Mon Mar 26

Reminder: This week many shows will have later starting times. Don't get caught out!

[Nine/6:30pm] ACA. Paul Hanson tells more.
[Nine/7:00pm] FINA World Swimming. Hosted by Ken Sutcliffe, Nicole Livingstone and Gian Rooney.
[Nine/8:50pm] 1 vs 100. After stealing away a combined total of $66,000 from two contestants last Monday the Mob is about to meet its match. With a face that would make angels sing, 23-year-old youth worker Paul Randle from Frankston, Victoria, is about to cause mayhem. The young student studying for a Bachelor of Ministry will need divine intervention to stop him from making a $100,000 mistake.

[ABC/8:00pm] Australian Story. Brian and Nerida Egan lost their farm, near Dalby in southern Queensland, from a combination of drought and post traumatic stress syndrome caused by disturbing events he witnessed as a young serviceman in the 1960s.
[ABC/8:30pm] Four Corners. In May 2005, citizens of Spokane, USA, woke to startling news about their city’s mayor, Jim West. The outwardly conservative Republican, who had pushed legislation barring gay teachers from public schools, had whiled away his private hours trawling for young men on an Internet chatroom, the Spokesman-Review newspaper alleged. West reportedly abused his office by offering internships to lure them into more intimate relationships. The Spokesman-Review’s scoop on West’s double life hit national headlines and ultimately destroyed his career. "His coming apart, the demise, was absolutely Shakespearean," said one observer. But what was West guilty of? This report from PBS Frontline looks past the headlines and finds a story that is deeper and more complex than it first seemed. "A Hidden Life" examines one man’s struggle with his sexual identity, a newspaper’s controversial sting to expose him and the tension between a politician’s privacy and the public’s right to know.
[ABC/9:20pm] Media Watch
[ABC/9:35pm] Difference Of Opinion. We ask our panel members from the housing, architecture and urban planning sectors what happened to the dream of owning a home? A growing number of Australians are priced out of ownership, but does it matter?

[Ten/7:00pm] The Biggest Loser.
[Ten/8:00pm] Bondi Rescue
[Ten/8:30pm] Supernatural. “Playthings"

[Seven/7:30pm] The Rich List.
[Seven/8:40pm] Desperate Housewives. CHILDREN AND ART. Gabrielle decides to get back into the world of modelling and travels to New York. Lynette is suspicious of her new neighbour. Susan comes home to find Austin and Julie making out on her couch. Bree meets her antagonistic mother-in-law. Guest starring DIXIE CARTER.
[Seven/9:40pm] Brothers and Sisters. MISTAKES WERE MADE - PART 1. Justin is shaken to the core and his resolve to stay clean is weakened by a disturbing letter that could dramatically alter his future. Kevin swallows his fears and tries his hardest to win back Scotty. Sarah uncovers some shocking information. Guest starring TREAT WILLIAMS.
[Seven/10:35pm] Boston Legal. THE VERDICT. Jeffrey, Denise and Claire prepare for the verdict in the Judge Hooper trial by making one final accusation. Meanwhile, Alan feels sexually inadequate when Sally refuses to stay after sex. Special guest star KATEY SAGAL.
[Seven/11:30pm] Scrubs. MY COFFEE. J.D. spends time getting to know the future mother of his child and finds that they are surprisingly compatible. Turk gets nervous about supporting his new family, so he begins giving medical advice on the side for a quick buck. Guest starring ELIZABETH BANKS.
[Seven12:00am Tue] Huff. TAPPING THE SQUID. Beth is shocked when Izzy offers to help her in her time of need. Byrd and Eli decide to get even with James for all he has done. Huff and Russell hit the town. Starring HANK AZARIA, PAGET BREWSTER, OLIVER PLATT, BLYTHE DANNER and ANTON YELCHIN.

[SBS/7:30pm] Mythbusters. Killer Cable Snaps - If a cable at high tension snaps, can it slice a person clean in two? Tonight Jamie and Adam test this potentially deadly myth. The two mythbusters move out of their headquarters, M5, to an abandoned military base – using a dead hog as the human stand-in. Meanwhile, Grant, Tori and Kari have a scream exploring the myth of "archaeo-acoustics". Using all the power of mighty machinery and the technology of modern science, both myths are busted. (From the US, in English) (Entertainment) PG CC WS
[SBS/8:30pm] South Park - Mystery Of The Urinal Deuce - The world’s biggest conspiracy of all time will finally be uncovered when Eric Cartman exposes the true culprit behind the September 11th attacks. No one in South Park is safe from the people who are the real brains behind the 9/11 conspiracy. When Kyle and Stan hit the road in search of the truth, they come face-to-face with the masterminds who pulled off the most elaborate, intricate and flawlessly executed operation in American history. (From The US, in English) (Animated Comedy Series) M (V,L,A) CC
[SBS/9:00pm] Pizza World Record - After getting on the wrong flight the gang end up in Mumbai, India – not Lebanon. Stuck there for three days, Pauly suggests they go to a place he's heard about, the Taj Mahal; he thinks it's a casino, like the one in Las Vegas. When they arrive at the Taj Mahal they are all unimpressed to find it's just a building and leave. Luckily they meet a real Bollywood star, Aussie actress Tania Zaetta. Unintentionally The World Crew is reluctantly exposed to slums, gurus, holy cows and the world's worst traditional Indian dancer. (Commissioned by SBS Independent, in English) (Comedy Series) (Part 2) M (D,A,S) CC WS
[SBS/10:00pm] Wilfred - Dog Day Afterglow - Adam and Sarah's relationship is blossoming. Sarah takes the opportunity to tell Adam how important it is that he and Wilfred get on well. She gives Adam the 'single mum' speech: She and Wilfred come as a package. Adam convinces her that he loves Wilfred and to prove it he decides to spend some quality time with him. (Commissioned by SBS Independent, in English) (Comedy Series) M (L,D,S) CC WS
[SBS/12:55am Mon] Queer as Folk. Brian marks his 30th birthday with a series of sexual encounters, and by surprising his friends with the news that he won't be going to New York. Em and Ted discover that Blake is using again and Em insists that Ted either change the locks or get him into rehab. Meanwhile Debbie convinces Justin to go to the prom. (From the US, in English) (Drama Series) M A (L,S,A) CC WS

[Ovation/8:30pm] Billy Joel: In His Own Words.
[Ovation/10:05pm] Barry Manilow Live. Read more...

Dave and Carrie lift Rove

More subtle changes in the re-launch of Rove emerged this past week.

One is the comedian Dave Hughes, previously from The Glass House, will be given a regular guest spots on the show.

Carrie Bickmore, who has previously read news parody segments is expected to be elevated to the show's lead female. Corrine Grant, also of The Glass House, left the Rove team in 2005, effectively leaving an opening for a new girl.

As part of the repackaging the show will now simply be called Rove instead of Rove Live.

It will also sport a new-look, now being shot in Global TV's South Melbourne Studio (the same studio currently used for Dancing with the Stars, Deal or No Deal and Australia's Got Talent). The old Nunawading studio (aka Wentworth Detenction Centre) will no longer house the show.

It will also mean a shorter trip for visiting celebrities out to the suburbs! Read more...

Girl power problems for Catch-Up

When Nine went and "borrowed" a format from The View it may have noticed the promotion the show was getting from whether Rosie O'Donnell and Barbara Walters were getting along off-screen. The Rosie vs Trump battle was also helping the show make headlines.

So is it any surprise that today we have an article claiming the girls on The Catch-Up are in-fighting?

These are just some of the claims:

• A producer collapsed from stress.
• Staff are close to resigning.
• An insecure Libby Gore craves the limelight.
• The show is full of bitching.
• Gore is frustrated by Sheridan's lack of current affairs knowledge.
• The director told the panel their show was 's--t.'
• Mary Moody is regretting signing on.

- Taken from The Sunday Herald-Sun.

These claims follow earlier reports by The Australian's Amanda Meade that Gore and Olfield weren't getting along. They also follow on from the show making recent news with Judy Moran disclosing names suppressed by a court order, and husband of panelist Lisa Oldfield, David, answering claims he had an affair with Pauline Hanson.

In the interview you can see here, Libby Gore is clearly bored by the segment, asking why politicians weren't being asked real questions. Note also that Lisa Oldfield switches between both asking and answering questions, a blurring of her role in the segment.

Meanwhile ratings for The Catch-Up still trail those of the abandoned Young and the Restless.

But are a few smart cookies at Nine trying to turn the fortunes of the show around by talking to the press and hooking the audience into the subtext of the show?

As the saying goes, and as The View demonstrated, 'all publicity is good publicity.'

Would we watch more if we knew they all hated each other?
Read more...

Seven still the one

It's all starting to seem a little bit routine, but Seven has again won the week's ratings, in the 12th Week of the TV year.

Seven finished with 28.9% to Nine's 27.7% and TEN's 21.9%. ABC had 16.3% and SBS 5.3%.

Seven won Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday while Nine won Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Seven won all cities except Melbourne, which went to Nine. But Nine's 4 nights wasn't enough to fall over the line.

The sixth consecutive ratings sweep for the Seven Network is starting to look a little routine, in the same way as Nine's dominant position became a bit of a bore. If this keeps up they may have to change their slogan to "Still the One." After all, it hasn't been heard on Nine for some time now, being rested for the simplicity of 2007's "Channel Nine." Nine is hoping its FINA Swimming Championships will change its fortunes, as the finals move into prime time slots this week.

Dancing with the Stars is again the top show of the week giving All Saints a big lead-in. Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy did well, but Ugly Betty was only just ahead of Sixty Minutes. Heroes and Lost were again defeated.

Aside from its Sunday News, 20 to 1 was actually Nine's best show of the week, a surprising night on an odd Sunday pattern. Sixty Minutes, 1 vs 100, CSI and Missing Persons Unit all did well but RPA's absence cost the network dearly. There was better news with McLeod's Daughters rebounding while What's Good For You and Getaway need to do better business.

Meanwhile at TEN there was an improvement, but not by much. These figures show it is still under-performing, and the middling result for the Joanne Lees telemovie must be a frustration to TEN. Still, last Sunday was a peculiar shakedown of figures with NRL, the Harbour Bridge celebrations and Grand Prix dividing markets all over the place. House was again their top show, but otherwise Biggest Loser, Bondi Rescue and the Grand Prix were their other winners.

ABC will be rapt with Construcing Australia and Spicks and Specks.

For SBS, Mythbusters was strongest, but the premiere of Wilfred in Melbourne was double the audience of Sydney.
Read more...