Bingo host announced

Home and Away's Tim Campbell will host Seven's new National Bingo Night according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

As previously announced, this American format pits single contestants against a studio audience. All of them play bingo with the 'single' contestant having to decide if the next ball drawn is higher / lower / red / black etc. They also participate in visual stunts. Read more...

Meet Dr Who

Sylvestor McCoy, the seventh Doctor Who (1987-1989, 1996), will be making appearances to Australian fans at upcoming sci-fi conventions.

McCoy is appearing this Sunday July 29 in Melbourne at the Doctor Who Club of Victoria's Whoniverse 2007 at Northcote Town Hall.

In Sydney he will appear at Drummoyne RSL on Sunday August 5 for the Doctor Who Club of Australia.
Read more...

Millsy in the Mint

Rob Mills is one of four presenters Nine has announced for its new late night quiz show, The Mint.

He will be joined by Cherie Hausler, Natalie Garonzi and Nathanial Buzolic.

Based on a UK format, the programme is produced in-house by Nine following the end of Fremantle Media's Quizmania. A Nine spokesperson denied it was a cost-cutting measure, and described it as a "freshening up of the genre."

The show will air from Monday to Thursday with the exception of Thursdays from July 30.

Press Release:

The residents are moving into The Mint Mansion in readiness for Nine’s new late-night interactive game show, The Mint.

The housemates include Rob Mills, Cherie Hausler, Natalie Garonzi and Nathanial Buzolic, who will call the Mint Mansion home from July 30.

The Mint is an energetic viewer interactive program that will test callers with quizzes and puzzles for the opportunity to win big cash prizes.

In the premiere, all the hosts will be featured as they settle in as housemates of the Mint Mansion .

Housemate Rob Mills is looking forward to the late nights, claiming that as a musician that’s when he’s he is in his finest form.

“I couldn’t think of better housemates to work with and we’re looking forward to having a lot of fun in the Mint Mansion together. Being live television one never knows what’s going to happen so it’s all very exciting,” said Mills.

Set in The Mint Mansion, The Mint is unlike any other quiz show on television, as two hosts play a variety of games and brainteasers, taking calls from viewers throughout the night.

Viewers phone in to play games for nightly cash rewards. Some active players will get the chance to crack a code which will unlock The Mint Vault that appreciates in cash value each Saturday night.

Once viewers crack the code, they go into the vault to share in the monthly cash jackpot.

Produced in-house at Channel Nine’s Richmond studios, The Mint will screen 17 hours a week, five nights a week from midnight, live and unscripted.

The interactive game show will be backed by the experience of supervising producer Jodi Boylan, who is in charge of the Australian edition after working on The Mint and other quiz television shows in the UK .

“The Mint promises to bring night owls a new range of interactive games and a whole new world of winning, as every viewer has the chance to be a contestant,” Boylan said.

Viewers will be prompted to call a special number for a chance to play live while The Mint is on air. Callers are randomly selected by computer to play. When the phone answers, the caller will be talking to one of the hosts live on air. All calls from landlines will cost a flat fee of 55 cents. Read more...

The Abbey to air in October

The ABC has announced its long-awaited 'observational' series The Abbey will air in October after delays hit the production last year.

In 2006 the ABC set about commencing production with an Abbey in the Blue Mountains, only to have its lead character, the Abbess, die three days before shooting. Was their maker trying to tell them something?

No disrespect intended but imagine what footage they would have gotten if they had already started!

The series shows five ordinary Australian women living for 33 days as a nun, for a 3 part Compass special.

Press Release:

ABC TV has announced it’s highly anticipated three-part observational documentary, THE ABBEY, is to screen from late October this year. THE ABBEY, a special Compass presentation and a first for Australian television, will follow five ordinary Australian women as they spend 33 days and nights living the life of an enclosed nun.

Following a challenge put forth by ABC TV in June last year, over 1000 women applied to enter THE ABBEY, willing to swap their car keys and wallets for prayer books and meditation. As they leave behind the hectic pace of modern day living, the women have the chance to embark upon a search for meaning, God, and the self.

THE ABBEY, based in a beautiful bush land setting two hours from Sydney, is home to Australia’s first enclosed monastic community, where 32 nuns have all vowed to live the Benedictine way of life. Never before has the outside world entered the cloisters of THE ABBEY, until they allowed ABC TV unprecedented access to film the experiment.

How will the women cope with the 4am wake-up call and the seven daily visits to The Abbey Church? Will they be able to live by the nun’s 1500 year-old Rule of Silence, Obedience, and Renunciation for over a month? Read more...

Ratings Week 30

NB: Ratings will have regular but not daily updates until further notice. Please refer to "vacation" post.

Saturday
1 Seven News - Sat Seven 1,229,000
2 Nine News Sat Nine 1,194,000
4 The Dame Edna Treatment Nine 1,013,000
5 The Great Outdoors Seven 984,000
6 ABC News-Sat ABC 967,000
7 Saturday Night AFLTen 964,000

Friday:
1 Seven News Seven 1,447,000
2 Today Tonight Seven 1,346,000
3 Nine News Nine 1,301,000
4 Big Brother - Friday Night Live Ten 1,273,000
5 A Current Affair Nine 1,219,000
6 Silent Witness ABC 1,134,000 319,000
7 Better Homes And Gardens Seven 1,124,000
8 Big Brother Ten 1,110,000

Thursday:
1. Sea Patrol Nine 1.624
2. Getaway Nine 1.503
3. Seven News Seven 1.449
4. Today Tonight Seven 1.346
5. National Nine News Nine 1.246
6. Lost Seven 1.171
7. A Current Affair Nine 1.162
8. Home and Away Seven 1.154
9. ABC News ABC 1.128
10. The Footy Show Nine 1.083
11. That 70s Show Seven 1.068
12. Temptation Seven 1.051
13. Big Brother – 7:00pm Ten 0.989
14. Law and Order: Criminal Intent – 9:30pm Ten 0.953
15. Deal or No Deal Seven 0.932

Nine: 31.4
Seven: 27.0
Ten: 20.0
ABC: 14.0
SBS: 7.6


Wednesday:
1. Thank God You’re Here Ten 1.872
2. House Ten 1.753
3. Seven News Seven 1.610
4. Today Tonight Seven 1.476
5. Spicks and Specks ABC 1.301
6. Home and Away Seven 1.281
7. Without A Trace Nine 1.258
8. Cold Case Nine 1.217
9. Temptation Nine 1.202
10. National Nine News Nine 1.189
11. McLeod’s Daughters Nine 1.156
12. Police Files Seven 1.146
13. Big Brother Ten 1.121
14. A Current Affair Nine 1.109
15. ABC News ABC 1.096

Ten: 29.6
Nine: 25.8
Seven: 22.7
ABC: 15.6
SBS: 6.3

Tuesday:
1. RSPCA Animal Rescue Seven 1.653
2. Medical Emergency Seven 1.583
3. Seven News Seven 1.511
4. Today Tonight Seven 1.479
5. All Saints – Double Episode Seven 1.362
6. National Nine News Nine 1.298
7. Home and Away Seven 1.292
8. ABC News ABC 1.196
9. Temptation Nine 1.192
10. The Simpsons – 7:30pm Ten 1.175
11. The Simpsons – 8:00pm Ten 1.149
12. Things To Try Before You Die Nine 1.139
13. A Current Affair Nine 1.109
14. CSI: Miami Nine 1.093
15. Big Brother Ten 1.073

Seven: 32.6
Nine: 24.8
Ten: 21.8
ABC: 15.4
SBS: 5.5

Monday:
1. Border Security Seven 1.898
2. Seven News Seven 1.679
3. Today Tonight Seven 1.586
4. Surf Patrol Seven 1.476
5. Home and Away Seven 1.426
6. Australian Story ABC 1.397
7. National Nine News Nine 1.394
8. 1 vs 100 Nine 1.299
9. A Current Affair Nine 1.228
10. Temptation Nine 1.191
11. Criminal Minds – Double Episode Seven 1.179
12. ABC News ABC 1.127
13. Neighbours Ten 1.048
14. Big Brother – Nomination Ten 1.037
15. Deal or No Deal Seven 1.034

20 to 1 0.830m
Top Gear 0.829m
Torchwood 0.673m

Seven: 30.7
Nine: 23.6
Ten: 19.5
ABC: 17.2
SBS: 9.0

Sunday:
1. National Nine News Nine 1.664
2. 60 Minutes Nine 1.645
3. Seven News Seven 1.507
4. Midsomer Murders ABC 1.412
5. Grey’s Anatomy Seven 1.410
6. Backyard Blitz Nine 1.329
7. Where Are They Now Seven 1.315
8. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nine 1.271
9. Ugly Betty Seven 1.235
10. The Worst Jobs In History ABC 1.225
11. Big Brother – Eviction Ten 1.153
12. ABC News ABC 1.145
13. CSI: Miami Nine 1.145
14. Rove In New York Ten 1.043
15. The Einstein Factor ABC 0.905

Nine: 27.4
Seven: 24.2
Ten: 21.9
ABC: 20.2
SBS: 6.4 Read more...

Mon July 23

[ABC/8:00pm] Australian Story. Belinda Emmett.
[ABC/8:30pm] Four Corners. Should the children of addicts be removed from the family home? Reporter Janine Cohen asks: how many chances should a parent get?
[ABC/9:20pm] Media Watch.
[ABC/9:35pm] Enough Rope With Andrew Denton. Andrew talks to Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson, one of the most high-profile Australian victims of the Ice epidemic.

[Ten/1:00pm] Oprah. "John Travolta And The Cast Of Hairspray" It has been 30 years since he has done something like this…now, Oprah's friend John Travolta is shaking things up in a whole new way!! And, the all-star cast of "Hairspray" - Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and Christopher Walken!
[Ten/6:30pm] Neighbours. Rosie and Frazer's dream wedding ends in horror for their friends. Carmella receives a stark reminder of Ringo's youth. The Parker family arrive in Erinsborough.
[Ten/7:30pm] Big Brother. Nominations. Final
[Ten/8:30pm] Law and Order: SVU. “Florida.” Benson hears from her half-brother who is on the run because of sexual assault charges. He continues to claim his innocence, but the evidence continues to pile up against him. Benson reluctantly agrees to help in the investigation.
[Ten/9:30pm] Torchwood. “Countrycide” Concerned that the space-time rift is spreading, Torchwood investigates a series of gruesome deaths in the Brecon Beacons village of Brynblaidd. What sort of creature could cause such shocking injuries?

[Seven/3:00pm] Sons and Daughters. Premiere. ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Cameron Walker's world revolves around his extended family, which includes wife Liz, his son Henry, his mother and stepfather, Colleen and Wendal Halbert and his other plethora of brothers and sisters. He is considered the only sane person in his family and tries to fix any problem that arises.
[Seven/7:30pm] Border Security. Tonight, a mysterious passenger has Customs baffled, a cigarette smoker blows his stack and the Mail Centre makes a shocking discovery inside two packages sent from Thailand - as the fight to protect our border continues. Narrated by GRANT BOWLER.
[Seven/8:30pm] Criminal Minds. Series Return. THE FISHER KING. In a chilling two hour series return, Special Agent Jason Gideon and the Behavioral Analysis Unit become pawns in the fantasy game of a psychopathic killer who challenges each member of the team with a cryptic riddle while on respective vacations. Gideon, Hatcher and the team reconvene at the BAU in order to pull all of the interlocking clues together in the hope of solving the case before the next victim meets their fate. Starring MANDY PATINKIN, THOMAS GIBSON, SHEMAR MOORE.
[Seven/10:20pm] Boston Legal. DUCK AND COVER. Brad and Denise's wedding day goes awry when their priest is arrested and Denise goes into labour. Jerry Espenson defends a woman who was kicked out of her apartment for owning a duck. Denny gets his hands on the Stanley Cup.
[Seven/11:20pm] Scrubs. MY RABBIT. Kim moves in with J.D. in order to raise their child together. J.D. learns from Turk and Dr. Cox that fatherhood changes the way you see things. Carla complains to Elliot about her being a control freak when they prepare the bachelorette party. Guest starring ELIZABETH BANKS.
[Seven/12:50am Mon] Popstars. Rpt.

[Nine/7:30pm] 20 to 1. “Magnificent Movies” Hosted by Bert Newton, from action to comedy, from musicals to horror, 20 To 1 casts a spotlight on 20 magnificent movies that stay with us long after the credits have rolled.
[Nine/8:30pm] 1 vs 100.

[SBS/7:30pm] Top Gear - Richard races the Porsche Turbo S across the rocky terrain of Cypress against a British Army Crack parachutist who jumps from 10,000 feet, and Jeremy test drives the new, futuristic Mercedes S Class with back-massaging seats and self-activating headlights. He then takes on the challenge of car interior design, fitting a Mercedes S Class with a stone flagged floor, mullioned windows and wood-burning stove. Ewan McGregor drops in as the ‘Star in A Reasonably Priced Car’. (From the UK, in English) (Documentary Series) PG WS CC
[SBS/9:00pm] Drawn Together. - Unrestrainable Trainable - Captain Hero discovers that the "special" Giant who's been attacking the city is actually his son! And what's worse, Hero's sister, Captain She-Ro, is the mother! Can Hero raise his inbred son to be a productive member of society? Or will the Giant destroy the world by hugging a Winnie-the-Pooh-shaped nuclear bomb? In the mean time, Clara gets Munchhausen's by Proxy, and earns accolades by alternately taking care of Wooldoor, and keeping him sick with drain cleaner and sledgehammers. (From the US, in English) (Animated Comedy Series) M (A,S) CC WS

[UKTV/8:30pm] Daisy Does America. Premiere.
[Showtime Greats/8:30pm] Movie: Making Love (US 1982) Harry Hamlin. Read more...