Wed Jan 31

[Seven/8:30pm] Heroes. Premiere. CHAPTER ONE 'GENESIS' Pace yourself for this action drama. Not everything will be readily understood in the first episode but there are enough bread crumbs to hook you in, and to make it quite clear that this will be a smart, slick series.

[Seven/9:40pm] Prison Break. New Series. The boys are on the run. Special FBI Agent Mahone is brought in to track Wentworth and co. Played by William Fichtner, he’s not particularly likeable. Funny how the good guys are bad and the bad guys are good on this show. Basically looks as tho Series 2 is the FBI vs Wentworth. I think bitch Guard Bellick is gonna be pissed.

[Seven/10:40pm] Ultimate Force. New Series. DEAD IS FOREVER. Wait a minute these eps re from 2003, no wonder it didn’t ring many bells. Aren’t we moving back into prime time ratings now?

[Nine/8:30pm] Close to Home. “David and Goliath.”

[Nine/9:30pm] Men in Trees. “The Buddy System”

[ABC/10:10pm] The Kumars at No. 42. New Series. The indomitable Kumars return to ABC TV for a sixth series and Sanjeev Bhaskar continues to fancy himself as the world's greatest chat show host. Bringing friends around to his parents' house is always a risky business - inviting celebrities is truly a gamble. Sanjeev remains totally out of his depth as a chat show host and is embarrassed by the on-going domestic interruptions at No. 42. Sanjeev's attempts to interview the celebrity guests each week are constantly interrupted by his parents and grandmother who hijack the interview and subject guests to their own questions. This week on The Kumars at No. 42 the delightful Joanna Lumley and legendary jockey Frankie Dettori arrive at the house for a full interrogation by the Kumar family. Other guests in this series include Ronnie Corbett, Alice Cooper, Tracey Emin, Jane Seymour, Elvis Costello, George Hamilton and David Hasselhoff.

[Ten/7:30pm] Oprah Winfrey Presents: Dr Oz's Weight Loss Secrets

[Ten/8:30pm] Medium. New Series. See Review.

[SBS/8:30pm] The Power Of Nightmares – Baby It’s Cold Outside – Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart? This three-part documentary series explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. According to this series, at the heart of the story are two groups – the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists. Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended. Together they created today’s nightmare vision of an organised terror network – a fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Part one of the program looks at the origins of the neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists in the 1950s. The rise of the politics of fear began in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that now dominates Washington. Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together. The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision. They created a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see. (From the UK, in English and Arabic, English subtitles) (Documentary Series) (Part 1) PG (Rpt) CC WS

[Ovation/7:00pm] Leo Schofield In Conversation With: Marcia Hines
[Ovation/7:30pm] Barry Manilow Live. A fantastic concert with classic Barry.
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Game on!

The first round of Game Shows 2007 has gone down. And Nine wins it.

1 vs 100 had an average audience of 1.958m viewers and a peak of 2.403 (which is in itself extraordinary).

The Rich List averaged 1.411m viewers and peaked at 1.50m.

Certainly everyone seemed to be talking about these and making comparisons at office watercoolers.

For the record here's my 2c:

1 vs 100 looks amazing, and this is its biggest strength. The sheer scale of the "mob" is hard to resist. The format is Millionaire in the Thunderdome, but shifts the focus of that show's clean "risk vs outcome" equation to the theatrics of the mob. Host Eddie is perfect for this sort of show .... if you like Eddie. He's very relaxed, a good everyman figure, but overdid the raucous mob calls on the first night. He also built the human drama of a struggling contestant well. The Production with sweeping cameras and mood music is slick. Questions seemed a bit dumb, could move a bit faster.

The Rich List doesn't require much knowledge other than memory recall. So it's a light diversion at 7.30. This one is Family Feud with bells and whistles. Teflon host Andrew O'Keefe often tries too hard for my personal liking. But again, he's a pro at a zippy game show. Emphasis on zip. Pairing strangers may have some nice subtext if we're allowed to see teams who do or don't connect. It's nice that champions can reign over episodes. The set looks a bit Star Trek, as O'Keefe himself mentioned.

In conclusion, now the wow factor is over, survival really boils down to whether the viewer enjoys a good game show, likes the host and has little timeslot competition. I'd give the edge to 1 vs 100 but still reckon Millionaire is a cleaner, simpler format. After all, there's great drama in watching someone risk $250,000 trying to decide whether the eldest Marx Brother was Harpo, Chico or Groucho.

Now bring on TEN!
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Ten and Spicer shake hands.

TEN has settled its discrimination case with former newsreader Tracey Spicer.

Spicer was taking legal action against TEN for unfair dismissal alleging breaches of the federal Sex Discrimination Act.

This was a charge Ten aggresively denied, saying "Ten does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, religion or sexual preference. Ten employs more female news presenters than any other Australian commercial television network, with at least one female news presenter in every bulletin in every state. Ten also has more women in key editorial and news management roles."

The announcement that the case has reached a settlement was brief. VERY brief:

Network Ten and newsreader Tracey Spicer have reached a settlement concerning matters arising from her employment with Ten. Ten thanks Ms Spicer for her service over the past 14 years and wishes her well in her future endeavours.

Spicer currently reads for Sky News on Foxtel.
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Show Nine the Money

Nine's revenue share slipped below Seven's in the last six months according to The Australian

In the July to Dec half, Seven attracted a 35.8 per cent share of the market,Nine had 33.80% and Ten had. 30.32%.

Nine's $955 million was its lowest result since 2003. Read more...

Tue Jan 30

[Seven/8:30pm] 24 - The New Beginning. New Series. 6:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M. In the thrilling, two hour movie length season premiere, terror grips the nation as weeks of horrific terrorist attacks continue with two bombings in Los Angeles. With nearly 1,000 people dead and the public's fear mounting, the new President and CTU are forced to make some difficult decisions, including whether to sacrifice the life of Jack Bauer. Starring KIEFER SUTHERLAND, MARY LYNN RAJSKUB, DB WOODSIDE, JAMES MORRISON, JAYNE ATKINSON, PETER MACNICOL and ERIC BALFOUR. After last year's ripping, Emmy winning series, get set for another year of Jack Bauer in two double instalments this week. It starts out a little slow, but by the end of Thursday is gripping stuff.

[Seven/10:20pm] Cold Feet. New Series. Pete and Jo find their honeymoon is soon over when Pete's mum comes to live with them. Adam feels left out by Rachel's doting love of baby. David and Karen commence divorce proceedings. Starring JAMES NESBITT, HELEN BAXENDALE, JOHN THOMSON, ROBERT BATHURST, HERMIONE NORRIS, KIMBERLEY JOSEPH, JACEY SALLES and SEAN PERTWEE.

[SBS/7:30pm] Blue Eyed: Indecently Exposed – This film challenges the racial attitudes held by some Canadians towards Native Canadians with anti-racism expert Jane Elliott. With cameras rolling, she divides the suspecting participants by eye colour, blue-eyes in one group, brown-eyes (many of them native Canadian) in the other. Elliott turns the tables on the participants treating the blue eyes as “persons of colour”, confronting and brow-beating them, while the “brown eyes” get treated with respect. Filmed in Regina, Saskatchewan, this documentary illustrates and exposes how systemic racism continues to thrive in Canada today. While there has been other films featuring Elliott’s workshops, this is the first time Elliott has brought her controversial workshop to Canada, and unlike the others, this film focuses its attention on the individual Canadian participants who have ‘exposed’ themselves to her confrontational and highly effective techniques. These insights into the personal lives of the participants, combined with the intensity of the workshop experience, creates an emotional and psychological drama that plays out as the blue eyes learn what it is like to be targets of discrimination. (From Canada, in English) (Documentary) PG CC WS

[SBS/8:35pm] Cutting Edge: Iraq’s Missing Billions – This documentary reveals what has happened to the billions of dollars of Iraqi reconstruction money entrusted to the American Coalition. In just fourteen months, the CPA burned its way through nearly $20 billion. But no one can account for where it all went. Iraq’s infrastructure is worse than ever before. Operating theatres are flooded with sewage. New-born babies are dying for lack of basic equipment. In this investigation, Iraqi doctor Ali Fadhil goes in search of the missing money. He uncovers a horrific story of fraud, incompetence and corruption. As word spread of the kind of money that could be made in Iraq, foreign contractors flocked in. According to this documentary, companies like Custer Battles billed for work they hadn’t done and charged the CPA a 1000% mark up for their expenses. While dodgy contractors were making millions, the Iraqi people were left paying the price. According to the United States’ own figures, Iraq’s essential services are worse than before the war. (From the UK, in English and Arabic, English subtitles) M CC WS

[ABC/10:30pm] M2F: A Journey In Gender Identity
Through interviews this program looks at male-to-female transsexual women.
In this compelling film, m2F profiles a handful of individuals who have contended with gender identity disorder. From Georgina Beyer of New Zealand (the world's first transsexual Member of Parliament) to an Australian Navy ship's captain, their journeys through despair, rejection, and hope are conveyed with intelligence and compassion. The stories of these transgendered people and their families are interwoven with insights by top professional minds from around the world, along with opinions from the clergy, police, parents, and family members. As the film makes clear through brief remarks from the often intolerant public, these individuals continue to face hostility. However, as they allow themselves to live as who they are -- rather than how society has forced them to live -- each has emerged with a far greater sense of happiness and peace.Along with the 52-minute documentary, this landmark production includes additional programs that feature individual profiles of transsexuals.

[Nine/11:15pm] Penn & Teller: BS. Fen Shui / Bottled Water

[Ten/8:30pm] NCIS "Escaped" Gibbs is forced to come back out of his retirement to help Fornell, who is being threatened by a convict that escaped from prison. The NCIS team re-open the convict's old robbery case and the investigation leads the NCIS team to a surprising discovery. Guest: Hal Holbrook.

[Ten/9:30pm] The O.C.

[Fox8/8:30pm] Dangerous. Read more...