Nine declines Naomi Show

The Australian reported this week that Naomi Robson's manager showed her pilot of The Naomi Show to Nine's Jeff Browne and programmer Michael Healy but they rejected it.

Nine is obviously still licking its wounds over the demise of The Catch-Up and steering away from potentially expensive shows that take time to build. This is despite reports all round that the pilot was actually pretty good.

Naomi has been so readily identified as a Seven personality, including with some notorious baggage, it may prove problematic to find her another outlet so soon.

I still sense she has been hard done by here. Naomi Robson managed to entrench Today Tonight as a successful vehicle for Seven. Where's the love, guys? Read more...

Jason's new soap

Jason Donovan is shooting a new soap in the UK, Echo Beach.

The actor, who appeared in the earlier this week, in Concert for Diana, joins ex-Eastenders' Martine McCutcheon in the Cornwall-shot series. In the drama, Donovan's character plays McCutcheon's ex-lover, whose "whose complicated affairs are played out amongst teenage angst, family loyalties and tested friendships."

Interestingly, the show will have a cross-over with new comedy Moving Wallpaper whose characters are supposedly the film crew behind Echo Beach who are "taken to the brink of insanity by their irrepressible producer."

It's a cute idea from ITV, cross-pollinating one show to prop up another. It might end up confusing the audience, but may also make for must-see TV. I love that they are thinking outside the square here, and I still miss that fabulous soap parody Grosse Point from Darren Star.

Donovan wasn't so flash at the concert this week, but he is actually a good actor and his work in MDA and with the Melbourne Theatre Company have demonstrated he's come a long way. These pics suggest he hasn't looked this good in ages.

Source: Digital Spy. Read more...