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Reviews: The Pacific
Reviews emerging on HBO’s miniseries The Pacific are complimentary about the visuals and staging, drawing rave reports from some, but questions from others about whether it is too grandiose.
The series is expected on Seven after Easter.
Hollywood Reporter said:
Having created “Band of Brothers,” the masterful 2001 miniseries that followed Easy Company from its training in Georgia through the D-Day invasion and until the end of the war, exec producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg decided to balance the equation with a mini set in the Pacific theater. The result is “The …
After Easter, it’s war.
It’s hard to believe, but we’re only three and a half weeks away from non-ratings again.
Yep, two weeks of Easter non-ratings begin on March 28th and end on April 10th. It barely feels like the television year has begun, and certainly with the Olympics it hasn’t been much of a level playing field.
Between now and then Nine is rolling out Top Gear, V and Survivor while Seven and TEN are by and large staying the course with shows already unveiled.
From April 11th the ball game changes. That’s when networks have a …
Trailer: Treme
The Wire is legendary in the realm of modern television.
Now its creator David Simon and writer Eric Overmyer have a new HBO series, set in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Treme (pronounced “Trem-ay”) is named after a neighbourhood in New Orleans. The series is about the rebuilding of the city through the eyes of local musicians -a captivating idea in itself, would we expect anything less?
Simon has said the series will move beyond the music scene to encompass political corruption, the public housing controversy, the criminal-justice system, clashes between police and Mardi Gras Indians, …
Seven 2010: Drama, factuals, epics and comedy
The Pacific, My Kitchen Rules, Cougar Town, ICU, The Marriage Ref, Damage Control, Hung and Royal Pains -just some of the new shows Seven has unveiled as part of its 2010 programming.
Following some time after announcements by opposition networks, Seven demonstrates another strong local slate, with several big international acquisitions. The titles may not be quite as lengthy as Nine’s promise for the year, but Seven has a good track record in delivering on its shows while some networks float titles that just never seem to eventuate (The Irwin Family’s Australia …
Trailer: The Pacific
By the looks of the second trailer for the HBO series The Pacific, we should be in for a mighty series next year -as if there was any doubt.
The WWII drama will screen on Seven. It premieres in the US in March.
Seven programming boss Tim Worner previously told TV Tonight, “It’s extremely powerful. I’ve now seen 3 episodes of that show. You don’t watch that show, you feel that show. It is the last of the great miniseries because of the economic model in the US. There will never be another …
Melbourne Studios underperforming
Melbourne Central City Studios are again the subject of scrutiny after Victoria’s Auditor-General, Des Pearson, says their trading cash flows last financial year were ”not sufficient to meet rental, loan interest and principal obligations”.
In a report to the Victorian Parliament yesterday he said, ”The studios are assessed as having a high financial viability risk due to their current-year loses, while June 30, 2010, operating cash flow forecasts are also uncertain.
”An assessment of key indicators of financial health and business forecasts for the studios indicates high financial viability risk.
”The future plans and …
Melbourne Studios too expensive
Melbourne Central City Studios, better known as Docklands Studios, is the subject of an investigtion by the Sunday Herald Sun today.
It brands the lot a ‘white elephant.’
While it has been home to feature films including Ghost Rider, The Knowing, Charlotte’s Web and Where the Wild Things Are, it’s use of hire is way down amid renewed criticism it is too expensive. With the high Aussie dollar, it becomes even less attractive to overseas productions.
Yet many local productions believe its hire fee is not competitive. Frankly, the same claims were levelled …
Aussie hunk wins One Tree Hill role
A little known actor is the latest Australian actor to land himself a role on an American TV series.
Mitch Ryan, who had a guest role in City Homicide in 2007 has won a recurring role on One Tree Hill, on the CW Network.
He will play Alexander, a handsome ‘pro surfer-turned-young mogul’ (and hopefully an Aussie one?).
Ryan also has a role in HBO’s miniseries The Pacific, to screen on Seven in 2010.
The Brissy-based actor began studying acting at the age of 13, and has been picking up parts since finishing school in …
7TWO: TV’s “best kept secret”
When the Seven Network finally unveiled its new digital channel, 7TWO, last week, it sent a clear message to its rivals. It was not going niche.
Unlike the sports-mad ONE and the youth-skewed GO!, 7TWO is a defiantly broad entertainment channel.
As Programming chief Tim Worner told TV Tonight, he is happy to embrace anybody with ‘a set of eyeballs and a digital telly.’
“We’ve gone for a strategy that uses our main channel to sell our digital channel. We lead in the main channel stakes. Our aim is to grow the number of …
Trailer: The Pacific
Channel Seven’s screening of The Pacific won’t be with us until 2010, with the lavish miniseries not due to air on HBO or BSkyB until March.
The $200m ten part tale, which tells the stories of three Marines during their defence against the Japanese attack during World War II, was filmed in Victoria and Queensland. It has been previously touted as one of Seven’s 2009 offerings.
In this trailer, it certainly looks tempting, but you’ll be lucky to recognise any locations here….
Pacific racks up international sales
Most of us have been anticipating The Pacific to screen on Channel Seven sometime in 2009, but one recent article published on international formats website C21 indicates it won’t air on HBO until 2010.
The Spielberg-Hanks project, a follow-on from the successful Band of Brothers miniseries, has been sold into several major markets, including the UK, Germany, Canada and France.
The 10×60 miniseries has been acquired for channels in Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium and Romania, while TMN, Super Ecran and Movie Central have it in Canada. Belgian networks RTBF, Telenet and …
07 / 08: Production report
2007 / 2008 was a very good twelve months for production.
Australian television drama produced 690 hours of television this year compared to 615 last year. The increase in hours was due mainly to local series/serials. Spending was also up, reaching $256m. The previous year was $253m. It was the best result since 2001/2.
Commercial free-to-air broadcasters spent $190m, 63% of the finance, for this year’s TV drama slate. Victoria pipped NSW in film and television spending with $250m in production, over NSW’s $239m. Queensland comprised $131m of production spending, With SA $32m, …