First Review: Enough Rope: Helen Mirren

Yet another charming interview by Andrew Denton is his meeting with Dame Helen Mirren next Monday night.

The actress shares memories of her family, her inspiration and her thoughts on marriage to film director Taylor Hackford.

Mirren talks about how hard it was when she moved to LA during the 80's.

"The body of work that I'd built up, and the kind of work that I'd done in England just meant nothing there. I was a respected classical actress, I'd done movies, television, they meant nothing in America at all. I was no-one.

"It was the time of those teenage movies. They suddenly discovered the teenage audience. It was the Molly Ringwald time of filmmaking."

Miren also talks about two of her most famous roles. In preparing for her part as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect she took some tips on body language.

"Police men and women are brilliant at body language because that's very much a part of what they do. And they read you instantly. Shoes, sox, tie, type of glases, hair cut.

"This woman said 'Never fold your arms.' Because folding your arms looks like a thing of strength but it's not, it's a defensive movement. You're defending yourself and therefore its a weak movement and what is strong is to be open and relaxed.

"Politicians never fold their arms."

For The Queen there were different tactics.

"You prepare by watching a lot of film, reading books and thinking. It was the thinking process in a way the most valuable to me, and trying to get to the truth of the person beyond the monarchy, beyond the crown, beyond the hat, beyond the corgis, beyond the all of that. And to try and get into that personality. I found myself basing my characterisation on her as a very young girl. The period of time before she even knew she was going to be Queen."

Mirren talks about the Queen's body language as projecting a 'stiff upper lip'.

"What I saw was this incredible exterior control. Even in relaxation."

But Elizabeth's habit of toying with her wedding ring was, for Mirren, a giveaway signal of deeper tension.

"Usually with her wedding ring its going round and round and round and round."

Denton presumes that the Queen herself has seen the film, but Mirren admits to having no idea.

"I assume too. Your assumption and my assumption have equal weight. I don't know any more than you do."

Enough Rope with Andrew Denton: Helen Mirren airs 9:35pm Monday night on ABC. Read more...

Megan in a Gale over ACA

Model Megan Gale is said to be unhappy with A Current Affair after a report last night sought to highlight rivalry with Seven's Jennifer Hawkins.

Gale was interviewed about her new suntan lotion, but fielded questions which compared her with Hawkins. Promos for the show said she would "unload on Jennifer Hawkins."

According to Confidential her team tried to have the item pulled.

Gale has also appeared as a guest reporter with the Nine programme.

Source: Confidential

Disclaimer: The author has previously appeared on A Current Affair.
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A day in Newstopia

This afternoon, thanks to SBS, I took a set visit to a recording of Newstopia, Shaun Micallef's news parody which started last week.

The show is being shot in Melbourne, at the ABC's Ripponlea studios no less, because SBS production in Melbourne is predominantly Radio rather than TV.

Watching this being put together it's clear to see that Shaun Micallef is very hands-on. He not only writes a significant chunk of the material but on the floor he is consulted by director Kevin Carlin as to what reaction shots he would like.

In fact, he even had impeccable recall when it came to camera continuity as well. Not bad for a guy who is getting up to do breakfast radio (at least for the next few weeks) and then re-starting his day in TV production.

Newstopia in its first outing last week was a little uneven, but with Micallef behind the wheel is in good hands. Being on SBS and away from the tougher commercial pressures is a 'luxury' that I hope enables this to become a cracker of a show. With the election underway its timing, and potential material, is perfect.

The show is shot mostly on Tuesdays allowing it to be up to date. Most of the post-production happens later that evening. There's even a little time left on Wednesdays to tweak before legal eagles get to look over anything which might be considered too tricky.

Tomorrow night look out for reporter 'Caesar Romero', Les Murray's call-in, Roz Hammond's (Thank God You're Here) Sports Report ...and something involving peas.

The series has a 10 week run into early December.

Newstopia airs 10pm Wednesdays on SBS. Read more...

Win a week with The Chaser

The ABC is offering a prize of a week behind the scenes of The Chaser for the person who can best sledge off the Election.

Budding satirists can submit monologues, mash-ups, animations or sketches in which they comment on the campaign and the players. "Humour not abuse" is what the judges are looking for.

The best entries will be played online at abc.net.au/unleashed/sledge/ and possibly on jtv.

All entries will appear on youtube.com/abcaustralia

Full info is at abc.net.au/sledge Entries close November 23 2007.
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7HD launches

A silent launch of Seven's new high-def channel 7HD took place last night with the screening of the movie The 25th Hour at 10:30pm and welcome messages from Anna Coren, David Koch, Sonia Kruger and Matthew White. There were also sneak peeks of next week's Prison Break, Bionic Woman and Heroes.

Seven was due to launch the channel in December, but has jumped the gun on plans by Nine to launch first in November. TEN, which announced it would be the first, launches in December.

Seven launched the first phase of its multi-channelling plans at 10:30pm and will schedule programming on its second channel in late primetime and across weekends. The full channel will be running by December. A third Channel Seven will launch in the coming fifteen months.

The 7HD channel should be viewable on Channel 70. UPDATED.

The Seven Network has launched a new channel. Seven – with the first broadcast last night (Monday) - is the first commercial network to move into digital multichannelling.

Seven launched the first phase of its multi-channelling plans at 10:30pm and will schedule programming on its second channel in late primetime and across weekends as part of a considered strategy leading to the full-strength launch of a second Channel Seven in a few weeks – delivering greater choice to Australian television audiences.

Last night’s launch of the second Seven is the first step in a broad long-term plan to deliver more channels and provide viewers with the opportunity to experience full high definition programming with Dolby Digital Sound, complementing Seven’s current programming and opening up opportunities for the marketing of high-definition television sets and tuners that will allow Australians to experience multiple channel digital broadcast television.

Details of Seven’s plans for its new channels were announced today by the network’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Seven Media Group, Mr David Leckie.

“This is the biggest launch I have ever been involved in. I have never been so excited,” Mr Leckie said. “We are in a fantastic position. We have more content and more creative people than our competitors and we are setting out to blitz them.

“We are the first to move into new channels,” Mr Leckie said. “Our introduction of a nightly two hour channel and different programmes across weekend daytime complementing our primary Seven channel is the first step towards a second Channel Seven before Christmas and a third Channel Seven in the coming fifteen months.

“We have been one network for more than five decades. From last night, we are now two networks and we’ll be three networks by early 2009. We can’t wait. Our people can’t wait. And, we believe Australian television audiences will embrace this explosion of choice in content on broadcast television.”

Seven’s second channel was launched with the network television premiere of the movie 25th Hour and Seven is planning the scheduling of first release movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Across Tuesday and Thursday, Seven will schedule a first-run high definition US series “The Grid”. On weekend daytimes, Seven’s significant sports schedule on its primary channel will be complemented by children’s and family programming through its output agreement with The Walt Disney Company.

This “breakaway” schedule is the first step – with a complete primetime schedule for the second Channel Seven to be launched in the coming weeks. The “look and feel” and on-air presentation marketing and promotion for the new channel will be unveiled to coincide with the launch of the complete schedule for the second Channel Seven in the coming weeks. Planning is well advanced in the production of new high definition programmes that leverage Seven’s acknowledged leadership in Australian production and the scheduling of episodes of many of Australia’s most-watched television series.

Seven’s launch of the new channel coincides with the anniversaries for the launch of television in Australia in 1956 and the introduction of color television in October 1974 (with test transmissions of specific programmes before the full launch of color television in March 1975).

The launch of the new commercial network – the first new network in Australia in more than four decades – reaffirms Seven’s leadership in broadcast television, with Seven number 1 in breakfast television, news and public affairs, primetime and sports.


7HD Programming Guide

If you've watched 7HD give us your feedback!

Additional source: What's on the Tube Read more...

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

Australian Idol's Marcia Hines yesterday told radio listeners she was considering leaving after the end of this season.

Hines was furious with Mark Holden's judgement of Ben McKenzie on Sunday night's show, claiming he was being picked on. "You took up most of my time talking shit," she directed at Holden.

"I'm leaving (because) I don't like being in company that don't like me, Mark,'' she told 2UE listeners yesterday.

Marcia, who as we know, is always supportive of the young contestants, may have finally had a point.

But a little controversy never hurt any reality show, right?

McKenzie was evicted from the show last night.

Source: Daily Telegraph
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