Nothing can be FINA

Well the FINA Swimming hasn't exactly set the ratings on fire for Nine, so a little scandal is just the thing.

Nine managed to capture footage of a brawl between a swimmer and trainer, a Ukranian athlete and her father / trainer.

Now we wait and see who signs her up for an interview!

But why did the footage capture so much with nobody interjecting? It ran for seven whole minutes. Nine says it was on a remote controlled camera, yet the camera follows the action, with pans and zooms. What were they waiting for?

You can view some of the footage here.

Pic: Nine / SMH.
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Warney bowls a foxymoron over.

A wedding scene shot outside Melbourne's Luna Park yesterday for the next season of Kath & Kim didn't stay secret very long.

Sharon (Magda Szubanski) was getting hitched to her dream guy, Shane Warne.

Also on hand for the big moment were Kath, Kim, Craig and Brett.

Warne has long been the apple of Sharon's eye, and has made appearances as himself in Neighbours.

He follows on from other guest appearances including Kylie Minogue, Barry Humphries and Rachel Griffiths. Little Britain's Matt Lucas has also recorded material for the upcoming series.

Meanwhile, no word on which network will win the series, after the contract with the ABC expired.

Thanks to Herald-Sun and Daily Telegraph. Read more...

GLAAD blocks Logo and Here!

GLAAD, the The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, hands out awards every year for representation and depiction of G&L; characters in the American media.

But now they are banning gay cable networks Logo and Here! from entering their Awards.

Why? Because they're gay.

Just as it prevents queer mags like The Advocate and Out from entering, it has now decreed that the two cable networks are alternative media, when its objective is to promote and reward queer roles in the mainstream media.

It reckons it would be unfair for mainstream media to compete against networks that feature G&L characters 24 / 7.

What a ludicrous situation has arisen. Maybe they would be happier of Logo and Here! disappeared so America could have more mainstream media with the occasional space for gay characters?

All things are not equal in media. After all the commercial networks have much bigger budgets to produce their shows than cable. That's never been a consideration, either.
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The schoolgirl and the PM

Catherine Tate is about to hit the ABC next week and here is a little taste of her schoolgirl character, Lauren. If you think she's a little Vicki Pollard, then just wait for the rest of Tate's zany characters.

Tate recently shot a Red Nose Day spot in which Lauren meets Tony Blair. If you watch to the end of this clip you will see Blair deliver some terrific comedy for a non-actor. He is right up there with Little Britain's own PM, which is based on him anyway.

I smell a new career move.

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Foxtel Young and Restless

As part of its The Young and the Restless launch on the W Channel, Foxtel will screen a special titled, The Young and the Restless - InFANity.

It goes behind the scenes of the soap opera, featuring a set visit with star Melody Thomas Scott and look at the show's 18-year history. There are interviews with cast members, including Jeanne Cooper, Eric Braeden, Tracey Bregman, Kristoff St. John and Peter Bergman.

It screens on:
Wed Mar 28 2pm Bio Channel
Fri Mar 30 2pm Fox8
Sat Mar 31 4pm Bio
Sat Mar 31 6:30pm W (+ W2)

It also screens on Easter Saturday 7th April at 4pm, Easter Sunday 8th April at 4.45pm, and Easter Monday 9th April at 12.50pm. W Channel.

Meanwhile here is all the info on the Y&R; airdates:
Australian Exclusive: Young and the Restless.
Weekdays, from Monday 2 April at Midday on W Channel.

The long-running Emmy Award winning soap is now exclusive to W.

The Young and the Restless premiered on US television in 1973. It has consistently been the number one rating daytime drama there since 1988 and has notched up more than 50 Daytime Emmy® Awards.

The Young and the Restless revolves around the powerful Abbott and Newman families in Genoa City, both trying to control the cosmetic industry.

The show’s current long-standing cast members include: Peter Bergman (plays Jack Abbott), Eric Braeden (plays Victor Newman), Melody Thomas Scott (plays Nikki Reed Newman), Michael Damian (plays Danny Romalotti) and Don Diamont (plays Brad Carlton).

More Info. Read more...

A Night at the Opera

I'm personally quite excited by SBS' Classic Albums series this week, which showcases Queen's amazing 'A Night At The Opera.'

Featuring Bohemian Rhapsody, Love of My Life and Death on Two Legs, it's one of my favourite albums -and certainly my favourite band of all time. There's nobody like Freddie.

This profile will offer rare interviews, performances, footage and a track by track analysis.


Classic Albums: Queen- A Night At The Opera will show you the story behind the making of Queen’s breakout release of 1975 “A Night at The Opera”. This album was not only the bands first platinum album, but it was also the one that catapulted them into the spotlight as one of the biggest rock acts in the world. Classic Albums: Queen- A Night At The Opera is the story behind the recording of Queen's 1975 breakthrough album. This spectacular retrospective includes all-new interviews and acoustic performances by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.

It also includes commentary by producer Roy Thomas Baker, and an in-depth analysis of all 12 songs – including their musical make-up and personal undercurrents. Queen- A Night At The Opera also includes appearances by Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, and Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter, new acoustic performances of ’39 and Good Company by Brian May, plus archival performance and interview footage of the late Freddie Mercury.

Also featuring excerpts from: Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) • Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon • I'm In Love With My Car • You're My Best Friend • '39 • Sweet Lady • Seaside Rendezvous • The Prophet's Song • Love Of My Life • Good Company • Bohemian Rhapsody • God Save The Queen

Now, for the first time, fans are offered an in-depth look at one of rock music’s seminal records with the Classic Albums: Queen- A Night At The Opera.

Airs 10:20pm Saturday on SBS. Read more...

Anthony Callea confirms he's gay

Australian Idol's Anthony Callea has spoken about his sexuality, and confirmed he is gay.

It follows an incident earlier this month in which he was accidentally outed on Sydney radio. Callea has told the Herald-Sun he has no problem with his sexuality, but it has taken time to process.

Callea also addressed the many denials he gave to press over his years since Idol. He now regrets making the statements, explaining this as a confusing time, and attributed some of this to his age.

He also spoke about the cultural difficulties of being gay, Italian and living in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

Callea said he met his current partner, Paul, while working on Idol.

Along with Darren Hayes, it's good to see more out and proud pop stars, especially giving younger teenage fans a more representative cross-section of entertainers.
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