1993: March 28-April 3

tvweek_270393Logies: Golden Ray
Midday host Ray Martin has won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the 35th annual TV Week Logie Awards.  For Martin (pictured with Silver Logie winners Gary Sweet and Georgie Parker), the Gold follows his recent foray into prime-time specials which have been ratings winners.  “The Logies and the Gold Logie — it’s the biggest game in town,” he told TV Week.  “I remember (producer) Peter Faiman saying to someone once, ‘Don’t take it seriously, it’s only an award to sell magazines’.  But it’s more than that.  The public see it as a sign of the times, and yeah, I deserve it, but so do those other three people (Gold nominees Georgie Parker, Daryl Somers and Bruce Samazan) tonight.”  The win is Martin’s second Gold Logie, having won the popular-voted award once before in 1987.

rhondaburchmoreLogies: Showstoppers!
Not even taking a tumble on stage could stop Rhonda Burchmore (pictured) from finishing her dance routine with David Atkins and the Tap Boys.  “I certainly woke a few people up,” she joked.  But after the fall on stage she leapt to her feet and finished the number to receive a huge ovation from the crowd.  Also performing on the night were John Farnham and Tom Jones, singing the AC/DC classic It’s A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock n’ Roll, and the Logies’ opening number featured Hey Dad! stars Rachael Beck and Julie McGregor, dancer Todd McKenney, E Street star Kelley Abbey and child guitarist Nathan Cavaleri.  And the crowd also had a standing ovation for host Bert Newton as he entered the stage to begin hosting his 18th Logies.  “I love hosting the Logies and when you genuinely feel that way, I think it makes a difference,” he told TV Week.

Rachael Beck, Todd McKenney and Kelley Abbey

traciesammutLogies: Tracie wins the heart of a nation
Teenage actress Tracie Sammut (pictured) has been awarded a Special Achievement Logie for her work in the ABC series GP.  Sammut is one of just two actors in the world with Down’s syndrome who have regular roles in a television series (the other is Christopher Burke in US series Life Goes On).  The Australian Down’s Syndrome Association has also paid tribute to Sammut’s contribution in spreading the message that Down’s syndrome is not a barrier to achievement.  In her acceptance speech she had a special message for her father Louis, who was ill in a Sydney hospital, and thanked the ABC “for putting up with me”.

Logies: Tribute to a quiet achiever
From his luxury home in Bermuda, producer Reg Grundy is a quiet achiever, a somewhat elusive man despite his global production empire last year generating more than 2000 hours of TV programming worldwide — and has been acknowledged with entry into the TV Week Logie Awards‘ Hall Of Fame.  A former radio reporter, Grundy started in TV as producer and host of the original Wheel Of Fortune on TCN9 in 1959.  He went on to produce and package game shows in the 1960s and expanded into drama production with Class Of ’74.  Later programs Prisoner, Sale Of The Century and Neighbours gave Grundy an international presence, leading to two recent projects, Scattergories and Scrabble, commissioned by US network NBC.  His company is also a co-producer of New Zealand drama series Shortland Street and is now expanding into South America with a quiz show in production in Chile.  Former Grundy soap The Restless Years has also been adapted for local production in Germany and the Netherlands.  Since the early ’70s Grundy has been married to former model and actress Joy Chambers.  The couple live a quiet life in Bermuda, while sharing an interest in art and antiques — with one of the largest private collections of Australian art in the world.

TV Week Logie Winners 1993: Public Voting Categories:

Gold Logie — Most Popular Personality On Australian TV: Ray Martin

Silver Logie — Most Popular Actor: Gary Sweet (Police Rescue)
Silver Logie — Most Popular Actress: Georgie Parker (A Country Practice, Acropolis Now)

Most Popular Series: Home And Away (Seven)
Most Popular Telemovie or Mini-Series: Tracks Of Glory (Seven)
Most Popular Actor in a Telemovie or Mini-Series: Cameron Daddo (Tracks Of Glory)
Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Mini-Series: Josephine Byrnes (The Other Side Of Paradise)
Most Popular Light Entertainment Program: Hey Hey It’s Saturday (Nine)
Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality: Daryl Somers (Hey Hey It’s Saturday)
Most Popular Comedy Program: Fast Forward (Seven)
Most Popular Comedy Personality: Mary Coustas (Acropolis Now)
Most Popular Public Affairs Program: A Current Affair (Nine)
Most Popular Lifestyle Information Program: Burke’s Backyard (Nine)
Most Popular Music Video: Everything’s Alright (Kate Ceberano, John Farnham, Jon Stevens)
Most Popular Sports Coverage: Barcelona Olympic Games (Seven)
Most Popular New Talent: Simon Denny (E Street)
Most Popular Children’s Program: Agro’s Cartoon Connection (Seven)

TV Week Logie Winners 1993: Industry Voting Categories:

Gold Logie –TV Week Logie Awards’ Hall Of Fame: Reg Grundy

Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actor: Gary Sweet (Police Rescue)
Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actress: Ruth Cracknell (Mother And Son)

Most Outstanding Telemovie or Mini-Series: The Leaving Of Liverpool (ABC)
Most Outstanding Achievement in News: Bangkok Riots, ABC
Most Outstanding Series: Phoenix (ABC)
Most Outstanding Achievement in Public Affairs: The Investigators (ABC)
Most Outstanding Single Documentary or Series: Cop It Sweet (ABC), Faces In The Mob (ABC).

Special Achievement Award: Tracie Sammut (GP, ABC)

Most Outstanding Achievement By Regional Television: Stranded (Prime)

simondenny_0001Briefly…

  • For E Street star Simon Denny (pictured) his Logie win for Most Popular New Talent is a bittersweet win as it came a day after Network Ten axed the prime-time soap.  “What concerns me about all this is almost 200 people are going to be out of work and that is pretty daunting,” Denny told TV Week.  “The axing is also disturbing from a personal point of view.  One minute I’m winning this award and being placed into a star category, but in 10 weeks’ time I’m going to be unemployed.”
  • Former Perfect Match co-host Tiffany Lamb is the latest signing for Nine‘s new Gold Coast-based drama Paradise Beach.  Lamb, who recently completed a three-month stint in Neighbours, plays the role of scheming American stewardess Lisa Whitman who has a steamy affair with Cooper Hart (Matt Lattanzi) while in a de facto relationship with businessman Tom Barsby (Robert Coleby).
  • Perth teenager Melissa George has beaten thousands of young hopefuls for the part of street kid Angel in Seven‘s Home And Away.   The 16-year-old, now billeted with a family in Sydney, has given up her high school studies to take on the role.  “I’m not too happy about giving up high school, but I’m now working five days a week, so it would have been impossible to do both,” she said.
  • Nine Network executives have now realised what was behind Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show host Lisa Patrick‘s sudden departure from the top-rating series last year.  It now appears that Patrick has married her mystery lover, a Spanish painter, in New York.  At the time of her resignation Patrick told Nine her decision was based on wanting to study art and painting — but Nine knew there had to be more to it as AFHVS only required Patrick on set one day a fortnight.  “That left her 13 days out of 14 to work on her art!” said one executive.

Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here

“The Logies victory for Phoenix and other Logies results in the Most Outstanding — or peer judged — categories can and should be interpreted as a huge pat on the back for the ABC, but they also say something about the lack of “quality” opportunities on offer from the commercial networks.  Hopefully the signs of change are there in recent announcements made by the Nine Network, for instance, but there’s no doubt that a pretty sad state of affairs generally still exists.”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, March 28-April 3):
Sunday:  Ken Sutcliffe and commentators Darrell Eastlake and Barry Sheen present live coverage of the Australian 500cc Grand Prix from Eastern Creek (11am, Nine).  Sunday sport also includes Davis Cup tennis from Kooyong (11am, Seven), AFL (2pm, Seven) and NBL (12pm, Ten).  Sunday night movies are Desperate Hours (Seven), The Two Jakes (Nine) and Sea Of Love (Ten).

Monday:  In Healthy Wealthy And Wise (7.30pm, Ten), Lyn Talbot looks at ideas for Easter gifts, Ronnie Burns meets Jackie French, well known for organic farming and gardening techniques, and Peter Wherrett test drives the latest in child car seats.

michaeloneilltheresawongTuesday:  In a two-hour episode of GP (8.30, ABC), Steve (Michael O’Neill) and Su Lin (Theresa Wong) are wed in a traditional Chinese ceremony (pictured) — but there are obstacles in the lead-up to the wedding, with Su Lin already committed to an arranged marriage and Steve’s parents announce their imminent divorce.  Comedian and actor Billy Crystal hosts the 65th annual Academy Awards in a delayed telecast from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Centre (8.30pm, Nine).  Best Picture nominations are Scent Of A Woman, The Crying Game, Unforgiven, Howard’s End and A Few Good Men.

Wednesday:  In E Street (7.30pm, Ten), Jamie (Scott McRae) is put out when Jojo’s (Kelley Abbey) old bikie friends turn up.

Thursday:  In E Street (7.30pm, Ten), Sally (Joanna Lockwood) wins a day on the set of her favourite television soap.  In Getaway (7.30pm, Nine), Anna McMahon explores the old World Expo site in Brisbane, Tina Dalton meets the Masai Mara women in Africa, and Rebecca Harris looks at accommodation in the Blue Mountains.  In Phoenix (8.30pm, ABC). Russell Howie (David Roberts), ex fraud squad, is recruited by Inspector Murdoch to join the major crime squad.

Friday:  Former tennis champion John Alexander is the celebrity gardener on Burke’s Backyard (7.30pm, Nine).

Saturday:  In Beyond 2000 (7.30pm, Seven), Tracey Curro discovers a US experiment where children learn mathematics by holding jobs, paying taxes and owning businesses.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide.  27 March 1993.  Southdown Press.

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/03/1993-march-28-april-3.html

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