Confidence Breeds Local TV Shows

Underbelly 3 – The Golden Mile blasted its way back our screens with a two hour premiere Sunday week ago with a peak of 2.4 million and an average 2.2 million people tuning in to see the Kings Cross action.  It is the highest rating premier episode of a show for 2010. 

Other local shows are rating superbly and confidence breeds confidence.  Sure there will be some turkeys amongst the tinsel but this year is shaping up as a massive year for locally produced shows which is great for viewers, actors, writers, producers and vital production staff – whose names are not familiar to us.

Another winner for Channel 9 is Sea Patrol which returned last Thursday night.  Nationally it was the most watched show of the night with 1.2 million viewers and the fourth most watched show in Melbourne winning its timeslot.  This is its fourth series and I believe its best season yet with a faster pace, a solid story arc and the introduction of three new ensemble cast including Conrad Coleby and Tammy Mackintosh. 

And there are more series of other local dramas in production including a third season of the ABC’s Bed of Roses (sadly without the late, great Bud Tingwell), City Homicide, Rafters,

As far as reality goes – it goes! Dancing with the Stars (series 9 or 10!) this year includes Channel 7 stars George Houvardas who plays Carbo in Rafters and Home and Away star and Gold Logie nominee Esther Anderson, plus Australia’s Got Talent new judge Kyle Sandilands wife Tamara Jaber and former Miss Australia Rachel Finch.

Series 2 of Masterchef returned to our screens on Monday night at 7.30pm.  It was the Master blaster of ratings last year and was the most watched non-sporting show in 2009. 

Will Channel 10 get a second serve of the ratings pie?  Last season it screened at 7pm and didn’t have a great deal of competition with Home and Away, and repeats of 2 ½ Men.  It was a genuine viewing alternative.  Showing Ten’s confidence in the product, it’s up against the very popular Top Gear, Australia’s Got Talent, The Zoo, Find My Family, Getaway and Hey Hey It’s Saturday.  In addition, it screens after The 7pm Project – a soft lead in which may hurt it. 

An extension of the Masterchef brand comes Junior Masterchef which saw 2000 kids apply.  Auditions take place in May, with the show being shot in July and August.  Confidentiality agreements are normally signed with these kinds of shows to ensure the winner isn’t revealed until the final episode.  The question is – can a kid (and a proud as punch parent) keep a secret?  The answer is probably no, so I suspect Channel 10 will have a shoot and screen policy.

Junior Masterchef is a cute enough name and reinforces the Masterchef franchise but I would have perfered it to be called Kids in the Kitchen and have Scott Carn host!

New productions include a yet unnamed show dramedy.  Channel 7 will shoot a pilot for this in Melbourne in May.  No cast has been revealed but it is about four women who were childhood friends and are reunited in their 30’s.  It sounds like The Big Chill meets Friends.  Given Channel 7’s recent success with family friendly Packed to the Rafters (which will return in the second half of this year) I am sure the writing, acting and production will be replicated here.

Meanwhile, last Monday, (19^th April) filming started in Queensland on the ABC’s 90-minute telemovie, Sisters of War – a story of strength, survival and forgiveness.

It stars Claire van der Boom (The Pacific, Rush), NIDA graduate Sarah Snook, Gerald Lepkowski (Dirt Game, East West 101) and AFI award-winner Susie Porter (East of Everything, East West 101, RAN).

Set in 1942, Sisters of War is inspired by the true story of two extraordinary Australian women: Lorna Whyte (Sarah Snook), an army nurse and Sister Berenice Twohill (Claire van der Boom), a Roman Catholic nun from New South Wales.

The telemovie is adapted from the wartime diaries and interviews with Lorna, Sister Berenice and others who survived.  The story of their captivity, their friendship and their extraordinary courage has never been told.

More good news is that Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation (which finished on Sunday night) will be back.  The bad news – not until August.  That’s yonks away.  That’s when supermarkets start to hang up their Christmas decorations.

It’s a great series and while I am not suggesting it’s easy to produce, it’s easy to produce and pretty darn cheap too. 

The show could easily maintain its audience throughout the year.  It’s what The 7pm Project wants to be – easy banter with lots of fun.  It’s Hey Hey but without the band.  It’s The Panel without the news topics.  It’s the 3MP of tv – ‘easy listening’ except its easy viewing.

I am all for a network not flogging a program to death, but why such a long break? Perhaps Mr McCaulif needs a break.  Perhaps Gen X General Josh Thomas needs a breather. 

Still on reality shows, there will be another series of Channel 7’s World’s Strictest Parents, My Kitchen Rules and Channel 9’s Farmer Wants A Wife and continuing with the theme of show resurrections (a la Hey Hey) we will see the return of The Block on Channel 9. 

Back in 2003, The Block, hosted by Jamie Durie, saw four couples competiting against each other to renovate an apartment within the same block.  The first series was set in Bondi, the second in 2004 was set in Manly and both series were a ratings hit for Channel 9.  But it disappeared from our screens due to politics behind the scenes. 

Now, with the GFC, perhaps the time is right as people are DIY’ing again with renewed energy (and necessity!).  If you want to be part of the show, there is still time to apply via the Channel 9 website. 

Will it rate 6 years later? I loved the show then and see no reason why it won’t replicate its success with host Scott Cam, although certainly not to the heights of the first season because it was new then and had a genuine point of difference to anything at that time.

 

The Block launched Dr Andrew Rochford ‘s television career.  He has appeared in Channel 9’s What’s Good For You and hosted the summer series “The Waiting Room” and he now appears on The 7Pm Project to talk all things medical in terms the yoof of today can understand.

If Australian television was Dr Rochford’s patient, I am sure he would say it’s in excellent health.

Advertisement