Recently in television Category
Here's our weekly list of the good, the bad and the ugly that's available on your television screen this coming week. With TV largely still on a summer holiday, the picking remain slim, but there is a classic documentary, the most famous mocumentary, two films from the accliamed Director Wong Kar Wai and a controvertial British drama series on the menu.
SATURDAY
This is Spinal Tap
8:30pm Comedy Channel Feature Film
Get personal with one of music's greatest heavy metal bands! Go behind the scenes with a band whose time has come and gone and come again. Does for rock and roll what "The Sound of Music" did for hills. This is one of the best known mocumentaries and a cult classic. The directing debut of former actor Rob Reiner who went on to direct well known films including 'The Sure Thing', 'When Harry Met Sally', 'The Princess Bride', 'Ghosts of Missispi' and 'Stand by Me'.
Shorts on Screen
00:05 SBS Short Films
Comme James Dean - Robert is going to an important audition... with his mother, who knows what's best for him. Doron - A strange kind of audition is taking place in which a director is asking the candidate for some very unusual skills... Carlitopolis - Carlito, a small laboratory mouse, suffers all kinds of experiments... The Last Words of Dutch Schulz - Arthur Flegenheimer, alias "Dutch Schultz", was an infamous New York gangster in the 1920s and '30s. On October 24, 1935, as he lay on his deathbed in the Newark City Hospital, his statements were recorded by P. J. Long, a clerk-stenographer with the Newark Police Department. The FBI noted these words in the hope that Schultz would betray his gangster colleagues.
Wonderland
1:20am Channel Seven Feature Film
Follow three generations of a family through one wintry November weekend during the city's traditional Bonfire Night celebration. They are all looking for the same thing - how to find contentment in life.
From Director Michael Winterbottom, whose other films include 'Butterfly Kiss', 'Go Now', 'Welcome to Sarajevo', 'Jude', '24 Hour Party People', 'Tristam Shandy A Cock and Bull Story' and 'Nine Songs' plus the recently released 'A Mighty Heart'.
SUNDAY
7 Up
7:30pm Biography Channel
7 Up is in fact one of television's first experiments in recording real people living their real lives. How do people change over the years? Can the adult already be found in the child of seven? These are the questions that have been explored in the Up series.
This film from 1964 is the first in the series that returns to the subjects ever 7 years of their life, '14 Up', '21 Up'... and most recently '49 Up'. The first film was directed by Paul Almond for the BBC, the additional films have been directed by Michael Apted, who was a researcher on the original film.
MONDAY
Days of Heaven
8:00pm Fox Classics Feature Film
After a young millhand is forced to flee a company town for killing his foreman in a minor dispute, he and his girlfriend hop a freight and become involved in the lives of a Texas sharecropper family.
From Director Terrance Malick comes this 1978 film staring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams and Sam Shepard. In a career that has spanned over four decades Malick has only made four films, 'Badlands', 'Days of Heaven', 'The Thin red Line', and 'The New World'. His fifth film 'The Tree of Life' is due to commence filming in 2008 and will star Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.
Read about Sam Shepard's recollections of making the film here.
Sex and the City
9:00pm ARENA Comedy Series
At a "thirtysomething" birthday party for Miranda, Carrie and her friends vow to start having sex like men.
When this show first began in 1998 it was groundbreaking for it's no holds barred approach to the topics it covers. ARENA are playing the show each night right from the beginning.
Skins
10:00pm SBS Drama Series
An group of teenagers with attitude and humour make up the broad range of characters in this cutting-edge youth drama. This urban mix of personalities - from the highly charismatic and beautiful, yet obsessive Tony, to the hopelessly sexually promiscuous, victim-in-the-making Cassie, the classical musician Jal, who tries to rise above it all, and the black sheep of his Muslim family, Anwar, who does everything his strict father tells him he shouldn't - are all trying to maintain their cool as they face the realities of life in the city. In the first episode, we meet Tony as a smart seventeen-year-old, who undermines his dad daily and effortlessly covers up for his little sister's secret escapades.
When shown in Britain this controvertial series also featured interactive collaboration with the audience and mobi-sodes that were released each week as well.
Read more in our Cross Media Blog entry from July 2007.
TUESDAY
Days of Being Wild
11:25pm SBS Feature Film
Yuk, a handsome young man, meets So Lai-chun at a sports-club store. Lai-chun tries to resist Yuk's seduction, but fails. When a relationship develops, Lai-chun asks if Yuk would marry her, but Yuk plainly says no, and Lai-chun swears that she will never come back. After the break-up with Lai-chun, Yuk meets Mimi when he bashes his mother's young lover in Mimi's changing room. Mimi is a dancing girl working for a nightclub. Despite Mimi's wild and street-smart character, she is also conquered by Yuk's charm. Directed by Wong Kar Wai.
WEDNESDAY
In the Mood for Love
10:00pm SBS Feature Film
Set in Hong Kong, 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At approximately the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. Received 30 awards and another 19 nominations including nomination for a BAFTA Award and received a British Independent Film Award and received Best Actor and Technical Grand Prize at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.
Staring Tony Leung and Maggie Chen, this film is directed by Wong Kar Wai.
THURSDAY
Drive In Movie Memories
8:30pm ABC Documentary
Drive-In Movie Memories is a film celebration of the drive-in movie, an ingenious marriage of cars and movies which became America's greatest icon of youth, freedom and the automobile. The drive-in movie began as an auto parts owner's business venture to make some easy money and accidentally became a magical place where romance, fun and a sense of community flourished.
Using photos and footage from the mid-1930s until today, a powerful original music score and lively interviews with movie actors and critics, Drive-In Movie Memories covers every aspect of the drive-in movie-going experience. The history of the drive-in wasn't smooth - owners struggled with early outdoor film projection and sound projection, and made virtually no profit from the films themselves.
To compensate they invented 'fast food' like popcorn, pizza and hamburgers to feed the audience and make an income. To attract the masses they built fun parks, play grounds and organised celebrity appearances, and when they lost their family audience to television they targeted teenagers with raunchy romance films.
Although drive-in movies originated in America, Australia soon picked up on the drive-in movie phenomenon and a burgeoning industry took off here as well. The drive-in movie almost died completely with the advent of the VCR, but a drive-in revival is taking place now that the novelty of staying home to watch movies has worn off. An Official Selection at both the Chicago International Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival, and a Gold Award winner at the Houston World Fest, Drive-In Movie Memories is a fascinating snapshot of movie history.
Last Week's highlights
SATURDAY
This is Spinal Tap
8:30pm Comedy Channel Feature Film
Get personal with one of music's greatest heavy metal bands! Go behind the scenes with a band whose time has come and gone and come again. Does for rock and roll what "The Sound of Music" did for hills. This is one of the best known mocumentaries and a cult classic. The directing debut of former actor Rob Reiner who went on to direct well known films including 'The Sure Thing', 'When Harry Met Sally', 'The Princess Bride', 'Ghosts of Missispi' and 'Stand by Me'.
Shorts on Screen
00:05 SBS Short Films
Comme James Dean - Robert is going to an important audition... with his mother, who knows what's best for him. Doron - A strange kind of audition is taking place in which a director is asking the candidate for some very unusual skills... Carlitopolis - Carlito, a small laboratory mouse, suffers all kinds of experiments... The Last Words of Dutch Schulz - Arthur Flegenheimer, alias "Dutch Schultz", was an infamous New York gangster in the 1920s and '30s. On October 24, 1935, as he lay on his deathbed in the Newark City Hospital, his statements were recorded by P. J. Long, a clerk-stenographer with the Newark Police Department. The FBI noted these words in the hope that Schultz would betray his gangster colleagues.
Wonderland
1:20am Channel Seven Feature Film
Follow three generations of a family through one wintry November weekend during the city's traditional Bonfire Night celebration. They are all looking for the same thing - how to find contentment in life.
From Director Michael Winterbottom, whose other films include 'Butterfly Kiss', 'Go Now', 'Welcome to Sarajevo', 'Jude', '24 Hour Party People', 'Tristam Shandy A Cock and Bull Story' and 'Nine Songs' plus the recently released 'A Mighty Heart'.
SUNDAY
7 Up
7:30pm Biography Channel
7 Up is in fact one of television's first experiments in recording real people living their real lives. How do people change over the years? Can the adult already be found in the child of seven? These are the questions that have been explored in the Up series.
This film from 1964 is the first in the series that returns to the subjects ever 7 years of their life, '14 Up', '21 Up'... and most recently '49 Up'. The first film was directed by Paul Almond for the BBC, the additional films have been directed by Michael Apted, who was a researcher on the original film.
MONDAY
Days of Heaven
8:00pm Fox Classics Feature Film
After a young millhand is forced to flee a company town for killing his foreman in a minor dispute, he and his girlfriend hop a freight and become involved in the lives of a Texas sharecropper family.
From Director Terrance Malick comes this 1978 film staring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams and Sam Shepard. In a career that has spanned over four decades Malick has only made four films, 'Badlands', 'Days of Heaven', 'The Thin red Line', and 'The New World'. His fifth film 'The Tree of Life' is due to commence filming in 2008 and will star Sean Penn and Brad Pitt.
Read about Sam Shepard's recollections of making the film here.
Sex and the City
9:00pm ARENA Comedy Series
At a "thirtysomething" birthday party for Miranda, Carrie and her friends vow to start having sex like men.
When this show first began in 1998 it was groundbreaking for it's no holds barred approach to the topics it covers. ARENA are playing the show each night right from the beginning.
Skins
10:00pm SBS Drama Series
An group of teenagers with attitude and humour make up the broad range of characters in this cutting-edge youth drama. This urban mix of personalities - from the highly charismatic and beautiful, yet obsessive Tony, to the hopelessly sexually promiscuous, victim-in-the-making Cassie, the classical musician Jal, who tries to rise above it all, and the black sheep of his Muslim family, Anwar, who does everything his strict father tells him he shouldn't - are all trying to maintain their cool as they face the realities of life in the city. In the first episode, we meet Tony as a smart seventeen-year-old, who undermines his dad daily and effortlessly covers up for his little sister's secret escapades.
When shown in Britain this controvertial series also featured interactive collaboration with the audience and mobi-sodes that were released each week as well.
Read more in our Cross Media Blog entry from July 2007.
TUESDAY
Days of Being Wild
11:25pm SBS Feature Film
Yuk, a handsome young man, meets So Lai-chun at a sports-club store. Lai-chun tries to resist Yuk's seduction, but fails. When a relationship develops, Lai-chun asks if Yuk would marry her, but Yuk plainly says no, and Lai-chun swears that she will never come back. After the break-up with Lai-chun, Yuk meets Mimi when he bashes his mother's young lover in Mimi's changing room. Mimi is a dancing girl working for a nightclub. Despite Mimi's wild and street-smart character, she is also conquered by Yuk's charm. Directed by Wong Kar Wai.
WEDNESDAY
In the Mood for Love
10:00pm SBS Feature Film
Set in Hong Kong, 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At approximately the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. Received 30 awards and another 19 nominations including nomination for a BAFTA Award and received a British Independent Film Award and received Best Actor and Technical Grand Prize at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.
Staring Tony Leung and Maggie Chen, this film is directed by Wong Kar Wai.
THURSDAY
Drive In Movie Memories
8:30pm ABC Documentary
Drive-In Movie Memories is a film celebration of the drive-in movie, an ingenious marriage of cars and movies which became America's greatest icon of youth, freedom and the automobile. The drive-in movie began as an auto parts owner's business venture to make some easy money and accidentally became a magical place where romance, fun and a sense of community flourished.
Using photos and footage from the mid-1930s until today, a powerful original music score and lively interviews with movie actors and critics, Drive-In Movie Memories covers every aspect of the drive-in movie-going experience. The history of the drive-in wasn't smooth - owners struggled with early outdoor film projection and sound projection, and made virtually no profit from the films themselves.
To compensate they invented 'fast food' like popcorn, pizza and hamburgers to feed the audience and make an income. To attract the masses they built fun parks, play grounds and organised celebrity appearances, and when they lost their family audience to television they targeted teenagers with raunchy romance films.
Although drive-in movies originated in America, Australia soon picked up on the drive-in movie phenomenon and a burgeoning industry took off here as well. The drive-in movie almost died completely with the advent of the VCR, but a drive-in revival is taking place now that the novelty of staying home to watch movies has worn off. An Official Selection at both the Chicago International Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival, and a Gold Award winner at the Houston World Fest, Drive-In Movie Memories is a fascinating snapshot of movie history.
Last Week's highlights
Happy New Year, welcome to television for 2008!
In the Training Department at the Film and Television Institute a key philosihpy we have is that if you want to get into the business of making film and television you have to get a good understanding of the film and TV landscape. You've got to have a good knowledge of what's been on, what's works, and what doesn't and what's coming up next.
Sounds simple, I mean you wouldn't be exploring a career in making TV unless you liked watching it as well. The challenge however is that what we watch as individuals - is probably quite different to what the masses watch. A good way to test how much your personal taste is in tune with everyone else is to complare what you watch with the weekly ratings - most of would be stunned by what the majority of other people watch.
Why is this important? Well if your going in to pitch an idea to a TV executive it's probably not a good idea to pitch the exact idea they made last year. Plus watching lots of television can help build your skills and knowledge in whatever area your interested in pursuing a career in. It's just not the quality TV that matters - what the bad stuff as well - there's lots of money to be made in low quality product as well.
In 2006 and 2007 we published a list each week, (most weeks) to our students of things on television that might be of interest. This year we'll make that list public here on this blog each week. Some weeks there are lots of great things on, other weeks are a barren landscape. We'll highlight locally made WA productions, innovative new shows, new series that are beginning and things we predict might crash and burn.
Our recommedations will be for both free to air and PAY TV. If you see something good let us know about it too. Obviously the first week of January is a terrible time to be watching TV - your supposed to be weatching cricket or going to the beach. If your like us your more likely to be binge viewing TV series on DVD.
TUESDAY 1st January
Lockie Leonard
4:00pm Nine Childrens Series
Lockie's first day of high school runs exactly to plan... not! After quickly making an enemy, Lockie is an immediate target for all kinds of treatment at school.
This locally filmed show recently won the Best Children's TV award at the AFI's. If your going to work in TV in WA there's a really high chance you'll work on a kids show at some point, after all - were really good at them.
Changing Stages
10:00pm Ovation Documentary Series Part One
Stars Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Xhang ZiYi.
THURSDAY 3rd January
Kiki's Delivery Service
10:15pm SBS Feature Film - Animation
Kiki, a young witch, has turned 13 and according to the ancient tradition she leaves home to find her own place in the world. She flies her broom to a coastal town where she finds a room above a local bakery and sets up a delivery service. Despite a few misadventures, Kiki is doing well until one day her powers disappear. She cannot fly her broomstick and she can no longer communicate with her cat, Jiji. Ursula, a painter Kiki has met on one of her delivery runs, explains about artistic blocks and how something similar may have affected Kiki. A Hayao Miyazaki film, in the genre of Japanese anime.
The Friday Night Project
8:30pm UKTV Variety Show
Filmed in front of a live studio audience, with a different celebrity host every episode. This time it's David Tennant. With two comic presenters on hand, he gets involved in comedy sketches and hidden camera stunts.
Someone in the programming area of UKTV seems to have missed an essential point in this shows title - and scheduled it on Thursdays.... hmmmm. This show has been going since 2004 in the UK and has been a success. This episode was aired in the UK at the beginnning of 2007. Since 'Hey Hey it's Saturday' left Australian screens the idea of creating a similar type show has often be suggested in Australian TV land, maybe the Friday Night Project will provide some inspiration.
There is another episode on Friday night with David Walliams from 'Little Britain'.
FRIDAY 4th January
Feature Films
Channel 7, 9 and 10 all have feature films. On Seven there is the classic comedy of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' followed by 'Kinsey'. Channel 9 has Ron Howards 'The Missing' followed by 'Eye's Wide Shut', while Channel 10 has the comedy 'America's Sweethearts'. Depending on whether or not you've seen them already we'd recommed checking out the films on Seven - both pretty good. 'The Missing' - well something is missing - it drags on and on. However it will seem fast paced if you stay on to watch 'Eye's Wide Shut'. 'America's Sweethearts' is a very forgettable film where you follow an obvious recipe - add one Julia Roberts, one John Cusack, one Billy Crystal and stir for a romantic comedy.
Indie Sex
10:00pm SBS Documentary Series Part One - Teen Flicks
In the Training Department at the Film and Television Institute a key philosihpy we have is that if you want to get into the business of making film and television you have to get a good understanding of the film and TV landscape. You've got to have a good knowledge of what's been on, what's works, and what doesn't and what's coming up next.
Sounds simple, I mean you wouldn't be exploring a career in making TV unless you liked watching it as well. The challenge however is that what we watch as individuals - is probably quite different to what the masses watch. A good way to test how much your personal taste is in tune with everyone else is to complare what you watch with the weekly ratings - most of would be stunned by what the majority of other people watch.
Why is this important? Well if your going in to pitch an idea to a TV executive it's probably not a good idea to pitch the exact idea they made last year. Plus watching lots of television can help build your skills and knowledge in whatever area your interested in pursuing a career in. It's just not the quality TV that matters - what the bad stuff as well - there's lots of money to be made in low quality product as well.
In 2006 and 2007 we published a list each week, (most weeks) to our students of things on television that might be of interest. This year we'll make that list public here on this blog each week. Some weeks there are lots of great things on, other weeks are a barren landscape. We'll highlight locally made WA productions, innovative new shows, new series that are beginning and things we predict might crash and burn.
Our recommedations will be for both free to air and PAY TV. If you see something good let us know about it too. Obviously the first week of January is a terrible time to be watching TV - your supposed to be weatching cricket or going to the beach. If your like us your more likely to be binge viewing TV series on DVD.
TUESDAY 1st January
Lockie Leonard
4:00pm Nine Childrens Series
Lockie's first day of high school runs exactly to plan... not! After quickly making an enemy, Lockie is an immediate target for all kinds of treatment at school.
This locally filmed show recently won the Best Children's TV award at the AFI's. If your going to work in TV in WA there's a really high chance you'll work on a kids show at some point, after all - were really good at them.
Changing Stages
10:00pm Ovation Documentary Series Part One
Sir Richard Eyre, one of the world's leading theatre directors,
explores his passion for theatre and gives his personal view of key
moments of 20th century stage. Evocative archive footage of many of the
century's most memorable productions is blended with first hand
testimonies from the writers, actors and directors who made them
possible.
An impressive cast tell their stories, including Sir John Gielgud, Dame Judi Dench, Arthur Miller, Robert Lepage, Sir Peter Hall, Sir Tom Stoppard, Vanessa Redgrave, Liam Neeson, Stephen Sondheim, David Hare, Harold Pinter and Stephen Rea. Program One is about Shakespeare, the greatest ever playwright, who could be described as carrying the DNA of theatre. How do changing interpretations of his work throughout the century tell us just as much about our times as about his plays.
Continues throughout this week.
WEDNESDAY 2nd January
Hero
10:00pm SBS Feature Film
In ancient China, before the reign of the first emperor, warring factions throughout the Six Kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin. When a minor official defeats Qin's three principal enemies, he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory. Hero was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards.
An impressive cast tell their stories, including Sir John Gielgud, Dame Judi Dench, Arthur Miller, Robert Lepage, Sir Peter Hall, Sir Tom Stoppard, Vanessa Redgrave, Liam Neeson, Stephen Sondheim, David Hare, Harold Pinter and Stephen Rea. Program One is about Shakespeare, the greatest ever playwright, who could be described as carrying the DNA of theatre. How do changing interpretations of his work throughout the century tell us just as much about our times as about his plays.
Continues throughout this week.
WEDNESDAY 2nd January
Hero
10:00pm SBS Feature Film
In ancient China, before the reign of the first emperor, warring factions throughout the Six Kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin. When a minor official defeats Qin's three principal enemies, he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory. Hero was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 2003 Academy Awards.
Stars Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Xhang ZiYi.
THURSDAY 3rd January
Kiki's Delivery Service
10:15pm SBS Feature Film - Animation
Kiki, a young witch, has turned 13 and according to the ancient tradition she leaves home to find her own place in the world. She flies her broom to a coastal town where she finds a room above a local bakery and sets up a delivery service. Despite a few misadventures, Kiki is doing well until one day her powers disappear. She cannot fly her broomstick and she can no longer communicate with her cat, Jiji. Ursula, a painter Kiki has met on one of her delivery runs, explains about artistic blocks and how something similar may have affected Kiki. A Hayao Miyazaki film, in the genre of Japanese anime.
The Friday Night Project
8:30pm UKTV Variety Show
Filmed in front of a live studio audience, with a different celebrity host every episode. This time it's David Tennant. With two comic presenters on hand, he gets involved in comedy sketches and hidden camera stunts.
Someone in the programming area of UKTV seems to have missed an essential point in this shows title - and scheduled it on Thursdays.... hmmmm. This show has been going since 2004 in the UK and has been a success. This episode was aired in the UK at the beginnning of 2007. Since 'Hey Hey it's Saturday' left Australian screens the idea of creating a similar type show has often be suggested in Australian TV land, maybe the Friday Night Project will provide some inspiration.
There is another episode on Friday night with David Walliams from 'Little Britain'.
FRIDAY 4th January
Feature Films
Channel 7, 9 and 10 all have feature films. On Seven there is the classic comedy of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' followed by 'Kinsey'. Channel 9 has Ron Howards 'The Missing' followed by 'Eye's Wide Shut', while Channel 10 has the comedy 'America's Sweethearts'. Depending on whether or not you've seen them already we'd recommed checking out the films on Seven - both pretty good. 'The Missing' - well something is missing - it drags on and on. However it will seem fast paced if you stay on to watch 'Eye's Wide Shut'. 'America's Sweethearts' is a very forgettable film where you follow an obvious recipe - add one Julia Roberts, one John Cusack, one Billy Crystal and stir for a romantic comedy.
Indie Sex
10:00pm SBS Documentary Series Part One - Teen Flicks
Underage sex is one of the most taboo topics on screen. The first
of three parts, Indie Sex: Teens Flicks presents the history and role
of teenage sex and sexuality on screen - from Splendour in the Grass to
Kids to Thirteen. The blockbuster teen films of the '80s and more
contemporary teen flicks are all explored as mediums through which teen
films have played a central role in adolescent sex education.
The Adventures of Barron Munchausen
1:55am Sci-Fi Channel Feature Film
If your awake this late why not check out this odd film from Terry Gilliam.
The Adventures of Barron Munchausen
1:55am Sci-Fi Channel Feature Film
If your awake this late why not check out this odd film from Terry Gilliam.
Jeremy Malcom recently appeared on local television program 'Wake Up WA' discussing his role in 'Selling Hopkins' a short film by local Director Scott Earthorne. 'Selling Hopkins' was funded through the Raw Nerve funding program and has been well recieved at film festivals locally and internationally.
FTI graduates Sam Mclenahan and Robbie McGoarty have just submitted their entry for the OPTUS One80 competiton. This online compettion allows you to upload your 3 minute trailer of a television drama idea and the winner idea is produced by MTV Australia. Check out Sam and Robbie's entry, it's titled 'Angst', log on and vote for it too!
It was noteable that a few weeks ago 18 out of the top 20 shows on Australian TV were actually made in Australia. It seems our love of NCIS, CSI and Law and Order as finally waned, Australian drama was to be seen including 'Sea Patrol' and 'City Homicide'.
This week in Australia though there is a radical change going on in television programming. No more dull summers filled with endless cricket and old movies. No those days are gone - from this week Australian television is really committing to showing shows from the USA within a reasonable timeframe, not 2 years after their U.S. broadcast but in some cases just a few hours.
There has been a gradual shift towards this in recent time, Chanel 10 showed the 'Lost' clone 'Jericho' within a few hours of the US screenings and the new David Duchovney show 'Californication' has been a success.
This week on Wednesday Chanel 7 will show new episodes of 'Prison Break' directly opposite Chanel 9's premiere of new US series 'Life, while Chanel 10 will have the show 'Damages' staring Glenn Close. This is bringing out the 'big guns' against the ABC's locally made hit show 'Summer Heights High'.
On Thursday Chanel 7 begins screening the newly revived 'Bionic Woman', imediately followed by season two of the hit show 'Heroes'. Bionic Woman premiered in the US last week to decent ratings.
While many people have noted that the era of 'appointment viewing' is coming to an end, in the Australian market just getting the shows within a decent time frame may delay this process considerably.
This week in Australia though there is a radical change going on in television programming. No more dull summers filled with endless cricket and old movies. No those days are gone - from this week Australian television is really committing to showing shows from the USA within a reasonable timeframe, not 2 years after their U.S. broadcast but in some cases just a few hours.
There has been a gradual shift towards this in recent time, Chanel 10 showed the 'Lost' clone 'Jericho' within a few hours of the US screenings and the new David Duchovney show 'Californication' has been a success.
This week on Wednesday Chanel 7 will show new episodes of 'Prison Break' directly opposite Chanel 9's premiere of new US series 'Life, while Chanel 10 will have the show 'Damages' staring Glenn Close. This is bringing out the 'big guns' against the ABC's locally made hit show 'Summer Heights High'.
On Thursday Chanel 7 begins screening the newly revived 'Bionic Woman', imediately followed by season two of the hit show 'Heroes'. Bionic Woman premiered in the US last week to decent ratings.
While many people have noted that the era of 'appointment viewing' is coming to an end, in the Australian market just getting the shows within a decent time frame may delay this process considerably.
