Gibney for new Seven comedy

Rebecca Gibney will return to comedy for the pilot of a new Seven comedy / drama Packed to the Rafters says the Daily Telegraph.

To be shot in Sydney, the series comes from creatives behind Always Greener including producer Jo Porter, writers Anthony Ellis and Bevan Lee. Lee is also a key drama executive with Seven through Home and Away.

The show is about empty nesters whose adult kids move back home.

Gibney featured in All Together Now many years ago for the Nine Network, but has a string of respected drama performances under her belt. She has also recently appeared in the feelgood film, Clubland.

Source: Daily Telegraph and Media Spy.
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King size battle looming

Circle Monday August 27th in your diary now. You'll have to choose between:

The King (8:30pm Channel Nine)
City Homicide (8:30pm Channel Seven)
Californication (9:45pm Channel TEN).

All three are free to air premieres, two of them, Australian-made drama (isn't it always the way?).

Nine is making a major move against the launch of Seven's new series, with its acclaimed, if controversial, telemovie about the life of Graham Kennedy. It screened on Foxtel earlier this year.

Seven has a lot riding on its expensive new series and will be counting on big interest in the new drama. Attempts to thwart its first night's viewing will be no surprise to them, but it is unfortunate the battle will see local drama used to undermine local drama. City Homicide will have a 2 hour premiere.

TEN meanwhile will unveil the David Duchovny cable series, Californication, a half-hour series which due to its racy subject matter can't be screened earlier in the night. With advertisements it will run for 40 minutes. It will be folloewd by the return of The Office.

It's time to warm up those VCRs, DVD-Rs and PDRs people!

Any tips on which show will top the ratings?

Kindly link to this website when sourcing or posting in messageboards, thanks!

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Gay couple for Wisteria Lane

US actors Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm (Judging Amy) will play recurring roles as a gay couple, resident in Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane.

The characters will be neighbours of Susan (Teri Hatcher).

Watckins (left) plays a 'country mouse who leaves the big city for greener pastures' and Rahm plays his 'bitchy partner.'

Openly-gay creator had originally wished for David Beckham and Robbie Williams (yeah, right)

Source: TV Guide Read more...

Dicko lands US TV role

Simon Cowell has 'handpicked' Ian Dicko Dickson for a judging role on new US talent show, The Next Great American Band according to the Herald-Sun.

Dicko is currently appearing on Australian Idol but will jet off to Las Vegas for the shooting of the American series.

By October when the show premieres on the FOX network, Dickson will be filming Idol on Sundays and Mondays, flying to the US on Tuesday and returning to Australia on Fridays.

That's enough to make anyone snap at Kyle Sandilands...

Source: Herald-Sun. Read more...

Jarratt sues Seven over TT story

Actor John Jarratt is suing the Seven Network over its depiction of him in three stories earlier this year in Today Tonight.

The stories involved Jarratt's dispute with tenants who are renting a property of his.

Jarratt alleges the programme depicted him as a 'real-life' version of his psychopathic killer in 'Wolf Creek.'

Jarratt is a former presenter of Seven's Better Homes and Gardens alongside wife Noni Hazelhurst, who has a key role in the upcoming City Homicide.

Source: Herald Sun Read more...