tvweek_161295Cover: Heather Locklear (Melrose Place)

Cop an eyeful of Costas!
Melbourne-born actor Costas Mandylor moved to Los Angeles eight years ago and is probably best known to viewers from the US drama series Picket Fences. But Mandylor’s next role is set to reveal all, with nude scenes in an upcoming film, the erotic love story Delta Of Venus. “It’s the first time I’ve done that much lovin’ (in a film),” he told TV Week. “You see more than ever.” Mandylor has been back in Australia to promote the launch of Foxtel, which will be joining Network Ten in screening episodes of Picket Fences.

pacificdrive

Melrose on the Gold Coast
The Nine Network‘s new drama series Pacific Drive has been in production for three months and is set to debut next month in a post-9.30pm timeslot. The show’s publicity blurb promises that Pacific Drive is “a place settled between endless golden beaches and a cosmopolitan city, where money buys everything but peace of mind … a place where both the rich and beautiful live, work and play, providing the ultimate backdrop for the ambitions, desires and obsessions of people who live there”. Pacific Drive is set to takes viewers into the boardroom of a glamorous image-making empire; inside the bedrooms of its dynamic residents; and on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Cast (pictured above) and producers make no apologies for any similarities between Pacific Drive and the US hit Melrose Place. “It’s probably Melrose crossed with something,” producer Bruce Best told TV Week. “The physical production itself is definitely groundbreaking. It’s not vulgar, there’s no gratuitous sex, but you see enough bodies to make it interesting. Let’s face it, you don’t need a PhD to watch it, but it’s good fun none the less.” Pacific Drive features former E Street stars Kate Raison, Melissa Tkautz and Adrian Lee. Joining them are Erik Thomson, Simone Buchanan, Danielle Spencer, Joss McWilliam, Lloyd Morris, Christine Stephen-Daly, Andre Eikmeier, Mark Constable, Steve J Harman, Libby Tanner and Darrin Klimek.

jobethtaylorRiding off into the sunset
Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show host Jo Beth Taylor (pictured) and her husband James have joined with eight other investors in purchasing a historic 500-hectare property on the northern NSW coast. They are set to turn the property into a horse-riding resort. Taylor’s interest in horses was triggered by a segment she filmed for Getaway two years ago. “It was a report on pub crawls on horseback and we met the tour operator,” she told TV Week. “The Getaway story changed my life.”

Briefly…

  • Hey Hey It’s Saturday has some big plans for its upcoming 25th anniversary in 1996. One idea being worked out is to return the show to going to air live each week. Hey Hey It’s Saturday has normally been taped on a Friday, but there were some shows produced live to air during the year.
  • Meanwhile, Hey Hey host and producer Daryl Somers is putting together a new kids’ show, not unlike the original early morning version of Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
  • ABC is believed to be planning a pilot for a new youth-oriented show for Saturday nights, currently with the working title Fat City.
  • Production of the hospital-based series RPA was looking to be on shaky ground following an incident where a casualty filmed included footage of a death. The Royal Prince Alfred hospital, where the series is based, threatened to pull out of taking part in a second series. The Nine Network has since advised that both the network and hospital have resolved their differences and production of a second series is to go ahead next year.

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 26 November): 

Rank Program Network Day(s) Viewers
1 Movie: Four Weddings And A Funeral Nine Sun 2429000
2 This Is Your Life Nine Thu 2155000
3 60 Minutes Nine Sun 1914000
4 Blue Heelers Seven Tue 1905000
5 The Nanny Ten Wed 1901000
6 RPA Nine Thu 1809000
7 Home Improvement Seven Sun 1801000
8 The Simpsons Ten Wed 1750000
9 The World’s Greatest Magic Seven Mon 1700000
10 The World’s Greatest Commercials Seven Mon 1700000
11 A Current Affair Nine M-F 1635000
12 National Nine News Nine M-F 1622000
13 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show Nine Tue 1580000
14 The Great Outdoors Seven Tue 1575000
15 Our House Nine Wed 1574000
16 National Nine News Nine Sun 1533000
17 Burke’s Backyard Nine Fri 1531000
18 Money Nine Wed 1515000
19 National Nine News Nine Sat 1507000
20 Greatest Dummy Spits Nine Tue 1490000

Darren Devlyn: The View From Here:

“They say that death is hard, but comedy is harder. Perhaps the person who coined this phrase was contemplating the failure of the Australian television industry to produce a decent sitcom. With the exception of Mother And Son and Frontline, our recent efforts to construct a sitcom with artistic and commercial appeal have ranged from mediocre to abysmal. Shows such as Late For School, Hampton Court, The Bob Morrison Show, Bligh, Over The Hill, Wedlocked and Funky Squad have fizzled like wet sparklers. Given the limited financial resources available to Australian producers, it’s probably unfair to judge our shows alongside the likes of Seinfeld and Roseanne. While Roseanne has a budget of close to $1 million an episode, the average cost of a half-hour Australian sitcom is in the vicinity of $140,000.”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, December 16-22):
Saturday: Afternoon sport includes golf (Schweppes Coolum Classic, 1pm, Ten), surfing (Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain League, 2.30pm, Nine) and bowls (International Indoor Championship, 2pm, ABC).

Sunday: The Benson And Hedges World Series Cricket (10.20am, Nine), Australia versus West Indies, is live from the Adelaide Oval. The Schweppes Coolum Classic (1pm, Ten) continues. Jason Cameron hosts the one-hour special Court 1 — TV On Trial (7pm, Nine), taking a look at Australia’s biggest court in action — Court 1 at the Melbourne Magistrates Court. 60 Minutes (8pm, Nine) presents its last show for the year. Sunday night movies are Good Morning Vietnam (repeat, Seven), The Butcher’s Wife (Nine) and Exchange Lifeguards (Ten).

Monday: With Christmas rapidly approaching, Seven’s midday movies this week all take on a Christmas theme, starting with the 1978 film A Christmas To Remember (12pm).

Tuesday: The Benson And Hedges World Series Cricket (2.20pm, Nine) is live from Melbourne, with only two hours of coverage allowed into Melbourne. Wise Up (9.30pm, ABC) discusses the topic of Abortion.

Wednesday: In Law Of The Land (7.30pm, Nine), one of the town’s own police officers is knifed in a bungled raid. The biographical series A Life (9.30pm, ABC) returns — this week profiling RM Williams, the outback horseman who created an iconic clothing brand.

Thursday: The Benson And Hedges World Series Cricket (2.20pm, Nine), Australia versus Sri Lanka, is live from the Sydney Cricket Ground. A cast of comedians — including Magda Szubanski, Andrew Denton, Gerry Connolly, Wendy Harmer, Tony Martin, Mick Molloy, Jane Turner, Marg Downey, Nick Giannopoulos, John Clarke, Judith Lucy, Rod Quantock and Kaz Cooke — feature in the special The Search For Christmas (9.30pm, Seven).

Friday: The Australian Dancesport Championships (8.30pm, Seven) features Australia’s most prestigious ballroom dancing competition.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 16 December 1995. Pacific Publications Pty Ltd

 

1 thought on “1995: December 16-22

  1. I know this post has nothing to do with these recent update but, given the massive excitement around the new “Star Wars” release. How about sharing any info on when the first original Star Wars movies made their Australian TV premieres! I think ” A New Hope” premiered on channel 10 in 1982… Anyone else got info??

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