The Who We Are update: Week 39

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

This week of the blog is now a heritage item. For the latest discussion, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.
To discuss what movies our kids should study in English lessons, go to
Who We Are
To discuss the smartest lines ever written for Australian television, go to The Tribal Mind

What Australia watched, Saturday (preliminary figures)
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN'S AFL: GRAND FINAL: PRESENTATIONS Seven 2,583,000 382,000 1,284,000 256,000 335,000 327,000
2 SEVEN'S AFL: GRAND FINAL Seven 2,460,000 320,000 1,289,000 226,000 300,000 326,000
11 M-KNIGHT RIDER Seven 902,000 198,000 318,000 172,000 104,000 110,000
12 RUGBY LEAGUE FINAL SERIES PF2 Nine 898,000 536,000 24,000 297,000 12,000 29,000

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,294,000 339,000 390,000 252,000 131,000 182,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,271,000 339,000 332,000 234,000 131,000 235,000
3 RUGBY LEAGUE FINAL SERIES PF1 Nine 1,215,000 597,000 273,000 327,000 8,000 9,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,189,000 310,000 306,000 248,000 136,000 189,000
5 NINE NEWS Nine 1,131,000 294,000 368,000 262,000 112,000 95,000
6 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,119,000 293,000 362,000 203,000 113,000 148,000
7 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,048,000 287,000 349,000 166,000 91,000 156,000
8 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,043,000 249,000 303,000 231,000 122,000 137,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 948,000 216,000 312,000 231,000 105,000 84,000
10 M-MEET THE FOCKERS Seven 909,000 276,000 270,000 179,000 79,000 106,000
14 WIRE IN THE BLOOD ABC1 585,000 208,000 157,000 99,000 121,000
19 TAKEN OUT Ten 499,000 147,000 151,000 84,000 56,000 61,000
26 30 ROCK Seven 352,000 119,000 100,000 53,000 39,000 42,000
53 STUART SUTCLIFFE: THE LOST BEATLE SBS 205,000 37,000 90,000 33,000 19,000 25,000
65 VFL FOOTBALL 2008 ABC1 166,000 Not shown 166,000 Not shown Not shown

The ratings race, updated 10 am Friday
Would any reader care to bet on when Nine will axe its new cop show The Strip from its current prime time slot? It's more likely a matter of hours than days. What went wrong there, do you think?

The prime time audience shares for the week so far stand at: Seven 29.1 per cent, Nine 26.5, Ten 21.8, ABC 17.4 and SBS 5.2.

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,441,000 400,000 368,000 308,000 156,000 209,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,286,000 316,000 351,000 256,000 158,000 205,000
3 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,238,000 380,000 372,000 223,000 125,000 138,000
4 GETAWAY Nine 1,218,000 329,000 408,000 226,000 110,000 146,000
5 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,178,000 349,000 370,000 238,000 111,000 110,000
6 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,147,000 313,000 329,000 205,000 136,000 164,000
7 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 1,138,000 201,000 614,000 98,000 129,000 96,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,135,000 329,000 327,000 231,000 133,000 114,000
9 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,058,000 324,000 288,000 213,000 76,000 158,000
10 ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Ten 953,000 242,000 269,000 205,000 94,000 143,000
11 THE REAL RAIN MAN ABC1 939,000 323,000 195,000 189,000 98,000 134,000
12 MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL Seven 927,000 278,000 230,000 166,000 119,000 135,000
13 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 910,000 287,000 229,000 188,000 91,000 115,000
14 LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Ten 906,000 276,000 254,000 151,000 119,000 106,000
21 THE STRIP Nine 732,000 286,000 209,000 111,000 126,000
25 FRIENDS - DAILY Ten 543,000 155,000 134,000 108,000 61,000 86,000
26 TAKEN OUT Ten 533,000 146,000 175,000 102,000 41,000 69,000
29 FAMILY GUY Seven 443,000 125,000 134,000 87,000 53,000 44,000
33 AMERICAN DAD Seven 359,000 104,000 137,000 47,000 41,000 29,000
34 INSPECTOR REX RPT SBS 356,000 118,000 90,000 64,000 48,000 36,000
57 LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN Ten 202,000 65,000 65,000 32,000 22,000 19,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Thursday
Only the readers of this column can solve the mystery: why did House do so badly last night? A show that was averaging 1.3 million before it ended with a cliffhanger earlier this year could only manage 914,000 for its fast-tracked return.

The viewers were certainly not distracted by Fringe, which dropped on last week's poor performance, and would seem now to be doomed to Nine's late night oblivion basket. Was there something special happening on Criminal Minds? Is everybody so pissed off with Kenny that they refuse to even switch on Ten? Or has Dr House just gone too far in his bitterness?

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,590,000 430,000 403,000 350,000 166,000 242,000
2 TWO AND A HALF MEN -WED EP2 Nine 1,548,000 489,000 504,000 254,000 144,000 157,000
3 TWO AND A HALF MEN -WED Nine 1,449,000 395,000 495,000 268,000 153,000 138,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,431,000 398,000 389,000 264,000 163,000 218,000
5 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Seven 1,398,000 368,000 390,000 278,000 147,000 214,000
6 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,320,000 374,000 380,000 251,000 135,000 180,000
7 CRASH INVESTIGATION UNIT Seven 1,297,000 359,000 334,000 263,000 141,000 200,000
8 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,257,000 350,000 405,000 244,000 137,000 119,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,241,000 350,000 369,000 213,000 125,000 184,000
10 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,227,000 417,000 362,000 196,000 99,000 152,000
14 HOUSE Ten 914,000 304,000 261,000 106,000 106,000 136,000
15 THE HOLLOWMEN ABC1 906,000 291,000 285,000 146,000 64,000 120,000
16 FRINGE Nine 899,000 243,000 283,000 196,000 93,000 83,000
21 KENNY'S WORLD Ten 754,000 220,000 203,000 107,000 117,000 107,000
22 LIFE Ten 740,000 154,000 263,000 101,000 105,000 117,000
23 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES U.S.A. Nine 712,000 203,000 240,000 100,000 98,000 72,000
25 BONDI RESCUE: BALI Ten 675,000 218,000 157,000 93,000 93,000 113,000
26 VERY SMALL BUSINESS ABC1 653,000 221,000 190,000 97,000 53,000 93,000

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Seven 1,945,000 577,000 580,000 384,000 168,000 236,000
2 FIND MY FAMILY Seven 1,735,000 471,000 488,000 335,000 192,000 249,000
3 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,705,000 480,000 474,000 317,000 171,000 264,000
4 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,545,000 439,000 409,000 280,000 191,000 226,000
5 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,470,000 396,000 434,000 235,000 176,000 228,000
6 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,337,000 393,000 363,000 239,000 155,000 187,000
7 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,264,000 338,000 419,000 240,000 128,000 138,000
8 WIPEOUT Nine 1,230,000 352,000 420,000 200,000 130,000 128,000
9 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,220,000 361,000 402,000 168,000 132,000 158,000
10 NINE NEWS Nine 1,200,000 295,000 392,000 273,000 131,000 109,000
15 TWO IN THE TOP END ABC1 953,000 338,000 270,000 152,000 90,000 102,000
16 NCIS RPT Ten 943,000 254,000 265,000 171,000 119,000 134,000
17 7.30 REPORT ABC1 921,000 312,000 258,000 153,000 85,000 113,000
18 RUSH Ten 883,000 225,000 284,000 163,000 115,000 96,000
24 20 TO 1 Nine 678,000 289,000 191,000 106,000 91,000
27 SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL Nine 576,000 173,000 192,000 91,000 67,000 53,000
34 UNDERBELLY Nine 417,000 417,000
38 MAKE ME A SUPERMODEL: OFF THE RUNWAY Seven 376,000 117,000 127,000 50,000 44,000 37,000
68 EMBEDDED WITH SHEIK HILALY SBS 226,000 91,000 51,000 55,000 9,000 21,000

The ratings race, updated 11am Tuesday
A combination of Melbourne footballers' self-congratulations (the Brownnose medal) and a resurgent Australian Idol put Channel Ten in the rare position of being number two station on Monday. Ten's success over the past two nights (and its likely success tomorrow with House) has spoiled Nine's chance of winning the week, despite Seven's poor performance on Sunday.

And even fewer people saw 30 Rock win multiple Emmys than saw 30 Rock's Monday night episode. To bring you up to date, Tina Fey gave three modest speeches. For the the best comedy writing award, she said her colleague Jack Burditt should have won for penning the line ''Never go with a hippie to a second location.'' For her Best Lead Actress in a Comedy, she said she gets through scenes as Liz Lemon by imagining how Julia Louis-Dreyfus would play them.

And she confessed to being worried about being asked to portray Sarah Palin again: "I might not be able to remember how to do it -- I'm not really an impressionist". For more details, go to Entertainment Weekly's site

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,713,000 550,000 478,000 308,000 170,000 206,000
2 THE FORCE Seven 1,574,000 476,000 415,000 297,000 160,000 226,000
3 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,567,000 441,000 417,000 296,000 174,000 239,000
4 CITY HOMICIDE Seven 1,506,000 510,000 353,000 287,000 177,000 180,000
5 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,493,000 401,000 437,000 271,000 165,000 219,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 1,388,000 379,000 440,000 294,000 152,000 124,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,300,000 416,000 374,000 236,000 132,000 142,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,283,000 331,000 450,000 264,000 135,000 103,000
9 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,239,000 391,000 351,000 236,000 133,000 127,000
10 AUSTRALIAN IDOL - LIVE VERDICT Ten 1,139,000 336,000 396,000 172,000 132,000 103,000
11 BONES - MON Seven 1,095,000 335,000 259,000 234,000 131,000 137,000
12 2008 BROWNLOW MEDAL Ten 1,084,000 8,000 783,000 3,000 152,000 138,000
13 ABC NEWS ABC1 1,081,000 335,000 283,000 224,000 87,000 152,000
14 LIFE OF MAMMALS WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH Nine 969,000 248,000 276,000 191,000 111,000 143,000
15 TOP GEAR (SERIES 2) SBS 939,000 255,000 359,000 133,000 111,000 82,000
21 AUSTRALIAN STORY ABC1 717,000 268,000 168,000 152,000 49,000 80,000
32 SOUTH PARK SBS 442,000 111,000 169,000 54,000 50,000 57,000
59 30 ROCK Seven 254,000 70,000 88,000 51,000 26,000 19,000
64 THE 60TH ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS Ten 236,000 136,000 19,000 65,000 5,000 11,000

The ratings race, updated 10am Monday
The two new Aussie cop shows -- Channel Nine's The Strip and Channel Ten's Rush -- each attracted a million viewers in the mainland capitals last week, but one is considered an impending flop and the other a modest success. That's because Nine's program is showing at 8.30pm and Ten's at 9.30 pm, when most Australians are preparing for bed. If The Strip keeps losing viewers at its current rate, Nine will do a Canal Road on it (dump it to late night), although at this stage in the year, there's not much to replace it with. It's not as if Gordon Ramsay works as a programming bandaid any more.

Also last week, Nine's new sci fi thriller Fringe drew 934,000 viewers while Ten's teen soap 90210 drew 741,000, but again, Ten was happier. At least 90210 is reaching its target 16 to 39 audience (ranking 15 for the week with an age group that rarely watches TV, compared with 89 with all viewers, which lets Ten promote it as a cult favourite of the Clearasil crowd). Things can only get worse for Fringe, because this Wednesday it comes up against against the new season of House, which will further boost Ten's morale.

SBS did best with Top Gear (909,000) and South Park (412,000) while on Pay TV, the hotties included the finale of Project Runway Australia on Arena (229,000) and The Simpsons on Fox 8 (194,000).

Seven won the week with 28.8 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine got 27.2, Ten 20.5, ABC 18.4 and SBS 5.2.

But Seven's lucky streak vanished on Sunday, when Dancing With The Stars was beaten by Australian Idol, Doctor Who and a 60 Minutes episode about ballroom dancers. The prime time audience shares were Nine 25.6 per cent, Ten 24.7, Seven 22.9, ABC 21.4 and SBS 5.4.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,422,000 315,000 377,000 339,000 154,000 238,000
2 AUSTRALIAN IDOL Ten 1,342,000 455,000 392,000 229,000 135,000 131,000
3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,302,000 389,000 414,000 236,000 153,000 110,000
4 60 MINUTES Nine 1,268,000 351,000 371,000 248,000 120,000 177,000
5 MIDSOMER MURDERS ABC1 1,212,000 351,000 354,000 193,000 138,000 176,000
6 ABC NEWS UP-DATE ABC1 1,194,000 375,000 314,000 189,000 142,000 175,000
7 BATTLEFRONTS Nine 1,174,000 346,000 313,000 229,000 149,000 137,000
8 SEVEN NEWS SPECIAL: YOUR MONEY - HOW TO SURVIVE THE CRISIS Seven 1,173,000 272,000 365,000 261,000 108,000 167,000
9 ABC NEWS-SUN ABC1 1,159,000 327,000 360,000 203,000 125,000 145,000
10 DOCTOR WHO ABC1 1,152,000 369,000 279,000 211,000 123,000 169,000
11 DANCING WITH THE STARS Seven 1,113,000 334,000 344,000 168,000 99,000 168,000
12 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE RPT Ten 1,084,000 323,000 313,000 175,000 122,000 151,000
13 DOCTOR WHO: CONFIDENTIAL CUTDOWN-EV ABC1 1,015,000 300,000 260,000 184,000 112,000 160,000
14 THE OUTDOOR ROOM WITH JAMIE DURIE Seven 920,000 217,000 268,000 191,000 96,000 148,000
15 ROVE Ten 918,000 264,000 349,000 117,000 95,000 94,000
20 PRIVATE PRACTICE Seven 671,000 234,000 189,000 106,000 69,000 74,000
22 CRIME INVESTIGATION AUSTRALIA Nine 547,000 203,000 164,000 102,000 77,000
25 UNDERBELLY Nine 439,000 439,000
29 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? SBS 338,000 78,000 127,000 58,000 43,000 32,000
30 JAMES MAY'S 20TH CENTURY SBS 336,000 107,000 93,000 59,000 47,000 30,000
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Australia watched, week ending September 20
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Network 7 1,895,000 615,000 589,000 328,000 153,000 210,000
2 CITY HOMICIDE Network 7 1,857,000 511,000 617,000 314,000 202,000 213,000
3 FIND MY FAMILY Network 7 1,815,000 482,000 558,000 401,000 156,000 218,000
4 BORDER SECURITY Network 7 1,814,000 546,000 507,000 356,000 176,000 229,000
5 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Network 7 1,813,000 501,000 522,000 389,000 168,000 233,000
6 THE FORCE Network 7 1,733,000 520,000 499,000 313,000 169,000 232,000
7 60 MINUTES Network 9 1,686,000 495,000 483,000 320,000 188,000 199,000
8 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Network 9 1,637,000 576,000 422,000 336,000 177,000 126,000
9 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Network 7 1,490,000 359,000 462,000 283,000 161,000 225,000
10 SEVEN NEWS Network 7 1,485,000 388,000 391,000 314,000 171,000 222,000
11 MEDICAL EMERGENCY Network 7 1,426,000 409,000 349,000 338,000 142,000 189,000
12 TWO AND A HALF MEN -WED Network 9 1,376,000 394,000 432,000 271,000 132,000 147,000
13 TODAY TONIGHT Network 7 1,325,000 341,000 353,000 261,000 167,000 204,000
14 BONES - MON Network 7 1,298,000 333,000 404,000 228,000 155,000 178,000
15 CRASH INVESTIGATION UNIT Network 7 1,287,000 393,000 331,000 270,000 134,000 159,000
16 BATTLEFRONTS Network 9 1,286,000 385,000 372,000 265,000 148,000 117,000
17 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Network 7 1,284,000 329,000 376,000 283,000 135,000 161,000
18 NCIS Network TEN 1,280,000 346,000 367,000 229,000 165,000 173,000
19 CRIMINAL MINDS Network 7 1,258,000 321,000 377,000 250,000 160,000 150,000
20 SPICKS AND SPECKS Network ABC1 1,252,000 413,000 354,000 228,000 109,000 148,000
21 HOME AND AWAY Network 7 1,247,000 367,000 352,000 250,000 124,000 154,000
22 MIDSOMER MURDERS Network ABC1 1,233,000 394,000 324,000 209,000 140,000 166,000
23 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Network 7 1,232,000 345,000 431,000 253,000 96,000 106,000
24 AUSTRALIAN IDOL Network TEN 1,224,000 380,000 348,000 246,000 139,000 111,000
25 ALL SAINTS Network 7 1,212,000 431,000 356,000 164,000 129,000 132,000
26 THE OUTDOOR ROOM WITH JAMIE DURIE Network 7 1,187,000 314,000 346,000 216,000 135,000 175,000
27 NINE NEWS Network 9 1,186,000 314,000 365,000 278,000 133,000 95,000
28 SEVEN'S AFL: PRELIMINARY FINAL 1: GEELONG VS WESTERN BULLDOG Network 7 1,181,000 85,000 681,000 86,000 166,000 163,000
29 WIPEOUT Network 9 1,174,000 328,000 404,000 172,000 141,000 129,000
30 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Network 9 1,173,000 326,000 376,000 227,000 136,000 109,000
31 DANCING WITH THE STARS 8 Network 7 1,169,000 357,000 397,000 173,000 91,000 152,000
32 DOCTOR WHO Network ABC1 1,169,000 380,000 306,000 227,000 110,000 146,000
33 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Network 9 1,144,000 343,000 321,000 257,000 104,000 120,000
34 A CURRENT AFFAIR Network 9 1,142,000 301,000 380,000 245,000 124,000 92,000
35 ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? Network TEN 1,137,000 334,000 326,000 209,000 121,000 147,000
36 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE RPT Network TEN 1,136,000 312,000 374,000 198,000 128,000 123,000
37 TEN'S AFL FINALS 2008: 2ND PRELIM. FINAL HAWTHORN V ST KILDA Network TEN 1,134,000 54,000 687,000 55,000 162,000 176,000
38 ABC NEWS Network ABC1 1,133,000 330,000 334,000 217,000 100,000 151,000
39 ABC NEWS-SUN Network ABC1 1,113,000 345,000 297,000 206,000 105,000 161,000
40 OUTBACK WILDLIFE RESCUE Network 7 1,057,000 235,000 349,000 201,000 121,000 150,000
41 TWO AND A HALF MEN -EP1 Network 9 1,046,000 281,000 394,000 175,000 102,000 94,000
42 RUGBY LEAGUE FINAL SERIES SF2 Network 9 1,043,000 529,000 47,000 438,000 13,000 16,000
43 GETAWAY Network 9 1,043,000 308,000 356,000 198,000 93,000 88,000
44 THE STRIP Network 9 1,039,000 270,000 328,000 236,000 103,000 103,000
45 HOLE IN THE WALL Network 9 1,038,000 313,000 356,000 157,000 101,000 112,000
46 KENNY'S WORLD Network TEN 1,035,000 300,000 338,000 180,000 94,000 123,000
47 AUSTRALIAN IDOL - THE LIVE VERDICT Network TEN 1,027,000 348,000 286,000 195,000 98,000 100,000
48 TWO AND A HALF MEN -EP2 Network 9 1,022,000 276,000 356,000 200,000 101,000 88,000
49 LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Network TEN 1,013,000 297,000 335,000 155,000 120,000 106,000
50 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Network 9 1,005,000 270,000 311,000 249,000 98,000 75,000
51 RUSH Network TEN 1,002,000 230,000 349,000 161,000 140,000 122,000

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

For Scrubs fans - new eps will start showing on Thursday October 9 at 11.30 pm. Whoo Hoo!!

by Cathy on September 22, 2008 at 07:50 AM

I just made a discovery. I reckon Andre Rieu (overexposed Dutch violinist) is a dead ringer for James May (underexposed Top Gear presenter). They both have that big chinned, bad mullet look. Would TM indulge me and put a two shot of them on the blog to see what other people think?

Tribal Mind replies: Love to, but I won't be in the office again, with access to the photo library, until Sunday. Could you kindly remind me then?

by merciless on September 22, 2008 at 09:46 AM

I've seen a few print ads (in magazines, etc) saying that The View would be on channel 9 before Ellen (where the craptastic 'Suzie' is at the moment), but when I've tuned in The View is nowhere to be found. Can anyone clarify this for me? Thanks.

by Lisa on September 22, 2008 at 10:01 AM

Apart from the fact I downloaded all episodes from this latest series of Scrubs and watched them already, damn you Ch 7 for the late night slot! But Woo Hoo that it's finally being aired!
As for other curses - curses that AusIdol won it's timeslot. It can only be afforded to the Lauper factor.
Yay for the fact I'll be getting my Sunday Nights back after next weeks finales of Doctor Who (cracker of an episode last night, although Billie Piper is still crap) and Dexter.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 22, 2008 at 10:08 AM

60 minutes numbers are all over the place. Perhaps people are electing to tune in or out based on the weekly stories. DWTS is struggling and it might be time for a move to a less competitive time slot.

by Michael on September 22, 2008 at 10:19 AM

I'll bet everyone is posting this, but what a kickass Dr Who last night!

by David on September 22, 2008 at 10:47 AM

Yes Dr Who was great, but does anyone know if we are going to get the Sarah Jane Smith spin off show. The Mr Smith computer that she was using was clearly from this show.
I know the ABC showed the old Dr Who episodes a couple of years ago, but do you think it might be good for them to show the old episodes on ABC 2? My children have the book on monsters and villains and reading through this on the weekend I was reminded of all the great villains (and heroes) from the past. It would be great to see them again on TV.

by Louise on September 22, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Great episode of Dr Who.....& who will be the new doctor??? I wonder due to the success of this series & the inclusion of all the previous companions + Torchwood in the episodes whether Ch10 will have another go at showing Torchwood ??? Will record the Australian Story on Belinda Neal tonight, but I haven't decided if I'll actually watch it later or just delete it.

by PJ453 on September 22, 2008 at 11:26 AM

Great Dr Who. But read on the website that David Tennant is only doing the Chrissy special this year and then 4 "specials" next year and will finish his time as the Dr with 2009 Christmas Special. In that one he will regenerate into the next Doc whoever that will be as it has not been cast yet. But rumour has it that it will be the welsh actor from The Full Monty, Robert Carlyle. Sounds like a good choice if it's true.
So dont know what happens in next weeks ep but the Doc obviously regenerates into.....David Tennant again as he is still signed for those eps next year.
And was great to see the Torchwood gang again. Just read too that there will be a season 3 but only 5 eps which will contain one story arch to stretch over the 5 eps. Just love Torchwood and downloaded all series 2 and have watched already.
Would love to see The Sarah Jane Adventures but dont know if anyone here has the rights to it? I thought maybe it would come up on UKTV but havent seen any sign of it.

by em on September 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Over the weekend I bought & watched Season 1 of '30 Rock' (yes I know, I'm slow....) and needless to say loved it. But just wondering, can anyone (or everyone) tell me which episodes and / or season Seven are showing at what god-forsaken hour at the moment, when Season 2 will be on DVD and what the hell Seven is thinking by hiding it away in it's nether-regions. I know the outrage & confusion has been going on and everyone's resigned to it but I've just caught up. Thanking all nerds, dorks, geeks, dweebs etc in advance (lets not go there again)....

by darren on September 22, 2008 at 12:26 PM

Checking out the Emmy nominees, and hopefully we'll get some of the shows soon. I'm really looking forward to Cranford (a nice-looking period drama, probably best for ABC Sunday evening) and Mad Men. I still don't understand why Ch 7 has the brilliant 30 Rock so late at night. Now Scrubs is coming back at its usual time too - great!

by Kym on September 22, 2008 at 12:35 PM

Darren in answer to your question about what season of 30 Rock is presently shown by 7: it is Season 2 - I presume this series will be released on dvd only after 7 completes showing season 2 - there are 3 episodes left (finishing on Tuesday 30 Sept) - note there is an episode tonight and episode this week on friday. And as a fan I competely understand the show winning Emmys for both Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey.

by Cathy on September 22, 2008 at 12:46 PM

Only part way through Series 2 of Torchwood still, a shame I hadn't watched it all before last nights crossover, since it occurs chronologically before the events in Doctor Who.
Also haven't watched much of d/l'ed Sarah Jane (which apparently is about to start showing its 2nd season in the UK)
It's a shame Torchwood hadn't more viewers, as only the nerds would understance some of the nuances of Captain Jack and his attraction to anything with a heartbeat.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 22, 2008 at 12:53 PM

I believe 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' has been purchased by Nickelodeon Australia and will be shown on Foxtel quite soon.

by Alex on September 22, 2008 at 12:54 PM

Hey. Have you got any info on when all these emmy winning shows will be shown in Australia? I'm interested to see Pushing Daisies, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, In Treatment, and still waiting for Eli Stone which i thought was meant to be on this year.
Cheers

Tribal Mind replies: Mad Men is showing on Pay TV now. In Treatment starts on Pay TV in October. I believe Nine owns Pushing Daisies (probably will show in silly season). No doubt other readers will have further details.

by Jed on September 22, 2008 at 02:49 PM

To start the week with some good news, after due consideration K Rudd has declined an invitation to attend the marriage ceremony of Kyle and Tamara. I have no idea about the magazine exclusive rights issue but I assume that the honeymoon funding is OK. And George Bush has decided to spend a Trillian dollars of US taxpayers money to fight the war on poverty in US boardrooms.
Watching Rear Window on ABC2 caused me to consider buying a mains filter for my washing machine. The electrical interference from the controller is tolerable on analog TV but on HD it translates into freeze-frame on the screen and gaps in the soundtrack. One bright spot is that the STB has a signal strength display that will help me align the aerials on the roof.
Not one Donna but two, a pair-a-dux. I must be getting old, The ability to follow the Dr WHO storylines now demands my full attention. To mis-quote Monty Python, "...this doctor is dead. No, he is just tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk." The squawk or s-quark will be analyzed in the Large Hadron Collider when it has finished de-frosting. Dis-continuity is contagious.
However, Genesis, ABC2 Sun, had two drummers but only one called Phil Collins. Lead singer Peter Gabriel also cropped up later in an Einstein Factor question. Age has mellowed the old rockers who reflected that they all got on well together. For 20 years 3 talented musos worked harmoniously together...yeh right.

by Les on September 22, 2008 at 03:34 PM

"Tribal Mind replies: Mad Men is showing on Pay TV now. In Treatment starts on Pay TV in October. I believe Nine owns Pushing Daisies (probably will show in silly season). No doubt other readers will have further details."
Pay Tv. That sucks. And i have no faith that channel nine would do any justice to pushing daisies. Looks like i'll be watching online or waiting for the dvds.

by Jed on September 22, 2008 at 04:41 PM

Don't think a commercial network could really show Mad Men, kinda biting the hand that feeds them. Also while the first series is fascinating in how accurate the script and sets were to the era they depict, it will move too slowly for the commercial audience who seem to prefer shows like Hole In The Wall. Pushing Up Daisies may also suit a summer time season, it is light & fluffy.
D'oh just realised the irony of Tina Fey winning an Emmy for writing & acting Emmy for playing a writer for the same show. Well perhaps not necessarily irony as such, but the correct word in English escapes me at the moment, as I need some carbs :) TM, you're a wordsmith, any ideas?
Also, sadly it seems James Spader's strangehold on the Leading Actor in a Drama is broken :( Actually, think that this was his best season yet.
Finally, Les are you related to Darren? Canny resemblance :)

by kate on September 22, 2008 at 06:39 PM

by em on September 22, 2008 at 12:00 " Would love to see The Sarah Jane Adventures but dont know if anyone here has the rights to it? I thought maybe it would come up on UKTV but havent seen any sign of it."
em , do you know how to use bittorrent ?
http://www.thebox.bz has everything in every genre for download . You need to join the site ( it's free ) and upload an equal amount as you d/load... the site is a treasure trove of everything British , anything that has ever been on tv , or is currently . Today I'm downloading Hearbeat , the first series , with the delectable Nick Berry , also the early Bergerac series .

by jane doe on September 22, 2008 at 07:22 PM

Find it odd that none of the regular bloggers have commented on one of the stories in the newspapers, so I will amend this now. Seven is crowing that Karl Stefanovic wanted to quit Nine and that they wanted to poach him, then Nine matched Ch 7's offer... My question is WHY? Is there a more bland person on TV than Karl, can't think of anyone. Hardly someone I would pick as the target for such keen negotiations. It also reflects that the silly kindy type games of these two networks have not abated.

by kate on September 22, 2008 at 09:42 PM

New US season begins airing their premieres this sunday! Yay to new Despos and B&S!! Finally something to watch nowadays..

by James on September 22, 2008 at 09:44 PM

Eek! Just saw an ad on Ch 7 for the US version of Kath & Kim, without showing any of the US version of K & K. I don't understand why 7 is going to air this show, if it is as idiosyncratic to the US as the Australian version is to us, then is 7 assuming that we have assimilated enough US culture to appreciate a US K&K. The other thing that puzzles me is that all the reports from the US are saying that the US K&K is an outright turkey which is probably why 7 showed the ad without showing any of the US show

by kate on September 22, 2008 at 09:54 PM

Hi darren, if you wish to know the season and episode number of many shows currently showing on Australian television you can go to http://www.yourtv.com.au/guide/index.cfm and get it to show you the tv schedule for your city. Then click on the name of any program and a pop-up window will appear giving you more details of that program. For example, when I click on Monday night's '30 Rock' a window appears telling me the Episode Title (Succession), the Season (2), the Episode Number (13), a Summary of the episode (which I won't reprint here) as well as some other details like the cast, genre, etc. Hope that helps. Just out of curiosity, how much did you buy the DVD for and did it contain every episode of Season 1 on just one disc?

by tide on September 22, 2008 at 10:48 PM

Re: '30 Rock' on DVD
Cathy, Tide, thanks for that information.
Tide, the dvd was about $30 & has all 21 episodes of season 1 on three discs. I will use it to slowly restore my faith in the potential of television. A prime example of what is possible when people sit down & write instead of sit down & think of how to keep the S.O.B.s. happy with cheap effortless crap. Bastards.
Speaking of which, Kate (@9:42pm yesterday), I saw that article too. I think Seven wants Karl for DWTS next year, after which they'll install him as the host of some show about saving children or dogs or money or failing that, I hear the Cash Cow from 'Sunrise' is in negotiations with 'Today' to jump ship so there's another opening. Plenty of room for mediocrity at both channels. If they combined their mediocrity power, imagine what they could accomplish?

by darren on September 23, 2008 at 06:00 AM

Karl Stefanovic is so bland, and the chance that he could be poached by Ch 7 is truly yawnworthy. Wonder if his brother comes with him as a box(head) set? Wonder what Ch 7's LA correspondent will have to say about that?

by Bereft Skerrick on September 23, 2008 at 07:16 AM

Sevens win due to afl, according to TM. Are you serious? 85,000 watched AFL in Sydney. 508,000 tuned in to the NRL.

by bobmar28 on September 23, 2008 at 08:25 AM

David Tennant has yet to commit to further Who after the 4 specials next year. However, the nonsense about Robert Carlisle or Rupert Penry Jones or (!) Jennifer Saunders as the next Doctor is still just pure speculation from us Who geeks on the internets. We have to keep ourselves amused over on Outpost Gallifrey whilst waiting for real news. Even the godawful Sun newspaper in UK picks up on what we speculate on the website and report it as news. The honest truth is, no one yet knows whether Tennant will sign for a fifth season of Who. Reportedly, he wants a big screen movie deal to boost his popularity in the US, a la James McAvoy and the BBC is looking to do a motion picture Doctor Who to appease his wants.

Sarah Jane Smith Adventures is a very much kids TV spin-off of Doctor Who, and if it were to be picked up by FTA in Australia, it would be 4pm viewing. Bit expensive for ABC one, methinks.

Geek signing off.

by cronker on September 23, 2008 at 08:47 AM

Quoth darren re 30 Rock: "Tide, the dvd was about $30"
Whoa, get me to a DVD shop post-haste! I want. (I've only seen a few episodes here and there from when Mr TQD is up late and remembers to record it for me.)
Watched South Park and The Mighty Boosh last night. You know, after all this time, I'm still not used to ads on SBS, and I seemed to catch endless watermarks appearing halfway through shows to advertise Top Gear Australia. I'm so over TGA already...

by tqd on September 23, 2008 at 10:05 AM

Good God! As if Sunrise was not bad enough they want to "poach" (should be boiled) Karl away from Today? Who cares, really! He is bland, boring and totally full of his own ego. As for the Sunrise cult, I never get the attraction of all those sunny, giggling people. Must be that I am a grumpy old woman in the morning and can't bare the noise they make. Nevertheless, what about Kochie? Is he about to be unemployed? Or do 7 plan to have 3 hosts on Sunrise. I cant imagine Karl would swap over to have a lesser role.
And Cronker, yes all of us Who fans know it is all rumour and innuendo as to who will be the next Doc, but we can't help it. I would love David to stay as I think he makes a great Doc but I suppose actors get bored and need to move on. I actually think that the producers should approach various actors, see who is interested, then put it to an online vote by the fans. Let the fans choose!
And just one more little thing before I go back to geekdom, read yesterday that New Idea has dumped the rights to Vyle's wedding. Seems there are not enough celebs attending for them to be interested. So.....poor Vyle. Suppose you gave a wedding and nobody came??? Serves him right, the dispicable creep.

Tribal Mind remarks I've just secured tickets to see Tennant play Hamlet in London on January 1. I will report about his non-Who acting skills on Jan 2.

by em on September 23, 2008 at 10:14 AM

Yes, Kate, I read the story re Karl but was rendered totally speechless that another channel would actually attempt to poach the Beige One. Good god, why? Perhaps it is a conspiracy just to get him off the tv screen. We can only hope...
I too have been reading all the guff re David Tennant and Dr Who. Will be interesting to read TM's report. I liked DT in Blackpool but am finding his over-emoting a bit much in Dr Who. So, I guess I am officially out of the club full of people we are not allowed to mention.
I missed Aust. Story last night on Belinda Neal(e)?. Anyone who saw it care to comment?

Tribal Mind asks: The various discussion strands on the various blogs on this site are quite diverse, so forgive me if I have forgotten what "the club full of people we are are not allowed to mention" might mean. Can you elucidate? And do I need to emphasise, in case someone takes that concept seriously, that all ideas are welcome?

by Shoopie on September 23, 2008 at 11:02 AM

Thanks TM for the review of Tina Fey's speeches.
I was amused to hear Samantha Armitage say "it IS a funny show" yesterday in the 4:30 news report about the Emmys. I was waiting for her to say ".....even though the only way to see it is to stay up til midnight on random weeknights or get the DVD" but no.
Here's a crazy idea Seven: how about trying it in an earlier timeslot over summer? It couldn't rate worse than it is now. How about a double repeated episode at 8:30 on a Monday? Then next year keep it there. I know there's probably reruns of reruns of 'That 70's Show' stockpiled for the non-ratings season, but come on, give it a go.
It even made me not hate Alec Baldwin anymore. That's how good it is.

by darren on September 23, 2008 at 11:17 AM

Jane Doe, the URL you gave to thebox is your login page! Navigation elsewhere is not available from there as far as I can tell. It seems that newcomers are NOT welcome. Finding information was difficult, but it seems you need an invitation to join.
Very disappointed I am!

by Sal on September 23, 2008 at 11:28 AM

30 Rock - 3 Emmy Awards & the best Ch7 can do is show it at 11.30 pm....thanks. The episodes I have remembered to G Code record (probably about 4) have been great, but it's off to the dvd store for me as my downloading prowess leaves a lot to desired + my internet plan is rather modest. So now a Scottsman who plays an Englishman will play a Dane?? Pretty versitile.

by PJ453 on September 23, 2008 at 11:47 AM

Correction - thanks Jane Doe, now success!
Would you believe there's a torrent for Edge Of Darkness! And one for a Wire In The Blood episode (set in Texas) as well. I'm sure we didn't get that episode here - I wonder why not?

by Sal on September 23, 2008 at 12:47 PM

TM, I am green with envy!! How lucky are you to see the delectable David play Hamlet. I am sure he will be excellent!

by em on September 23, 2008 at 12:52 PM

Geek alert :) My favourite Doctor will also be the one played by Tom Baker, but Tennant does do an excellent job. Without trying to sound to glib or grandiose, Doctor Who is bigger than any individual actor who has played him. The Whovians have sometimes predicted on their fan sites, that the brand is "doomed" when certain actors have been picked to play him but the brand lives on. Trickier though is the regeneration threshold. He can only regenerate a certain number of times :) Still all could be well in TV land, as they will no doubt find a loophole which allows endless regenerations, the same way that Rose was able to travel from a parallel universe this season when last season it was impossible to do so. RTD keeps coming up with suggestions for the "new" Doctor but they are really quite "naff" in my opinion

by kate on September 23, 2008 at 12:57 PM

Re Vile Randypants:OK Magazine have apparently picked up coverage of the odious event. For half the original deal.
He attempted to invite FlippyMcHairdo, BugEyes and the remaining contestants on AusIdol to his wedding on the show last night, which was met with a "yeah right" from BugEyes.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 23, 2008 at 01:00 PM

With the bizarre recent news of actor David Duchovny going into rehab recently for sex addiction (that's something I'd love to get treated for), does anyone know if Ten have plans to fast track the Californication show's 2nd season that kicks off in the US on Sept. 28. If Ten do, unless they're willing to show double episodes for the first 5 weeks, some season 2 eps will go over into the summer recess when the ratings finish here, so they may not want to air it till next year.
30 Rock is a brilliant show, but is aimed (and always will be) at more discerning viewers like most of those who regularly read this blog and just doesn't rate with Aus viewers, nor will it ever (same with Scrubs, which does rate better with US viewers). Rock even rates very poorly with US ones and if it wasn't for the Emmys it wins, would've been cancelled by NBC.
Nine have the Mad Men cable TV show's free to air rights, but would be aware it isn't commercial enough for their standard channel, not unless they dump it at a 12 am slot as basically a time filler, like they've done with seasons 1 � 4 of The Wire. It'd be great if they could air seasons 1 and 2 back to back on Nine HD, where it might find a loyal, small following.
After last year's disastrous Bionic Woman show remake, I was gong to ask if any viewer downloaders who've already seen the fairly poorly promoted Knight Rider TV movie (that has Val Kilmer doing the voice of the KITT car and to spin off into a TV series, with David Hasselhoff only playing a recurring role as the young protag's father), on Seven 9 pm Saturday after the Pixar 'Cars' film at 6.30 pm. A check on IMDB, shows a mixed response from US viewers, with some liking and others disliking it.

by Barry on September 23, 2008 at 01:34 PM

I'm predicting the finale of DR WHO might give AUSSIE IDOL a run for its money this coming Sunday - its an hour long episode and has all the ingredients for a 'classic' (read my previous posts) episode.
I'm estimating 1.4 million or thereabouts - LETS HOPE IT WINS THE TIMESLOT!!!
I'm not sorry to see THE OUTDOOR ROOM WITH JAMIE 'the garden gnome' DURIE doing poorly - he seemed to be on a good wicket at NEIN but smugly left for more money at SEVEN we hear and then started pouring scorn on his former gardening mates - maybe OPRAH should take him on full time.
As for DWTS - why mess with a show that was rating its socks off and doing so well on a TUESDAY? - again a smug move by SEVEN - they thought they could take on the big guns and its failed miserably -they also kept TODD MCKENNEY and strangely dumped PAUL MERCURIO - I know TODD's the nasty judge on the show but MERCURIO does have probably more credibility as a dancer - as for DANIEL MCPHERSON as host - that was just plain wrong - he can't act and he certainly seems wooden as a host - the show needs a daggy cheesy sort of host and while I'm not a huge DARYL SOMERS fun he did seem to add the right mix to the show!

Tribal Mind replies: It would be nice to think you were right about Dr Who, but reflect for a moment: Why would 300,000 people who had not seen the first half of the story suddenly tune in for the second half? They would not make any sense of it without the background. It's hard enough for those of us who have stuck through this season.

by GJ on September 23, 2008 at 02:16 PM

Tribal Mind asks: The various discussion strands on the various blogs on this site are quite diverse, so forgive me if I have forgotten what "the club full of people we are are not allowed to mention" might mean. Can you elucidate? And do I need to emphasise, in case someone takes that concept seriously, that all ideas are welcome?

My humble apologies TM, I was trying to be clever and failing yet again. I was referring to the nerd, dork, geek, dweeb club.
All ideas are welcome - does anyone take me seriously?
re Barry on September 23, 2008 at 01:34 PM
I read that re David Duchovney too and wondered exactly what sort of therapy you undergo to treat sex addiction. Aversion perhaps?

by Shoopie on September 23, 2008 at 04:58 PM

Shoopie, Re: Belinda Neal(e) on 'Australian Story', I saw it and thought it (as you would expect) pretty balanced although dull. Rehashed tidbits that were banal the first time round. It seemed to paint Neal & Della Bosca in a more favourable light actually, but in comparison to the hatchet jobs 'ACA' & 'Today Tonight' did on them, anything would feel soft.
The thing it did make me realise is how unbalanced & rabid & sensational tabloid journalism has become. The 'Australian Story' version of events was calm & impartial but because of the relentless & cruel coverage by The Other Networks, it looked biased towards Neal & Della Bosca. Strange.

by darren on September 24, 2008 at 06:10 AM

Shoopie, I did catch the Oz Story program on Belinda Neal. Mainly because I live on the central coast, though not in her electorate, and was curious how they portrayed her. I thought the report fairly even handed as they did have interviews with one of Iguanas staff and her former staffer who accused Neal of asking her to change her stat dec. And an interesting interview with a ALP branch member who was rather scathing about Neal's behaviour to her fellow ALP members. I dont think the show did her any favours and it was obviously an attempt by her to show her in a good light. I think the show really left it up to viewers to come to their own conclusions about her and the whole incident.
On another point of yours, Shoopie, I too, wondered what sort of treatment Duchovney was undergoing in sex addiction rehab? The mind boggles! But isnt it interesting that he plays a sex mad sleaze bag in Californication. Seems like he is really playing himself. It's a very long way from him Mulder persona.

by em on September 24, 2008 at 07:46 AM

To Barry who asks if Californication is to be fasttracked - the answer is Shirl is "Seriously fastracking" it on Sunday October 5 after Idol and Rove (TV tonight has it starting at 10.10 pm).
TM Tickets to a Shakespearean play on New Years Day in the UK - obviously you be ringing in the New Year very very quietly!

by Cathy on September 24, 2008 at 07:55 AM

And just another bit of gossip I just heard. ER is about to start filming it's last season. And George Clooney has agreed to guest star in at least 1 ep and perhaps more if producers have their way.
Does anyone know if Nein plans at any time to show new eps? Last time it aired they got about half way through the series then stopped showing it.

by em on September 24, 2008 at 08:06 AM

Tribal Mind replies: It would be nice to think you were right about Dr Who, but reflect for a moment: Why would 300,000 people who had not seen the first half of the story suddenly tune in for the second half? They would not make any sense of it without the background. It's hard enough for those of us who have stuck through this season.

I certainly take your point TM but finals of series tend to get higher ratings even if there hasn't been a loyal viewer base - there is usually more press about the final episode and some people who haven't been regulars switch across for curiousity alone - I probably will be wrong with my estimate but I guess in a television climate where we are literally smothered with reality TV and so called 'talent' shows on a SUNDAY NIGHT it would be nice to see a 40 year old cult series on THE ABC take the honors on sunday!! I was also hoping that some of the loyal masses that log into your Tribal Mind site might be swayed to switch across on Sunday night and watch too!!!

Tribal Mind replies: I must confess that as soon as last Sunday's episode was over, I went online and watched a download of the final, so I won't be among those who will be watching on Sunday. I wonder how many other fans couldn't wait.

by GJ on September 24, 2008 at 08:40 AM

Underbelly is well & truly starting to fade, and I can't believe why PTTR continues to rate a motza!
Wow at Secret Diary's high numbers for the late timeslot (576k).

by arthur on September 24, 2008 at 09:57 AM

Is it just me or is the idea that Billie Piper could be a Courtesan just a wee bit unrealistic! Not that I've met any.
TM: I'm impressed that you're seeing David Tennant doing Shakespeare. If, in your journalistic capacity, you wrangle an interview with him make sure you let him know of the collective adoration of this blog.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 24, 2008 at 10:39 AM

With respect to the Life show at 9.30 pm Wednesdays, Ten are actually behind the 8 ball with it (both figuratively and literally), as they only screened 8 eps last year, so are playing catch up by resuming from ep 9 from season 1. If they want to, they can screen season 1's remaining eps and continue season 2 over the summer recess, but I doubt if they will.

by Drillbit on September 24, 2008 at 10:44 AM

Em, I read Anthony Edwards is doing a guest stint on ER's last season, even though his character died, so it must be a flashback set up, but greatly doubt George Clooney will appear. He said in one interview I read, he has no plans to appear in ER again, but if they did something with Noah Wylie's character and George's Doug Ross character being in Darfur, that'd be the only way to get him. Nine are so behind with ER after it
kept faltering in the ratings (which I expect will screen over the summer recess and could be shown in double episodes), that downloading is the way to go if you're still a fan.

by Anne on September 24, 2008 at 11:18 AM

Another episode in 'The Awfully Big Adventures of Sarah Palin':
Sarah Palin: "What is (the) name (of your new baby)?"
Harmid Karzai: "Mirwais, which means 'The Light of the House'".
Sarah Palin: "Oh, nice" (and files it away in the bee-hive as a suggestion for Bristol's baby, whilst thoughtfully fingering her Alaska-shaped earrings).
Is it just me or there a possibility that Sarah Palin doesn't exist but is actually Tina Fey in character & on the road with McCain? She'd just have to go home every night & scrub her skin until it bleeds to get rid of the stench of Republican (a piquant mix of gunsmoke, moose-sweat & ummm..sniff sniff ...yes, moron).
There's an episode in '30 Rock' where Cerie tells Liz her pre-picked baby names are "Sandstorm, Bookcase and (something else I can't remember) which is more of a boy's name really". Coincidence? I think not. Worlds are colliding.

by darren on September 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM

For Top Gear show fans, the Aus version kicks off on Monday with hosts Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati, but it seems rather measly with only 8 episodes. That's presumably all that SBS can afford, as they filmed driving segments in SA, WA and NT, not just on the east coast.

by John on September 24, 2008 at 11:42 AM

"It's hard enough for those of us who have stuck through this season."
+1. The Doc gives a sonic screwdriver Mk2, that he currently doesn't have, to a 'girlfriend' in the future to give back to him in the past, 'when he needs it' in the library. What about his daughter ? There are a few loose ends to tie up before re-generating into a different persona. The screwdriver as a wedding present ? There's a fine line between Sci-Fi and Fantasy and IMHO the writers have crossed over.
The ABC is repeating Hamish Macbeth (ABC2 Tues 8.30) starring another Scottish actor Robert Carlyle. I've seen Robert in so many different roles that it's hard to picture him as the doctor. Small worldishly Robert's character in Cracker murdered a detective played by a previous Dr WHO actor Christopher Eccleston. Before playing a role Robert likes to 'get under the skin' of the character, maybe David Duchovny used the same technique and enjoyed it too much.

by Les on September 24, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Dr. Who will be replaced by a single documentary "The Lost World Of Tibet". Is this the night of the NRL Grand Final? If it is, then is the ABC holding back from trying to compete with the footy?

by Gary on September 24, 2008 at 01:06 PM

Aah, Les - you are discovering the joys or should I say evils of the Russell T Davies scripts for Doctor Who, although Russell greatly aided in the resurgence of Doctor Who, he is also their weakest script writer. He follows the "let's also throw in the kitchen sink" philosophy...

by kate on September 24, 2008 at 03:49 PM

Programming info - Shirl has gone serioulsy mad on the fastracking jag - 90210 moving to fridays at 8.30 before whatever 3 movies are on high rotation at 9.30 pm Burn Notice on next monday then replaced by new season of Supernatural (rumoured double ep from 8.30 pm on Oct 6 the paired with new series of Good News week at 9.30pm).

by Cathy on September 24, 2008 at 04:30 PM

re: PJ453
Whoa! People still use G-Code to record stuff? Must tick you off how the networks regularly abandon their scheduled programming times. . .
Still, kudos for hanging onto reliable (if a little dated) technology :)

by Josh on September 24, 2008 at 06:31 PM

2 episodes of Boston Legal (Season 4) left and 7 is putting it back till 11pm Monday nights? This is David E Kelly's best work - ever! (Except for maybe a couple of eps of Picket Fences!!!) I guess it's unlikely 7 will fasttrack the final 13 eps (which started in USA last week with Denny Crane asked to run for president)... but I trust they will at least SHOW the final series.

by David @ Green Point on September 24, 2008 at 07:27 PM

Is there some sort of contractual suck up deal to the Kath and Kim mob to show the rest of Out Of The Question? What sort of bollocks is putting Boston Legal back to 11pm for the final 2 episodes? Plus, if anyone has been watching 30 Rock, it's been shifted to Tuesdays as well! So much for continuity.
Denny for President? I'm off to download!

by Bereft Skerrick on September 24, 2008 at 09:56 PM

Did Hole In The Wall get boned? It didn't show last night (Nein showed 1.5hrs of 2 1/2 Men instead), to the probable glee of most on this blog.
Me? I hope there was a viewer backlash against Nein after 8pm (& into Fringe).

by arthur on September 25, 2008 at 07:51 AM

Just when you thought the programmers couldn't do anything more stupid, they do.
Ch 7 have really given me the irrits with the way they have disrespected Boston Legal, 30 Rock and Scrubs...yet again. It's bad enough that 30 Rock is shunted into the late late slot of 11.30pm on Mondays but now they stuff up the last two episodes by showing them on Friday night this week and Tuesday night next week. Equally stupid is the plan to move Boston Legal to 11pm so they can screen Out of the Question at 10.30pm. To top it all off, Scrubs will not be shown on Mondays any more but 11.30pm on Thursdays.
Just to answer a couple of queries from other posters. Ch 10 is actually showing the second series of Torchwood on Mondays on Ten HD but it's run is being interrupted by other programs. Eli Stone is scheduled to screen on Ch 7 later this year. It could end up in a summer slot or a late slot like Boston Legal.

by J Bar on September 25, 2008 at 08:32 AM

Taken Out seems to have dropped off your ratings radar, TM. How did it rate last night? Is it falling to dangerous cancellation territory? It beat Yasmin, but the questions remains of whether it will complete its entire 13 week run.

Tribal Mind replies: TO has sunk to 416,000, which is clearly not yet embarrassing enough for Ten to remove it. Ten might as well let it die a natural death, before bringing back The Simpsons.

by Ryan on September 25, 2008 at 09:30 AM

The HBO Miniseries , John Adams , scooped the pool at the recent Emmys . A show of this calibre would only be shown on the ABC , or SBS , but for those who can't wait , you can download the torrents from here . This link is for the complete series ( 7parts 4.79gbs) or individually from seedpeer.com.
http://www.seedpeer.com/details/1343735/John-Adams---Parts-1-7--Opening-Theme---[Perseco].html
A Google search will bring up details about the series , John Adams was the second President of the USA .
Grand Designs on the ABC has finished in its timeslot , but all 7 of the complete series are available from thebox.bz , also I'm getting Open All Hours ( Ronnie Barker )The Two Fat Ladies , series 1&2 , Geldorf in Africa , and Great Railway Journeys of the World , from this same British site .
Sal , glad it worked for you , yes , you must join up ( free) from this link http://www.thebox.bz , look for " don't have an account sign up now " on the page .
The View midday ch 9 is crapola , all talking over one another , and what gender is Whoopi , she is so mannish ? Hope it low rates itself off our screens soon and the midday movie returns .

by jane doe on September 25, 2008 at 09:38 AM

My theory on these waivering figures for once reliable shows is that viewers are just fed up - shows get slotted into timeslots, then moved, then repeated, then moved again, then dropped, only to re-appear, then they get cancelled, then returned, then re-jigged then moved and so on...all the commercial networks stand accused. The ABC, and SBS have occassionally tweeked their programs but not nearly to the extent of the commercials.
With downloading, the internet, pay TV and computer games all now very popular, the free to air networks should be on notice - your viewer base is drying up - numbers are down, and advertising is down and unless you get your act together - you will be down...down the end of the pecking order for what we choose to do in our spare time!!! and it won't be watching free to air!

by GJ on September 25, 2008 at 10:28 AM

Re: 'House':
It's just a theory but has anyone considered the possibility that having a show about poo as the lead in to 'House' is a bad idea?
Every time I see a promo for 'Kenny's World' complete with fart jokes & flushing toilet sounds, I wonder, does Ten actually comprehend that they are promoting a show about....poo? I don't like watching documentaries about poo. Does anyone like watching a show about poo? Poo stinks.
Speaking of stinks (& poo), 'Fringe' last night was simply awful. Something appears to have happened to Anna Torv for starters. Last week she was attractive & sparky. This week she was dull-eyed & seemed somehow...hung-over.
I wanted to like it, I really did. But at about 9:00 pm when they were using a strobe light to see the last image a dead person saw before they died (still imprinted on the retina apparently) I thought "Life's too short" and went to bed.
And about 'Taken Out'. How about renaming it 'Meat Market' or 'Help Me, I'm Horny'? Worth a try.

by darren on September 25, 2008 at 10:37 AM

John on September 24, 2008 at 11:42 AM, Top Gear UK only makes series of 6 or 10 episodes at a time and they have a budget bigger than NASA. At least wait for the series to start before slamming it.
Which leads to the tricky question: will it actually be any good? My expectations are very low. The hope is that the presenters (who, I confess, I had never heard of before) have the courage to bring their own personalities to the show and that they have something original and interesting to say. My fear is that they will do poor Clarkson impersonations or (worse) they will play to the bogan element with lots of discussion about which is better, Ford or Holden (answer: neither!).

by Wendell on September 25, 2008 at 10:51 AM

The only reason I can think of regarding House is that viewers have settled into post-Olympic viewing. Having got into the groove of watching Criminal Minds and Spicks and Speck and Hollowmen, they just have stayed with those shows. Channel 10 are paying the price of not keeping House on the radar. Also, not sure the lead in for House is that strong. Criminal Minds lead in probably helps them a lot. Bones' ratings demonstrate the benefit of a strong lead in.

by Louise on September 25, 2008 at 11:12 AM

The popularity of Crriminal Minds has affected House but maybe people are tired of House being strung out with repeats and interruptions. I don't think fast tracking works. I'd rather see the whole series without interruption, rather than half shown this year and the rest at sometime next year, with breaks when the US does not show it that week.

by J Bar on September 25, 2008 at 11:42 AM

Josh - I'm very much like G Code "reliable if a bit dated"!! Rule 101 for recording commercial stations "start at televised time & add 20 minutes to televised finish time".....& this usually works.Had to record (manually not G Code) House last night as "better half" (who loves the show, not me) was out & had to endure 10minutes of Kenny waiting for it to start......certainly the wrong lead in show for House. Certainly numbers are all over the place, eg where do half the audience of Spicks & Specks go during the next hour????

by PJ453 on September 25, 2008 at 11:59 AM

Re House dropping in ratings - like Darren and Louise methinks it is the lead in am I wrong or was last year's lead in Thank God you're here. Even the voice over by Kenny on Kenny's world is irritating - I did not intend to watch but due to the late starting of House I caught the end - I kept leaving the room and channel surfing to Spicks and Specks (which I was recording - also recorded Criminal Minds and Fringe so darren I will reserve my view of ep 2 until I see it). Plus last night's House was not the best ep - House was genuinely irritating last night - the only bit I liked was the couples counselling with Wilson

by Cathy on September 25, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Further to my post at 10.51, I just found the sbs online preview of Top Gear Australia (http://player.sbs.com.au/programs#/programs/sneakpeektv/series/playlist/Top-Gear-Australia-Launch/). Looks promising: helicopter shots, mercedes benz, lotus, audi, pagani, ferrari, not a Ford or Holden in sight. Also shows an Elfin (an interesting Australian car manufacturer that does not try to convince us that a car we're used to seeing working as a taxi with the addition of a giant engine is a desirable supercar). Is that a tiny flicker of hope I feel that they might, just might, manage not to stuff this up?!

by Wendell on September 25, 2008 at 12:23 PM

Quoth darren on September 24, 2008 at 11:20 AM: "There's an episode in '30 Rock' where Cerie tells Liz her pre-picked baby names are "Sandstorm, Bookcase and (something else I can't remember) which is more of a boy's name really". "
Bookcase! Why didn't I think of that when I was choosing baby names! *slaps forehead and hands in her bogan club membership papers*
Speaking of 30 Rock, I managed to catch up on two or so recent episodes (still getting the giggles over "we're just like Ross & Rachel. Only not gay"). So I'm all ready and up to date now, and can have fun trying to chase it all over the programming schedule over the next couple of weeks. (Tuesday *and* Friday???)
Only five more recorded episodes of Dexter to watch before I'm up to date on that one too. Er. That may take a while...
Completely forgot about The Fringe last night, so will probably trash the first episode unwatched, I dislike seeing dramas in bits'n'bites. But did catch the second half of Hollowmen, which was excellent. Much better than the first series, which seemed a little weak. They've got a good bite going this season.

by tqd on September 25, 2008 at 12:27 PM

Les, you may wish to avail of yourself of the Doctor's back story, which inlcudes the original series. The Doctor's regeneration does not necessarily prevent him from being recognised. It might take the odd human a while to twig as to who he is (such as Sarah-Jane who last saw the doctor as Tom Baker in the 70s), but other-worldly creatures quite often know him instantly. Russell has just continued on with the theme, therefore honouring the original concepts of the series that has allowed The Doctor to live on through the various actors who have played him.

And if you watch the sonic screwdriver ep again, the girl in question did not necessarily hint that the David Tennant version was the one she met.

by Who on September 25, 2008 at 12:31 PM

House did woeful in the ratings which really surprises me. Now I didnt expect Fringe to rate as well as last week as it was pretty average but Two half Men gets 2nd & 3rd for the night???? Why??
It never ceases to amaze me what people will watch and in such huge numbers.

Ten really needs to find something better to lead into House like Darren observed. I am not interested in watching Kenny and his toilet humour. Only appeals to 10 year old boys doesnt it? I tuned in waiting for House and there was some woman talking about s**t (her words) over and over again. I mean really, this is a TV program?? People watch this stuff???

And thanks, Cathy, for the info that the hunks from Supernatural return soon. I know the show is not that good, but hey, us ladies need some eye candy especially now that the good Dr will be over after Sunday.

by em on September 25, 2008 at 12:59 PM

J BAR is spot on .The FTA owners/managers/programmers are hopeless at building a following for shows.I have noticed that the USA networks have free downloads of episodes & very good fan sites/forums.So it is easy to catch up with episodes & become a fan.Also i think that the advertising burden thru shows has reached the tipping point at 18 minutes per hour. At 10 pm such a burden is too much for me.

by doug on September 25, 2008 at 02:13 PM

by J Bar: Yes, concur. There is an article today in SMH's technology section re-iterating just that, viewers are fed up with schedule changes and are turning to downloading.
It is not just to avoid ads, it is so they can watch shows at a reasonable hour and not miss episodes.
Why is Ch 7 putting Out Of The Question in place of Boston Legal? Would have thought it would be better off being aired on Thursday? You would have thought 30 Rock's Emmys would have encouraged 7 to treat 30 Rock properly but anything deemed "cult viewing" is relegated to the late late hours.

by kate on September 25, 2008 at 02:17 PM

Am I reading this right but Nine News and ACA didn't even rate in the top 10 on Wednesday night? How badly are they going and when will Nine do something to fix the gushing carotid artery that is its news and current affairs. When are Mark and Tracy going to finally get the flick?

by AJ on September 25, 2008 at 02:21 PM

surely house suffered because kenny is a shocking leasd in.
criminal minds continues to do well. it actually increased on last week i think when i thought house would push it down.
2.5 men proves that whilst a show may not catch on initially, if you persevere with something and find the right timeslot, a show can find viewers. also has anyone else noticed that alot of tv critics are much more positive towards 2.5 men now that its a hit then when it wasn't?

by matt on September 25, 2008 at 02:47 PM

I have to agree with Darren regarding "Fringe" and the poor plot.
Speaking of poor television, does anyone here seriously watch "Two In The Top End" ?? I let out a huuge guffaw when Flannery made this comment on tuesday's show: �When the seas were four metres lower than they will be in 20 years time�.
Is Flannery seriously suggesting that sea levels around Australia will be four metres higher in just 20 years?
Why haven�t they been rising by 200 mm a year for the past ten years then Timmy?
This show should be re-named "Two Tools in a Toyota".

by Seb on September 25, 2008 at 04:15 PM

I've been away... can someone tell me what's happened to Ugly Betty.
Re House: I've watched it intermittently but really enjoyed this week. As everyone says... change the lead in.

by bidster on September 25, 2008 at 09:10 PM

I'm really surprised at the low ratings for House. As it was given show of the week in The Guide this week, I watched it and found it ok. I agree that the lead in isn't crash-hot, but also the main advertising for it has been on Ch 10, particularly during Idol, and not everyone watches that. I also reckon fans would download eps as soon as it is shown in the US. We are already a week behind. Obviously the offer of a car is not enough for Ch 10. I missed out on the last season of House because of the terrific line up on ABC. Taped it, and still have yet to see them all except Spicks & Specks. Another enjoyable episode. The theme surrounding Hamish where he can't get the right answers are becoming thin, because he's beginning to get plenty right now.

by Kym on September 25, 2008 at 09:41 PM

I have a feeling 9 will do a Ramsey with 2.5 men.

Tribal Mind remarks: Already is.

by Nick on September 25, 2008 at 11:47 PM

Tqd, Re: '30 Rock' baby's names line:
the actual line including the bit I forgot but now remember is ....."Bookcase, Sandstorm or Hat, but that's more a boy's name really".
Re: 'Fringe', trash away. It's beyond belief. You kind of expect shows to get BETTER as they settle in and develop. 'Fringe' seems to be trying to reverse that trend. I believe Superman can fly. I believe Doctor Who can open any door in the Universe with a screwdriver with a blue light stuck to the end, but babies that grow from nothing to ninety in 24 hours? No. Joshua Jackson smart? No. A device that allows you to see on a computer screen the last thing a dead person saw because it's still imprinted on the retina because of some incomprehensible scientific gobbledegook reason? No.
I won't bother again.

by darren on September 26, 2008 at 05:58 AM

It never ceases to amaze em(sep 25) what people will watch in such huge numbers, 2.5 men.
It never ceases to amaze me what people will watch in such small numbers, Dr who?

by bobmar28 on September 26, 2008 at 06:52 AM

Darren, you are so right about Fringe. I had recorded it and watched it last night. Ended up giving up before it was over. What absolute rubbish! And to think it was advertised as the next X Files. No way! X Files was intelligent, spooky and sexy. I know it had some silly storys sometimes but you could forgive the occasional crap episode because it was mostly top rate. But Fringe?? Just stupid.
I wont be watching again. So disappointing.

by em on September 26, 2008 at 07:35 AM

Speaking of downloading if you watch the second episode of House you will realise that at least one of the doctors would consider Kenny the perfect lead in.
The new character (private eye who is supposedly getting his own show) is also introduced and looks like a great counterpoint to House - argyle socks and all.
I suspect that Hugh Laurie likes to remind himself occasionally from whence he came. Check out what he is playing with at the end of the episode. No significance - just a Laurie touch.
One side effect of the network's new practices I suspect that they did not bank on was the capacity to wait before committing to new shows. I taped the first episode of Fringe, waited for the ratings and then when I saw the comments here I knew that even if I liked the show I would be wasting my time so I deleted it without watching. It is my approach with anything new now. I will not watch until I know that it will be around long enough to be worth the effort.

by Anon on September 26, 2008 at 07:56 AM

Lots of really average viewing again last night - I still tune into Q and A with TONY JONES on a Thursday night hoping it will improve but it still feels like a 'work in progress'.
I'm a big INSIGHT fan so I measure these type of audience participation shows on that and Q and A still seems awkward and bland at times. Last night MALCOLM TURNBULL had the chair and seemed to get sufficient gushing and handclapping from what seemed a very pro TURNBULL audience. The questions while relevant were predicatable but not that engaging - the usual...
have you smoked pot?... Yes!
why don't you like Peter Costello..... because I don't! (yawn!)
I cant really work out why Q and A just feels so clunky but it does - does anyone else who watches have a theory??
JENNY BROCKIE often asks the tough questions and I think thats why INSIGHT works. I think TONY JONES is an excellent host as well just can't work out why the whole thing feels experimental - maybe because it's live!!

by GJ on September 26, 2008 at 08:12 AM

Re the previous post concerning Ugly Betty - got the rough end of the pineapple from 7. It is a fluffy, family friendly orientated show, not designed for 9.30 at night. Think it only lasted 2 weeks. I see 7 are also screening the Heroes Season 3 lead in next week - that should do well at 11.30pm!
We have given up watching pretty much anything that we want to keep watching - record everything that way we are not being screwed around with times and days etc which seems to be the fad at the moment - doesn't rate in the first week so off it goes.
Wonder if 10 will bother to screen series 2 of Dexter, which finishes this week, seeing as about every ad break contains an ad for the boxed dvd set. Still holding out for Weeds - we are about a season and a half behind now, but I guess there is not room for 10 programs with Gordon Ramsey and anything else (sorry, I might have exaggerated; 8 programs).
I think it is time for another coffee... :)

by ozinoz on September 26, 2008 at 09:10 AM

TM, you asked what went wrong with The Stirp? That's easy, it is a blatant CSI - Miami wannabe with Aussie accents. And mediocre acting with "we've seen it all before" plots. By next week it will be either held over for summer or plonked on at 10.30pm some weeknight. As will The Fringe. Pity but it would be better for networks to come up with new ideas to spend their money on than the same old, same old.

by em on September 26, 2008 at 09:42 AM

The Strip was only a 4-city amount, with equivalent 4-city ratings from last week (i.e. around 1.05m when projected to 5-city). So it won't get boned or moved anytime soon. By the way, this episode was the worst so far. The sub-plot of the young dude being tricked by the schoolies girls was ridiculous.
The AFL Footy Show was showing in Melbourne.

by arthur on September 26, 2008 at 09:42 AM

My wife and I settled in last night to finally watch "The Strip" and were not surprised by its cliched plot. Like many Australian drama's, it suffers from bad writing/plot and poor acting.
Lastly, is it just me or do others here on this blog think that Ch9 has given up on Monday and Tuesday evenings?
Who in their right mind would look forward to a nioght on the lounge watching "Hole in the Wall" followed by "20-to-1" ??

by Sebastien on September 26, 2008 at 09:44 AM

I watched The Strip last night and have to say it was woeful. The over acting was unbelievable and the characters are all so cliched. I spent most of the hour laughing which for a supposedly serious cop show is not a good sign. And seriously, do real life detectives really wear those clothes?

by Ali on September 26, 2008 at 09:46 AM

TM, what's the Aslan photo about? (just curious).
Re: 'The Strip', never watched it, but the ads with the Supermodel detective girl bending over a lot in skimpy singlets & hardly being able to see through her fake eye-lashes didn't really make me want to.
Sexy-ugly.

Tribal Mind replies: It was the nearest I could get to a picture of Inspector Rex.

by darren on September 26, 2008 at 10:01 AM

The Strip wasn't shown in Melbourne this week, which explains the low total and it actually went up a bit this week, in every city that it was screened in.
As for what's wrong with it. I still can't get over the fact that Simone McAulley's outfits and make-up make her look more like a prostitute than a detective. Her acting, however, is brilliant and I think she should have been the lead actress. Jack commented to Tully that the forensic expert was doing a brilliant job in the interviewing room and he was absolutely right. Simone outshines the lead actors... by far. I think the acting from Vanessa Gray has improved a bit, but it's a bit annoying seeing her character Tully acting like a boofhead bloke and thinking that her partner Jack's problems can be solved by sleeping with a string of women.
The show is let down by some of the acting from the guests too, in particular the boyfriend and parents of the victim in this episode. Is it hard to get decent guest actors in Queensland?

by J Bar on September 26, 2008 at 10:14 AM

Memo to Survivor fans - Ch9 has "Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs Favourites" scheduled to begin at 10:30pm on Tuesday 30 September.
I have already watched this online and highly recommend it - a good series and well worth staying around for, especially the last 5 eps or so.

by Sebastien on September 26, 2008 at 10:34 AM

no The Strip wont be axed by last nights figures it was one of 9s highest rating shows in Sydney, its overall figures look very low because it didnt air in every capital and in Melbourne The Footy Show was airing when The Strip would normally air. Give it a few more weeks of sliding ratings then it will be axed from 830pm

by dave on September 26, 2008 at 10:41 AM

Anyone else catch Letterman last night? Interesting to see a politician allegedly caught in a lie. For those who missed it: McCain cancelled an appearance saying he had to go to Washington, however was stillin the same city getting interviewed for the evening news instead.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 26, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Taken Out and Friends are producing some spectacularly low figures for primetime. How has Neighbours been doing, while it has been bookended by such low rating programs? If Taken Out is axed, I hope Ch 10 are smart enough to find something else for James Kerley to do. It has been suggested that Taken Out is a turn-off because it is too bogan and is like '30 molls and a troll' but this week with the switch in format it could have been described as '30 dags and a scrag'.

by J Bar on September 26, 2008 at 10:46 AM

TM, can you post the ratings for last night's episode of Late Show with David Letterman please (Australian singer Delta Goodrem performed in the show yesterday)? And for Friday's ratings, will you be able to post the figures for VFL Grand Final (7.30pm on ABC1), Before the Game Grand Final special (8.30pm on Ten) and Meet the Fockers (9pm on Seven)? I am interested in how all these programs will compare with the rugby league preliminary final in Melbourne. Also it will be the first time the title decider of a state footy competition is played on a Friday night.

Tribal Mind replies: In the chart now. Are you saying that the VFL grand final is on ABC1 at 7.30 tonight?

by Johnson on September 26, 2008 at 11:05 AM

Shirl has finally taken off Taken Out - replaced by the usual - The Simpsons. Best guess on when the Strip will be stripped from the schedule by Nein - one more week - although did they order a second season - think I read somewhere they had commissioned more eps.
TM instead of the Lion you should have looked for a pic of Rin Tin Tin for Inspector Rex.

Tribal Mind replies: Indeed, but I didn't have Rin Tin Tin among my stored pics.

by Cathy on September 26, 2008 at 11:06 AM

The Real Rainman was our hilight last night, what an incredible brain....but felt a little sorry for his 85 year old father, sooner or later he's got to just wear out looking after his son. Last Wire in the Blood tonight....wonder how much blood & guts we'll get tonight. This series has certainly been more gruesome!! Re The Strip, haven't watched it but maybe just too much CSI type of shows??

by PJ453 on September 26, 2008 at 11:29 AM

Wire in the blood has become to gruesome for me. The cannibal episode finished me off.

by Gary on September 26, 2008 at 12:56 PM

Quoth PJ453: "Last Wire in the Blood tonight....wonder how much blood & guts we'll get tonight. This series has certainly been more gruesome!!"
I know, it's been very full-on with the horror. I can't help but think that it surely must be poor advertising for England: come to the land where all these sociopathic nutters live!!
Speaking of which, caught up with two Dexter episodes last night. Now, how come I can cope with chopped up desanguinated dead bodies there, but hide behind the crossword for various bits of Wire in the Blood...? Probably something about the (very dark) humour of Dexter. Or his shirts. Gotta love a nice Hawaiian shirt.

by tqd on September 26, 2008 at 01:00 PM

What is wrong with The Strip? Where do start? As others have said, it is a poor man's version of CSI Miami. I don't like CSI Miami or the Strip but CSI Miami does what it does very well. It has slick editing, bigger budget and most of all, it has an element of high-camp tongue in cheekness which The Strip desperately needs. The Strip takes itself far too seriously and suffers as a result. It is not realistic but tries to portray that it is. The Strip also suffers from very wooden acting, particularly from the lead actress Vanessa and sloppy scriptwriting with huge gaps in storyline so it fits in 1 hour (less ads)

by kate on September 26, 2008 at 01:50 PM

One more about '30 Rock'. Just had a look at a review for Season 2 DVD & it's good (9 out of 10). Lots of extras apparently (but less episodes because of the writer's strike) including Tina Fey's Sarah Palin routine from SNL. It was released mid-September (now) in the US. Something to look forward to.
Forget Channel Seven.

by darren on September 26, 2008 at 02:10 PM

Great comparison tqd with Wire in the Blood & Dexter. Got frustrated with Ch10 & what time they showed Dexter so bought both Series 1 & 2 on dvd (Series 1 was dearer???). Can anybody tell me what Dr Tony Hill carries in his plastic shopping bag???

by PJ453 on September 26, 2008 at 02:18 PM

I found both seasons of Dexter to be terrific, just loved every minute of it. And there were no ads during the program on Foxtel by the way. I can't imagine trying to watch it on TEN.
Also watch Wire In The Blood, and find this season I'm covering my eyes more, and giving the dogs a heart attack when I shriek and dive under the lounge.
The difference is this: Dexter kills evil people who deserve it, whereas the victims in Wire In The Blood are innocent folk, just like us!
You know Dexter would never hurt you, but the psychotics in Wire have their own wierd agendas, and who knows, you could be next!

by Sal on September 26, 2008 at 03:33 PM

Taken out - taken out and shot
Kenny's world - heading down the 's' bend
Bondi Rescue - Realty program that is drowning .....
Smarter than a 5 th grader - childish shite that seems to also be sinking ....
Time to change your format channel 10 .....

by Randwick Geoff on September 26, 2008 at 04:19 PM

TM asks: Are you saying that the VFL grand final is on ABC1 at 7.30 tonight?
Yes, but only in Victoria and Tasmania. The rest of the country has the season finale of Wire in the Blood (which airs in VIC and TAS on Saturday).

Tribal Mind remains mystified, but ...: In the chart now. Is VFL different from AFL?

by Johnson on September 26, 2008 at 10:44 PM

Thanks to all who answered my question re Australia Story and Belinda Neal(e).
I wonder if Rin Tin Tin was as good as I thought it was when I was a kid? Was Corporal Agarn (sp?) in RTT or was it F Troop - another great show that I would love to see again.
Great Wire in the Blood last night - methinks Tony is well on his way to becoming a serial killer but god, he is gorgeous.

by Shoopie on September 27, 2008 at 10:40 AM

Wow. Sydney 597,000 Melbourne 273,000 for the Biffo last night. Crowds were down at the stadium, however less than 300K watching from Melbourne really doesn't augur well for NRL in Victoria (was there something AFLish on TV last night in Melbourne?) More people in Brisbane cared to see a game that didn't have their side involved.
Having said that, I'm doing a happy dance of joy because all is right with the world. The Sharks lost, and the natural order of the universe has resumed.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM

"Tribal Mind remains mystified, but ...: In the chart now. Is VFL different from AFL?"
Victorian Football League is Australian football (semi-pro) in Victoria, West Australian Football League is Australian Football (semi-pro) in Western Australia, QAFL (semi pro) Queensland, etc etc you get the idea..... Australian Football is the professional league of Australian Football that covers the whole country.
Any one want to have a punt on the figures for todays Australian Football League Grand Final, Im going to go for 2.8 million 5 city total, will be massive, massive audience in Melbourne given the first time since 2000 2 Vic teams are competing for the cup.

by Ryano on September 27, 2008 at 11:54 AM

Maybe The Strip may be suffering by trying to add an unnecessary sexy message into a crime show. The same message might be alienating women. Any figures available on Men vs Women viewers?

Tribal Mind replies: An interesting question, which I can answer tomorrow when I get the figures for the week, which can be divided by gender.

by Clyde on September 27, 2008 at 02:47 PM

The Strip did so badly as it wasnt shown in Melbourne due to the AFL Footy Show. Dont really think ya title ("A little strip of Yasminland") is warranted... altho i am sure Nine (yes that is how it is spelt) wouldnt be over the moon with its figures in general.

by JM on September 27, 2008 at 02:58 PM

Thanks to Ryano for clearing up for the various Aussie Rules competition for us. Wow... the ABC had a bad night with low figures for the season finale of Wire in the Blood and the VFL Grand Final. Looks like the VFL will return to its traditional timeslot of last Sunday before the AFL decider next year.

by Johnson on September 27, 2008 at 05:33 PM

You still pushing the AFL barrow Ryano,I suppose there would be a large audience in Melbourne,I would be surprised if there wasn't.
Be interesting to see WA and SA,also NSW and QLD,is QAFL semi professional.be surprised if it is,there just aint that many in the Northern states that care about AFL.
The Melbourne Figure was not to bad at all,I will be interested to see what happens if the Warriors and Melbourne play off in the NRL Game.

by John Ryan on September 27, 2008 at 05:44 PM

Taken Out has been Taken Out!!
Wahoo! Nobody messes with Simpsons repeats and survives.

by Matt on September 27, 2008 at 09:00 PM

NEWSTOPIA back this Wednesday 1st October @ 10:05pm! Yippee Yahoo Wowee! Almost as good news as the Sharks losing :)

by Bereft Skerrick on September 28, 2008 at 12:06 AM

Oh, just read the news about Paul Newman. It is just too sad, in this age of celeb wannabes eeking out their 15mins, we've all just lost a great actor and person who realised what good fame could do if it was channeled altruistically. I know there is a global financial meltdown, and football ratings to discuss but just wanted to post a "sad rest in peace" post. Of course, expect a flurry of Paul's movies now to be aired, but for once I will forgive the networks that cynical exercise as I loved his movies, especially Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

by kate on September 28, 2008 at 12:33 AM

Hmmm... the AFL Grand Final post-match presentation rated higher than the actual match?

Tribal Mind replies: Probably not. That would be because Seven gave OzTAm program titles with estimated starting and finishing times. It's more likely to be the last few minutes of the match.

by Johnson on September 28, 2008 at 11:05 AM

TM, in your list of the most watched shows of the 21st cenury, you mentioned the figures for first and last episode of Underbelly without Melbourne. Now that Nine has aired the first five episodes of Underbelly in all cities, I have done my own calculations by adding the Melbourne figure to your data from OzTAM. 1,901,000 watched the first episode nationally and 1,917,000 watched the second episode. Of course, had the drama been allowed to air in Victoria at the same time as the rest of Australia, the figures would have been 2 million or more.

by Johnson on September 28, 2008 at 11:27 AM

TM, are you able to confirm the AFL GF won its timeslots in Sydney and Brisbane? Also do you know how Before the Game on Channel 10 rated against the NRL game between Cronulla and Melbourne on Friday night in Melbourne at 8:30pm on Channel 9. Cheers.

Tribal Mind replies: This will involve finding the program schedules for sydney and brisbane and comparing them with ratings data, and since I am trying to write two columns today, I won't have time. Tomorrow, I hope.

by Dave on September 28, 2008 at 12:03 PM

Vale Paul Newman, I was only thinking of him last night as the kids were watching Cars (Doc Hudson) and I was dipping my chips into Paul Newmans Own Ranch Dressing. He was married to Joanne Woodward (his second wife mind) for 50 years which is an incredible achievement.

Truly a shining example of where a celebrity his his powers for good instead of evil.

by Bereft Skerrick on September 28, 2008 at 12:42 PM

I see that Ch 9 & Christine Spiteri have agreed to settle, for a lot less than she was asking for (undisclosed but somehow the amount always leaks out) Interesting to speculate but other TV female plaintiffs have been more successful in their actions. They may be losing the ratings this year, but one small victory for 9.

by kate on September 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM

I would be happy to direct John Ryan in this direction over his QAFL doubts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League_Queensland_State_League
Very interesting the figures for yesterdays Grand Final, and the fact that more people saw the presentation shows that perhaps the AFL should consider pushing back the game start time to later in the day to reach more viewers next year. Perhaps a 4pm EST start would be better.
C7 also showed some poor form cutting short the on ground celebrations so they could get to their precious news.

by Ryano on September 28, 2008 at 01:21 PM

TM, any America's Next Top Model figures this week? Did it and Before the Game give Ten a half decent Friday, at least in Melbourne?

Tribal Mind requests: I wish you'd ask me earlier, before I shut down last week's data. We're onto a new week now. Here's the info:
AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL FRI Ten 566,000 167,000 173,000 75,000 68,000 82,000
BEFORE THE GAME FRI Ten 497,000 25,000 302,000 16,000 88,000 66,000
But why do you care whether or not Ten has a half decent Friday? Is it more deserving of success than the other networks?

by Ryan on September 29, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Thanks for that, TM.
Not that they're necessarily more deserving, but any lead Ten manage to gain early in the week is guaranteed to be lost with such a weak Friday. Now that both footy codes are over, they may have a bit more of a chance, but it's tough to pull numbers on a night where most of its target demo aren't at home.

by Ryan on September 29, 2008 at 03:07 PM

The Sun-Herald

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The Who We Are update: Week 39

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