Thu Mar 29

[Ten/6:30pm] Neighbours. Izzy goes into labour at the Kennedys' wedding, leaving Susan with the father of all bombshells! Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Guest: Jonathan Coleman.
[Ten/8:30pm] Law & Order: SVU. “Choreographed.” After Danielle Masoner dies in Central Park, Stabler follows the leads to a homeless man who turns out to be a better witness than he thought. Guest: Bernadette Peters, Bob Saget.
[Ten/9:30pm] Law & Order: CI. “Blasters.”When the body of former teen star Alvin Stevens is found buried in Potter's Field, Logan and Wheeler try to find out who would have motive to murder the young man.
[Ten/11:15pm] Vodafone Live at the Chapel. Features Noel Gallagher.

[ABC/9:30pm] The House Of Obsessive Compulsives. Final. The Three OCD sufferers have one last challenge put before them by Professor Salkovskis before they can return home.

[Seven/8:00pm] My Name is Earl. MAILBOX. Catalina helps Earl cross off number 75 on his list 'Used a mailbox as a trash can'. This leads to the discovery of two undelivered letters - one is a declaration of a man's love and the other letter reveals Darnell's secret. Guest Starring JENNY MCCARTHY.
[Seven/8:30pm] Bones. Double episode. THE TRUTH IN THE LYE / THE GIRL IN SUITE 2103. When Booth and Brennan investigate the murder of a man found in a bathtub full of chemicals, his genetic condition lead them to medical records that reveal he had been leading a double life. A husband to two wives, therefore, there are two suspects with the same motive for his murder. And in tonight’s second episode, Brennan and Booth investigate a deadly explosion at a hotel where a conference on drug trafficking was being held. The bomb could have been meant for the keynote speaker of the conference, Colombian Judicial Attaché Dolores Ramos. When Brennan begins to identify the four victims, she discovers bone fragments from a fifth victim, but no sign of the rest of the body. Guest starring JESSICA CAPSHAW.
[Seven/10:20pm] Family Guy. CHICK CANCER. Stewie marries his old flame Olivia, but her juice 'drinking problem' and his bad attitude quickly put their marriage on the rocks. When Peter watches his first 'chick flick,' he's so enamoured that he makes a woman's movie of his own a really bad one. With the voices of SETH MACFARLANE, ALEX BORSTEIN, SETH GREEN and MILA KUNIS. / FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME When the Griffins become a big hit on a daytime talk show, television executives offer them their own series. With the voices of SETH MACFARLANE, ALEX BORSTEIN and SETH GREEN.

[SBS/8:30pm] The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey - Codename: Scylla - Winner of the International Emmy award for Best Drama Series in 2005, and from the same people who created Unit One comes this riveting police drama and crime odyssey. In this episode a murder at Halgrim's hotel leads the team to Norway where the trail of evidence leads to a bag lady, another body and a familiar face. (From Denmark, in Danish with English subtitles) (Drama Series) (Part 3) M (A,V) CC WS
[SBS/10:05pm] The Mighty Boosh - The Legend Of Old Gregg - Howard and Vince retreat to a quaint fishing village for a week to come up with some fresh ideas and new songs. On a fishing expedition Howard hooks a rather grotesque "man/fish" covered in seaweed who introduces himself as Old Gregg. Old Gregg falls madly in love with Howard and holds him captive in his cave until Naboo and Vince rescue him in a submarine. (From the UK, in English) (Comedy Series) PG CC WS
[SBS/10:35pm] Cult Movie: Once Upon A Time In China 3 - (XI WANG ZHENG BA) - In order to instil a sense of national unity and as a means to show off the strength of the Chinese people the Empress Dowager orders a lion-dance competition in the capital. Far from uniting her subjects the competition causes conflict among the different gangs and martial arts factions. Wong Fei Hung tries to mediate and stop the internal squabbles, forcing him to face off with an old rival. Directed by Tsui Hark and stars Jet Li and Rosamund Kwan. (From Hong Kong, in Cantonese and Russian with English subtitles) (1993) (Action) (Rpt) M (V) CC WS

[31/10:30pm] Studio Q. Midsumma's "St Dorothy's Day service" and also at DT's Golden Stiletto Rally. DT's is actually going to make a night of it - they'll be screening it at the pub and everyone's invited to come on down and watch. For anyone who doesn't get Channel 31 this is the perfect opportunity to see it - and in a party atmosphere! Read more...

Ten profit down

TEN's profit for the first six months of the year (July - Dec '06) is down 12% on the equivalent period.

$37.72m was the figure it announced today.

The period was part of TEN's stronger ratings last year, before its ratings took a dive this year.

TEN also said its sale for CanWest was currently on track.

Full info here. Read more...

Requiem for John Spencer

ABC will air the final episode of The West Wing on April 21.

But before it draws to a close the ensemble cast will pay tribute to one of its own, John Spencer.

Spencer played Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry, but died suddenly of a heart attack. His final episode aired a few weeks ago in Australia, but the episode "Requiem" stages a memorial service for him, and is the last big gathering of key cast members before the show's conclusion.

Cast includes: Martin Sheen, Stockard Channing, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Alan Alda, Jimmy Smits, Kristin Chenoweth, Joshua Malina, Janeane Garofalo, Mary McCormack, Marlee Matlin, Lily Tomlin, Teri Polo, Mary-Louise Parker, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson, Timothy Busfield, Emily Proctor, Elisabeth Moss, Nina Siemaszko, Annabeth Gish, Kathleen York and Anna Deavere Smith.

Requiem airs Saturday April 7 on ABC. Read more...

The FINA Bellyflop

There really isn't any easy way to say this.

Nine's FINA Swimming Championships have bellyflopped with the viewing audience.

Last night the telecast slipped under one million viewers and put Nine into third position for the night behind TEN.

The figures for Monday and Sunday evenings were also disappointing.

The audience is biggest in Melbourne, where the events are held, but even here it is a middling success. On Tuesday it won from 7.15pm to 7.30, and ran second until 8.15pm. It had moved to third an hour later. But in Sydney it started out in third place at 7pm and stayed there.

Without Thorpie, who was a likely starter when Nine signed on, there seems to be limited support for this. Organisers have also had trouble selling tickets to the games.

In TV terms, Nine's commitment to FINA has given Seven a huge free kick -something the network really didn't need to do. Seven is already a huge 10 points up on Nine for the week so far. It also means Nine has fewer chances to promote some of its newer programmes.

If Nine was hoping to mirror the success of the 2006 Commonwealth Games it's bombed straight into the shallow end of the pool.
Read more...

So you've decided to steal cable?

Think again.

Today the Federal Court of Australia ruled against WA technology business Mod Shop for allegedly dealing in equipment, software and information to assist consumers pirate the Foxtel signal.

Foxtel was awarded a whopping $1M in damages.

Kim Williams, CEO of Foxtel, said the subscription TV provider welcomed today's decision which began as a civil court action in 2004.

$1M! Ouch, that smarts!

As Homer eventually found out, you're conscience always catches up with you. Don't. Steal. Cable!

More at news.com.au
Read more...

The $25,000 pitch

No it's not a reality show, it's an old-fashioned Fellowship being offered by Foxtel for a screenwriter to develop a new TV series.

And it can be any genre.

Foxtel has joined with the Australian Writers' Fellowship / Australian Writers' Guild to reward one writer with $25,000 towards the development of a new Australian series.

Unlike many juicy contests, this is a serious offering, aimed at an established writer who is a full member of the AWG.

So it is already aiming higher than novices and wanna-bes. Hopefully whoever receives the money will see their show on Foxtel, on a channel that is widely available. Love My Way 3 was buried on Showtime, annoying many of its fans who didn't have the channel in their packages.

Press Release:

An Australian television writer will receive $25,000 to develop a new screen project under a joint initiative announced today by the Australian Writers’ Foundation (AWF) and FOXTEL.

The FOXTEL Fellowship will allow the selected writer to develop a new project for television of their own choosing and develop it to the stage where it can be presented to market.

The Fellowship, funded by FOXTEL, will be awarded to a scriptwriter recognised for excellence in writing for television and will be judged on body of work that is impressive in its craft, scope and impact.

The AWF/FOXTEL initiative recognises the contribution of television writing to the development of the Australian cultural landscape; rewards and encourages excellence and achievement; and facilitates the development of quality new screen projects. It marks a significant level of confidence in Australian writing talent.

The FOXTEL Fellowship is one of three new initiatives in a partnership with the Australian Writer’s Foundation.

The AWF is the professional development division of the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) and AWF President, Geoffrey Atherden said the FOXTEL Fellowship forms part of an important industry relationship between Australia’s leading subscription television provider and the peak professional body representing Australian television writers.

”The FOXTEL fellowship builds on the AWF’s ongoing commitment to providing Australian scriptwriters with relevant and rewarding professional development opportunities,” he said.

“This will give a writer the chance to refresh themselves creatively and develop a unique project with industry support.”

FOXTEL Chief Executive Kim Williams AM said that FOXTEL recognised the need to cultivate Australian writing talent to continue the important job of telling Australian stories on television.

“FOXTEL has produced high quality Australian dramas like the award winning Love My Way and Dangerous. We understand the role of writers in the success of those series and we want to encourage writers to continue presenting outstanding content to us for production.

“FOXTEL believes our partnership with the Australian Writers’ Foundation and the provision of these three initiatives is an important contribution to the development and sustainability of the Australian local production industry,” he said.

In addition to the Fellowship, FOXTEL and AWF will also jointly establish an annual landmark address to be delivered by a well-known Australian writer on the topic of their choice.

FOXTEL is also supporting the AWF history program that will record for posterity an audiovisual record of writers whose work has contributed to the development of Australian culture.

The recipient of the FOXTEL Fellowship will be announced at the Australian Writers’ Guild AWGIE Awards on August 31, 2007.

Entry to the FOXTEL Fellowship is open to Full members of the Australian Writers’ Guild. For details on membership and how to apply go to www.awg.com.au Applications close 5.00pm Friday 18 May 2007. Read more...

Catch-Up Court Out

It seems they're never out of the media, but at least this time it's for older news.

Nine had to front a Supreme Court today to please explain why Judy Moran had divulged the name of a person suppressed under a court order.

The network apologised for the error and told the judge it had taken steps to avoid such incidents again, by pre-recording "controversial" segments.

I don't recall Tracey Grimshaw or Ray Martin having to pre-record all their best bits. Oh wait, they had some television background.

Girls, your homework this week is 3 episodes of The View, two sessions with Kerry-Anne Kennerley and three with the Legal Department. Libby Gore gets time off for good behaviour.

More on the courtcase here.
Read more...

Wed Mar 28

[ABC/5:25pm] Monster Warriors
[ABC/8:00pm] The New Inventors. James O'Loghlin showcases ingenious ideas from clever Australians including the Hydrasol, a tracking device for solar panels; the Blowfly Sander and a Foot Alignment System.
[ABC/8:30pm] Spicks And Specks
[ABC/9:00pm] The Chaser’s War on Everything. The Chaser returns to wage another War On Everything taking aim at old and brand new targets. Here is everything you need to know about the War in 2007. The season comprises 26 new episodes. Head of ABC Television Arts, Entertainment and Comedy Courtney Gibson says: “I really must get a shorter title. My title alone takes up half this press release.” She was later overheard organising a sub-committee inquiry into the use of falsely attributed quotes. As in previous years, The Chaser team will consist of writer/performers Charles Firth, Andrew Hansen, Dominic Knight, Chas Licciardello, Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel and Chris Taylor. An invitation to Naomi Robson to join the team this year was regrettably declined. Among the regular segments returning to The Chaser’s War on Everything in 2007 are: * The classification bit at the start * The opening credits * The Ad Road Test * What Have We Learned from Current Affairs This Week? * The Crazy Warehouse Guy * Firth in the USA The end credits
[ABC/9:35pm] The Worst Week Of My Life : Sunday. Final. (CC, M* Coarse Language) It's all hands on deck to get ready for the baby's arrival. As the night wears on the anticipation builds. Will what has been the worst week of their lives turn into the best one yet for Howard and Mel? CAST: Ben Miller
[ABC/10:05pm] At The Movies. Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton take us into the world of cinema. MR BEAN'S HOLIDAY -and david interviews Rowan Atkinson (which is pretty good stuff!). BUBBLE and interview with director Steven Soderbergh - In this unique cinematic experiment from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh, an unlikely love triangle is born at a doll factory in a small mid-western town fallen on hard times.RUNNING WITH SCISSORS - Stars Annette Benning, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin. Directed by Ryan Murphy. Both a comedy and a deeply moving human drama, RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is the mesmerising tale of how a young man survived a nightmare childhood - while keeping his sense of humour and his sense of forgiveness intact. BECOMING JANE - Starring Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen in a
biographicalportrait of the love affair Austen began as a 20-year-old with brilliant, roguish Irishman Tom Lefroy, that inspired her career as one of the world's great romantic writers.

[Ten/6:30pm] Neighbours. Pete insists Izzy tells Karl her guilty secret. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
[Ten/7:30pm] The Con Test.
[Ten/8:30pm] House. “Whac-A-Mole" An 18-year-old teenager is brought to the hospital after having a heart attack. Meanwhile, Tritter's actions against Wilson continue to strain the oncologist's relationship with House and destroy his ability to practice medicine.
[Ten/9:30pm] Medium. “Very Merry Maggie” Allison has unsettling visions about a father abusing his young son, who in turn seeks comfort in a talking doll that may be delivering sinister messages to the child. Meanwhile, health issues rattle Joe as he takes on a looming project deadline.

[Nine/9:00pm] Cold Case. Rpt.
[Nine/10:00pm] Without a Trace. Rpt.

[Seven/7:30pm] Air Crash Investigations. MIRACLE ESCAPE - AIR FRANCE 358 August 2, 2005 - In a raging thunderstorm, after a difficult landing, Air France 358 skids off the runway in Toronto. As it crashes, the left engine catches fire. More than 300 passengers and crew have only seconds to escape. The investigation reveals that weather wasn’t the only - or even the most important - cause of the accident.
[Seven/8:40pm] Heroes. CHAPTER NINE 'HOMECOMING'As H.R.G. tries to protect his daughter by any means, Claire's high school Homecoming celebration turns into a frightening night for many. Nathan and Simone work together to find Isaac's painting for Peter, but this key to the future could lead to tragedy. Hiro travels back in time to right an upsetting wrong. Suresh's dreams draw him back to his father's research. Guest starring NORA ZEHETNER.
[Seven/9:40pm] Prison Break. UNEARTHED. This is a weird ep. I have no idea why Wentworth is at some botanic gardens, and chased off. At a diner he sees Mahone on the news and knows he has his old hard drive. Logical? Nah. Then he finds Mahone’s ex on a PC and heads to her. Still illogical. Whose address is on google? .

[Seven/10:35pm] 24. 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. The White House deals with the attack on Wayne Palmer, and Jack is forced to work with former president Charles Logan. Starring KIEFER SUTHERLAND.

[SBS/8:30pm] Going Bush is back. So roll up your swags, pack your sense of adventure and hit the road with Olympic Champion Cathy Freeman and actor Luke Carroll as the two city clickers embark on a road trip through remote Indigenous Australia. On SBS Television beginning 8.00pm 28 March in the Inside Australia timeslot Cathy & Luke embark on 3000km odyssey to the country’s outermost edge on a journey that takes them from Uluru, to Cape York and onto the islands of the Torres Strait. They introduce us to places we’ve never seen, people we’ve never met and reveal the stories behind Australia’s rich cultural heritage. Episode 1 – Cowboys, Hot rods and Demons. Cathy & Luke leave the big smoke behind and head for the deserts of Central Australia where the citizens of Hermannsburg are throwing the biggest outback party of their year. They compare shirts and judge fashions on the field with the world’s dandiest cowboys, rock up to a rollicking waterhole baptism and race moon buggies across the desert. Read more...