.
“Play School? Why are we still making Play School after fifty years?” asks Tony, the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary (Rob Sitch)
“It needs to be constantly refreshed,” say Phillip, secretary to the PM’s Dept.
“How? The alphabet hasn’t changed. The round window…? There’s still a bear in there…..”
The clip was made as part of the ABC’s funding showcase to Minister Conroy this week in Canberra. It mocks most of the ABC’s big shows, but …
Chandon takes a second Picture
The second season of Chandon Pictures, which returns to Movie Extra this month, has lined up some familiar faces for its guest cast: Josh Lawson (Thank God You’re Here, Wipeout), Lachy Hulme (The Hollowmen), Dan Wyllie (Love My Way), Roy Billing (Underbelly), Don Hany (Underbelly, East West 101) David James (The Hollowmen), Lynette Curran (Love My Way, All Saints) and Marshall Napier (City Homicide).
Both Lawson and Hulme appeared in S1.
The story for the second season sees Tom (Rob Carlton) return somewhat defeated from a brief stint in Hollywood. The Chandon crew …
ABC to Stitch up comedy
A new comedy initiative has been jointly announced by ABC TV and Film Victoria designed to stimulate more comedy television.
Announced at the National Screenwriters Conference in South Australia, STITCH is looking for diverse ideas and concepts from comedy writers, directors, producers and performers.
The initiative presents an opportunity for practitioners to put forward innovative and imaginative ideas for new narrative comedy series with the hope that they may join the ranks of hit ABC TV series Summer Heights High, The Hollowmen, Very Small Business and Review with Myles Barlow.
Amanda Duthie, Head …