Cover: Rachel Blakely (Neighbours)
The perils of being Phoebe
Neighbours‘ Phoebe Bright (Simone Robertson) is only 17 years old but has had more than her fair share of emotional trauma. First she was abused by her father and then had to cope with his sudden death. Then she fell pregnant to boyfriend Todd Landers (Kristian Schmid), who was killed in a recent episode. Phoebe’s troubles are far from over. In episodes coming up, she is held hostage by Todd’s father (played by Bruce Kilpatrick). “Phoebe has had so much upset in her life that it’s hard for me to understand what she is feeling,” Robertson told TV Week. “I come from a fairly stable family. I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life compared to Phoebe.” But despite the constant drama in Phoebe’s life, Robertson is thankful. “It has helped me to build as an actress,” she said.
‘Not much chop’
Bligh star Magda Szubanski (pictured) reflects on harsh criticism of the series which is based on the life of 19th century New South Wales Governor William Bligh. “I’ve never been in a show, including Fast Forward and The D Generation, where the reviews weren’t bad to start with. Some shows are born perfectly but most are bad to begin with,” she told TV Week. “I thought I was shocking in the first episode. I didn’t think the show was much chop when I first saw it (on television).” Bligh‘s producers, Artist Services, and the Seven Network are still to decide if the comedy will go into a second series.
Hot swot!
A study session between Finlay (Tina Thomsen) and Blake (Les Hill) in Home And Away leads to the bedroom, but Finlay’s feelings for her new beau are not mutual as Blake is still dealing with the recent death of his first love, Meg (Cathy Godbold).
Briefly…
- Comedian Glynn Nicholas, formerly of ABC‘s The Big Gig, appears to have pipped Mark Little and Vince Sorrenti for the role of hosting a pilot for a new Saturday Night Live-style show for Seven.
- Healthy Wealthy And Wise‘s resident food expert Iain Hewitson is now putting together a cook book and has plans to launch his own prime-time show.
- The recording career of former E Street star Melissa Tkautz could be on the wane with her much-hyped album, Fresh, dropping out of the Top 40 chart after only four weeks.
- The Seven Network is attracting criticism over its delay in screening the UK/Australian co-production The Boys From The Bush. The series received high ratings and rave reviews when it screened in the UK in January last year. A second series has already been made but Seven continues to hold off putting the show to air.
Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here
“Young ladies of good breeding in the United Kingdom at the turn of the century were, I fully realise, meant to be somewhat sheltered. Going by Mary MacKenzie, they also were meant to be stupid. Our Mary is the central character in The Ginger Tree, a four-hour mini series which will have its Australian premiere this week on ABC, some three or four years after it was produced by the BBC, Japan’s NHK and WGBH, Boston. (Yes, Virginia, networks other than Seven are actually transmitting programs during the Olympics).”
Program Highlights (Melbourne, August 2-8):
The Games Of The XXV Olympiad: Seven’s daily coverage of the Olympic Games continues with daily competition broadcast from 4.00pm to 6.00pm, then from 7.30pm (6.30pm Sunday) through to 7.00am the next day. Garry Wilkinson then presents two hours of highlights from 7.00am. First-run coverage of events continues from 12.00pm (9.00am weekends) through to 4.00pm (and 1.00pm on Sunday to allow AFL coverage).
Sunday: Stuart Wagstaff is the guest on this week’s Sunday Afternoon With Peter Ross (ABC). Sunday night movies are Funny Farm (Nine) and Skin Deep (Ten) — both are repeats — up against the ABC documentary Tent Embassy, tracing 20 years of Aboriginal engagement in white politics since the construction of the ‘tent embassy’ on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra.
Monday: While the Olympic Games are in progress on Seven, Nine’s Sale Of The Century also takes on a sporting theme with a ‘Battle Of The Codes’ contest over two weeks, featuring players of Rugby League, Australian Rules, Rugby Union and Soccer. In Healthy Wealthy And Wise (Ten), Jacki MacDonald (pictured) finds out how to grow herbs, while Jim Brown travels to Albany on the south coast of Western Australia.
Tuesday: High drama in Neighbours (Ten) when a shooting occurs in Ramsay Street. In Chances (Nine), Bogart Lo (Lawrence Mah) teaches Sean (Stephen Whittaker) a lesson for double-crossing him. In Sylvania Waters (ABC), Michael returns home from his overseas rugby tour with a ‘lovebite’ on his neck, while Paul and Dione are preparing for the birth of their baby.
Wednesday: Former Neighbours and The Flying Doctors star Peter O’Brien guest stars in Cluedo (Nine) as a loud and vulgar rock star, Axman Hackett.
Thursday: In Embassy (ABC), Melbourne Cup celebrations in Port Victoria result in an Australian businessman being charged with public drunkenness which demands flogging with a cane as punishment. In Getaway (Nine), surfing champion Wendy Botha shows reporter David Reyne the best waves at Norfolk Island.
Friday: ABC debuts Blue Wilderness, a five-part documentary series featuring Ron and Valerie Taylor as they explore various underwater creatures — starting this week with a look at sharks, and helping a group of shark-wary people, including two shark attack victims, come to terms with their fears.
Saturday: With the Olympics on Seven, movie reruns dominate Nine and Ten though the most recent title is the 1983 comedy Smokey And The Bandit III. SBS has the 1950 British film Madeleine, and ABC has Foreign Correspondent with George Negus, followed by British series The Bill and Smith And Jones before new studio-based comedy The Late Show featuring the D Generation.
Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 1 August 1992. Southdown Press.
