1993: August 15-21 – Television.AU

Cover: Jennie Garth (Beverly Hills 90210)

The long goodbyes
A Country Practice star Judith McGrath has been farewelled by her fellow castmates who presented her with a cake in the studio after she taped her last scenes. Her departure from the series has been well timed, with news from producer JNP that the series will finish production later in the year. Also departing a long-running series is Ross Newton whose exit from Home And Away follows that of his on-screen wife Nicolle Dickson.

‘I’m no bitch!’
Neighbours star Julie Mullins is no stranger to copping the occasional sneer or snide remark since joining the series as bitchy Julie Martin, but she has been worried for her safety after public reaction to her character’s racism against on-screen neighbours the Lim family. “I was at a shopping centre in Melbourne, getting out of my car, and a teenage Asian boy came walking towards me, waving his arms at me and working himself up into quite a state,” she told TV Week. “He kept saying, ‘You are such a bitch on that show!’ Then he said ‘You’re a f***ing whore!’. I said, ‘It’s just acting, mate’, but he wasn’t interested in having any sort of logical conversation.” Another incident, in Sydney, saw Mullins refused a cab trip by an Asian taxi driver. She is amazed that members of the public are unable to separate the real-life actor from the fictional character portrayed on screen. “I’m not really a bitch!,” she said. “I am definitely not a racist. I’m so far from being that.”

500 up for Jo
Celebrating a milestone 500 episodes with Sale Of The Century, Jo Bailey (pictured) says she feels like her performance on the show, following work to improve her presentation and elocution, has improved a lot from those early appearances with new host Glenn Ridge which attracted a lot of criticism, including from former Sale host Tony Barber. “I’d never been in the industry before and it was obvious I had a lot of learning to do,” she said. “I’m not saying the show is easy now, but we’re more comfortable with what we’re doing.”

Briefly…

Pop star David Dixon, currently starring in the hit stage production Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, is joining the cast of Home And Away as bad boy Nathan Roberts. Dixon hopes the new role will challenge his otherwise squeaky-clean image and lead to more opportunities in London. “Home And Away plays there to such big audiences and that’s definitely advantageous for me,” he said. “There’s no sure-fire way to success, and I just think this is a good opportunity for me.”
In an upcoming celebrity edition of kids’ quiz show Vidiot (ABC), host Eden Gaha (pictured second from right) is joined by George Kapiniaris, Rebekah Elmaloglou and Steve Bastoni.
Midday host Ray Martin has responded to reports that he had a falling out with former show regular John Mangos, leading to his moving across to Seven to host a new morning show, At Home. “Mangos and I have no philosophical differences,” Martin told TV Week. “He simply lost interest in the program and wanted to do different things. We’re professionally, and personally, mates, and I wish him well.”
Cameron Daddo has a cameo role in the latest Fast Forward special, The Making Of Nothing, a send-up of Australian television to screen on Seven later in the year.

Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here

“Those with ambitions to hold pay-TV licences in Australia — and those in whom the power is vested to grant them — should be made to take each Tuesday evening off during the next few months. At precisely 8pm, they should be required to sit in front of a bank of monitors tuned to SBS. Then, for the next half-hour, they should — under the threat of having to ensure repeats of The Comedy Sale or something just as painful — be made to watch KYTV. Made in Britain about three years ago, KYTV is becoming more and more relevant here as each day passes. And if the manifestation of pay-TV in this country bears any resemblance to the circus leading up to its introduction, then the images created for KYTV might not be all that far off the mark. And that’s a pretty frightening thought.”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, August 15-21):
Sunday: The anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley has led to the screening of 1972 movie Elvis On Tour (12pm, Seven). Les Murray hosts live coverage of the World Cup Qualifer — Australia versus Canada — from Sydney (3pm, SBS), with a repeat at 8.30pm. Sunday night movies are Double Impact (Seven), Memphis Belle (Nine) and Home Alone (Ten). Bruce McAvaney hosts highlights of the World Athletic Championships from Stuttgart, Germany (10.55pm, Seven) — with highlights coverage continuing every night through the week.

Monday: As previously rumoured, Nine’s struggling drama Paradise Beach moves to the 5pm timeslot, followed by repeats of Graham Kennedy’s Funniest Home Video Show (5.30pm). The axing of game show Jeopardy! has seen US series The Simpsons move into the 6pm timeslot (Ten). In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Greg (Ross Newton) refuses to believe his wife Bobby (Nicolle Dickson) may not pull through. HG Nelson and Rampaging Ray Slaven are back with their unique views on sport, among other things, in the series return of This Sporting Life (9.30pm, ABC).

Tuesday: The announcement of Federal Treasurer John Dawkin‘s Budget speech is covered live on ABC (7.30pm), with updates and late night analysis on Nine (10.30pm).

Wednesday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Summer Bay is in shock at the news of Bobby’s (Nicolle Dickson) death. Science and technology program Quantum returns with a new series (8pm, ABC).

Thursday: The Opposition Treasury spokesman Dr John Hewson replies to the Federal Budget (7.30pm, ABC), followed by interviews and commentary by Paul Lyneham. The Ashes Sixth Test begins from Foster’s Oval (8.30pm, Nine). In Police Rescue (8.30pm, ABC), romance for Kathy (Tammy McIntosh, pictured) takes a wrong turn when her admirer Chris (Richard Sutherland, pictured) shows an obsessive nature to his character.

Friday: Today’s topic on Live It Up (3.30pm, Ten) is ‘Can Your Marriage Survive An Affair?’. In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), the stress of her marriage problems pushes Julie (Julie Mullins, pictured) over the edge. In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Adam (Mat Stevenson) is faced with admitting he was instrumental in Bobby’s (Nicolle Dickson) death.