Cover: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson (The X Files)

Logies: The Famous Five
TV Week has announced the nominations for the upcoming 38th annual TV Week Logie Awards. In a change with tradition, each category will have five nominations and all but the Gold category will be narrowed to three nominations on the big night. Meanwhile, John Farnham has been announced as a guest performer on Logies night, three years after he took to the Logies stage with Tom Jones. “I get nervous about every big gig and the Logies is a big one,” he told TV Week. Kate Ceberano will also be performing at the Logies, singing the all-important opening number. Producer Peter Wynne, working on his fourth Logies, says the emphasis will be on celebration. “Because it’s TV’s 40th anniversary in Australia this year, we’ll reflect on some elements of the past, but the show won’t be based on that,” he said. “In the presentation area, we’re going for a lot of people who are very humourous.”

Nominations: TV Week Logie Awards publicly-voted categories:

Gold Logie — Most Popular Personality: Dieter Brummer, Melissa George, Ray Martin, Lisa McCune, Daryl Somers

Silver Logie — Most Popular Actor: Dieter Brummer, Guy Pearce, Martin Sacks, Gary Sweet, John Wood

Silver Logie — Most Popular Actress: Tempany Deckert, Isla Fisher, Melissa George, Rebecca Gibney, Lisa McCune

Most Popular New Talent: Kate Fischer, Katrina Hobbs, Wendy Mooney, Nic Testoni, Vulcan

Most Popular Lifestyle/Information Program: Better Homes And Gardens, Burke’s Backyard, Getaway, The Great Outdoors, Talk To The Animals

Most Popular Children’s Program: Agro’s Cartoon Connection, A*Mazing, Bananas In Pyjamas, Play School, Spellbinder

Most Popular Public Affairs Program: A Current Affair, The 7.30 Report, 60 Minutes, Today, Today Tonight

Most Popular Light Entertainment Program: Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, The Footy Show (AFL), The Footy Show (NRL), Gladiators, Hey Hey It’s Saturday

Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality: Ernie Dingo, Tim Ferguson, Sam Newman, Daryl Somers, Jo Beth Taylor

Most Popular Sports Program: AFL Grand Final, Australian Open Tennis, The Footy Show (AFL), The Footy Show (NRL), Gladiators

Most Popular Series: Blue Heelers, Fire, GP, Home And Away, Neighbours

Most Popular Drama: Banjo Paterson’s The Man From Snowy River, Fire, Halifax fp, Law Of The Land, Police Rescue

Most Popular Comedy Program: Frontline, Full Frontal, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Jimeoin, Just Kidding

Most Popular Comedy Personality: Andrew Denton, Tim Ferguson, Jimeoin, Daryl Somers, Magda Szubanski

TV Week Logie Awards industry-voted categories:

Gold Logie — Hall Of Fame; Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actor; Silver Logie — Most Outstanding Actress; Most Outstanding Achievement In Drama Production; Most Outstanding Documentary; Most Outstanding Achievement In News; Most Outstanding Achievement In Public Affairs; Most Outstanding Achievement In Comedy; Most Outstanding Achievement By A Regional Network

Just for kicks
Russell Gilbert, currently working on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, is set to co-host a new football show for Foxtel. Footy Fever is to be presented by Gilbert and now retired footballer Dermott Brereton. Brereton is no stranger to television, having appeared for several years on In Melbourne Today and In Sydney Today and more recently as a panellist on The Footy Show in Melbourne.

The Crying Game
It was an emotional return to Blue Heelers for former cast member Ann Burbrook. After her character Roz Patterson was written out of the series in 1994, she is now returning following the death of Roz’s estranged husband, Wayne (Grant Bowler), to claim his body and arrange for its burial. “It wasn’t difficult at all for me to cry through the episode,” Burbrook told TV Week. “When I remembered the fun times Roz had had with Wayne and imagined him being in that box, the tears just flowed.” Since leaving Blue Heelers, Burbrook has worked on Law Of The Land and Banjo Paterson’s Man From Snowy River and is soon to appear in the new ABC series, Mercury.

Looking snappy!
The success of Nine‘s Just Kidding has led to Network Ten bringing Candid Camera back to TV. The new look to the classic format will be hosted by stand up comedian Gary Eck and Totally Wild‘s Katrina Warren. As well as featuring new gags, the new Candid Camera will include some of the classics from the American original dating back to the 1950s. “I’m the first to agree that the black-and-white shows are by far the best,” Warren told TV Week. “In the Fifties, people were so much more gullible.” The last time Candid Camera was attempted on Australian television was back in 1989, also on Ten, with the show hosted by Tony Murphy and Lisa Peers.

Briefly…

• Jacqueline McKenzie is tipped to join Josephine Byrnes and Rebecca Gibney in the new Seven Network mini-series Kangaroo Palace. The mini-series, set in the Sixties, will be filmed in Melbourne and London.
• Word from behind the scenes at Home And Away is that Michael (Dennis Coard) is to exit the series in dramatic fashion. The storyline is set to feature the return of Michael’s son, Haydn (Andrew Hill), for the funeral.
• New sitcom project Skin Deep is to go to pilot stage for ABC later this month. Set in a beauty parlour, the series tells the story of two sisters (played by Jane Hall and Sandy Ireland) who are reunited after one was given up for adoption. Also cast for the project are John McTernan (Cop Shop, GP) and Robert Grubb (The Flying Doctors).

TV’s Top 20 (Week Commencing 17 March 1996): 

Program Highlights (Melbourne, April 6-12):
Saturday: Gladiators‘ International Series (7.20pm, Seven) reaches its Grand Final, followed by Saturday Night Football (8.30pm, Seven), featuring West Coast Eagles versus Brisbane Bears, live from Perth.

Sunday: Graeme Blundell (pictured) and Debra Byrne star in Cross Turning Over, the final episode of Naked: Stories Of Men (8.30pm, ABC). Sunday night movies are The Diamond Trap (Nine) and The Super (repeat, Ten).

Monday: In Water Rats (7.30pm, Nine), Frank Holloway (Colin Friels) is accused of taking a bribe when he is caught on film collecting an envelope containing a large sum of money that’s been left in a waterfront warehouse. In Healthy Wealthy And Wise (7.30pm, Ten), Ross Greenwood looks at the rights and obligations of shoppers and consumers; and Tonia Todman takes the humble tea towel and transforms it into a colourful decor item. In Pacific Drive (11pm, Nine), Callie (Danielle Spencer) walks out on Rick (André Eikmeier), but accepts his simple and heartfelt apology.

Tuesday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Libby (Kym Valentine) and Rupert (Tobi Webster) find themselves on the wrong side of the law. In GP (8.30pm, ABC), Sonia (Zoe Carides) becomes entwined in a disastrous domestic situation. Jana Wednt‘s new current affairs program, Witness (9.30pm, Seven), debuts with reporters Graham Davis, Paul Barry, Mark Llewellyn, Tracey Bowden and Prue Lewarne.

Wednesday: In Home And Away (7pm, Seven), Fisher (Norman Coburn) and Marilyn (Emily Symons) resume dating. In Fire (9.30pm, Seven), Jean (Liddy Clark) finally uncovers evidence to break Jimmy’s (Kim Gyngell) insurance scam.

Thursday: In Neighbours (6.30pm, Ten), Debbie (Marnie Reece-Wilmore) confesses to Phillip (Ian Rawlings) that Rosemary (Joy Chambers) accused her of having an affair with her boyfriend.

Friday: Paul McDermott hosts the new panel show Good News Week (8pm, ABC), featuring Kate Fischer. AFL Live (8.30pm, Seven) features Adelaide Crows versus Geelong, live from Football Park, Adelaide.

Source: TV Week (Melbourne edition), incorporating TV Times and TV Guide. 6 April 1996. Pacific Publications Pty Ltd.