The Who We Are Update: Week 19

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

This week of the blog is now history. For the latest discussion of media, go here.
For the results of The Bogie Awards 2008, go to The Tribal Mind.

So far this week, the average audience shares in prime time stand at: ABC 16.6% Seven 27.1% Nine 26.1% Ten 25.2% SBS 5.1%..

What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 DOC MARTIN ABC 1,507,000 448,000 409,000 328,000 155,000 168,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,289,000 381,000 346,000 245,000 132,000 186,000
3 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,094,000 274,000 326,000 230,000 126,000 139,000
4 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,043,000 283,000 315,000 212,000 136,000 97,000
5 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC 1,001,000 294,000 288,000 204,000 112,000 103,000
6 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY Seven 947,000 282,000 223,000 213,000 83,000 146,000
7 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Seven 935,000 290,000 232,000 174,000 105,000 134,000
11 The BILL ABC 808,000 269,000 218,000 169,000 58,000 94,000
12 FAWLTY TOWERS Seven 775,000 238,000 185,000 160,000 54,000 137,000
13 RACING STRIPES -RPT Nine 758,000 209,000 219,000 149,000 71,000 110,000
14 M-PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL Seven 733,000 260,000 232,000 157,000 84,000
16 SATURDAY NIGHT AFL Ten 710,000 391,000 51,000 170,000 97,000
17 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFL Ten 628,000 58,000 294,000 80,000 107,000 89,000
19 TOP GEAR RPT SBS 471,000 146,000 177,000 77,000 52,000 19,000
26 IPL TWENTY20 CRICKET - LIVE/DELAYED Ten 326,000 96,000 117,000 22,000 53,000 37,000
27 NINE'S SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 324,000 130,000 14,000 169,000 6,000 5,000
87 MY KID'S A STAR Nine 79,000 24,000 34,000 13,000 8,000 Not shown in Perth

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,392,000 406,000 383,000 260,000 161,000 182,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,318,000 355,000 352,000 261,000 159,000 190,000
3 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,171,000 423,000 369,000 254,000 125,000 Not shown
4 MIDSOMER MURDERS RPT ABC 1,168,000 369,000 360,000 211,000 133,000 96,000
5 ABC NEWS ABC 1,122,000 305,000 380,000 200,000 106,000 131,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 1,103,000 286,000 347,000 224,000 127,000 118,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,082,000 335,000 287,000 204,000 112,000 144,000
8 BIG BROTHER - FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Ten 1,032,000 287,000 317,000 202,000 146,000 81,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 961,000 275,000 323,000 167,000 99,000 97,000
10 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 912,000 235,000 295,000 162,000 98,000 122,000
11 BIG BROTHER Ten 883,000 246,000 266,000 197,000 104,000 71,000
12 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 7: WEST COAST VS CARLTON Seven 854,000 26,000 442,000 24,000 144,000 218,000
24 NINE'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 469,000 300,000 Not shown 168,000 Not shown Not shown
27 I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUT OF HERE Ten 453,000 149,000 121,000 73,000 77,000 33,000
37 TURN ME ON: THE HISTORY OF THE VIBRATOR RPT SBS 301,000 121,000 79,000 45,000 35,000 20,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Friday
Thursday's finale of The Biggest Loser went against the trend of failed finales (and, for that matter, failed debuts like Big Brother and Australia's Got Talent) and became the most watched show of the ratings year.

Sam Rouen, 20, started at 155 kilograms and ended at 83, so he lost 46 per cent of his body weight -- much more than Adro, the original Loser in our photo. But this year's finale attracted 400,000 fewer viewers than the 2006 finale, one of the most watched programs of all time (go to The culture for details).

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 THE BIGGEST LOSER - FINALE Ten 1,886,000 512,000 605,000 346,000 212,000 211,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,473,000 422,000 413,000 296,000 144,000 199,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,355,000 402,000 375,000 245,000 134,000 199,000
4 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-THU Nine 1,216,000 317,000 397,000 202,000 130,000 169,000
5 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,216,000 364,000 298,000 264,000 113,000 176,000
6 ABC NEWS ABC 1,198,000 375,000 367,000 211,000 111,000 135,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,186,000 283,000 385,000 271,000 136,000 111,000
8 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 1,140,000 246,000 486,000 137,000 141,000 129,000
11 BIG BROTHER Ten 996,000 269,000 309,000 201,000 116,000 101,000
13 GETAWAY Nine 968,000 244,000 278,000 220,000 121,000 105,000
16 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Seven 834,000 236,000 197,000 215,000 96,000 88,000
18 THAT '70S SHOW Seven 807,000 228,000 178,000 204,000 84,000 113,000
20 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 714,000 187,000 158,000 176,000 97,000 96,000
21 LOST Seven 683,000 178,000 206,000 134,000 82,000 83,000
24 THE STATE WITHIN ABC 647,000 197,000 163,000 118,000 69,000 101,000
29 FAMILY GUY Seven 490,000 117,000 178,000 70,000 69,000 57,000
34 AMERICAN DAD Seven 385,000 101,000 129,000 44,000 61,000 50,000
36 IPL TWENTY20 CRICKET Ten 355,000 117,000 100,000 53,000 45,000 41,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Thursday
Remember when Channel Ten had a policy of replacing any show that wasn't working with a repeat of The Simpsons? Channel Nine has now adopted this policy with Golden Ramsay. It's called panic programming and it happened last night to Canal Road, the new Australian drama which Nine has written off after only two episodes. Nine bumped CR to 10.30pm (where it duly confirmed Nine's pessimism by attracting only 433,000) and replaced it with a Ramsay show which had already appeared on Pay TV. The panic programming was rewarded by an audience of nearly 1.3 million.

Seven's scheme to capitalise on publicity for the new Indiana Jones movie by showing an old Indiana Jones movie worked well in Melbourne (where they're not allowed to see Underbelly) but nowhere else. Underbelly's audience was up in every other city, and most of them hung around for Golden. Indy seems to have grabbed his viewers from House, which Ten is keeping in repeats until Underbelly finishes.

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,639,000 438,000 435,000 339,000 164,000 262,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,490,000 397,000 415,000 287,000 149,000 243,000
3 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,382,000 325,000 393,000 287,000 159,000 219,000
4 UNDERBELLY Nine 1,344,000 669,000 267,000 168,000 240,000
5 THE REAL SEACHANGE Seven 1,318,000 330,000 397,000 252,000 146,000 193,000
6 HELL'S KITCHEN Nine 1,275,000 393,000 393,000 185,000 147,000 158,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,261,000 337,000 378,000 279,000 162,000 105,000
8 ABC NEWS ABC 1,237,000 326,000 410,000 232,000 124,000 145,000
9 TWO AND A HALF MEN Nine 1,236,000 336,000 383,000 246,000 132,000 138,000
10 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,235,000 358,000 341,000 208,000 139,000 189,000
11 BIG BROTHER Ten 1,198,000 388,000 326,000 227,000 124,000 133,000
12 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,165,000 333,000 382,000 227,000 136,000 86,000
13 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,165,000 297,000 356,000 241,000 133,000 138,000
16 HOUSE RPT Ten 986,000 293,000 275,000 196,000 96,000 126,000
17 M-RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Seven 986,000 269,000 331,000 156,000 126,000 104,000
32 CANAL ROAD Nine 433,000 104,000 133,000 78,000 60,000 58,000
33 SECONDS FROM DISASTER Seven 427,000 136,000 137,000 56,000 58,000 40,000

On Monday, the new Big Brother got the lowest launching audience it has ever achieved -- 1.5 million. BB was even beaten by a repeat of Border Security, and did no damage at all to the Despos audience.

When The Tribal Mind announced on Monday that Kyle Sandilands had won the Black Bogie as the most annoying personality on the box, we didn't really think this would translate into a mass flight away from Channel Ten. But then again, the debut of Kyle and Jackie did do slightly better than Tuesday's debut of Dannii and her two boobs (Tom and Red). Perhaps Dannii was cursed by having a sister whose name sounds a bit like Kyle.

In our ratings chart today we've included the most successful of the daytime shows, in accordance with a reader's request.

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,563,000 439,000 393,000 333,000 161,000 238,000
2 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES Nine 1,535,000 401,000 550,000 237,000 156,000 192,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,504,000 424,000 389,000 313,000 143,000 235,000
4 AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT Seven 1,358,000 342,000 410,000 245,000 169,000 191,000
5 BONDI RESCUE Ten 1,354,000 401,000 412,000 237,000 155,000 148,000
6 NCIS Ten 1,320,000 348,000 391,000 265,000 161,000 155,000
7 BIG BROTHER Ten 1,315,000 354,000 392,000 266,000 150,000 153,000
8 NCIS RPT Ten 1,267,000 305,000 404,000 221,000 169,000 168,000
9 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,251,000 340,000 384,000 229,000 129,000 169,000
14 20 TO 1 Nine 1,078,000 286,000 310,000 247,000 121,000 114,000
15 LADETTE TO LADY Nine 1,050,000 266,000 389,000 133,000 115,000 147,000
22 MISTRESSES Seven 678,000 203,000 245,000 99,000 66,000 65,000
28 BALLS OF STEEL Nine 497,000 156,000 167,000 59,000 60,000 55,000
29 M*A*S*H Seven 494,000 154,000 150,000 89,000 46,000 54,000
30 THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Ten 471,000 122,000 119,000 120,000 62,000 49,000
35 JUDGE JUDY Ten 381,000 99,000 113,000 79,000 47,000 43,000
40 HUEY'S COOKING ADVENTURES Ten 335,000 89,000 97,000 60,000 44,000 45,000
41 MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL ABC 332,000 67,000 120,000 66,000 48,000 30,000
66 THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW Ten 195,000 44,000 70,000 41,000 18,000 21,000
67 THE MORNING SHOW Seven 185,000 68,000 33,000 48,000 18,000 19,000
69 FRESH COOKING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY Nine 183,000 57,000 59,000 32,000 16,000 19,000
70 DR PHIL Ten 182,000 32,000 65,000 32,000 21,000 32,000
83 DAYS OF OUR LIVES Nine 145,000 40,000 50,000 27,000 17,000 11,000
88 ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT Nine 129,000 45,000 42,000 22,000 10,000 11,000
89 MORNINGS WITH KERRI-ANNE Nine 129,000 45,000 40,000 22,000 13,000 8,000
What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,677,000 475,000 421,000 348,000 193,000 240,000
2 BORDER SECURITY - AUSTRALIA'S FRONT LINE (R) Seven 1,594,000 476,000 467,000 266,000 160,000 225,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,571,000 449,000 428,000 309,000 171,000 214,000
4 BIG BROTHER - LAUNCH SPECIAL Ten 1,511,000 487,000 435,000 276,000 162,000 151,000
5 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,367,000 431,000 341,000 289,000 120,000 185,000
6 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,312,000 380,000 428,000 229,000 111,000 164,000
7 NINE NEWS Nine 1,285,000 360,000 386,000 298,000 131,000 111,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,260,000 344,000 393,000 273,000 124,000 125,000
9 SEA PATROL II - THE COUP Nine 1,258,000 361,000 351,000 217,000 161,000 168,000
10 SCU: SERIOUS CRASH UNIT Seven 1,175,000 310,000 348,000 220,000 125,000 172,000
11 AUSTRALIAN STORY ABC 1,148,000 337,000 330,000 224,000 86,000 170,000
12 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S - LIFE IN COLD BLOOD Nine 1,142,000 321,000 323,000 214,000 134,000 149,000
13 ABC NEWS ABC 1,084,000 275,000 351,000 201,000 112,000 144,000
14 MORE THAN ENOUGH ROPE ABC 1,031,000 334,000 294,000 181,000 101,000 120,000
18 GOOD NEWS WEEK Ten 918,000 288,000 291,000 163,000 90,000 88,000
24 DIRTY SEXY MONEY Seven 757,000 220,000 274,000 122,000 62,000 78,000
39 MYTHBUSTERS RPT SBS 354,000 80,000 111,000 87,000 40,000 36,000
81 30 ROCK Seven 184,000 64,000 51,000 23,000 20,000 25,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Monday
The finale of So You Think You Can Dance Australia attracted 1.85 million viewers in the mainland capitals on Sunday night, making it one of the most watched shows in a year without big hits. Channel Ten won the night, with 32.3 per cent of the prime time audience (SBS 5.1%, ABC 12.1%, Seven 24.2%, Nine 26.4%).

Finales aren't a guaranteed success these days. Last Tuesday, the talent quest It Takes Two went out with a whimper, drawing only 1.4 million to see comedian Julia Morris triumph as a singer. ITT is replaced tomorrow night by Australia's Got Talent, which Seven seems to be promoting as a show about Dannii Minogue with a couple of boobs behind her as well as in front of her.

The second-last episode of SYTCDA pulled 1.5m last Sunday. Then last Monday, Ten replaced what should have been the finale with a socially responsible show about alcohol, ideally suited to Ten's target audience. But The Truth About Binge Drinking attracted only 786,000, as the dance fans took their alcopops to Desperate Housewives (1.4 million).

The TV reviewers declared that episode two of Nine's new Aussie drama Canal Road was less stupid than the first, but the viewers disagreed, and on Wednesday Canal Road sank by 170 000 to 831,000. Nevertheless, it should survive a little longer than My Kid's A Star which dropped 120,000 to 659,000.

Nine's hopes of recapturing the week with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on Saturday were dashed when the ABC grabbed 1.4 million for Doc Martin, to Harry's 1.3 million. And Seven's last minute decision to replace Michael Palin's New Europe with the thousandth repeat of Fawlty Towers proved justified, when John Cleese pulled 839,000 viewers -- 100,000 more than his former Monty Python colleague. On Friday a total of 1.3 million people across three channels in the mainland capitals watched the coverage of the ANZAC march and the dawn service at Gallipoli. Nine should think about making this a weekly event and buying exclusive rights.

By week's end, audience shares in prime time were: Seven 29.0 per cent, Nine 27.6, Ten 22.0, ABC 16.2 and SBS 5.3. This week sees the finales of The Biggest Loser, Doc Martin and East of Everything. Will they all gather record audiences?

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA - FINALE NIGHT Ten 1,847,000 576,000 533,000 347,000 173,000 218,000
2 SYTYCDA - WINNER ANNOUNCED Ten 1,821,000 546,000 536,000 333,000 194,000 211,000
3 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,774,000 502,000 454,000 365,000 193,000 261,000
4 THE BIGGEST LOSER (AUS) - FINAL WEIGH-IN Ten 1,561,000 471,000 495,000 243,000 153,000 200,000
5 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,504,000 450,000 470,000 265,000 189,000 130,000
6 60 MINUTES Nine 1,452,000 401,000 456,000 268,000 138,000 190,000
7 GLADIATORS Seven 1,366,000 377,000 416,000 279,000 134,000 160,000
8 CSI Nine 1,260,000 255,000 429,000 219,000 166,000 191,000
9 POLICE FILES - UNLOCKED Seven 1,184,000 298,000 371,000 205,000 154,000 155,000
10 ROVE Ten 1,182,000 350,000 412,000 164,000 125,000 132,000
11 ANIMAL EMERGENCY Nine 1,123,000 281,000 290,000 237,000 141,000 174,000
12 RFDS: ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE Nine 1,121,000 298,000 295,000 232,000 136,000 159,000
13 MY NAME IS EARL Seven 1,104,000 264,000 329,000 222,000 134,000 155,000
14 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,088,000 322,000 331,000 200,000 111,000 124,000
15 WITHOUT A TRACE Nine 1,035,000 230,000 340,000 181,000 136,000 148,000
17 BROTHERS & SISTERS Seven 860,000 275,000 269,000 141,000 92,000 82,000
19 ROBIN HOOD ABC 791,000 261,000 206,000 141,000 87,000 97,000
22 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 6: KANGAROOS VS SYDNEY Seven 662,000 107,000 296,000 8,000 128,000 124,000
24 EAST OF EVERYTHING ABC 655,000 209,000 184,000 117,000 59,000 86,000
28 NINE'S SUNDAY NRL Nine 485,000 296,000 Not shown 175,000 Not shown 14,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Pay TV subscribers watched, week ending April 28
1 LIVE: NRL COWBOYS V STORM Fox Sports 2 328,000
2 LIVE: NRL RAIDERS V STORM Fox Sports 2 322,000
3 LIVE: NRL SEA EAGLES V BULLDOGS Fox Sports 2 253,000
4 LIVE: NRL ROOSTERS V KNIGHTS Fox Sports 2 251,000
5 LIVE: NRL DRAGONS V ROOSTERS Fox Sports 2 243,000
6 AUSTRALIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL FOX8 242,000
7 LIVE: AFL CARLTON V ADELAIDE Fox Sports 1 230,000
8 SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA Lifestyle 214,000
9 FAMILY GUY FOX8 206,000
10 FUTURAMA FOX8 196,000
(OzTAM national)

What Australia watched, week ending April 26
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,765,000 520,000 462,000 336,000 206,000 241,000
2 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,764,000 457,000 490,000 363,000 183,000 271,000
3 60 MINUTES Nine 1,736,000 469,000 519,000 334,000 175,000 238,000
4 SEVEN NEWS - SUNDAY Seven 1,690,000 426,000 550,000 379,000 164,000 171,000
5 BONDI RESCUE Ten 1,624,000 450,000 505,000 316,000 146,000 207,000
6 GLADIATORS Seven 1,569,000 428,000 484,000 344,000 162,000 151,000
7 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES - THURSDAY Nine 1,566,000 435,000 562,000 221,000 151,000 197,000
8 SCU: SERIOUS CRASH UNIT Seven 1,545,000 422,000 450,000 297,000 183,000 194,000
9 NINE NEWS - SUNDAY Nine 1,521,000 452,000 390,000 306,000 178,000 195,000
10 SEVEN NEWS - MONDAY-FRIDAY Seven 1,511,000 410,000 406,000 305,000 166,000 224,000
11 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA Ten 1,461,000 422,000 438,000 307,000 126,000 168,000
12 IT TAKES TWO Seven 1,453,000 430,000 439,000 277,000 139,000 168,000
13 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,452,000 382,000 497,000 249,000 160,000 165,000
14 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES - TUESDAY Nine 1,442,000 415,000 514,000 198,000 139,000 175,000
15 DOC MARTIN ABC 1,429,000 363,000 415,000 331,000 137,000 184,000
16 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,399,000 389,000 376,000 266,000 155,000 212,000
17 THE REAL SEACHANGE Seven 1,369,000 382,000 379,000 258,000 145,000 206,000
18 SEA PATROL II - THE COUP Nine 1,362,000 387,000 422,000 244,000 153,000 156,000
19 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,358,000 404,000 372,000 278,000 154,000 149,000
20 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S LIFE IN COLD BLOOD Nine 1,345,000 376,000 410,000 249,000 139,000 171,000
21 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,341,000 449,000 403,000 219,000 138,000 132,000
22 NCIS Ten 1,326,000 343,000 362,000 299,000 146,000 176,000
23 THE BIGGEST LOSER - THE WEIGH-IN Ten 1,322,000 371,000 381,000 237,000 146,000 187,000
24 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,308,000 422,000 376,000 249,000 166,000 95,000
25 HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE Nine 1,273,000 405,000 344,000 217,000 141,000 166,000
26 UNDERBELLY Nine 1,246,000 576,000 267,000 178,000 225,000
27 THE BIGGEST LOSER Ten 1,238,000 315,000 410,000 230,000 121,000 163,000
28 THE BIGGEST LOSER - ELIMINATION Ten 1,227,000 303,000 403,000 229,000 120,000 172,000
29 MIDSOMER MURDERS ABC 1,213,000 383,000 348,000 213,000 142,000 127,000
30 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,203,000 290,000 448,000 201,000 124,000 140,000
31 CSI Nine 1,202,000 299,000 328,000 247,000 133,000 196,000
32 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,201,000 349,000 301,000 238,000 131,000 182,000
33 NINE NEWS - MONDAY-FRIDAY Nine 1,190,000 339,000 367,000 241,000 134,000 109,000
34 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,184,000 336,000 388,000 227,000 121,000 112,000
35 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,184,000 343,000 405,000 168,000 124,000 144,000
36 NCIS (R) Ten 1,164,000 316,000 330,000 229,000 131,000 157,000
37 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,154,000 343,000 336,000 234,000 131,000 110,000
38 ANIMAL EMERGENCY Nine 1,147,000 317,000 305,000 253,000 114,000 158,000
39 ANZAC DAY AFL Ten 1,102,000 83,000 606,000 111,000 151,000 151,000
40 BACK TO YOU Ten 1,101,000 301,000 316,000 233,000 129,000 123,000
(OzTAM mainland capitals)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Firstly, a great result with the Bogies! I didnï¿½t realise that it would be on the front page of the SMH site. Well done TM. Pity there werenï¿½t more voters. Iï¿½d have preferred Kochie or Kyle to take out the black one. Tuxedoed comperes rankle, but not as much as jumped up financial gurus and upstarts parading as entertainers.
Now, while ï¿½Everybody Hates Kyleï¿½, I reckon itï¿½s excellent that heï¿½s hosting BB. Heï¿½s vowed to ï¿½shake it upï¿½. Itï¿½s almost a must-watch TV event. BB is undeniably moronic, and Kyle is probably going to be horribly awful, but maybe for a few episodes it will be great ï¿½car crash TVï¿½ .
And I forgot to mention Jackie,
Ohï¿½guess that doesnï¿½t matterï¿½..

by gigdiary on April 28, 2008 at 02:04 AM

For those who will watch Lost on Thursday - mark Hurley's words. Near the beginning of the episode he says "Australia is key to the game" (Sawyer disagrees). Remember that at the end of the episode.
Oh and the Sontarans were never that short!!

Tribal Mind remarks: Aha! I was wondering why they'd employed so many Australians in small roles.

by Cat on April 28, 2008 at 08:30 AM

60 Minutes got 1.4m viewers?! Maybe I am more alone than I thought with my sentiments that it has become a crock of poo. I can't remember the last time I felt so incensed about the willful destruction of a television show. This is a program I remember even watching as a child and sometimes enjoying. Now it's just a celebrity and freakshow circus with embarrassing reporting and stolen pieces from the US sister show. First up - a man who covers himself with bees and lets spiders crawl on his face. Next, Posh and Becks...what a farce. To poach Derryn Hinch's catchcry: SHAME CHANNEL NINE, SHAME.

by NK on April 28, 2008 at 08:44 AM

Tribal Mind remarks: Aha! I was wondering why they'd employed so many Australians in small roles.
When you see the context you will think I am having a lend. Trust me though when you get through the last few scenes and remember what Hurley says and the Lost writer's mentalities my interest in his remark will be clearer. (Suitably obscure clue: Games have rules. )
On to another topic I only just realised that Big Bogan starts this week (I have tuned out the ads) and so my TV viewing will drop even more. Thankfully it is actually easy to avoid the show itself but the ridiculous overruns mean shows I try to tape later will need a huge buffer to ensure the tape does not end mid storyline. It is also bound to result in ACA etc running BB bashing stories that they will promote the hell out of. If they do manage to generate more spectacular acts of stupidity the media will use it gleefully. And finally if it actually rates this year the other channels will move their programming to avoid clashes! I cannot wait for it to be over for another year (or preferably forever).

by Cat on April 28, 2008 at 09:44 AM

Border Security No 1 again last week! I don't know why it annoys me so much but it just does. I just dont get why people like this stuff so much. I just amazes me what tripe people will watch.
Speaking of tripe, BB's return tonight will no doubt get huge numbers out of sheer curiosity value. I mean, they even have a "little person" going in the house and everyone is going to sleep together in one huge bed? A UFO nut, a gay guy, a Pauline Hanson lover and an aboriginal woman? What a mix!
I know I said I would never watch but this sounds just too, too tacky not to take a quick peek. So maybe, just maybe, I will flick the remote over from time to time just to see, just this once. Please forgive me fellow bloggers! I can't help it, I just need a little peak! That's all. Then I swear never to watch BB again!

by em on April 28, 2008 at 09:50 AM

As a closet TBL watcher, I'll be getting a decent chunk of my life back from tonight. I absolutely refuse to have BB showing in this household. I may have kids that watch Doctor Who and Star Wars, but I shall never subject them to BB. Even when Gretski was the host. And now with Boris and Natasha (Nothing Up The Sleeves? I don't think so) hosting? I know so.

by Bereft Skerrick on April 28, 2008 at 10:03 AM

Kudos TM for the Bogies...
happy happy joy joy Boston legal on primetime for extended new episode on May 5 - a very nice birthday present from Seven to me...
See Law & Order as some bloggers have hinted is gone from Ch Shirl - repeat ep tonight then nothing next week - Cat I love the term Big Bogan - I will not venture into the swill of that TV.
Sad to see the end of series 2 of Robin Hood - heard rumours they are doing a thrid series - but if Richard Armitage is joining Spooks don't know how that will work - any ideas anyone?

by Cathy on April 28, 2008 at 10:31 AM

I have to admit (like em) that I am curious to take a peek at Big Brother tonight & I imagine we're not the only ones (come on, you know you want to). By the look of the (continually repeated) sneak peeks of the contestants it seems they're keeping the blonde bimbo / shirtless yobbo factor low this year. Maybe they're going for people who can construct full sentences. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see how low they'll go in a desparate bid to claw back viewers. With Kyle at the helm, I'm guessing quite low. According to the SMH on Saturday, ten have learnt with SYTYCD that positive reinforcement and commendation is as watchable if not more so than judges who big note themselves & tell contestants they're fat & ugly (who would've thought?) and this "new" concept will be reflected in Big Brother & Aus Idol this year too. In which case either Kyle's been fired or they're lying. Tears & bad behaviour & tantrums will come this year from the host, not the house. I'd like to see that.

by darren on April 28, 2008 at 11:24 AM

Massive ratings for So You Think You Can Dance. The competition got slapped down. It's a shame that East of Everything has dropped off; it was the funniest episode last night. I hope the ABC repeat it in another slot before they run the second series.
Looks like Ch 9 has changed the Wednesday night schedule yet again. My Kid's a Star has been shunted to Saturday at noon and Canal Road moves to 10.30pm. Why did they give failed American shows like Moment of Truth, Cashmere Mafia and Terminators weeks to improve in the ratings but an Aussie show like Canal Road was dropped after the second week scored a dip in the ratings to similar levels? That's disgusting. Do we really need three Gordon Ramsay shows per week now? Will it be overkill like the Supernanny and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and destroy the whole concept quickly?

by J Bar on April 28, 2008 at 12:16 PM

Hey Cat
I just watched that Lost episode yesterday. I recall the line about Australia. However I am not sure what you're referring to at the end? Your obscure clue might be a little too obscure because I didn't think that related to the Australia thing. I was storing that bit of info for future episodes because I thought it would become more apparent then...
oh well! I don't want to ruin it for other fans but perhaps on Friday you can post what you mean for me!
Mel

by mel on April 28, 2008 at 12:32 PM

TM,
May I ask how the Brisbane v Melbourne AFL game went on Seven on Sunday? If the figure isn't very high, you have to question the league's decision to open up another Qld team.
Thanks in advance.

TM replies: Would that be the program called Kangaroos v Sydney, which has been in the chart (above) all day?

by Ryan on April 28, 2008 at 05:46 PM

watched BB for 30 seconds and switched off.... it's just such a dumb program .... i cant help but think that the reason people are switching off from FTA is because quality has been ripped out of the programs, and the alternatives are just better .....
so in summary - BB08 - dedicated programming for the terminally stupid.... and kyle looks really fat .....

by Randwick Geoff on April 28, 2008 at 06:51 PM

Yes, I gave in to temptation and watched some of BB last night. As a schoolteacher, I find the reality tv thing is good to bond with the students, so I usually watch a bit of everything so I can chat to them about it in the hope that they will think I'm a bit cool!!! As a younger teacher, it works for me!!

Anyway, my thoughts on the show - It was just really lacking in the energy it has had in the past, which Mr Beckala agreed with (he in fact stated that he would have more fun sorting out our super than continuing viewing - a task he has been putting off for about 18 monts...). Interesting - Mr B. was listening but not viewing (eating dinner then working) and stated that it was extremely dull sounding, and definitely low in energy, in both the hosts and the crowds (which is unusual, because if you've gone to the point of buying tickets, you are usually pretty keen to cheer loudly!!) I think a lot of the cheering had to be pre-recorded or was just a tape playing, because for the section I was viewing, the audience was sitting with their arms crossed, but it sounded like there was huge applause.

Hoping they are going to get rid of the nanna quick smart. I'm already sick of her from the ads. I just don't think somebody like her should be encouraged (I love Pauline Hanson, I hate immigrants...) Admittedly the cast looks a little different, not just all blonde bimbos, but enough of them to still be pretty similar. But Vile and tacky Ho are certainly nowhere near as good a host as Gretel. Tacky is dull as hell, beige, dull as dishwater, boring, pointless, and just a horrid host - something I was predicting after her prior tv performances.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME TM'ERS!!

by Beckala on April 28, 2008 at 09:58 PM

So. Had a look at BB08 last night & it's the same old thing as expected. The people are more varied than in previous years but whether people will tune in to see them peel oranges and complain about porridge for 3 months remains to be seen. I actually thought Kyle & Jackie O did a good job. Kyle managed to bite his tongue & just stood there gazing at the contestant's cleavages (which were rather prominent as you would expect) while Jackie O did most of the work blandly but competently. Of course, this is all relative. It's not aiming for the stars & has never pretended to. They need to create a new category at the logies for 'the best mindless garbage'. It'd be hotly contested this year & BB08 would probably win.
On another note, I think the ABC should be commended for Australian Story last night about Charmaine Dragun. It was respectful & sad & interesting and heartfelt. ABC is really the only channel doing journalism anymore & they do it well. 60 minutes, ACA, Today Tonight etc rate behind Playschool & Totally Wild in terms of hard hitting journalism. Sesame Street covers 'stranger danger' and interacial politics better.

by darren on April 29, 2008 at 06:01 AM

Watched BB for the first 20 mins or so they switched over to Foxtel. BB was a dull, boring waste of time. Jackie O has no personality and as for Vile, well, he was like a stunned mullet, just stood there making the occassional inane comment. He looked so stiff and uncomfortable. He is no host, that's for sure. I dont know if it got better but I switched back over about 5 mins from the end waiting for GNW and it didnt seem to have improved over the 2 hrs it was on.

If that is the best they can do, well, sorry Ten, I think BB has had it's day and needs to be scrapped. I wont be watching again, my curosity is now satisfied.

And as far as hosts go, bring back Gretel. Those two are just plain awful and have no idea how to host a program. Go back to radio so we dont have to look at you.

by em on April 29, 2008 at 08:03 AM

I was a fan of Big Brother in the first couple of years when it was more like a science experiment rather than a bunch of plastic bimbos who knew the concept inside out and only appeared on the show for their 15 seconds of 'fame'. In the last few years I have been an infrequent viewer and last year probably only watched the launch, a few of the evictions and the finale. Just out of curiosity again, I started watching the launch last night but I seriously could not watch more than the first half hour. Kyle cracks a few funnies but generally his arrogance and smartarse attitude is too annoying. Jackie O just confirmed to me yet again that she is bland and actually sucks the life out of anything that she is involved in. I'm quite sure that they added canned laughter and cheers for parts that were not very funny or exciting. I don't believe that even the bogans in the audience that usually attend this show could be that enthusiastic. Hopefully this year is the end of Big Bogan.

by J Bar on April 29, 2008 at 08:07 AM

So Beckala I take it you or Mr B are unlikely to watch BB again? I did not but heard a review this morning by Paul Murray who basically said he did not care about any of them, would not watch again and would be pleased when the whole 3 months or so was over

by Cathy on April 29, 2008 at 08:26 AM

Beckala - get ye to a nunnery!

Mel - will do. Was curious to see if anyone else saw a similar significance so just had a look at a Lost forum and whilst not focussing on Australia (as I obviously would) they are inferring similar things from that scene. But then again Lost is as good at red herrings as it is at hidden clues ;)

by Cat on April 29, 2008 at 08:37 AM

Quoth Cathy on April 28, 2008 at 10:31 AM: "Sad to see the end of series 2 of Robin Hood - heard rumours they are doing a thrid series - but if Richard Armitage is joining Spooks don't know how that will work - any ideas anyone?"

I thought they left it very open ended so it's perfectly set up for a third series (scheduling might be a bit tricky for Richard Armitage, but I'm sure they'd work something out). BUT they did get rid of three of my favourite characters, so I might have a fit of pique and refuse to tune in.

TM, thanks for the Bogies! I actually read it in the paper yesterday (dead tree edition!) due to the pupil-free day at school leading to me not getting online at all. (*twitch*)

And I have no wish whatsoever to watch BB. I've seen all of one ad, plus a couple of teasers, and do not want to ever see more. Luckily there's nothing on Channel 10 for me to watch anyhow (unless The Simpsons have miraculously reappeared somewhere?).

Very fast resolution to Tom & kids being buried on DH last night. It was all sorted within five minutes! Any other soap would have stretched it out over at least three weeks. Ah, I love the Despoes, more plot in ten minutes than in ten months in a standard soap.

by tqd on April 29, 2008 at 09:42 AM

Whether or not I watch the whole thing this year is questionable - but I gotta hand it to them - they've picked a real motley crew this time around.

Miss White Australia, The Ex-exclusive Brethren, The Little Woman, The High Talker - that's a show.

Reminds me a lot of the casting behind VH1's reality goldmine "I Love New York" if you get VH1 check it out it's a hilarious trip to the bottom of the TV barrell!

Also keen to see Lost, I've read up on the episode and I get what you're talking about with 'Australia' but I hope the plot makes more sense when I watch it on Thursday night!

Also who is going to the trouble to download it - it's on FTA in a week - save your money!

by Watch This! on April 29, 2008 at 10:12 AM

I didn't see it on Monday night, but the problem with Big Brother (that may be of academic interest to Mr. Dale) is that Aus viewers seem to have become now bored with it and probably much moreso
than European, North American and Asian viewers (for their own localised versions of it). The
UK version is done twice a year,
which they can support, with three and half times as many people and the US version does a mix of free to air and cable TV, for more explicit language and content.

by Burt on April 29, 2008 at 12:08 PM

omg just saw an ad on ch nein promoting a show where contestants fit through an odd shaped hole.. are they really sinking that low nowadays?

by john on April 29, 2008 at 12:27 PM

"TM,
May I ask how the Brisbane v Melbourne AFL game went on Seven on Sunday? If the figure isn't very high, you have to question the league's decision to open up another Qld team.
Thanks in advance.
TM replies: Would that be the program called Kangaroos v Sydney, which has been in the chart (above) all day?
by Ryan on April 28, 2008 at 05:46 PM"
The 8,000 AFL figure recorded above for Brisbane would be a post 11.30pm 3 hr broadcast replay of the Kangaroos V Sydney game.
At a guess the Brisbane V Melbourne game would have recieved around 80-130,000 in Brisbane on 7 and we have to wait till next week to find out how many people watched the game via Fox Sports 1 on top of that figure.

by Another Ryan on April 29, 2008 at 05:24 PM

Channel 10 Friday - I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

It's British, it must be 'classy'.

by canoli on April 30, 2008 at 08:23 AM

BB is shaping up to be a major disaster. The most-publicised housemate cited as a major point of difference to the show has been evicted on the first day. So much for BB beind 'different' this year. Don't they always evict the older contestants first? Channel 10 will probably try to put her back in to revive interest as the ratings plummet more and more. The drama of how bad BB will do this year is way more interesting than what happens in the house.

by Nella on April 30, 2008 at 08:46 AM

Watched BB and didn't really notice any significant shift from previous years - 14 desperados hoping for their 15 seconds of fame - while it might be a more varied lot they are definitely again in the under 30 brigade with one 52 year old grannie who got the boot last night - no surprises there - where is the so called promised increase in the age demographic - why throw in one 52 year old with a bunch of 20 somethings - she was bound to get evicted early on.

This revamped version is destined for the ratings doldrums - with vile and Miss o - and a bunch of misfits there is no real or greater incentive to watch.

I agree with the other comments - in its early years BB as a social experiment was compelling viewing - we'd never seen anything like it before. Now its just the same old same old - a tired old format with two very annoying hosts, that's reached its expiry date.

Did see a very funny show last night from Britian called BALLS OF STEEL - its on NEIN at around 10.30pm - did anyone catch it - quite funny and fresh in some ways and beats watching Sandy Sulls on TEN.

by GJ on April 30, 2008 at 09:12 AM

Recorded Mistresses last night to view tonight. Did anyone see it and what was the verdict?Interesting to see BB is already on the slide ratings wise. Read that the one older person was booted off by the usual young himbos & bimbos. What a surprise!
Ten has not really changed anything despite all the hype. What a waste of money & time this show is!
Anyway, I will not complain again about BB just hope it slides slowly away into the pit where it belongs.

by em on April 30, 2008 at 10:02 AM

What ! Over 900,000 watched Good News Week on monday night ??

What drivel.

by Craig Burden on April 30, 2008 at 10:44 AM

Hey Em - did catch Mistresses last night and quite enjoyed it - it's kinda of a weird cross between Sex and the City and Eastenders. It's about 4 british gals who all meet up and do the coffee thing and talk about sex, love and their careers/motherhood etc - they all have little secrets and these unravel as the characters are explored - not a bad debut episode and the acting was pretty good -my gut feeling is that may not be an enormous hit and will be buried in a 10.30 pm timeslot where it will get a dedicated following - I liked it though and will definitely watch it again!

by GJ on April 30, 2008 at 10:45 AM

About BB - is it just me or is Kyle Sandilands's one-eyed blink a little disconcerting? It's bizarre....every second blink, he just stands there like a stunned mullet and unconsciously winks - it must be some sort of nervous tic or something but it's a little offputting having someone so unpleasant staring down the barrel of the camera winking at me!

by NK on April 30, 2008 at 11:29 AM

Not a word about the ABC's very splendid 3-part doco on Dame Margot Fonteyn. It was one of the best things I've seen on TV in years.

by Rupert on April 30, 2008 at 12:29 PM

Mistresses will probably get bumped to 10.30 following those low ratings. Maybe Ch 7 could bring back Criminal Minds for that timeslot. Bondi Rescue suffered a bit this week against Australia's Got Talent and 20 to 1. NCIS does very well, even with a repeat episode following a new one.

by J Bar on April 30, 2008 at 01:47 PM

The Fugly Award nominees have just been announced (there another alternative to the Logies and similar to our very prestigious BOGIE Awards) and guess what - KYLE SANDILANDS is once again favourite to take out the most overexposed and annoying personality on Australian TV. It would seem our very own BOGIES are a good guide to viewer sentiment. MISS JACKIE O and MELISSA DOYLE also feature prominently in the most annoying female personality stakes!

by GJ on April 30, 2008 at 03:39 PM

Am I imagining things or did Nine actually show an hour & a half of 'Two & a half Men' last night followed by the third episode of 'Something with Gordon Ramsey' for the week last night? Beginning to think the programming department at Nine is actually just an single poorly lit room containing a goat & several pages of TV Week. Whichever picture the goat picks to eat first is the programme they run to death next. Either that or its come down to a game of darts (Ramsey 10 points!!).

Tribal Mind replies: You were not imagining things, and the 7.30 to 8.30 version of TAAHM got 1.2 million, which will only confirm Nine's approach.

by darren on May 01, 2008 at 08:40 AM

I can't understand why Nein didn't wait a couple of weeks to screen Canal Road in the Wednesday 8.30pm timeslot once Underbelly concludes. Surely, replacing one successful Aussie drama with another that deserves a go would be smart programming?? Instead, another rarity (Aussie drama with a decent cast) is despatched to what will be an early demise.
All I can say in Far Canal Nein!

by Sacs on May 01, 2008 at 09:36 AM

Darren I am not sure I like the idea of a poor goat locked in a dimly lit room at Nein. Someone ought to tell the RSPCA or at the very least Nein should lend the Eddie the goat to Seven and Ten so it gets some exercise and variety in its diet (the three major network food groups - magazines, big bogans and third rate celebrities).
On a more positive note thank you Ten. I taped NCIS and did not, as I expected, have to fast forward through 20 minutes to get to the start due to Big Bogan over-runs. Keep it up.
When does Overbelly end? I gather from TM that House will not return until then?

TM replies: U ends next week, then Blue Murder starts.

by Cat on May 01, 2008 at 09:54 AM

Good to see BB's ratings dropping so quickly. When will Ten realise that Sandilands is a turn-off? I think they sacked the wrong judge from Idol.
Also heartening to see Mistresses do so poorly.

by Fielding on May 01, 2008 at 11:22 AM

Quoth Rupert on April 30, 2008 at 12:29 PM: "Not a word about the ABC's very splendid 3-part doco on Dame Margot Fonteyn."
I caught what must have been the very last episode (I'd seen the ads, meant to try and catch some, and then somehow missed it all - it must have clashed with something else I watch more regularly). And I agree, it was transfixing stuff.

by tqd on May 01, 2008 at 11:31 AM

omg just saw an ad on ch nein promoting a show where contestants fit through an odd shaped hole.. are they really sinking that low nowadays?
by john on April 29, 2008 at 12:27 PM
I think it is Japanese game show ,Ellen DeGeneres has shown clips of it on her show and a couple of times has had audience members play which is amusing but a whole show I don't think will last. I think you can catch segments on UTube.

by Shelly on May 01, 2008 at 12:44 PM

It's a strange world when "Ladette to Lady" rates almost as well as Big Brother! I'd like to see that cooking teacher take to Vyle!

by Bereft Skerrick on May 01, 2008 at 02:17 PM

Programming by panic (when the cupboard's bare) also adds another nail to the print media's coffin. The Sun-Herald TV guide for Saturday night gets ch7 half right. Michael Palin looks for Lithuania in a dark corner of a Torquay Hotel and Jack Frost melts into Jack Sparrow. There's little point in having a 2 week timer in your VCR, is there ?

by Les on May 01, 2008 at 02:49 PM

Canal Road had the first episode that I liked. It made you actually liked a couple of the characters...but only just. It might have had some potential if it was shunted to the late shift.
It's going to be very hard for any show to gain an audience if shows aren't allowed to have a slow build. Two and A Half Men did well with a new episode at 7.30. Why did an American show like Two and Half Men get shown such favouritism when it's such a crappy show? Keeping it around with poor ratings, paid off eventually because now it's rating well in a prime time slot but it's disgraceful that an Aussie show like Canal Road can't be given half the chance that this show has.

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QUOTE (underarm @ May 1 2008, 11:16 AM)
And Ten's problem between 6pm to 7pm (can't leave them out)

Get over it, mate!

Seven News thrashing everything on telly last night is extraordinary though.
Looks like the extended Big Bogan took away viewers from RSPCA Rescue.

I think the producers of Back To You have ruined the show with the cast changes.
The weather girl was one of the best characters. Why did they get rid of her?
And why did they recast the daughter? The other young actress was perfect for the role.

by J Bar on May 01, 2008 at 03:08 PM

Sacs, perhaps Nein could use you!
What a good idea it would have been to show Canal Road in the Underbelly timeslot! I watched the first Canal Roads, but didn't follow it to 10.30 (Battlestar Galactica at 10.30 on Fox is a priority).
And Cat, I'm bummed to hear NCIS actually started more or less on time. I decided that it would be unlikely, with the revolting BB now on, so didn't try to watch or record it, to avoid disasterous raising of my blood pressure. Am boycotting 10 completely now, for that reason.
Dreadful when you can't even count on them to be late!

by Sal on May 01, 2008 at 03:26 PM

COREY WORTHINGTON (he with the yellow pimples, yellow glasses and pink skin) is going into the BB house - so much for their no bimbo, no idiot rule. All this pathetic publicity from the producers about BB changing - to coin a phrase - ' I DON'T THINK SO!'

by GJ on May 01, 2008 at 03:48 PM

Tribal Mind replies: You were not imagining things, and the 7.30 to 8.30 version of TAAHM got 1.2 million, which will only confirm Nine's approach

For all the bagging we give the networks, we should be bagging JohnDoe Viewer & JaneDoe Viewer. Why should the networks commit themselves to expensive & original programming if cheap & repeated programming rates? I personally like watching Kitchen Nightmares but Gordon once a week is enough to sate me.. (read that how you wish :P) Isn't Ch9 just adopting the McDonalds approach, if the public like something & it is cheap to provide consistently, then provide it. BUT variety should be the spice of life, & despite what Ch9 thinks, no all of that spice is contained in kitchens visited by Gordon! Still as TM says, this decision by Ch9 has been rewarded so who is to blame, viewers or Ch 9?

by Kate on May 01, 2008 at 10:16 PM

Kate, I agree that Mr & Mrs Doe are partly to blame for swallowing what they're fed by the networks and if people want to watch 3 & a half hours of a really pathetic US sitcom per week, then that's fine, but I think most of the same people would prefer to watch 3 & a half hours of something better, or a regularly scheduled half hour of a pathetic US comedy & oh, I don't know, something more imaginative the rest of the time. As for channel Nine, if this was such an evil genius of an idea & rewarded with 1.2 million viewers, why are they now advertising the new Firefighters show followed by some other reality thing for next Wednesday night? It seems to make no sense to me at all, but what do I know? What do any of us the viewers know? Can anyone recommend a good book?

by darren on May 02, 2008 at 06:02 AM

Kate your comment about bagging John and Jane Doe Viewer reminded me of what amazes me about British TV. I taped The State Within because of its reviews (have not watched yet) and it comes after Life on Mars, Spooks and a number of other great shows. So do they do any better in the ratings in England than equivalent shows here? No. The top 20 shows there are basically each episode of Eastenders and the other major soaps plus the occasional ring-in like Dr Who. I only watched one show in our top 20 (no.20 Life in Cold Blood) but at least our John and Joe Blows are watching more variety than the Poms it seems (based purely on the top 20 comparison).

Now read no further if you have not watched last night's Lost. Mel you asked what I was on about on Monday regarding Lost. Hurley, Sawyer and Locke were playing Risk - a game about world domination in which Australia is thought by many to be the key because it is easier to fortify (in the game’s rules) than the other continents. I would have forgotten all about that except Ben starts talking about the rules being broken/changed. Then he gets into Widmore’s home and accuses him of breaking the rules of the game and his revenge will be to kill Penny. Widmore clearly knows what Ben means about the game and tells him that he (Widmore) owned the island before and will again. (BTW Widmore has a picture of the island in his hallway). Sounded to me like there is some huge game of Risk going on. Could all be one of the writer’s red herrings but I think TM had an interesting point. Lost is filmed in Hawaii and other than the token Aussie Claire they had no need and no easy access to the Aussies that have popped up even in the non- Australian settings.

by Cat on May 02, 2008 at 07:35 AM

You know, Kate, you are right. Viewers are to blame for being treated like crap. Viewers watch ep after ep of Gordon , and other rubbish like Border Security , so the networks just keep pushing these shows. If we found the off button on our TV's and numbers viewing FTA started dropping dramatically then maybe they would change their programming mentality.

But people will watch whatever crap is on, just mindlessly turning on the telly and sitting in front of it. Until people become a bit more selective in their tastes we will continue to be treated with contempt by the FTA networks.

Thank God for DVD's, downloads and Foxtel.

by em on May 02, 2008 at 08:55 AM

Re Lost: Thanks for that Cat. It is similar to what I thought but I wasn't sure if there was something more that I just wasn't getting!
The next ep will be very interesting but is unlikely to answer any questions posed in the ep we've just seen.
Someone asked why we bother to download when the US is only one week ahead. My reasoning is this: 1) I get to see it ASAP and don't have to wait a week (which is a long time when you're waiting on a Lost ep) and 2) I can watch it ad-free and at whatever time suits me.

by mel on May 02, 2008 at 09:56 AM

The huge ratings for the Biggest Loser finale just shows you that there's no worthwhile programs on Thursday nights and if they put something on that people actually want to watch, it will rate. I hadn't watched any of TBL series so far, but I did watch it since there was nothing else on and I was curious to see how much weight people could actually lose by being on that show.

by J Bar on May 02, 2008 at 11:12 AM

New episodes of these two new shows kick off next week -The Simpsons season 19 at (7.30 pm Tuesday) and Ugly Betty season 2 (7.30 pm Wednesday), but since 10 and 7 took so long to start airing them, viewer - downloaders (who are into either or both shows), have already seen them months ago. The same with the acclaimed Pushing Daisies show, that Nine only have 9 eps to screen for it's first season (because of the US writer's strike). My guess is Nine will wait till August to screen the PD series (at a 9.30 or 10.30 pm timeslot) and if it fares well, will screen season 2 eps soon after they air in North America.

by Joe on May 02, 2008 at 01:04 PM

Quoth darren on May 02, 2008 at 06:02 AM: "Can anyone recommend a good book?"
"Who killed Channel 9? : the death of Kerry Packer's mighty TV dream machine", by Gerald Stone. (Although I did almost laugh tea out of my nose when he listed Ozzie Ostrich as a great star of Australian TV.) Obviously biased, but a cracker of a read.
Quoth mel on May 02, 2008 at 09:56 AM: "Someone asked why we bother to download when the US is only one week ahead. My reasoning is this: 1) I get to see it ASAP and don't have to wait a week (which is a long time when you're waiting on a Lost ep) and 2) I can watch it ad-free and at whatever time suits me."
Which is why I record stuff, and then ffwd through the ads. And considering it takes me several weeks to get around to watching shows, it works for me. :)
Wish I could get rid of those bloody watermarks and pop-up ads though. There's a special circle in Hell for the person who invented those.

by tqd on May 02, 2008 at 01:11 PM

J Bar, I watch Back To You every week: when did the cast changes you mention happen? I must sleep through a lot more TV than I am aware of ... which might explain how some of the bilge we're fed keeps being shown. We're all fast asleep.

by Rupert on May 02, 2008 at 02:33 PM

I agree with J Bar (Re: Back To You).
BTW: The weathergirl is no longer on because the writers apparently had no more story lines for that character and so she is no more.
Will BLUE MURDER still be on? It was originally scheduled for 10.30pm Wednesdays!
Perhaps Nine'll bring HELL'S KITCHEN to 8.30pm across the country and BLUE MURDER will be on at 9.30pm followed by CANAL ROAD.
I personally would've started CANAL ROAD last Wednesday (April 30) on Nine and then would've moved it to 8.30pm from May 14.

by cpandilo on May 02, 2008 at 04:36 PM

Here's the latest on Seven's programming:
- THURSDAY NIGHTS:
BONES returns at 8.30pm Thursday, May 14 replacing GHOST WHISPERER which is gone due to poor ratings but will still air next Thursday at 8.30pm.
- TUESDAY NIGHTS:
THE PALACE moves to 11.30pm from this Tuesday and will be replaced by a FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS repeat (for 1 week only), while MISTRESSES moves to 10.30pm from Tuesday, May 12 also due to poor ratings and will be replaced by CRIMES THAT SHOOK THE WORLD. THE LOOP will return soon.
- SATURDAY NIGHTS:
A TOUCH OF FROST is gone and will be replaced by Movie repeats (this week's movie will be Pirates of the Caribbean from 8.50pm after THE VICAR OF DIBLEY).
Meanwhile, it looks like that there will be a FAMILY GUY spin-off: CLEVELAND and apparently FOX will soon order 13 episodes for the American Autumn.

by cpandilo on May 02, 2008 at 04:55 PM

BTW, BLUE MURDER will be on Monday, May 12 at 10.30pm in Sydney & Brisbane. It will be on Friday May 16 at 11pm in Melbourne.

by cpandilo on May 02, 2008 at 04:58 PM

Rupert, the cast changes on 'Back To You' only happened this week. This was the first episode after the writer's strike. The producers must have had too much time on their hands during the strike and made unnecessary changes that in my opinion, have spoilt the show.

by J Bar on May 02, 2008 at 07:13 PM

I just can't believe the ratings for The Biggest Loser.
I'd rather poke my eyes out with a sharp stick than watch such rubbish.
OK, so there was nothing else on at 7.30pm, but at 8.30 the ABC had the new The State Within. It was great!
We had to record Unit One (SBS), but we've been doing that anyway, during Life On Mars.
Easy to pick which to record, it's the one with ads.
Foxtel at 8.30 had Dexter (my favourite show) on Showcase, or Casanova (with David Tennant) on UK. A feast of choices!

I've also recently started watching shows with ads through the Foxtel IQ. Start recording a show, then 10 or 15 minutes later you can start watching the recording and FF through the ads. Time it right and you don't catch up. But there are still those stinking watermarks!

by Sal on May 02, 2008 at 10:14 PM

My gawd, Ch7 gave Mistresses only 1 week to prove itself before shunting it? There is a real air of desperation in TV land lately - rate immediately or DIE!! Imagine if shows like Melrose Place suffered that same fate - it didn't rate at all in the first season, then they revamped it and it took off. Same applies for Neighbours, E-Street and many, many others.
The programmer's clear stupidity must take some blame for this crash and burn approach to television in this country. Only ABC seem to be prepared to stick a program in a timeslot and give it a chance to find an audience before boxing it off to Saturday 11am.
In my humble opinion, it won't be too long before Channel 7 have the same sullied reputation as Nein.

by cronker on May 02, 2008 at 11:41 PM

I liked The Biggest Loser but in my opinion a more accurate title would be The Biggest Recap. We get a recap after after every ad break and at the start of every single show. If they cut the cr@p and just got on with the show it would be a LOT better.

by ALJ on May 03, 2008 at 03:04 PM

"Wow, Channel 10, what a week - I'm all agog with excitement!!! Beginning the week with a bang with The Grand Finale of SYTYCD .... 2 hours of pure entertainment ... the only thing missing was Sandra Sully on the red carpet. My fingers are crossed for a Christmas DVD - "SYTYCD - The Judges' Cut" - I am so there.
Then there was the Grand Finale of The Biggest Loser .... in my mind the biggest losers were the 19 million viewers who misguidedly chose not to tune in ... such a shame as they missed the amazing journeys of the Biggest Losers recapped over and over but so uplifting ....
On Monday night Ten launched a special community service program - BB08 - the best argument for contraception yet ... hosted by legends in their own minds, Vyle and Tacky Ho.
And on the horizon like glittering prizes - "How to Look Good Naked" and "I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here" ... my cup runneth over...
by J Bar on May 01, 2008 at 03:08 PM"

hehehe J Bar - whatever you are having, can I have some?

by Shoopie on May 03, 2008 at 09:26 PM

Why is Channel 10 (aka - the raw sewage network) giving Corey Worthington airtime ? this person caused a lot of people a lot of anguish and stress, and instead of being treated like a juvenile delinquent, he is being treated like a hero ......

by Randwick Geoff on May 04, 2008 at 10:17 AM

TM,
May I ask how "My Kid's A Star" went in its new Saturday lunchtime timeslot?
Thanks in advance.

Tribal Mind replies: Thanks for the reminder. I've put it in the chart above.

by Samuel on May 04, 2008 at 10:27 AM

The ABC will miss Dr Martin. Not sure how Bed of Roses will go.

by Gary on May 04, 2008 at 10:39 AM

All this panic programming is absolutely hilarious! I wonder how long Boston Legal will last in prime time? How about Ugly Betty? If ratings here drop as quickly as they have in the US Seven might dump that, too. What fun!
Nice to see Doc Martin rate so well. Unfortunately, while there will be a 4th series Martin Clunes wants to take a year off from acting so we won't see it until 2010.

by Fielding on May 04, 2008 at 08:55 PM

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