tvweek_100695Home And Away home wrecker!
“I’ve never wanted to play a goody-two-shows character,” Home And Away star Isla Fisher (pictured) told TV Week as her character, Shannon, sets her sights on the recently-married Shane (Dieter Brummer). “I’m not there to have the entire population fall in love with my character — that’s unrealistic. I think the audience likes to see a bad side to everyone, and Shannon can be quite devious.” But Fisher is ready for the backlash that could occur . “Can you imagine the fan mail I’m going to get after this? Everyone’s going to write in and say, ‘She’s awful. Get rid of that vixen Shannon!’.”

catrionarowntreeWhat’s next, Doc?
Catriona Rowntree (pictured), the 23-year-old who in only three years has risen to fame as a reporter and host on Wonder World! as well as hosting cartoon show What’s Up Doc? and the weekend request show on Triple J, is considering her next career move. “It may be time for me to be getting back into journalism,” she told TV Week. “I don’t want to be an actor and I don’t want to be a singer. I like to write and I like talking to people and telling stories.” Rowntree completed a journalism degree in 1990 before getting her first job at a national magazine. She had also worked as a news researcher and newsreader at a community radio station. “I feel like I have to honour my commitment to what I started out doing.”

Sonia’s set to shine
Having worked on Police Rescue and now filming the movie Shine, it may be hard to believe that Sonia Todd once considered giving up acting. It happened after she was fired by British actor Rex Harrison just before the opening of the satirical play Aren’t We All in Melbourne. “We’d been rehearsing with the stand ins, and then Rex turned up three days before opening and fired me!,” she told TV Week. “He said I wasn’t tall enough or classy enough. I don’t know exactly, but they gave me the boot. It was pretty devastating at the time. I thought, ‘I’m obviously not cut out for acting in this cut-throat type of thing’.” But then she scored the role of Georgia in Police Rescue, which is about to begin production on its fifth series. “Yeah, I’ve been giving up acting. I’ll get around to it one day,” she laughs.

timwatsoncathygodboldBriefly…

  • It was an all-star celebration at Melbourne’s HSV7 recently as the station clocked up four ratings wins over traditional leader GTV9. Among those to celebrate were cast members of Blue Heelers as well as Tim Watson (4 Quarters) and Cathy Godbold (Newlyweds) (pictured).
  • Former Chances star Rhys Muldoon has signed up to join the cast of Nine‘s new comedy series Us And Them.
  • Mary Gearin, new reporter for Nine‘s Sports Sunday program, says she has no qualms about working in a predominantly male environment. “Men can get awfully aggressive, even just talking about their sport, but usually the players are okay to deal with. I certainly don’t have a problem being around them and doing my job,” she told TV Week.

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 21 May): 

Rank Program Network Day(s) Viewers
1 Lois & Clark Seven Mon 2159000
2 National Nine News Nine Sun 2097000
3 Home Improvement Seven Sun 2052000
4 Gladiators Seven Sat 1929000
5 60 Minutes Nine Sun 1916000
6 The World’s Greatest Commercials Seven Sun 1913000
7 The X Files Ten Wed 1873000
8 ER Nine Thu 1841000
9 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show Nine Tue 1807000
10 Seven Nightly News Seven Sun 1805000
11 Step By Step Seven Thu 1792000
12 Blue Heelers Seven Tue 1778000
13 Seven Nightly News Seven Sat 1750000
14 National Nine News Nine Sat 1742000
15 Burke’s Backyard Nine Fri 1735000
16 National Nine News Nine M-F 1726000
17 Just Kidding Nine Tue 1723000
18 The Footy Show Nine Thu 1710000
19 The Nanny Ten Wed 1679000
20 Sale Of The Century Nine M-F 1676000

Caron James: The View From Here:

“The only big weakness Blue Heelers has is its lack of women police officers. Lisa McCune is the only female member of the regular cast, and it would be gratifying to see another policewoman character added to the show. The producers are well aware of this shortcoming, but seem to be taking their time about addressing it. And now we come to that other Australian cop show, Funky Squad, with no basis in reality whatsoever. It’s a good gag but, in the end, it is just that — a gag that perhaps should have been a one-off special, but doesn’t stand up as a series. As suspected, the funniest thing about Funky Squad is the inclusion of actual 1970s commercials (Lime Fresh!).”

Program Highlights (Melbourne, June 10-16):
Saturday: Beyond 2000 (5.30pm, Ten) meets a doctor, hooked on adrenaline, who jumps off cliffs to relieve stress. Anthony Warlow, Australia’s first Phantom Of The Opera, guest stars on Hey Hey It’s Saturday (6.30pm, Nine) to perform songs from his new album. The Rugby World Cup resumes with the First (8.30pm, Ten) and Second (11.20pm, Ten) Quarter Finals.

Sunday: AFL Sunday (1pm, Seven) includes Brisbane versus Fitzroy, live from Brisbane, followed by Fremantle versus North Melbourne, live from Perth. In Heartbreak High (5.30pm, Ten), Vic (Ernie Dingo) is clearly shaken when a man from his home town turns up at the school wanting to talk. Sunday night movies are Stalking Laura (Seven) and Butterbox Babies (Nine). The Rugby World Cup continues with the Third (8.30pm, Ten) and Fourth (11.20pm, Ten) Quarter Finals.

Monday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Billy (Jesse Spencer) thinks he’s in luck with Olivia (Renai Caruso) but doesn’t know her real motives. The final clash of the Rugby League State Of Origin series has a delayed coverage (9.30pm, Nine).

lorrainebayly_0002Tuesday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Donna (Nicola Quilter) tries to enjoy romance the only way Travis (Nic Testoni) knows how — with beer and pizza. Lorraine Bayly (pictured) and Peter O’Brien guest star as a mother and son in GP (8.30pm, ABC). In Blue Heelers (8.30pm, Seven), Nick (William McInnes) and Adam (Damian Walshe-Howling) investigate a rape in the outlying town of Widgeree.

Wednesday: In Halifax fp: Hard Cops (8.30pm, Nine), when a criminal is gunned down during a meeting with detectives, forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax (Rebecca Gibney) is enmeshed in a complex web of corruption allegations, organised crime, bribery and love.

Thursday: In Police Rescue (8.30pm, ABC), Constable Kathy Orland (Tammy MacIntosh) makes an error of judgement and questions her ability as a rescue cop.

carolinegillmer_0001Friday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Karl (Alan Fletcher) confronts Cheryl (Caroline Gillmer, pictured) about Mal (Benjie McNair) and Danni’s (Eliza Szonert) sleeping arrangements.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 10 June 1995. Southdown Press

 

 

 

 

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