News Archive:
The race that tops the nation
It was the week a Pay TV spokesperson called broadcaster feuding “juvenile” while another exec wanted better inclusion at the digital switch table, a TEN programmer conceded it had massive timeslot problems, Nine axed production staff, Sonia Kruger was criticised for an on air joke, a former soap star said he didn’t really enjoy soaps, belated guide amendments left viewers confused, an ABC journo pleads guilty to charges in Singapore, drug charges against a Seven personality were dropped, Seven revisits its C7 case against Pay television, the ABC launches its new …
Returning: Top Gear
Following the final episode of Top Gear Australia on November 17th, we are set for the real deal to return to SBS.
Top Gear’s eleventh series kicked off in the UK in June and it screens on SBS from Monday November 24.
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May return with six new episodes, with guests including Allan Carr, Jay Kay and Rupert Penny Jones.
Meanwhile the twelfth series got underway in the UK this week. Clarkson already copped some bad press for a remark about truck drivers killing prostitutes.
Press Release:
SBS’s most popular program …
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 …
James Morrison, speed demon.
Next week’s Top Gear Australia features jazz muso James Morrison racing around the lap as the “Celebrity in a Bog Standard Car” and a 2,400km race across Australia from the Simpson Desert to Cairns.
The three hosts each take a 4WD, choosing between a Lexus LX 570, Range Rover Vogue TDV8 and an Audi Q7.
On Monday the show dropped to its lowest figure so far this series, 435,000 viewers -fifth in its timeslot.
Press Release:
In episode six, Top Gear Australia hosts Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati go on an epic journey …
Packed with success stories
Seven finished with a big lead in Week 43 -a 30.6% audience share over Nine’s 26.5% and TEN’s 20.3%.
The ABC had 17.5% and SBS 5.0%.
Top show for the week was again Packed to the Rafters for the Seven Network.
For Nine its new US drama The Mentalist (Sun) was tops on 1.44m, while NCIS was TEN’s strongest on 1.23m.
Spicks and Specks was the top show for the ABC on 1.24m while Top Gear Australia managed 598,000 for SBS.
Week 43.
Top Gear Australia wins second series
SBS has hit the “GO” light on pre-production for a second season of Top Gear Australia, despite some viewer criticism of the local hosts.
The broadcaster says a second series will go to air “as early as possible” in 2009.
The series has rated in the high 600,000s for its second and third weeks, dropping from its premiere of 933,000. By SBS standards, it’s still a solid audience, though about a third behind the UK original.
Meanwhile SBS has been swift to boast that Jeremy Clarkson has given the series a thumbs up.
“Massive congratulations …
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 …
ABC renews BBC output deal
Good news, gang.
The ABC has renewed a deal with the BBC which gives it a first option on Drama, Light Entertainment (including Comedy), Natural History, Music & Arts and Religion for the next two years.
The deal was stitched up at MIPCOM in Cannes.
The broadcaster will continue to have first choice over its popular shows including Spooks (pictured), Doctor Who, Dalziel and Pascoe and Silent Witness.
“We have an exceptional relationship with ABC TV and we are looking forward to strengthening it further as we develop our business in this key territory,” commented …
Top Gear Australia: Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson is the guest on Top Gear Australia on Monday October 20th, as the “Celebrity in a Bog Standard Car”.
He follows Julia Zemiro’s stint on the show tonight.
Thompson, who appeared as the first celeb on SBS’ localised Who Do You Think You Are?, is the third SBS personality to appear in four weeks.
The episode will also see the hosts in remote Western Australia, Lang Lang in Victoria and playing lawn balls.
Press Release:
This week in Top Gear Australia co-host Steve Pizzati drives the fastest Australian car ever built, the lads play …
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 …
Top Gear fans rant, but not to SBS.
After the widely-reported tumble for the second-episode of Top Gear Australia yesterday, SBS might be somewhat relieved to know that aggrieved fans of the show don’t have a central place to bitch about the show.
That’s because there is no blog or forum on the SBS website for the new show.
Other programmes enable viewer interaction and feedback including RocKwiz, Bogan Pride, The Mighty Boosh, Shameless, Skins, Inside Australia and Great Australian Albums.
SBS’ page for Top Gear Australia allows for no such feedback. Conspiracy? It sounds like it.
But SBS told TV …