The Who We Are update: Week 27

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

This forum is now a heritage item - worth studying but no longer current. For the latest on Australian attitudes and media trends, go to blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.
To discuss if Transformers 2 sucks more than any blockbuster in history, go to The Tribal Mind.
To discuss whether Australians are too dumb to function in the 21st century, go to Who We Are.

The ratings race, updated 11 am Monday
It was another shocking week for Nine, with bits of its audience stolen not just by Ten but by SBS, which snapped up the cricket and sent Kerry Packer spinning in his grave. Nine was almost saved on Saturday when Ten failed to attract many to its footy, but the prime time audience shares ended up this way: Seven 27.5 per cent, Ten 23.1, Nine 23.0, ABC 16.1, SBS 10.4.

This was Pay TV's account of itself: "An all time series record 285,000 viewers [or 342,000 if you add the audience for the replay 2 hours later] watched Tahnee Atkinson beat Cassi Van Den Dungen in Australia's Next Top Model Live Finale on FOX8. Torchwood: Children of Earth premiered on UKTV with 141,000 viewers, NCIS on TV1 was watched by 118,000 people and Dollhouse on FOX8 was seen by 114,000 people. Sonny with a Chance had its biggest audience of the year so far on the Disney Channel with 111,000 people, The Searchers premiered on FOX Classics with 101,000 people and iCarly on Nickelodeon had its best result of the year with 91,000 people.

"In sport programs, Live: NRL Sea Eagles v Bulldogs on FOX Sports had 339,000 viewers while 244,000 people watched Live: Cricket: Ashes: Day 1 Session 1. Live: AFL Sydney v Essendon was seen by 175,000 people, Live: AFL: On the Couch was watched by 125,000 and the replay of the record making match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, Tennis: Wimbledon: Men's Final, was seen by 75,000 people (all on FOX Sports)."

In the chart below, we track the fate of every bit of Jacksploitation on the box last week:
What Australia watched, week ending July 11
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - CHALLENGE Ten 1,980,000 619,000 584,000 329,000 188,000 260,000
2 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Seven 1,851,000 503,000 665,000 279,000 192,000 213,000
3 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,772,000 391,000 574,000 387,000 172,000 248,000
4 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,686,000 466,000 557,000 291,000 171,000 200,000
5 TALKIN' 'BOUT YOUR GENERATION Ten 1,658,000 492,000 540,000 277,000 141,000 208,000
6 THE ZOO Seven 1,618,000 440,000 480,000 339,000 156,000 203,000
7 DANCING WITH THE STARS 9 Seven 1,579,000 459,000 447,000 323,000 173,000 178,000
Continued here

8 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,578,000 398,000 473,000 360,000 158,000 190,000
9 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,532,000 427,000 410,000 313,000 171,000 210,000
10 FIND MY FAMILY Seven 1,507,000 394,000 479,000 318,000 131,000 185,000
11 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,419,000 395,000 375,000 302,000 167,000 181,000
12 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,390,000 424,000 394,000 286,000 175,000 111,000
13 MERLIN Ten 1,378,000 410,000 361,000 255,000 142,000 210,000
14 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE Seven 1,373,000 360,000 466,000 257,000 130,000 161,000
15 BONES Seven 1,371,000 429,000 354,000 276,000 165,000 146,000
16 NINE NEWS Nine 1,279,000 332,000 440,000 273,000 130,000 104,000
17 ROVE Ten 1,276,000 348,000 444,000 184,000 107,000 193,000
18 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,252,000 387,000 432,000 203,000 89,000 141,000
19 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,246,000 338,000 336,000 275,000 150,000 148,000
20 NEW TRICKS ABC1 1,226,000 336,000 325,000 232,000 142,000 192,000
21 RECRUITS Ten 1,220,000 392,000 358,000 185,000 127,000 157,000
22 GETAWAY Nine 1,219,000 328,000 415,000 237,000 112,000 126,000
23 NCIS RPT Ten 1,217,000 313,000 337,000 242,000 134,000 192,000
24 SEA PATROL Nine 1,213,000 332,000 360,000 236,000 136,000 150,000
25 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Nine 1,196,000 320,000 386,000 247,000 126,000 117,000
26 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE LAST TIME Seven 1,194,000 348,000 380,000 207,000 117,000 141,000
38 TODAY TONIGHT - MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL Seven 1,059,000 302,000 291,000 205,000 102,000 159,000
43 THE MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL CONCERT Nine 1,029,000 340,000 317,000 184,000 87,000 101,000
81 MICHAEL JACKSON IN CONCERT Nine 778,000 265,000 253,000 95,000 74,000 92,000
88 LIVING WITH MICHAEL JACKSON Seven 746,000 229,000 211,000 125,000 85,000 96,000
164 MICHAEL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL CONCERT (R) Seven 327,000 99,000 90,000 72,000 38,000 29,000
257 THE LATEST ON MICHAEL JACKSON -RPT Nine 174,000 76,000 77,000 21,000
293 MICHAEL JACKSON: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED -RPT Nine 150,000 42,000 74,000 15,000 19,000
314 SUNRISE - MICHAEL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL Seven 140,000 33,000 52,000 23,000 12,000 20,000
357 THE MICHAEL JACKSON STORY (R) Seven 116,000 35,000 29,000 26,000 14,000 11,000
371 TODAY -MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL Nine 107,000 32,000 39,000 13,000 11,000 11,000
382 MICHAEL JACKSON THE KING OF POP -RPT Nine 103,000 25,000 48,000 17,000 13,000
403 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE LAST TIME (R) Seven 89,000 16,000 34,000 17,000 14,000 7,000
560 THE LATEST ON MICHAEL JACKSON Nine 39,000 Not shown Not shown Not shown 39,000 Not shown
What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,578,000 398,000 473,000 360,000 158,000 190,000
2 NEW TRICKS ABC1 1,226,000 336,000 325,000 232,000 142,000 192,000
3 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS Nine 1,126,000 334,000 263,000 257,000 132,000 140,000
4 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,101,000 308,000 339,000 226,000 139,000 91,000
5 ABC NEWS-SA ABC1 1,002,000 259,000 306,000 182,000 137,000 118,000
6 HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS -RPT Nine 921,000 308,000 261,000 159,000 71,000 122,000
8 THE BILL ABC1 789,000 222,000 220,000 144,000 89,000 114,000
10 GARDENING AUSTRALIA-EV ABC1 696,000 174,000 218,000 130,000 100,000 75,000
11 SATURDAY NIGHT AFL Ten 696,000 362,000 100,000 148,000 86,000
12 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFL Ten 583,000 85,000 294,000 44,000 82,000 78,000
16 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY4 S1 SBS ONE 429,000 117,000 152,000 85,000 39,000 35,000
17 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY4 S2 SBS ONE 427,000 114,000 123,000 75,000 57,000 58,000
106 VFL FOOTBALL 2009-PM ABC1 55,000 55,000
114 RUGBY UNION: SHUTE SHIELD (NSW) 2009-PM ABC1 47,000 47,000
119 RUGBY LEAGUE: (QLD) 2009-PM ABC1 42,000 42,000
148 WAFL LIVE LEAGUE FOOTBALL 2009-PM ABC1 25,000 25,000
149 SATURDAY LATE NIGHT AFL Ten 24,000 24,000
172 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 15: WESTERN BULLDOGS VS COLLINGWOOD Seven 16,000 5,000 11,000
173 THE SANFL-PM ABC1 16,000 16,000
183 NINE'S FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL LATE Nine 10,000 3,000 7,000

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,413,000 367,000 391,000 278,000 162,000 214,000
2 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,392,000 374,000 481,000 235,000 132,000 170,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,248,000 326,000 346,000 282,000 149,000 145,000
4 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,246,000 338,000 336,000 275,000 150,000 148,000
5 NINE NEWS Nine 1,217,000 309,000 426,000 254,000 133,000 94,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,015,000 265,000 324,000 234,000 112,000 80,000
9 TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION: KILL THE KING ABC1 927,000 287,000 243,000 158,000 103,000 136,000
16 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 15: WESTERN BULLDOGS VS COLLINGWOOD Seven 693,000 10,000 462,000 13,000 116,000 93,000
17 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Ten 659,000 177,000 220,000 120,000 67,000 75,000
20 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY3 S1 SBS ONE 565,000 166,000 175,000 115,000 64,000 45,000
24 NINE'S LIVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 472,000 296,000 176,000
29 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY3 S2 SBS ONE 415,000 92,000 145,000 69,000 57,000 53,000
70 TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 HIGHLIGHTS SBS ONE 184,000 54,000 61,000 37,000 23,000 9,000
98 TORCHWOOD ABC2 127,000 31,000 32,000 22,000 18,000 23,000
112 MR BEAN WITH ROWAN ATKINSON ABC2 98,000 60,000 15,000 17,000 2,000 4,000
113 MR BEAN WITH ROWAN ATKINSON ABC1 97,000 25,000 10,000 25,000 12,000 25,000

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,550,000 430,000 458,000 308,000 162,000 193,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,514,000 416,000 403,000 318,000 189,000 187,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,410,000 375,000 374,000 335,000 156,000 170,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,226,000 287,000 442,000 278,000 127,000 92,000
5 GETAWAY Nine 1,217,000 326,000 416,000 238,000 112,000 126,000
6 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 1,150,000 339,000 344,000 221,000 110,000 136,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,143,000 299,000 350,000 231,000 129,000 134,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,137,000 259,000 424,000 254,000 107,000 92,000
9 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,109,000 323,000 337,000 223,000 111,000 115,000
12 NED KELLY UNCOVERED ABC1 901,000 282,000 243,000 162,000 102,000 113,000
26 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY2 S1 SBS ONE 632,000 217,000 188,000 127,000 62,000 39,000
36 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY2 S2 SBS ONE 353,000 90,000 115,000 53,000 36,000 59,000

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,924,000 521,000 641,000 328,000 211,000 223,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,494,000 406,000 396,000 317,000 166,000 208,000
3 THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE Seven 1,374,000 360,000 466,000 257,000 130,000 162,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,338,000 377,000 434,000 278,000 143,000 106,000
5 CRIMINAL MINDS Seven 1,160,000 315,000 338,000 206,000 141,000 159,000
6 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,131,000 286,000 410,000 222,000 123,000 91,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,058,000 302,000 291,000 205,000 101,000 158,000
8 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC1 1,058,000 346,000 256,000 195,000 117,000 144,000
10 THE MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL CONCERT Nine 1,014,000 335,000 310,000 183,000 86,000 100,000
11 THE CHASER'S WAR ON EVERYTHING ABC1 992,000 385,000 221,000 157,000 107,000 122,000
15 MICHAEL JACKSON IN CONCERT Nine 854,000 282,000 273,000 123,000 79,000 98,000
20 LIVING WITH MICHAEL JACKSON Seven 747,000 230,000 212,000 126,000 85,000 95,000
23 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY1 S1 SBS ONE 679,000 210,000 236,000 115,000 76,000 42,000
34 THE 2009 ASHES: TEST1 DAY1 S2 SBS ONE 363,000 75,000 134,000 58,000 43,000 52,000
43 MICHAEL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL CONCERT (R) Seven 327,000 99,000 90,000 72,000 38,000 29,000
51 MORTIFIED ABC1 267,000 106,000 62,000 57,000 14,000 29,000
86 SUNRISE - MICHAEL JACKSON'S MEMORIAL CONCERT Seven 126,000 35,000 54,000 25,000 12,000
94 TODAY -MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL Nine 106,000 33,000 38,000 13,000 11,000 10,000

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Seven 1,851,000 503,000 665,000 279,000 192,000 213,000
2 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,664,000 489,000 537,000 274,000 163,000 202,000
3 TALKIN' 'BOUT YOUR GENERATION Ten 1,659,000 493,000 540,000 277,000 141,000 208,000
4 THE ZOO Seven 1,617,000 440,000 480,000 338,000 156,000 203,000
5 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,577,000 459,000 415,000 314,000 167,000 222,000
6 FIND MY FAMILY Seven 1,506,000 394,000 479,000 318,000 131,000 185,000
7 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,457,000 416,000 383,000 286,000 180,000 192,000
8 NINE NEWS Nine 1,301,000 360,000 431,000 277,000 112,000 122,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,262,000 384,000 407,000 253,000 101,000 116,000
16 GRAND DESIGNS ABC1 948,000 331,000 234,000 178,000 86,000 120,000
20 HOME MADE Nine 900,000 246,000 303,000 151,000 98,000 102,000
28 LITTLE BRITAIN Nine 580,000 166,000 181,000 101,000 57,000 74,000
80 THE LATEST ON MICHAEL JACKSON -RPT Nine 174,000 76,000 77,000 21,000
85 MICHAEL JACKSON: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED -RPT Nine 148,000 42,000 74,000 15,000 17,000The ratings race, updated 10 am Monday
Channel Seven's doco about Michael Jackson last night was called The Last Time, but that's unlikely to deter other channels from further Jacksploitation, since 1.2 million people in the mainland capitals clearly have not yet had enough. Seven won the night, but Ten pushed Nine back to third place, and the prime time audience shares for the week so far stand at: Seven 28.0 per cent, Ten 25.7, Nine 23.9, ABC 16.1, SBS 6.2.

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Ten 1,804,000 507,000 604,000 308,000 176,000 209,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,697,000 506,000 459,000 333,000 175,000 223,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,545,000 457,000 393,000 304,000 180,000 211,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,289,000 327,000 455,000 273,000 129,000 105,000
5 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,255,000 323,000 459,000 273,000 110,000 90,000
6 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,253,000 387,000 432,000 203,000 89,000 142,000
7 RECRUITS Ten 1,217,000 391,000 357,000 185,000 127,000 157,000
8 SEA PATROL Nine 1,215,000 332,000 360,000 237,000 136,000 151,000
9 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE LAST TIME Seven 1,193,000 349,000 380,000 207,000 117,000 140,000
10 AUSTRALIAN STORY ABC1 1,094,000 340,000 335,000 215,000 88,000 116,000
11 GOOD NEWS WEEK Ten 1,088,000 343,000 326,000 176,000 123,000 120,000
23 THE BIG BANG THEORY Nine 854,000 212,000 256,000 207,000 58,000 121,000
26 SUPERNATURAL Ten 711,000 184,000 212,000 166,000 77,000 73,000
28 TOP GEAR SBS ONE 686,000 187,000 210,000 130,000 74,000 85,000
29 SPOOKS ABC1 677,000 182,000 227,000 99,000 76,000 93,000
45 WIMBLEDON MEN'S FINAL Nine 330,000 106,000 116,000 51,000 57,000
50 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS SBS ONE 301,000 102,000 95,000 37,000 19,000 47,000
72 WALLACE AND GROMIT'S CRACKING CONTRAPTIONS ABC1 192,000 63,000 52,000 22,000 22,000 33,000
74 30 ROCK Seven 186,000 45,000 65,000 25,000 19,000 32,000

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - CHALLENGE Ten 1,979,000 619,000 584,000 329,000 188,000 260,000
2 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,768,000 391,000 574,000 387,000 172,000 244,000
3 DANCING WITH THE STARS Seven 1,571,000 456,000 445,000 320,000 171,000 179,000
4 BONES Seven 1,419,000 438,000 364,000 287,000 170,000 160,000
5 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 1,386,000 424,000 391,000 286,000 174,000 111,000
6 MERLIN Ten 1,378,000 410,000 361,000 255,000 142,000 210,000
7 ROVE Ten 1,290,000 351,000 448,000 187,000 109,000 195,000
8 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Nine 1,196,000 320,000 387,000 246,000 127,000 116,000
9 60 MINUTES Nine 1,172,000 299,000 390,000 251,000 100,000 133,000
10 AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MISS MARPLE ABC1 1,119,000 384,000 302,000 169,000 128,000 137,000
11 CASTLE Seven 1,064,000 278,000 350,000 191,000 127,000 118,000
12 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 14: ST KILDA VS GEELONG Seven 964,000 19,000 626,000 13,000 155,000 151,000
16 MUSIC & LYRICS (one of the people in the picture is not Hugh Grant, but the other is Drew Barrymore) Nine 805,000 268,000 284,000 157,000 96,000
20 WIMBLEDON MEN'S FINAL Nine 608,000 170,000 199,000 78,000 79,000 82,000
21 NINE'S SUNDAY FOOTBALL Nine 552,000 339,000 206,000 7,000
52 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 14: FREMANTLE VS CARLTON Seven 165,000 165,000
58 TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 HIGHLIGHTS SBS ONE 159,000 42,000 39,000 53,000 13,000 12,000
61 TOUR DE FRANCE 2009 STAGE 2 SBS 152,000 38,000 56,000 22,000 22,000 14,000
62 AFL GAME DAY Seven 151,000 79,000 42,000 30,000
73 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 14: SYDNEY VS NORTH MELBOURNE Seven 128,000 87,000 41,000

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Count me as one who watched "Music & Lyrics" last night. Not quite top notch "Sunday Night Blockbuster" material, but I'm a sucker for Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.
Of course this was after watching Masterchef. I'm on Team Julie. Poh put Julie and Justine together last night to fail, yet her bestest buddy Andre (the inexplicably still there as he seems to serve up cat food) came up with an epic fail.

by Bereft Skerrick on July 06, 2009 at 10:53 AM

So, how'd the sight-challenged guy go last night? Was it the Susan Boyle moment Seven have been trying desperately to manufacture? It's a new low for Lowest Common Denominator tellie and the most cynical and exploitative grab for ratings since Heather Mills' leg flew off during the Vienna Waltz. Glad to see it didn't help.
Saw more promos for 'TV Burp' over the weekend and still, it seems to be just a series of skits tearing away at Channel Ten's shows which perhaps I'm wrong but Seven seems a trifle worried at Ten's recent ratings success. Is that the only reason to stage a comedy skit show, to play dirty? Oooh scary.
And another thing I've always wondered about and saw again yesterday: Why, on 'Sunrise' do they interview people 'via satellite' when they're clearly standing just outside in Martin Place? You can see the same bus go by behind the interviewee and past the hosts in the bloody window. They did the same thing yesterday with Sarmitage outside the site of this week's Jacksonfest crossing to Mike Amour who was standing in front of the same venue. Each of them waiting for the satellite delay to answer each other's questions. Could have used tin cans and fishing line. Or stand beside each other and, you know, talk. Both on one camera. It's a crazy idea but it just might work.

by darren on July 06, 2009 at 11:27 AM

I'm surprised that the Tour de France numbers are so low ... it seems to be the only thing people talk about at work.
Bereft - I took was happy to see Poh fail last night - the sooner she goes the better. And I think the thing that I will remember the most about Andre is that he is very good at dealing up slop a la last nights effort and that strawberry risotto he did a while back. Not at all appetising!

by Nic on July 06, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Masterchef not affected that much by very strong Dancing With The Stars. Merlin and Rove held up well too but the Big Fat Losers let Ten down. They should have had the Dance show on Sundays after Rove rather than the fatties.
With such strong competition DWTS did quite well considering it ran more than 5.5 hours. Good decision to program it from 6.30pm and with Bones huge and Castle strong, it gave them a winning night.
Nine suffered badly with the return of DWTS really battering Random Acts of Kindness and 60 Minutes. The return of Sunday night movies don't seem to be the answer either.

by J Bar on July 06, 2009 at 11:53 AM

Looks like Bones got a boost from 2.5 hours of Dancing With The Stars (which I avoided by catching up on the David Attenborough doco screened at 7:30), but it didn't really spill over to Castle (my guilty viewing pleasure of the week).
2.5 hours of Dancing With The Stars. How many recaps were there, I wonder...

by tqd on July 06, 2009 at 02:00 PM

Bereft, I too, am a Julie fan. Hope she wins the challenge against the celebrity chef this week and gets fast tracked. I also like Justine and was very pleased to see the two J's beat Poh. It was also nice to see Chris's face when the judges announced the girl's win. Chris scowls a lot, especially when he loses! Let's hope he continues to scowl.

by em on July 06, 2009 at 02:34 PM

Holy Crap! MasterChef is on the verge of breaking the 2 million mark! Even against the premiere of Dancing With The Stars! I hope Poh stays in the competition for as long as possible because she is the most dramatic out of all the contestants - she frequently veers from absolutely brilliant to through the bottom of the barrel. And let's not forget her over-the-top facial expressions and highly temperamental comments. For me, she is always either fun or exasperating to watch - and that makes for a good reality tv contestant. But of course, having said this, I've probably jinxed her:-\

by tide on July 06, 2009 at 03:57 PM

Just when I thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous re Michael Jackson. Two of the trashlies at the supermarket checkout had headlines screaming "Who Killed Michael Jackson" and "Was it Murder". Can you believe it?? And then when I thought it was safe to venture back out into the "real" world, there on my computer on yahoo news footage of a video taken at Neverland showing a ghostly figure ... What a bonanza for the media when celebrities don't just lie down and die normally - there has to be a conspiracy. I'm now waiting for an appearance of Michael with Elvis.
I watched Ms Marple and spent the entire time tutting in outrage at the deviations from the book.

by Shoopie on July 06, 2009 at 04:16 PM

Get used to it Shoopie. There's at least twelve months of headlines to be sucked from the congealing marrow of Jacko's bones. I saw mannequins in a George Street womens' clothing shoppe window on Saturdee wearing 'I "heart" Michael' t-shirts.
Gotta love it (or "heart" it) when a headline is a question. It's an excuse to say something ridiculous and then answer it with "No, he wasn't mudered but look at this photo of his corpse".
Same thing happens with tellie ie: "Will Izzie survive?"....A: Depends on her contract negotiation skills.
Looking forward to a week of discussing the rights and wrongs of taking a dump in a hotel corridor. Footballers AND poo in the one controversy. Like Christmas for Nooz.

by darren on July 07, 2009 at 06:00 AM

Having come to the end of seasons one to four of The Wire on DVD (do believe the hype, it is that good), imagine my delight to see on the front page of the SMH website Doug and Michael talking up the first episode of season five, starting tonight on Channel Nine. Still, having being burned once too often, lets do a bit of research first. Checking the Citysearch TV guide has both �The Wire� and something called �20/20� to run at the same time � what, on half a screen each? Checking the channel Nine website I see that in that time slot they advertise �The latest on Michael Jackson�. Who to believe? Well, I believe my gut instinct, which is to say two fingers to Channel Nine as I have no faith that you will show it, and if they do, no faith they will stick with it. OK it will have a tiny audience, OK advertising revenue will be minimal, but the contemptuous treatment of audiences does no good at all, and only serves to alienate us further.

by beniamo on July 07, 2009 at 07:35 AM

So glad Bubble Head got kicked out of Masterchef last night. And about time, too! That guy had more lives than a cat.
And I , too, am getting very sick of all things MJ. Just wish they would bury him already and then forget about it. But no...
we will be treated to screaming headlines, years of court cases, secrets and lies. And then of course there will be the books. The media just loves celebrity deaths and if they can't find anything real to report they will just make it up. The magazines must be besides themselves with glee over his death. Then of course there are his children to follow and hound for an eternity to come.
So we all better get used to it. The circus is in town and here to stay. The wankers.

by em on July 07, 2009 at 07:44 AM

With you Beniamo re 'The Wire'. I thought I read somewhere that the DVD of season 5 is out in August in which case Nine's decision to half-heartedly screen it now merely magnifies their sucky attitude towards their viewers (all three of them) and quality television. I can wait a few months for the DVD. Nine can keep trying.

by darren on July 07, 2009 at 08:34 AM

I love Masterchef, but I don't get the speaking-in-present-tense-even-though-it's-in-the-past interviews they do. Am I the only one who finds this weird, annoying and contrived?? I guess the producers are doing it to create some tension and dynamism, but to me it's just stilted - having someone saying stuff to the effect of: "I am so nervous, I don't know what's going to happen next", when they're clearly being interviewed AFTER the fact is just silly. And it sounds scripted, because no-one talks like that and it therefore wouldn't come naturally to the contestants. What does everyone else think? PS: I was happy to see on the Masterchef website that they're actually asking viewers to complete a survey about what they like and don't like about the show...nice to think they might make changes according to the views of fans, rather than rely on market researchers or whatever

by NK on July 07, 2009 at 08:45 AM

I wonder if anybody will bother watching the homeMADE final tonight after Nine delayed it by a week but didn't tell sponsor Telstra, who congratulated the winner on their Big Pond website last week. Also, will the ratings continue to be huge for Masterchef now that the winner of that show has also apparently been leaked.
Not surprised that Despos was ahead of Sea Patrol this week. A shocking ep of SP that saw former footy player Ian Roberts 'acting' as a wooden, psychotic killer who grunted more than he spoke.

by J Bar on July 07, 2009 at 10:03 AM

Good Grief, even Aunty is getting into the MJ thung. Thank you SBS for Le Tour de France. Should I be unable to sleep tonight, will at least have something interesting to watch that is anything BUT maudlin. (okay, until the peleton starts the chase it is a bit of a doddle... happy?)

Grand Designs to-night after TBMG..... and that is about it for this wombat. And tomorrow night... The Ashes.... YEAH.... please let David Gower be part of the commentary team although knowing my luck S&S and The Chaser will probably be the best shows of the season which GNW was not last night.

by Furlozza on July 07, 2009 at 10:52 AM

Re Bubble Head, Em have you ever seen the 'Fairly Odd Parents' cartoon on ABC1? The protagonist, one Timmy Taylor IS Sam from 'MasterChef'. Big head, the body of a three-year-old and teeth like Kelvinator doors.
J Bar, that news about 'Ho/Maid' made my day. There is a god. And he doesn't like product placement.
I hope you-all got your alarms set so you can get up and get teary with Mel and Kochie over MJ's funeral circus....sorry Service in the early a.m. tomorrow. 'Sunrise' and Grief-Porn....yay.

by darren on July 07, 2009 at 11:27 AM

Just had to share this - headline screaming on yahoo news "Tim Bailey in Live 'TV Attack'". Omigod, I thought, not Lil Tim. What a relief it was to discover that he was "attacked" by two girls who just wanted their faces on TV (or perhaps they were critics) not an axe-wielding bikie maniac as I imagined. Hopefully, they'll try again when he is on top of a tall building.
Drat, just noticed I missed Wallace and Gromit's Cracking Contraptions. Love Gromit.

by Shoopie on July 07, 2009 at 12:19 PM

Yes, unfortunately THE WIRE is again out of the Nine schedule as is CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Replacing THE WIRE is 20/20 & replacing CYE will be GILMORE GIRLS. On Seven, MY NAME IS EARL & FAMILY GUY are replaced with another Michael Jackson special.

by cpandilo on July 07, 2009 at 02:13 PM

Wow, MJ has done more good for networks in death than in life. I've refrained from watching any maudlin specials. Part due to working, part due to hate of making profit from death (anyone else seen those new MJ ringtone ads?)
Speaking of new ads, some of the late night beauties with the come hither and call me now have been replaced. Same script, different cavorting.

by Bereft Skerrick on July 07, 2009 at 06:34 PM

SBS HD is crap ! Tour De France is supposed to be in HD but it looks like an old Vhs tape. Shame on SBS .So much for the Digital TV revolution ! The picture quality is so bad that you can not see the wonderfull scenery.

by doug on July 07, 2009 at 07:06 PM

Has the Wire been on free to air before? Why is the first I've heard of this (that's not saying much) but it is season 5!!! And Curb was IN the schedule - I didn't know that!!! Oh boy, at least there is World's strictest parents (!!!!!)

by Tim on July 07, 2009 at 09:22 PM

Gee doug.... I have no complaints on my old 22" Akai (ah product placement in comments... don'tcha just luv it?)with digital box. No HD, but even the standard vision in an area where the old system was .... not very good allows me to see individual trees.... and faces of riders without having to squint eye , adjust glasses and contort body. (risking flaming.... but) You sure you is using HD and not the standard vision on an inappropriate aerial?

by Furlozza on July 07, 2009 at 10:59 PM

Thanks for the info , Darren, re "Fairly odd parents" cartoon on ABC1. I've never seen it but I will have to now.
Nine's ratings for the week will no doubt sky rocket after tonight. They are rescreening the MJ memorial tonight and that is bound to give them the ratings they need to beat Ten this week. Drat and double drat! Nothing like celebrity death to give big ratings.
New Torchwood last night great. Cliffhanger ending to make you tune in for the rest of the episodes. Am going to record the rest for later enjoyment. Love that Captain Jack!!

by em on July 08, 2009 at 08:24 AM

Having just watched an episode of 'Six Feet Under' in which Claire does a heart-felt rendition of 'You Ride Up My Thighs' as a tribute to her annoying pantihose (to the tune of 'You Light Up My Life', natch) I'd like to invite submissions from Tribal Minders for Michael Jackson tributes. All I've come up with so far is "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm really really dead...." (sing it now to the tune of 'Bad'). Not twenty five times Grammy Award winning stuff I know but it's got potential......
Too soon?

by darren on July 08, 2009 at 08:41 AM

Why in all that is good with the world would ABC Family network in the US make a TV series of "10 Things I Hate About You". The movie is one of my faves, is this a case of still trading on the death of Heath Ledger?

by Bereft Skerrick on July 08, 2009 at 09:18 AM

Yep Darren too soon...plus this is a tv blog not somewhere to poke fun at a musical performer who's just passed away.

Tribal Mind remarks: Oh, I don't know. I think of this as a popular culture blog. It's just that everybody seems to want to talk about TV. I'd be delighted if people would comment on music, movies, games, DVDs, even books. The column I'll be posting on Friday night will be about how much Transformers 2 sucks.

by Helena on July 08, 2009 at 09:29 AM

Doug

Perhaps you should try watching Le Tour on the net, www.letour.fr/indexus.html

by TGO on July 08, 2009 at 09:48 AM

darren, definitely not soon enough for the MJ jokes. I've heard *none* so far. What has happened to Australians? We're usually first out of the gate with the tastelessness.

I can't believe they're televising the funeral. He made some good music, he died. End of story. (I'd obviously never make it in current affairs, would I?)

Mr Dale, Transformers 2 sucked that much, did it? The first movie was big dumb fun, but the second just screamed turkey at me. I shall be spending my movie dollars elsewhere, if I should ever get out to the movies again.

by tqd on July 08, 2009 at 10:13 AM

TM but this particular page updates ratings. I thought there were other areas on the SMH website in which we could talk about movies, music, and even books etc.

Tribal MInd replies: "Other areas on the smh website" are none of this blog's business. I think of this blog as including the daily Ratings Race, the weekly Tribal MInd column and the weekly Who We Are column, on any of which people can raise popular culture issues.

by Helena on July 08, 2009 at 11:15 AM

Okay, the boundaries are becoming clearer...
Mercilessly ridicule someone while they're still alive - OK.
Make mountains of money from the same person's demise - Go for it.
Hold a lottery for funeral tickets - Fine and dandy.
Do a happy dance for the cameras when you 'win' one - Of course, it's all part of the mourning process.
Making up new lyrics to one of his songs in a not very clever attempt to get someone to respond and discuss - not acceptable but effective.
I don't get humans.....
As for books, TM,.... anyone,....At the moment I'm trying to read 'Gomorrah' (the book on which the recent movie of the same name was based) but it's like a really long newspaper article and a bit of a drag. Might give it up and wait for the DVD. Also managed to make it through '2666' by Roberto Bolano but apart from the last 200 pages or so, didn't like it much. I'm beginning to think translated novels should be steered clear of.
Going through one of those patches where everything's sh*t.
But coming up next is Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' in one of those orange Penguin Classics editions. Watched the DVD of the first season of 'True Blood' over the last week or so, so going back to the source....Mwahahaha.

Tribal Mind remarks: Just get started on Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. You can't go wrong there.

by darren on July 08, 2009 at 11:21 AM

Re: "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm really really dead...." (sung to the tune of 'Bad').
Darren! I love it! There's a job on The Chaser for you!
That's going to be hard to get out of my head when watching the news tonight.
Even ABC & SBS seems to think an extended MJ report is mandatory every bloody night.
On another matter, Fox's Ovation channel showed Leonard Cohen: Live in London [from July 2008] on Monday night. It wasn't even in widescreen! Pathetic.

by Sal on July 08, 2009 at 11:54 AM

Darren jokes about Jacko are not too soon, and I loved your lyrics. I was way over the whole spectacle last week - clearly i was never a fan. I heard someone today claim it was the most significant event of their lifetime (and they were not 12!) - surely other events are far more significant than the death of a self proclaimed king of pop. I can name quite a few - and no the death of Diana is not one of them.

And TM comments on movies are always good - my nephews aged 4 and 3 liked Transformers 2 - but they also like Ben 10. Have tried to convert them to quality TV - showed them Wallace and Gromit last weekend - they enjoyed both The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave - so there is hope for them.

by Cathy on July 08, 2009 at 01:06 PM

Maybe for some it's too soon for the MJ jokes. (It really was too soon when I started getting email jokes 1 hr after he died) But it really does amaze me that people can get all offended when someone famous dies even though they may not have given a damn when that person was alive. Look at Steve Irwin. He was almost a national joke. No one admitted to liking him when he was alive but suddenly, dead, he was this big hero. Give me a break! I admired him for his work with wildlife and the enviornment but the amount of grief that went on was, to me, well over the top.

Now as to MJ, my opinion was that he was a gifted performer and whatever he did or didn't do in his personal life was none of my business. And he was found not guilty of the crimes he was accused of so that was that. Get over it everybody and let him rest in peace.

TM, as you have always said, this forum is not just for TV but for popular culture as well , so I certainly don't have a problem with people commenting on books, films or whatever. And as to the Transformer movie, I saw it last week with my son. Your right, it was pretty ordinary but I didn't hate it as much as I hated the last Indiana Jones movie. That was absolute garbage and totally cringeworthy. Ugghhh!!!

PS - sorry for the long post everyone. I'll shut up now.

by em on July 08, 2009 at 01:09 PM

Tuesday is a big night for Seven and Ten but Nine is 'Still The Three', that's third for the third night in a row. Massive ratings for Packed to the Rafters. Huge ratings still for Talkin' 'bout Your Generation over 1.6m but equally huge for the competing The Zoo/Find My Family also over 1.6m. As I thought, the homeMADE finale struggled to get 900,00o.

by J Bar on July 08, 2009 at 01:49 PM

The rehabilitation of the life & times of Michael Jackson is now getting the attention of the spin doctors in a big way. Even the picture on the smh website looks more what he looked like & not the carature he became. "Jackson Inc" is now in a huddle working out which "prize" to go for first:
Sainthood/Beatification - St Michael carer of children & little animals.
Pulitzer Prize Winner (dance) - Most grabs of crutch in one dance.
Pulitzer Prize Winner (literature) - The album cover with the words of the songs, it's a book isn't it ???
Acadamy Award - Thriller for "short story". He was a singer.....end of story.
If the people of LA are still on about him in 8 weeks 5 days (yes I'm excited about going to the USofA) I will not be a happy chappy!!
And TM excellent work on the wireless yesterday.

by PJ453 on July 08, 2009 at 03:17 PM

Good on ye Doug, I rarely use the HD channels to watch anything, simply because as best as I can work out, none of the networks are actually transmitting anything in HD (sorry, exception ONE HD, their NASCAR telecasts are fantastic in HD, especially the sound).
But you want to complain about what you can see on HD, spare a thought for the advertisers, I just saw an add for Sony, espousing the virtues of their HD technology.
Time, shortly after noon;
station, 7HD;
Movie, A Dangerous Profession;
made in the late 40's in glorious black and white!
This movie was absolutely sure to incent anyone who didn't have a HD set to run out and buy one after all, what better to show off their (Sony's) product line than movies made from the early thirties through to the late forties in glorious shades of black and white.
I must say though, SBS is doing a fantastic job with the Tour of France and while they have little control of the vision, they have put a lot of resources into making the commentary second to none with their own expert team. I wish they had done something similair with the Tour of Italy's highlights package but it was very difficult to listen to.
As to the Ashes starting tonight, I am pretty well cricketed out after the IPL and will restrict my viewing of that to the highlights package, after all, cricket has become so slow that a day's play will probably still appear to be stretched over a daily one hour highlights package.

by Zjonn on July 08, 2009 at 03:47 PM

I haven't heard any MJ jokes yet but I really think it's time for the Chaser lads to do another eulogy song. I cannot believe that good ole reliable auntie who used to be above all the tabloid trash has sullied her skirts. The nightly weeping, wailing and teeth gnashing is bad enought but to wake up to the memorial service on my local ABC radio was just a step too far. Can we please keep the prostrations of grief for someone who was geniunely a loss to the community. I have heard ravings about how Michael's loss will be felt all over the world. What? In Africa, Middle East? Spare me. Oh, Darren, I'm sure you can do something with the song "Don't stop til you get enough". Or maybe Elton John will come up with some new lyrics to Candle in the Wind.

by Shoopie on July 08, 2009 at 05:49 PM

I don't know what doug is watching, maybe digital SD. I only watch HD and the picture is so good I don't bother with the SD channels. If you are watching channel 1, 11, 20, 30, 70 or 90 on an HD TV and still having a problem maybe you should get a better antenna.

by bobmar28 on July 09, 2009 at 05:43 AM

Yes, Sal, that's the risk. Think of a Michael Jackson song and it never leaves. The I'm dead Im dead I'm really really dead thing was pretty piss-weak I thought but on reflection maybe wrong. Watching snippets of the bloody concert slash funeral slash torture the orphaned offspring for album sales thing (whatever it was) last night (screening between 3:30 and 10:30 just about everywhere you looked), couldn't help but be touched by his daughter's little speech and yes, it's sad for some but after seeing it, oh, about twenty times over the course of the evening it's hard to maintain compassion and it's kinda morphed into a firmly held conviction that everyone's WEIRD!!! Honestly, there's something bizarre happening with humans and their reaction to death. Something like 'Invasion of The Body Snatchers' (not the one with Nickers and Craigy), or some sort of mass hallucination.
I happened to see Katrina Blowers asking Peter Krapanovic what his favourite Jackson song was and he couldn't really think of one but still spoke about how he was tearing up during the Circus. Truth be told, Jacko hadn't produced anything worthwhile for thirty years and I think maybe it's been more a Susan Boyle type thing where everyone's fascinated that something so strange-lookin could hold a tune. And move without breaking. There's something truly disturbing about all this but you can't say that because there's like millions of people in the throes of grief who get indignant and stuff. I don't get it.
The Onion has an article 'King Of Pop Dead at Twelve' which is funny but also sums up pretty nicely what actually happened. Don't read the article underneath though, titled 'Awful Man Offers Witty and Acerbic Take on Everything He Sees'.......didn't find that one funny at all.
Now I will shut up also. For a bit. I'm spent.

by darren on July 09, 2009 at 06:01 AM

Just wondering when public grieving became so acceptable to so many. Is it media induced? Was it when Princess Diana died? I find the spectacle of hysterical public grieving rather unsettling really. It kind of reminds me of the girls in year 7 who cried, screamed and fainted when the had their rubella needles!

by Suze on July 09, 2009 at 07:42 AM

Another one over Michael Jackson. As a kid I loved Thriller but he has done nothing for me since. Sad that he's dead. Lets remember the good things he's done and move on already!

Spicks & Specks was great last night. I was crying with laughter. Hamish Blake has to be one of the funniest people on TV. Fantastic episode.

I also thought Chaser was good last night and they very cleverly linked in the religion piece, very smart. I also thought that Howard handled them well - I might not have always agreed with his politics but he always handled the Chased lads well.

by Nic on July 09, 2009 at 07:45 AM

Chasers do MJ jokes every week now. This time around they played on a CNN ghost story by making up a ghost of MJ holding hands with a kid. Plenty of jokes around.

by arthur on July 09, 2009 at 08:04 AM

"Truth be told, Jacko hadn't produced anything worthwhile for thirty years..."

In your opinion

by Jill on July 09, 2009 at 10:40 AM

Nine is going to stay second if they schedule the remaining Harry Potter movies on Saturday nights (Just checked the TV guide, and they have!)....
MJ - similar to the 'King Of Pop Dead at Twelve' idea, I read an article years ago about when some stars 'should' have died. That is, go out young-ish and on top aka, J.Dean, B.Holly, J.Morrison, K.Cobain, J.Joplin, Hendrix, etc... rather than keep going and turn into a joke... Forget the fact that the idea is potentially tasteless (think of MJ's children, THE CHILDREN!) one of the stars was MJ. The author tells us the fire should not have been put out on his hair just post Thriller and the legend would have lived on. The only other star I can remember from the list is Axel Rose.
Spicks & Specks was good but Hamish kept the hand joke running for 5 minutes too long.
And finally Masterchef, Chris (serving bone marrow, tough steaks and alfoil) v Andre (already told you in the 1st verse, my opinion of him). Should be fun.
Does anyone else think the old suave French dog would have had a 'go' at Justine... certainly seemed something there.

by Tim on July 09, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Nothing gets past you, Jill. The stuff I say when I post a comment and put my name to it is, indeed, often my opinion. Feel free to mount an arguement to back up your's but don't just scold and leave. You're gonna love this:
"Don't stop til you get enough (spots in Billboard's top ten with crappy memorial edition CDs)"...
or:
"Debbie Rowe is not the mother, she's just a girl who, for twelve years and several million dollars, said that she was the one. But the kid may not be my son"....
or:
"Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the Vitiligo"...
I'll go away now and quietly think about what I've done and wait for the morality police....

by darren on July 09, 2009 at 11:11 AM

Are you kidding about it being too early for MJ jokes? It's the Australian way to find the humour in a tragedy. I did the "I'm dead" parody about an hour after the news was confirmed, I created two jokes and had three sent to me before lunch.
* The funeral director has announced that MJ will be melted down and turned into toys so that kids can play with him for a change.
* The Thriller music video is to be re-made. MJ will not be required to wear make-up.
* The LA coroner is investigating claims that paramedics had to make two trips to MJ's mansion. The second trip was to get MJ and return the wax dummy they picked up by mistake.
* MJ and Mr Squiggle. Both 50 year-old childrens' entertainers with weird noses for whom ABC was significant. Discuss.

by Yuri on July 09, 2009 at 12:13 PM

I'm surprised that there was no comment about the Scary Movie instalment the other night where there was a War of the Worlds'esque scene of families running through a forest for their lives, and "Michael Jackson" was there trying to "save" children, and parents were trying to save kids from MJ. Perhaps because it's a crud movie and nobody watched it. Obviously Ch 7 didn't think it was too soon.

I'm not offended anyhow, I haven't watched a single memorial service or news item. I don't find the MJ jokes offensive. I find making a fortune off his demise, well, bad.

by Bereft Skerrick on July 09, 2009 at 12:13 PM

Have to agree Nic, Hamish was on a roll last night. How do you think he would go hosting a show like Rove? It's a wonder it hasn't already been tried.

by Shoopie on July 09, 2009 at 12:15 PM

"Truth be told, Jacko hadn't produced anything worthwhile for thirty years and I think maybe it's been more a Susan Boyle type thing where everyone's fascinated that something so strange-lookin could hold a tune. And move without breaking."
Ah Darren, you make my day!
Not just a chuckle but damn near falling off my chair.
Every time I saw a pic of MJ as he had become, I just wondered why they bothered casting Heath Ledger in Batman as The Joker.
MJ could have played that role without any help from the make-up department.
And why did the ABC news keep on showing a picture of MJ wearing a nappy over his trousers? Every night as they introduced the nightly MJ crap-fest. Very odd.

by Sal on July 09, 2009 at 12:24 PM

My Deity, how many Michael Jackson themed shows were on last night?? The closest I got to them was The Chaser boys with their MJ ghost. First time I've seen them this season, and I thought it was a great episode, although it was rather strange to see John Howard without his usual platoon of security on his morning walk.
Was thinking of maybe a movie trip this weekend, and there is NOTHING on. Usually there's something that piques my interest, but nope, nada. Are we in some sort of pre-school holiday hiatus? How dull.

by tqd on July 09, 2009 at 12:31 PM

Just a very quick post. Was glad to see the girls beat Chris & Andre last night on Masterchef. As I don't like either of the boys couldn't really care who goes tonight but I suppose I would prefer Chris to go.

Julie or Justine to win! You go girls!!

by em on July 09, 2009 at 12:43 PM

Dam Darren and his "opinions". I was just about to work, 'the kid is not my son' into a lyric and lo and behold, Mr Big Shot and his opinion...
It is not too soon for jokes. And perhaps it wasn't too late for him to die. Check out:
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/rewriting-history-fall-and-rise-of-michael-jackson-20090709-de75.html
Most photos I have seen of him in memorial are of the good looking black MJ (pre-Thriller) or heavily air-brushed late 80's / early 90's... Very few of the later model.

by Tim on July 09, 2009 at 02:55 PM

DD - I think you're very brave admitting to reading Reacher. I see millions of copies in airport bookshops but have never met anyone who would confess to reading them.
Don't tell, but I've read two (The Hard Way and Bad Luck and Trouble). Super lightweight but heaps of fun - a bit like watching 24.
Which do you recommend?

Tribal MInd replies: The best one (as in, the most political) is The Enemy, about Reacher leaving the army at the end of the Cold War.

by Wendell on July 09, 2009 at 03:35 PM

@ tqd

Have you considered Bruno?

by arthur on July 09, 2009 at 04:16 PM

Yuri on Jacko jokes - my fave weaves in Farrah Farrah went to Heaven and was granted one wish - she asked to look after the children so God took MJ... first heard it and the melted plastic one on the day he died.
I think it is never too soon for jokes - always remember Diana the Musical - and Darren your opinions are always a hoot.
Agree Hamish was on fire on Spicks & Specks last night, but yes the hand was too much and in the end it brought him undone - also thought Wes Carr was good straight man to Adam - Wesbians and Dad.
And Hamish was also good on Thank God You're Here - but for mine Josh Lawson as the Vampire was the best - completely mad.
See Nein is bringing back CSI Miami instead of Cold Case after the footy - now I will be watching nothing on Nein.
Sad to see All Saints will end this year. Has been good and used many of our talents over the years - anything with John Howard is good

by Cathy on July 09, 2009 at 04:22 PM

Still away in a foreign land, missing out on classic Aussie TV and All Saints has been axed? I can't even keep up on Masterchef but sure hope Justine or Julie wins and Chris goes. Never liked him. Looks like I must download this TGYH episode by any means. Real cracker if there's Josh, Angus and Hamish!
Looks like Austraya is overboard with MJ tributes, frankly, I can't seem to find any here in Europe. There is plenty of his music playing in all sorts of places here though - stores, restaurants, bars, toilets - you name it. And Darren, I've got "Dead" set to "Bad" now - great stuff.
Now, about T2 (we can't really call it that...can we?). A few friends really wanted to see it in a foreign place and so they did, and really loved it. I decided to pass having not seen the prequel...but am glad I didn't go seeing all the negative reviews. (Did I mentioned they really loved it? I don't know whether a foreign cinema gives it a different air or they just have bad taste). Not a major Michael Bay fan. Am a major Michael Mann fan though, and can't wait for Public Enemies! Almost wrote public without the 'l' there.

Tribal Mind remarks: When I post my "Does T2 suck?" column tonight, I'll make your observation the first comment.

by Kym on July 10, 2009 at 02:19 AM

"Mr Big Shot"?.....
And Yuri, I'm happy to let you claim credit for the "I'm Dead" parody. You and about three million other people.
Afte going on about weird reactions to death I watched the final episodes of 'Six Feet Under' last night and shed a few tears meself. The final episode was one of the greats and the series absolutely perfect. Not a patch on 'Hole in the Wall' though...
By the way, TM, thanks for the recommendation of the Jack Reacher novels. I got a bit carried away with, you know.....and forgot to respond. How rude. I'll look 'em up.

by darren on July 10, 2009 at 05:59 AM

Sad to hear that Seven axed All Saints before trying to cut costs first. The ratings were still respectable and there are few shows that do better in the 9.30 slot. It really is a shame that they couldn't have let it run into next year and break the record of episodes for Homicide and Blue Heelers, considering it still had respectable ratings and was doing much better than those shows when they were axed. It wouldn't have taken very long to break those records either but hopefully they've had enough time to create a brilliant ending for the show and it can go out on a high.
This actually takes me back to another time in 1981 when Seven again had an embarrassment of riches in Australian drama and decided to cut costs by axing Skyways, which was very popular and rating very well. They already had the very successful Cop Shop and had commissioned two new shows, A Country Practice and Sons & Daughters, so something had to go.
As others have said, I just hope they use the money they save on some other quality drama, like they did back then. I think we have more than enough reality and factual shows on television and we need more scripted drama and comedy.

by J Bar on July 10, 2009 at 10:17 AM

Quoth arthur on July 09, 2009 at 04:16 PM: "Have you considered Bruno?"
Briefly. I rather like Sascha Baron Cohen, but a little goes a long way. I don't think I could sit through a full length movie. It's the embarrassment factor, I'd just want to curl up and die after a while.
I was also interested in the new Rowan Woods movie (slightly lukewarm reception on Margaret & David, but it still sounds interesting), but the book I'm reading took a turn for the emotionally intense last night and now I know I just need something with big stupid explosions and silliness.
I may have to wait until next week and the Harry Potter phenomenon.
And, no, it's not a Jack Reacher book I'm reading. Never heard of him before (I obviously don't visit airports enough), but now three mentions in one week. Spooky.
Oh, my sister and her family are out for the count with (suspected swine) flu. Mum dropped off some groceries to them this morning, and said "they looked ill, all white and drawn, like Michael Jackson". I didn't even know my Mum knew who MJ was!! Loving the MJ jokes above, btw.

by tqd on July 10, 2009 at 10:32 AM

Don't forget the final ep of season 7's 24 this Sunday night at 11 on 7. Will be interesting to see if the show rises above last Sunday's 300,000+ ratings. On 2nd thought, probably won't as Melb & Adel's got AFL match replay instead. Drat!

by David @ Green Point on July 10, 2009 at 01:26 PM

big shot - Just a joke... well, attempted joke. I'll add the wink next time.
J Bar - you've mentioned at least 5 Ch 7 shows - you are cruisin' for a fanboy comment... ;) ;) ;) (George Costanza manic style winking)

by Tim on July 10, 2009 at 03:35 PM

David @ Green Point,
Have you noticed how they fit a 1 hour episode of 24 into 52 minutes? Suspicious huh...

by merciless on July 11, 2009 at 05:31 PM

TM, do you have any Sydney ratings for the Saturday night AFL - Brisbane vs Geelong late broadcast from 10:45pm on Channel 10? Also any ratings for Friday night NRL late broadcast in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth from midnight? Cheers

Tribal Mind replies: When I get a minute later this afternoon I will go into the charts with a microscope and try to find them. Meanwhile, what do you expect them to show? Is there any reason why they would be different from last week's?

by Dave on July 12, 2009 at 09:15 AM

Tribal Mind replies: When I get a minute later this afternoon I will go into the charts with a microscope and try to find them. Meanwhile, what do you expect them to show? Is there any reason why they would be different from last week's?

Cheers TM, not expecting anything really different but footy fans are always keen to compare/track the respective football codes in their non-heartland areas.

Tribal Mind asks: But why? Do you hope that suddenly there will be a complete transformation of taste in other cities? What might cause such a phenomenon?
In any case, I have put into the Saturday chart every bit of football I can find. Hopefully something there will be of use to you.

by Dave on July 12, 2009 at 02:18 PM

"Have you noticed how they fit a 1 hour episode of 24 into 52 minutes? Suspicious huh..." says merciless. Actually, it's 41 minutes without the ads - same as all the other yankee 60 minuters. 'My Gen' is just a tad under 45. Hmmmm...

by David @ Green Point on July 12, 2009 at 08:50 PM

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