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Following reports of it’s cancellation last week, FOX’s long running action drama ‘24’ could see a new lease on life at rival network NBC.
Following its highly acclaimed first season, ‘Glee’ will return with a super-sized second season, comprising of 25 episodes.
October 9th, 2009 8:38 am
The stars of ‘House’, ‘Fringe’, ‘Dollhouse’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Lie to Me’ have hit a seedy strip club for a racy new promo for FOX.
So, I’m not really sure what this new promo is all about, but who am I to take issue with it?
Why can’t FOX hit the club, strip off some clothes and bust some sexy moves? The CW does it every other week.
Watch the promo:
Perhaps FOX should try a new tag line. “Just as sexy as The CW, but with Emmys!”
Oh no I didn’t!
August 17th, 2009 6:11 am
A recent Seven Network job posting refers to a new “SDHD” channel. Could it perhaps be some sort of standard definition/high definition hybrid channel?
This is all speculation at this point, but a recent job posting for the Seven Network could indicate what the network’s plans are for their new digital channel.
The ad in question, is for a Promo Designer whose primary responsibility involes designing promos for the network’s new “SDHD channel”.
The Promotions Designer will be primarily responsible for designing graphics promos, for our new SDHD channel that maximise audience awareness of each program and achieve ratings targets.
That’s pretty much the extent of the reference of the new channel, but it raises a few questions.
What does this description “SDHD” refer to? Could it be a reference to the channel’s name? Could it mean some sort of standard definition/high definition hybrid channel? Or does it simply refer to an SD/HD production environment? We’re leaning towards the later, but it’s fun to speculate.
Combine this with the recent trademark filings PLUS7, 7PLUS and 7TWO…what could it all mean?
Post your theories in the comments.
August 5th, 2009 4:39 pm
Seven Network ident or Cadbury commerical?
Okay, so we know that Seven are funny when it comes to idents and branding — Mr. TV man, “Gotta Love It”, etc — but isn’t this pushing things too far?
Then again, maybe it’s not an ident at all, but just a Cadbury commercial.
What do you think?
August 3rd, 2009 2:39 pm
With GO! launching this Sunday. Nine HD has stopped broadcasting break-away programming and has reverted to simulcasting shows from channel Nine.
Break-away programming ceases on Nine HD with the launch of GO!
With Freeview, we were supposed to be getting 15 digital free-to-air channels. What they forgot to mention was that five of these channels would be simply simulcasting content from one of the other channels.
It happened when Network Ten launched One.
Ten HD had great break-away programming like ‘Smallvile’, ‘Battlestar Galactica’, ‘Friday Night Lights’, ‘Psych’ and ‘Veronica Mars’. But when One launched, Ten HD vanished along with all of those shows. Instead of two separate channels, we got One and One HD. With the former being a standard definition simulcast of the latter.
Now the the same thing is set to happen with Nine HD and the launch of GO!, except Nine’s regular channel will be getting the high def lovin’.
Not that Nine HD ever really had great break-away programming, but it’d be nice to have the option.
Recently Nine HD had been broadcasting an extensive line up of daytime programming with ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Just Shoot Me’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘I Dream of Jennie’. While these shows are set to make the transition to GO!, it begs the question, is GO! really a new channel or is it just what Nine HD should have been all along?
Simulcast television seems like such a waste in this day and age. Sure it’s great to watch something in high definition, but what benefit does it really have when the program is only standard definition or is something as unstimulating as the news. Hence why break-away television was introduced in the first place.
Why not continue broadcasting break-away programs on Nine HD? It’s not like there’s a lack of content available. Nine have been squatting on Warner Bros. output deal for over a decade, with a majority of content never even seeing the light of day. Surely there’s enough content to go around on all three channels?
I think people would much rather take choice over a constant high definition simulcast, especially considering how flakey our television schedules are these days. If a show doesn’t work on Nine, fine…bump it to Nine HD or GO!, so that the people who invested their time in the show can continue watching it uninterrupted.
People want choice. Its the reason why piracy has become so rampant. They don’t want to be dictated to as to what they have to watch and when to watch it. Give us options and commitment and bizarrely we’ll return the favour by tuning in.
End rant.
June 27th, 2009 12:27 am
The Nine Network try to be cool by airing a bumper featuring “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, pity it has Nine’s logo in it.
The Nine Network try to be cool by airing a bumper featuring “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, pity it has Nine’s logo in it. Fail.
June 18th, 2009 2:27 pm
With the second season of ‘90210′ kicking off on September 8 in the US, The CW have launched a new batch of promos promoting just how “very” ‘90210′ is.
With the second season of ’90210′ kicking off on September 8 in the US, The CW have launched a new batch of promos promoting just how “very” ‘90210′ is.
Shannen Doherty really ought to know, right? Check out the movie ‘Heathers‘ if you didn’t get that.
Apparently Naomi and the guys just aren’t “very” enough to get their own promos. Go figure.
May 25th, 2009 11:25 pm
With the huge success that was ‘Packed to the Rafters’ last year, why haven’t the Seven Network jumped at the chance to get the the first season out on DVD?
Rebecca Gibney and Eric Thompson
UPDATE: ‘Packed to the Rafters’ Season 1 arrives December 2, read more.
With the huge success that was ‘Packed to the Rafters’ last year, it’s curious that the Seven Network haven’t jumped at the chance to get the the first season out on DVD.
Similarly successful drama ‘Underbelly’ became the highest selling DVD in Australia last year when it hit retailers – smashing all DVD records even with a ban in Victoria in place. The second series also skyrocketed to the top of the iTunes store charts when it debuted in February.
So why haven’t Seven pushed the release of ‘Packed to the Rafters’ on DVD or iTunes at the least?
A fan of the series on the Yahoo!7 message boards contacted the ‘Packed to the Rafters’ production office back in December. Early indications lead us to believe we’d see the first season hit shelves mid-year.
I wrote a letter to the production office of Packed to the Rafters and asked them about the dvd. They said it will be released shortly after season 1 has finished airing in 2009. As there’s eight episodes left to air. So if they start Feb and finish season 1 around end of April, we may get the dvd’s end of May.
evieforever601 – December 22, 2008
However, more recently those rumours seem to have been debunked with another fan stating that the network have no intentions to release the show on DVD at all.
I just rang channel 7 and they said they have no intention to release season 1 of packed to the rafters on dvd. If everyone rings them up hopefully they will get the message!
janemstock – May 20, 2009
Upon further investigation, it appears that there were once plans for a release, with the first twelve episodes receiving classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification. However that was back in November.
It’s now, six months later and there’s still no official word on a release. So let us ask again, what’s the hold up Seven?
Could it be a music licensing issue? Or have plans for a release in fact been shelved completely?
All we know is that there is definitely a demand for the show on DVD and Seven better get their act together, or we might just see piracy of the series explode when the new season begins later this year.
If you hear any news about a release, let us know.
May 19th, 2009 7:28 pm
From Ryan Murphy, the creator of Nip/Tuck, comes a brand new musical comedy in the vein of ‘High School Musical’, but with balls.
From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” comes ‘Glee’, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school’s Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.
The series will most likely make its local debut on Network Ten as part of their output deal Twentieth Century Fox Television who co-produce the series; and with a core focus of music, I can see the series being a strong companion to ‘Australian Idol’, which will return in a rejuvenated format later this year.
A super advanced preview of ‘Glee’ airs tonight in the States (Monday, May 19) on FOX, following ‘American Idol’. It’ll be available as a free download on the U.S. iTunes store tomorrow (May 20).
The series officially begins in September on FOX. Hopefully we’ll see the show make an appearance locally on Network Ten later this year.
May 19th, 2009 6:46 pm
After seven seasons on ‘Family Guy’, the loveable Cleveland Brown makes the jump from Quahog, Rhode Island to Virginia to star in his own series.
After seven seasons on ‘Family Guy’, the loveable Cleveland Brown makes the jump from Quahog, Rhode Island to Virginia to star in his own series conspicuously titled ‘The Cleveland Show’.
His relocation also means the introduction of a new family, including his new wife/childhood sweetheart Donna, her two children, 16-year-old daughter Roberta and 5-year old son Rallo. Cleveland’s son Cleveland Jr also appears in the new series, but seems to have gained a few pounds since his ‘Family Guy’ days.
From first appearances, ‘The Cleveland Show’ seems to be a much more conventional in terms of comedy. Less garish than ‘Family Guy’ or ‘American Dad’ and more in the realm of a traditional family sitcom.
However, with crazy characters including a family of talking bears as neighbours and the same creative team as the afore mentioned shows, we can only assume we’ll see much of the same Seth McFarland comedy that we’ve all grown to love/hate/love/hate/love.
Check out a preview for the new series below.
Visit our special coverage section for more upfront announcements, video trailers and press releases about other new and returning series.
May 14th, 2009 5:36 pm
With The CW’s recent drop of Sunday night programming from their schedule, competition has become even tighter for hopeful pilots and old faves for the green network.
Joanna Garcia stars as Megan Smith in The CW's 'Privileged'.
With The CW’s recent drop of Sunday night programming from their schedule, competition has become even tighter for hopeful pilots and old faves for the green network.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, ‘Melrose Place’ and ‘Vampire Diaries’ are now both considered lock for next season, while Ashton Kutcher’s ‘The Beautiful Life’, ‘Life Unexpected’ ‘Parental Discretion Advised’ (previously knows as ‘Light Years’) and our favourite dramedy this season ‘Privileged’ are all fighting it out for the third spot on the CW’s sched.
‘Valley Girls’ (AKA the “Gossip Girl’ spin-off) is apparently back in the running as a mid-season replacement.
So who do you think should take out the third opening on The CW next season? Here’s a run down of the three contenders.
The Beautiful Life
An hourlong drama which revolves around a group of male and female models sharing a residence in New York. It stars Mischa Barton, Corbin Bleu and Elle Macpherson.
The pilot was written by former-model-turned writer Adam Giaudrone. Mike Kelley(‘Swingtown’) will serve as the showrunner with Aston Kutcher as executive producer.
Source: Wikipedia
Life Unexpected Parental Discretion Advised
An hourlong dramedy being described as ‘Juno’ meets ‘Gilmore Girls’. It revolves around a teenage girl who has spent most of her life in foster homes. She searches for—and finds—her birth parents, only to discover they haven’t spoken to each other since she was born. Mum is a commitment-phobic radio host, while dad is a slacker bar owner. They form an unlikely family unit.
The pilot was written by Liz Tigelaar (‘What About Brian’, ‘Brothers and Sisters’) and was directed by Gary Fleder (‘Life on Mars’). Both serve as executive producers.
Source: Wikipedia
Privileged
A hourlong dramedy based on the novel “How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls” by Zoey Dean. It revolves around Yale-grad Megan Smith, who lands the job as the in-house tutor for cosmetics mogul Laurel Limoges’s granddaughters Rose and Sage Baker.
It was developed for television by Rina Mimoun (‘Everwood’, ‘Gilmore Girls’, ‘Pushing Daisies’), who also serves as showrunner and executive producer with Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein.
May 4th, 2009 11:14 pm
Seven are leading the ratings race with 11 consecutive weeks in the top spot, and the Nine Network just don’t seem to be able to take defeat well.
Seven could always fight back and do something like this...but they have enough self-respect to know better.
Seven are leading the ratings race with 11 consecutive weeks in the top spot, and the Nine Network just don’t seem to be able to take defeat well.
The latest tactic from the sore loser is to go against the sole ethical advisory rule in the advertising world and to not talk trash about your competition.
Sure its not like its written in stone or anything, but any company with any sense of morality knows this kind of advertising does more damage than good.
If anything, after seeing this, I’d rather just watch the ABC news. Anyone with me?
April 27th, 2009 2:10 am
I have to admit there is a certain level of entertainment from watching people who have no idea how to cook…cook…
'MasterChef Australia' experts Matt Preston, (host) Sarah Wilson, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan.
As the door to one reality show closes, another opens!
Just as we’re coming down from the high that was the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ grand finale, Network Ten are already pushing their new reality show on us.
The cooking format show, based on the UK series by the same name, will follow budding chefs through a series of tests hoping to be crowned Australia’s first ‘MasterChef’.
Each contestant will be tested in not only their culinary skills but also the ability to improvise and control their nerves in high pressure situations.
After watching some of ‘The Biggest Loser’ contestants try to whip up a meal last week, I have to admit there is a certain level of entertainment from watching people who have no idea how to cook…cook. Not to mention seeing the faces of the people having to consume said food.
That being said, it is a pretty bold move by Ten to replace their (until recently) reality super-storm ’Big Brother’ with a cooking series, especially after ‘Ready Steady Cook’ failed to make an impact in the prime time schedule back in 2005 (even with celebrities).
However, unlike ‘Ready Steady Cook’, which relies exclusively on ratings, ‘MasterChef’s’ success will rely equally on its ability to draw in the same SMS and phone voting viewers that ‘Big Brother’, ‘Idol’ and ‘Dance’ do, because we all know the treasure trove that those “phone lines are now open” schemes are.
So with that in mind, will this really be the next BIG reality storm to pull in those voters? Will the show be entertaining enough to hold ‘Loser’s’ viewers?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
As a side note, does anyone else find the hilarity in the fact that for the past (however many) weeks, Ten have been inspiring us to get fit and eat in moderation thanks to ‘The Biggest Loser’, only to now tempt us back into pilling back on all those pounds again with ‘MasterChef’s’ no doubt enticing meals?
‘MasterChef Australia’ premieres 7.30pm tonight, followed by ‘The Biggest Loser’ grand finale on Network Ten.
April 9th, 2009 3:01 pm
Help save our favourite, but critically endangered shows ‘Chuck’ and ‘Privileged’.
The cast of The CW's 'Privileged'.
E! Online are back again this year with the “Save One Show” campaign.
Here’s why E! thinks you should save Chuck.
Since its second season premiere, ‘Chuck’ has progressively dropped in the ratings each week. Going up against heavy hitters like Dancing With the Stars and House probably hasn’t helped Chuck’s mission (Chuck vs. the Audience), but the show has a devoted fan base, near-universal critical acclaim and the amazing Zachary Levi. As far as getting that coveted third-season pickup, NBC is holding out on us until upfronts, so this show needs a major show of support, pronto.
And here’s why they think you should help save ‘Privileged’.
CW sources assure me that this show is very definitely in danger. This season was already cut down to the bone (with just 18 hours this season, instead of the typical 22), but there’s still much more Palm Beach glamour to come if it gets a pickup! Show runner Rina Mimoun tells us exclusively, “Who wants to see Joanna Garcia wrangle her way out of bed with the hot British boy before Will shows up at the house? Who wants to see more adorable Rose and Sage getting into millionaire mischief? Brian Hallisay and Robert Buckley are at the gym this second trying to win the ‘whose abs are more shredded’ contest. Don’t you want to be the judge of that?” Well, don’t you?!
Vote on which show you’d most like to save on E! Online. Other shows up for the vote include ‘Cold Case’, ‘Dollhouse’, ‘Everybody Hates Chris’, ‘The Game’, ‘Kings’, ‘Lie to Me’, ‘Life’, ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’, ‘The Unit’, ‘Without a Trace’ and ‘Worst Week’.
January 30th, 2009 9:38 pm
It’s a whole new Ten this year, with their leaked 2009 IDs showing off a much more sophisticated network.
Over the past year, we saw a bit of a trend with the networks pulling back slightly on their individual network branding and station IDs (or in Seven’s case, gone completely), replacing them with a multitude of promos for specific shows. But it looks like the network ID is about to make a come back, with a couple of Network Ten’s 2009 IDs being leaked on YouTube before they air.
From these two short ID’s, it looks like it’s a whole new Ten this year, with signs of a major shift in their target demographic.
Their new IDs show off a much more sophisticated network, compared to the IDs of years past. It’s no longer all about “What I Like” or what “I Believe”, but instead its all about “Life”, “Imagine” and of course “Seriously”. Not to mention the good old button push seeming to be shot, buried and forgotten.
Perhaps the fact that the network no longer have their staple show Big Brother, means that they have to shift their focus toward an older audience, and with that comes a whole new image.
While I’m sad to see the youthful, energetic, MTV-esque image go away, I’m really impressed by this whole new campaign. It’s sophisticated, engaging and just plain beautiful. It feels more like a tourism commercial, but perhaps that’s the point. Inviting viewers back to a network that otherwise seem to have lost all interest from a large portion of viewers.
January 19th, 2009 6:50 pm
Freeview is set to launch early this year. But with only Network Ten having announced their additional channel, One HD. What will we see from the other networks?
Here’s a run down of what we think the other networks should do.
We all know about the whole freeview debacle. 10 are really the only network to be launching their extra channel so far. If all the networks truly did combine together freeview should be done as follows:
Here is how I would do it:
ABC
Stays normal, we love it how it is, let’s keep it that way
ABC2
Same as above, they have a few extra shows plus some repeats of ones you missed, they do a good job of it, hopefully it will continue to grow.
ABCHD(3)
I’m not sure whether ABC will have an HD channel but this should be a channel dedicated to kids. Get remakes of all the old kids tv shows, plus the new. They early morning slots would be for the real young ones with shows such as play school, and other educational shows. The afternoon slots with Degrassi new and old, plus other rollercoaster shows currently on ABC1. With evening slots filled with pre-teen shows such as Kyle XY, Secret Life of the American Teenager, Icarly, Greek etc. Sort of like an ABC family/Nick at Nite/Nickoldeon evenings.
SBS
Keep the same, no problems there.
SBS(2)
Make it like ABC2, with lots of reruns plus a few extra new shows if they can.
SBSNews
All the news from around the world, every hour a news service from a different country. Including other English speaking nations such as US News, UK News etc.
Seven
Same as normal
Seven(2)
With Seven(2) I’m going to be realistic, for there to be 3 stations for each FTA network it simply isn’t going to work as there won’t be enough content. Seven(2) should be a lifestyle/Documentary network. This could be filled with both repeated and new programs from all 3 FTA networks combined. For example Lifestyle – Great Outdoors, Getaway, Bondi Rescue and Crime Investigation Australia daytime repeats. The evenings would be filled with Documentaries these could be from National Geographic, Crime and Investigation Network Premiere type shows and Informational shows. Any shows not played out on either of the Free to Air networks that are of the lifestyle/documentary category would be dumped to this network to be played in the evening slots.
SevenHD
Would be the same as Seven regular however it would be +2 hours. This would give the people who love watching their shows in the top notch quality of HD the opportunity to do so, plus give viewers the option of catching something if they got home to late.
Nine
Same as regular.
Nine(2)
9 would have the Drama, Comedy and Reality Channel. During the day and night it would be filled with repeats of your favourite shows. This would include all 9s current comedy crop – The Nanny, Seinfeld, Just Shoot me etc could be repeated throughout the day. Plus other dumped comedies from other stations such as Will and Grace, King of Queens etc. Reality TV could also be plus in the possible evening slots, UK and US Big Brother, US American Idol, X-factor, Celebrity Apprentice could all be a big part of this network. Even if it was months after it would give people an opportunity to watch these shows at night. Any of the axed shows on other stations would slot somewhere on this channel to finish up preferably in the evening slots.
NineHD
Again like 7HD would be 2 hours in advance.
10
Keep the same
10(2)
Same as the HD channels for 7 and 9 except in SD. If the government gives the networks the opportunity to have every station viewed in HD then this should be done in HD too.
10HD
Should be the sport station which is the only thing that is changing so far with freeview.
I feel with these changes it would work perfectly keeping everyone happy.
Feel free to leave feedback and other suggestions.
December 2nd, 2008 8:47 pm
What an interesting fall it has been, with a number of good performances from The Mentalist, Smallville, Supernatural and Gossip Girl to name a few and many casualties in My Own Worst Enemy, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Do Not Disturb, Lipstick Jungle, The Ex-List, Easy Money, Valentine, In Harm’s Way and Til Death. Here is how I rate each show.
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