Cover: Gia Carides (Police Rescue)
John cops a Singapore sling
Actor John Waters has landed the lead role in the upcoming telemovie Singapore Sling, playing the part of private eye John Stanford. Produced by Perth-based Barron Films, Singapore Sling marks Waters’ return to television after a year on the stage — starring in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and current touring with the John Lennon tribute show Looking Through A Glass Onion. Singapore Sling is to be filmed in Singapore and Australia in March-April.
Ramsay Street to the rescue!
Neighbours star Tom Oliver says that reports and rumours of the demise of the popular soap are unfounded and that Australians should be more supportive of the show’s contribution. “The future of the show is brilliant. The last ratings I saw from England were 17.3 million people watching it every day,” he said. “Like or dislike Neighbours, or E Street, or Home And Away… it’s beside the point. The fact is that Australian producers are business people — they are making a product. Neighbours is sold to approximately 20 countries and is watched by 35 to 40 million people every day of the week. If Australia had another 50 businesses like Grundys and Channel Ten have in Neighbours, then this country would not be in the economic position it’s in today. The export value would put Australia back on its feet again.” An actor for 30 years Oliver, 54, has no plans for retirement. “I’ve always said if I stop having fun in my business, I’ll give it away… I’m still having fun.”
Cam goes country
Despite his recent big break in the US, starring in the telemovie Between Love And Hate, Cameron Daddo (pictured) has made a secret return trip to Australia to launch a recording career — in country music. Daddo has recorded three songs at Melbourne’s Metropolis studios, with one of them to be released as a single in the coming months. He has signed a contract with new label Massive Records and hopes to be back in Australia in May to record his first album.
Briefly…
- The producers of Hey Dad! have written up plans to keep Sarah Monahan‘s character Jenny in the series even after she exits the show. Monahan will leave the show when Jenny is to be sent off to boarding school. When Jenny returns the role will be played by 12-year-old Angela Keep.
- The Nine Network is now keen to get its new afternoon soapie Paradise Beach on the air as soon as possible following the recent axing of the local Extra shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Production at the Warner Bros Movie World studios has been brought forward to April. The new series is expected to be somewhere between Baywatch and Neighbours — with emphasis on young and spunky stars, while older cast members do the acting.
- Beverly Hills 90210 star Luke Perry has made a recent promotional visit to Australia and is believed to have spent time working on a Beverly Hills 90210 special for Network Ten hosted by E Street star Josephine Mitchell.
- TV Week has had a sneak peek at ABC‘s upcoming drama series Seven Deadly Sins. The first episode, titled Lust, has actress Victoria Longley stealing the show playing a jealous drunk who causes havoc at a dinner party. But Longley’s realistic performance is not due to real-life experience — she doesn’t drink — but says she learnt it all by watching her friends. Meanwhile, ABC is also working on a series of six plays about men. Naked, from the producers of Seven Deadly Sins, will take a close look at the male of the species.
Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here
“Network Ten has added Tony Barber to its line-up, a further attempt at creating a personality stable it can call its own. Its Australian soaps, Neighbours and E Street, are back, despite neither having been all that successful during 1992. Ten’s biggest problem remains its image, or lack of one, and work to rectify that is painfully slow. The imported youth-oriented series should be a plus for the time being, anyway, although overkill might not be too far off.”
Program Highlights (Melbourne, January 24-30):
Sunday: Afternoon sport includes golf (Tournament Players’ Championship) on ABC, tennis (Ford Australian Open, from Melbourne) on Seven and cricket (Fourth Test, from Adelaide) on Nine. Sunday night movies are Hot Pursuit (Seven), Gremlins (Nine) and Places In The Heart (Ten). ABC’s Sunday Stereo Special (8.30pm) features the Sydney Dance Company Triple Bill, followed by the 90-minute special Sun, Surf And Sax With Eartha Kitt, featuring Eartha Kitt‘s performance at the International Jazz and Blues Festival on the Gold Coast.
Monday: Mike Willesee (pictured) takes over as host on A Current Affair (6.30pm, Nine). In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Lou’s (Tom Oliver) love life receives an unexpected setback, while Jim (Alan Dale) struggles with his feelings for Pam (Sue Jones) despite being warned by Doug (Terence Donovan) to stay away. SBS’ arts program Masterpiece (8.30pm) documents Australian rock band Not Drowning, Waving‘s 1988 trip to Papua New Guinea, where they hoped to find a strong indigenous influence to include in their new album.
Tuesday: It is Australia Day but the only real recognition of the day is marked by ABC — with the Governor-General’s Australia Day Address (6.55pm) and the two-hour special The Australian Collection (8.30pm), where Karina Kelly presents five award-winning short films by Australian directors. SBS screens the 1978 award-winning Australian film Cathy’s Child, starring Michele Fawdon and Bryan Brown.
Wednesday: Nine presents a replay of Jana Wendt On Assignment, featuring interviews with Meryl Streep, Rupert Murdoch and the wife of Australia’s ‘granny killer’. ABC screens the British ITN special Annus Horribilis — My Horrible Year, documenting a year that should have been a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II‘s 40 years on the throne but instead was highlighted by a fire at Windsor Castle, various Royal crises and the Royal Family’s slump in popularity. Karen Tighe and Steve Robillard host the ABC Sports Star Of The Year Awards.
Thursday: The final episode of BBC documentary series The Dream Machine (9.30pm, ABC) looks at the emergence of computer networking — with millions of computers around the world now having the capability to “talk” to one another — enabling the formation of communities regardless of location or distance and changing the way people interact around the world.
Friday: John Burgess hosts the two-hour special Strictly Dancing — Asian-Pacific Dance Extravaganza (10.45pm, Seven) from the Perth Entertainment Centre.
Saturday: The Ford Australian Open (1.00pm, Seven) features the Women’s Singles Finals. Nine crosses to Perth for the first day’s play in the Fifth Test (1.50pm). New Faces With Bert Newton (6.30pm, Ten) returns for its second year.
Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 23 January 1993. Southdown Press
