1994: May 28-June 3 – Television.AU

Cover: Kimberley Davies (Neighbours)

Court in the act!
The Supreme Court on Victoria is set to break tradition and allow cameras into the court for filming of ABC‘s upcoming new series, Janus. The 26-part series stars Chris Haywood, Tracy Mann, Louise Siversen, Felix Nobis, Jeremy Kewley, Leverne McDonnell, Brett Swain, Val Levkowicz and Simon Westaway reprising his Phoenix role of Sen-Sgt Peter Faithful. “There will be no disruption at all to normal court procedure. Filming will occur out of hours, in the evenings, early mornings or at weekends — most probably the latter,” the court’s acting chief executive officer Bruce McLean told TV Week. Because the court precinct is a public area and the property of the State of Victoria, there will be no charge for ABC to access the area for filming. Janus, due to screen later in the year, follows the story of the lawyers, judges, magistrates and police through six months of prosecutions against a well-known criminal family.

Hey Dad! girl puckers up
Hey Dad teenager Jenny (Angela Keep) has often talked about boys — and now she’s got one. “Jenny’s had boyfriends in the show but I don’t think they’ve ever been shown on TV, just talked about,” Keep told TV Week. “This time, Tracy (Belinda Emmett) knows the signs — knows Jenny’s being secretive, getting home late — and figures she has a boyfriend. Jenny wants Greg (Mark Owen-Taylor) to be uptight so she can rebel a bit. When she tells Tracy that, she tells Greg — and he screams at us when we return home from the movies. Jenny’s really happy. In her group of friends, it’s cool to get grounded!” Jenny’s new boyfriend Richard is played by 17-year-old Ryan Kwanten.

Going for Brooke!
Jane Kennedy was warned against a career in journalism by her former journalist father — and while she did start out as a newsreader on Melbourne radio station Triple M, her knack of breaking into laughter while reading serious news stories soon led to her joining the D Generation, then presenting the breakfast program on the station. Now, Kennedy is going back to her journalistic roots in the name of satire. In ABC‘s new series Frontline, Kennedy plays the part of power-dressing, career-driven reporter Brooke Vandenberg (pictured). “Brooke doesn’t really need to be a great journalist because she knows how to interview people,” Kennedy told TV Week. “She knows how to put her head to the side and nod, she knows how to shove a whole lot of cutaways into a story, and she uses her hands when she walks, which is almost mandatory for any current affairs reporter. She can emulate that classic Jana (Wendt) style very well. But she’s also aware that she’s only got about 10 years left on camera. Female news presenters seem to be ditched, really, after they hit 40.” Although Kennedy plays the fictional current affairs show’s only female reporter, Frontline has a number of female characters — including researcher-production assistant Emma (Alison Whyte) and network publicist Jan Wheelan (Genevieve Mooy).

Briefly…

Actor Steve Bastoni has signed on to do the fourth series of ABC‘s Police Rescue, re-joining Gary Sweet and Sonia Todd. One cast member who won’t be back is Belinda Cotterill, who has signed a three-year contract with Over The Hill, Gary Reilly‘s new comedy-drama for the Seven Network.
Singer Monica Trapaga had been courted by Westside Productions (producer of E Street) for its new Nine Network sitcom Norman, Is That You?, but Nine executives weren’t so thrilled about employing the Play School presenter in an adult comedy role. The role of widowed mother of two, Lilian, will now be played by Susan Lyon. Trapaga has since been in negotiation with ABC about hosting a new lifestyle series, Living In The Nineties.
Rumour has it that Network Ten is considering moving its late night program Sports Tonight into the 7.00pm timeslot, recently vacated by the axed Alan Jones Live. Seven and Nine executives are said to be thrilled at the prospect — as they don’t think Sports Tonight will present any credible threat against Home And Away and Sale Of The Century.
Network Ten‘s two new dramas are being shifted to new timeslots. Heartbreak High this week moves from 6.30pm Sunday to 7.30pm Wednesday, and A Country Practice is to move to Saturday from next week.

Lawrie Masterson: The View From Here
brunolawrence “Maybe the expectations were too high. The word coming out of the ABC was that the pilot of Frontline had been the funniest program anyone had seen in years, and the series itself would be a revelation. With The Late Show now gone from our screens, there was a high sense of anticipation surrounding this new offering from some members of The D Generation team. But — somewhat like the current affairs shows out of which it endeavours to take the mickey — Frontline chugged off to a patchy and slightly disappointing start. Frontline‘s premiere episode wasn’t entirely a let-down, mind you. Far from it, in fact. Everyone who writes about television is talking about the publicist, Jan Wheelan, played by Genevieve Mooy, but the stand-out character for mine is the executive producer, Brian Thompson, as played by that highly competent actor Bruno Lawrence (pictured).”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, May 28-June 3):
Saturday: The NBL Mitsubishi Challenge (12am, Ten) features Brisbane versus Sydney.

Sunday: Sunday AFL includes Brisbane Bears versus North Melbourne (2pm, Seven), live from Brisbane, and Adelaide Crows versus Fitzroy (5.30pm, Seven), live from Adelaide. Sunday night movies are Wedlock (Seven), The Godfather: Part III (repeat, Nine) and White Men Can’t Jump (Ten).

Monday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Annalise (Kimberley Davies) joins Mark (Bruce Samazan) at the farm where tensions are running high. British film-maker Peter Greenaway is the guest on The Talk Show (7.30pm, SBS). In Healthy Wealthy And Wise (7.30pm, Ten), for World Environment Week Lyn Talbot gives advice on green shopping and environmentally safe products.

Tuesday: In Blue Heelers (7.30pm, Seven), Wayne’s (Grant Bowler) hero comes to Mt Thomas, where he finds it hard to live up to expectations. In GP (8.30pm, ABC), an unexpected visit by Martin’s (Damian Rice) father presents him with a dilemma.

Wednesday: In Heartbreak High (7.30pm, Ten), after schoolteacher Graham (Hugh Baldwin, pictured with Doris Younane) is accused of homosexual behaviour, he becomes the subject of harassment in the classroom and schoolyard, escalating to an off-campus bashing. World Series Debating (8.30pm, ABC) tackles the topic ‘That Science Is A Health Hazard’, featuring Jean Kittson, Phillip Adams, Lex Marinos, Dr John Funder and moderator Campbell McComas.

Thursday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Mark (Bruce Samazan) is already tiring of his father (Ivar Kants), who plans to extend his stay. Comedy-drama series The Damnation Of Harvey McHugh (8.30pm, ABC) debuts, starring Aaron Blabey, Philip Quast and Monica Maughan.

Friday: In The Great Outdoors (7.30pm, Seven), guest reporter Rebekah Elmaloglou (pictured) presents the first of three reports on holiday camps for kids, Penny Cook visits New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Bridget Adams goes bird watching in Queensland, and Ted Egan explores the Davenport Ranges in the Northern Territory.