1995: August 12-18

tvweek_120895Cover: Josie Bissett (Melrose Place)

Come in, Spinner!
The Nine Network is grooming star cricketer Shane Warne for a TV career. The network, which has the 26-year-old under an exclusive contract, is developing The Cricket Show which it hopes will be the summer equivalent of its top-rating The Footy Show. The Footy Show, which has versions based in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, is watched by around 1.7 million viewers each week and Nine hopes to repeat its success with Warne, former International Cricketer of the Year Simon O’Donnell, and batsman Michael Slater. “With The Footy Show production already in place in Sydney and Melbourne, the infrastructure for The Cricket Show is already there,” a Nine spokesperson told TV Week. “We’re looking at getting it up by November to coincide with the early days of the international cricket season.” Nine hasn’t ruled out the possibility of having the new show essentially touring the country, following wherever the matches are being played. Warne has already been appearing on Nine on Wide World Of Sports, National Nine News and as a sports correspondent for Ernie And Denise. “He is seen by the network as the next generation of the likes of the Max Walkers, Ian Chappells and Simon O’Donnells,” the spokesperson said.

kateritchieLook at Kate now!
Kate Ritchie, who has played the part of Sally in Home And Away since the age of eight, has just turned 17. “It has been hard for everyone to accept that Sally has grown up,” Ritchie told TV Week. “I guess it is different for me, but for Sally it has always been a special part of her character that she is very mature in the way she thinks, but she has always been lagging behind the teenage group.” Despite her Year 11 studies, Ritchie has this year added an extra day to her Home And Away schedule, which is now three days a week. She hopes this will allow more scope for her character’s storylines. “I have more time, Sally is getting more storylines and there are more typically teenage storylines,” she said. Recent episodes have had Sally with a boyfriend, the rebellious Gus (Samuel Johnson), which Ritchie said made people finally realise Sally is getting older. “People were coming up to me saying, ‘Sally is finally growing up’. It is good that she’s out there getting a boyfriend and getting into these storylines.”

denisedrysdale_0001Cackle along with Denise
Since starting in television in the 1960s, Denise Drysdale has always had the ability to make people laugh and has worked on a string of shows including In Melbourne Tonight, The Ernie Sigley Show, Beauty And The Beast, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, In Melbourne Today and Ernie And Denise. With this is mind she is the ideal candidate to host the segment dedicated to comedy — What Makes Us Laugh — in the second of Nine‘s 50 Fantastic Years specials. Looking at comedy, Drysdale says the thing that makes her laugh most is “silliness — absurd stuff”. “The most comical thing you can see is old ladies falling off their high heels — as long as they don’t get hurt, of course,” she told TV Week. She names Graham Kennedy as the ultimate comedian. “He is brilliant. He could have done anything if he’d been in America. He was such a talent, he could have been bigger than Bob Hope. Graham could sing, he could move. Entertainers did everything in those days. And look at that stupid David Letterman. Graham never had to resort to tricks like he does,” she said. But some old jokes never go out of fashion. “There are some gags that always work. A pie in the face always makes people laugh, even when it’s expected to happen.”

Briefly…

  • Kerri-Anne Kennerley is set to return to TV with a new show on Network Ten. The network has confirmed it is developing an afternoon show to take the timeslot previously occupied by Trish Goddard‘s Live It Up.
  • Home And Away‘s Melissa George has scored a nomination for Most Popular Actress in the British National Television Awards. Her fellow nominees include Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect) and stars from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Brookside. Home And Away has also been nominated for best soap. The awards will be announced in London later this month.
  • timferguson_0002Former Doug Anthony All-Star Tim Ferguson (pictured) returns to TV this week as host of Nine‘s new game show Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush — a format where audience members have the chance to win anything from a can of sardines to a trip to New York.
  • Casting is almost complete for Nine‘s new Gold Coast-based soap Pacific Drive. Set to be joining the series are Simone Buchanan, Michelle Pettigrove, Melissa Tkautz, Adrian Lee and Lloyd Morris. Pacific Drive is expected to go to air in a late-night timeslot.

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 23 July): 

Rank Program Network Day(s) Viewers
1 ER Nine Thu 2039000
2 60 Minutes Nine Sun 2005000
3 Lois & Clark Seven Mon 1968000
4 National Nine News Nine Sun 1958000
5 Sale Of The Century 15th Anniversary Nine Mon 1931000
6 Home Improvement Seven Sun 1919000
7 National Nine News Nine M-F 1887000
8 A Current Affair Nine M-F 1842000
9 Sale Of The Century Nine M-F 1835000
10 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show Nine Tue 1803000
11 Blue Heelers Seven Tue 1803000
12 Our House Nine Wed 1789000
13 Getaway Nine Thu 1778000
14 Burke’s Backyard Nine Fri 1767000
15 National Nine News Nine Sat 1762000
16 Weddings Nine Wed 1759000
17 The Nanny Ten Wed 1721000
18 Movie: Accidental Hero Nine Sun 1720000
19 Better Homes And Gardens Seven Tue 1677000
20 The Footy Show Nine Thu 1646000

Program Highlights (Melbourne, August 12-18):
Saturday:
In Beyond 2000 (5.30pm, Ten), horsetrainer Gai Waterhouse reveals the latest technology for injured racehorses. Gladiators (7.30pm, Seven) begins a three-week battle featuring the Australian Gladiators versus their United Kingdom counterparts, hosted by John Fashanu (host of the UK version of Gladiators) and Kimberley Joseph.

Sunday: The City To Surf (9.30am, Ten) is telecast live from Sydney with highlights later in the afternoon (4pm, Ten). AFL Sunday (1pm, Seven) includes West Coast Eagles versus Adelaide, live from Perth, followed by highlights of Carlton versus Brisbane from Optus Oval, Carlton. In Heartbreak High (5.30pm, Ten), Yola (Doris Younane) panics when she thinks she might be losing her baby. Jennifer Keyte hosts Our Victoria (6.30pm, Seven), taking a look at some of Victoria’s best holiday destinations. Sunday night movies are Interceptor (Seven) and The Face On The Milk Carton (Ten), up against The Australia Remembers Gala Tribute (8.30pm, ABC), featuring John Farnham, James Morrison, James Blundell, Margaret Urlich, Don Burrows, Grace Knight and Rick Price to commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of VP Day. The second 50 Fantastic Years special (8.30pm, Nine) features Brian Naylor, Paul Clitheroe, Don Burke, Molly Meldrum, Tracey Curro, Denise Drysdale and Rebecca Gilling looking back at how Australia has changed over the 50 years since the end of World War II.

Monday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Angel (Melissa George) receives devastating news from the hospital about Dylan (Corey Glaister). In Frontline (8pm, ABC), Mike (Rob Sitch) is bored, but when the Frontline team suspect someone is leaking stories to the opposition, he springs into action.

australiaremembersTuesday: Various special telecasts to commemorate Australia Remembers — the 50th anniversary of VP Day. The Australia Remembers Parade (10am, ABC/Seven) is live from Brisbane, the site of the Australian headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur. The Melbourne VP Day parade follows (12pm, Seven), while ABC crosses to the Shrine of Remembrance service (12.30pm). The Prime Minister’s Address To The Nation (1pm, Seven) is followed by prime minister Paul Keating opening the National Youth Forum (2.30pm, ABC), at the Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, attended by veterans and local students. Andrew Olle hosts a special edition of The 7.30 Report (ABC) from the War Cabinet Room, Melbourne. This is followed by the Flame Of Freedom Celebrations (8pm, ABC), live from Brisbane, including fireworks, lasers, military aircraft and a cast of young people, veterans, choirs and military bands. The documentary Faces Of War: The Battle Comes Home (9pm, ABC) features first hand accounts of the war. Seven Nightly News (6pm, Seven) and Today Tonight (6.30pm, Seven) both present special editions in commemoration of VP Day.

Wednesday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Nelson (Laurence Breuls) tries to save a girl from committing suicide. In Correlli (8.30pm, ABC), separate incidents cause Louisa (Deborra-Lee Furness) to question the relationship between the inmates and the women working close to them. In Old Flames (8.30pm, Nine), the latest Singapore Sling telemovie, when a film’s leading man is killed in an apparent stunt-gone-wrong, only Stamford (John Waters) suspects that the accident is really murder.

Thursday: Getaway (7.30pm, Nine) goes diving with sharks at the Canberra Aquarium; demonstrates hang gliding the safe and easy way; discovers the cheapest five-star lunch in Sydney; and goes on board the Titanic at a theatre restaurant in Melbourne.

Friday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Angel (Melissa George) reveals why she can’t have Shane’s (Dieter Brummer) baby; and Jack (Daniel Amalm) decides he’s had enough of Fisher (Norman Coburn) and school. Friday Night Football (9.30pm, Seven) includes delayed coverage of Collingwood versus Hawthorn from the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 12 August 1995. Southdown Press

 

 

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/08/1995-august-12-18.html

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.