18/05/2012

Something to Randling about (#Randling @RandlingHQ)

Randling

Randle. n. “A nonsensical poem recited by Irish schoolboys as an apology for farting at a friend.” Andrew Denton was never going to return to our screens for "just some show". It had to be special, it had to be different. Randling is certainly special and different - it's just not a show you can sit down and mentally switch off to watch. The best parts of the show are that it makes you think. An intelligent host, intelligent guests and parlour games based around words - let's face it, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. But for those that choose to hang in and be entertained there's some comedy gold in both the games and the … [Read more...]

Farewell Good News Week (#GNW @realGNW)

Good News Week

And so, it has come to this... Good News Week has come and gone before. It's even flipped networks from ABC1 (back then, just the plain old ABC) to Channel 10 (who axed it, then brought it back when the US writer's strike did havoc with their schedule). It's appeared in differing formats - Good News Weekend, GNW Night Lite, & Good News World - and saw hundreds of local and overseas comedic and music acts, as well as actors and politicians, sit behind it's various desks and partake in some of the most bizzare parlour games on TV. Given the support it offered many comedians (for some like Wil Anderson it was the first regular TV gig he … [Read more...]

Congratulations Ajay & Matt – Winners of #ExcessBaggage

Ajay & Matt win Excess Baggage

Congratulations to the Purple team Ajay Rochester and Matthew Palmer for winning the first (and likely only) season of Excess Baggage. The team beat out the other final four teams Robert "Dipper" Diperdomenio & Lana (orange), Kevin "K-Fed" Federline & Renae (blue) and Darryn Lyons & Lisa (red) and take home $100,000 for their efforts. The teams faced a final group of challenges on Sydney's Bear Island to add to their scores collected through the week, leading into the very final weigh in. The teams also took part in their final health check tests as these results added to the outcome. All previous contestants returned for the final, as … [Read more...]

A man cannot serve two masters (#Homeland S01)

Homeland

As former CIA operations officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) fades into an anaesthesia-induced sleep before undertaking shock therapy to help address her bi-polar disorder, she connected the dots. She realised that Sergeant Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) had been playing everyone for a fool - that he had indeed been turned and was working for Al-Qaeda, and the realisation that Brody knew the son of Abu Nazir (Navid Negahban) that had been killed by the US-authorised strike on a school in Iraq while he was a prisoner of war was the connection. She stirred from her sleep to speak the thoughts so someone would remind her... she only knew … [Read more...]

@TenBreakfast launches early (and does OK)

Ten's Breakfast

Channel Ten surprised even themselves when they announced on The Project that they would be starting their new early morning news program Breakfast today, off the back of news that Kevin Rudd had resigned as Foreign Minister. Not a bad move for a soft launch, allowing them to get a couple of days in early and find their feet. The show was engaging and interesting, the set was distracting, and the three central hosts Andrew Rochford, Paul Henry and Kathryn Robinson struggled a little to find their feet with each other though that will come with time. Time is the key element here - many are wondering how long Ch10 will give the show to prove … [Read more...]

#Revenge is a dish best served by @Channel7au

Revenge

"When everything you love has been stolen from you, sometimes all you have left is revenge..." Channel 7 are on a gold mine with the new series from the US's ABC network Revenge, which debuted in Australia last night to massive ratings (2,067,000 viewers across the five city metro markets). It's high drama and lucious setting in the exclusive upstate New York precint of the Hamptons had hit written all over it and first night out it was easy to see why. Inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel "The Count Of Monte Cristo", Revenge is a tale of vengeance, deception and redemption that has translated far too easily into a modern context. The … [Read more...]

David & Sonia bring the fun to @Mornings9

Mornings on Channel 9

They were comfortable, relaxed, and not afraid to have a bit of fun with it - welcome David Campbell and Sonia Kruger to Channel 9's new morning program, Mornings. Both seasoned performers, Kruger and Campbell come with significant experience in hosting The Morning Show intermittently (and now a direct competitor) and Dancing With The Stars respectively. They settled in easily together and delivered a solid show with crosses to overseas correspondents, local experts and celebrity interviews including Magda Szubanski. As it turns out Szubanski set Campbell up with his wife so while it was a soft opening for the team they acquitted … [Read more...]

I’m so outta #TheLoop

The Loop

The Loop premiered on Eleven this morning, and while the comparisons to predecessor Video Hits are easy, it delivered a sharp & fun show that has a good opportunity to fill a void created by Ch10. Hosts Scott Tweedie & Ash London played well off each other with scripted banter, though it's too early to claim any chemistry yet. Ironically it is seasoned host Tweedie who looked the most stiff while newcomer London was relaxed & seemed to be enjoying the ride. Let's face it - any music fan who just got a job hosting a music show on TV knows they just got a free Access All Areas pass to every major music festival in Australia, and … [Read more...]

Young Talent Time (#YTT)

Young Talent Time 2012

If you didn't know Young Talent Time was returning, you've been living in a cave far, far away. YTT is back, and you better be ready for it. 2012 version of the show was earnest, fun, innocent, colourful and smiley, with a hint of nostalgia. Sure, a generous helping of cheese, but that was YTT back in the day and it would televisual suicide to not deliver more of the same. Thank goodness we got it in spades. Part of the strength of YTT was that it never tried to sexualise the team. Songs were mostly appropriate; hem lines never too high. Key to the series returning (and as we saw tonight) was this remains true in 2012. After we'd met … [Read more...]

Congrats Lachlan & Sarah – winner of 2011 Beauty & the Geek (#BATG)

Sarah & Lachlan - winners of 2011 Beauty & the Geek Australia

Congratulations to Lachlan and Sarah, winners of 2011 Beauty & the Geek Australia. The pair took home $100,000 between them, beating Julian and Jordan, though Lachlan did form a relationship with Jordan while on the program so quite possibly he's the 'real winner'. The beauties & geeks battled it off through school-based challenges, a dance battle, a kissing booth challenge, and finally a Q&A challenge on each beauty on her geek & vice versa. This third series continued the high-brow/low-brow mix with ease, and Bernard Curry is now far more comnfortable as host of this insane menagerie. It contained more of the same crazy challenges, … [Read more...]