By Erin McWhirter, TV Editor
July 09, 2009 05:05pm
AFTER much speculation Channel 7 has confirmed hospital drama All Saints has been axed after 12 seasons on-air.
While filming will continue on the Australian production until the end of August, 493 episodes of the drama will have streamed into lounge rooms across the nation since All Saints began with Georgie Parker leading the cast as nurse Terri Sullivan on February 24 1998.
“All Saints is a show which viewers and Seven have loved,” said Seven’s head of programming Tim Worner.
“However, an audience shift and increased production costs are behind this decision. The cast and crew deserve the highest admiration and respect for what they have achieved. All Saints has made a significant contribution to the rich history of Australian drama.”
The announcement comes after Seven attempted to attract new audience interest by introducing a Medical Response Unit branch earlier this year.
It is believed the new unit increased the All Saints production budget by approximately $150,000 per episode.
What?! Their ratings were quite excellent, and were always 1st or 2nd in their timeslot.
What do you people watch? I watch Prison Break, CSI Miami, Good Game (a video game show), HK News from Chinese Pay TV, Aussie News sometimes, and of course the rugby league.
Hi Arthur, We are obviously very different in our viewing tastes. I don’t watch any from your list - except for TV news - unless “Aussie News” is a certain programme title. Looking at the weekly schedule, we like these shows :
Good News Week, Spooks, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, Thank God You’re Here, Spicks and Specks, New Tricks, Bones - and ( still my favourite after 20 years ) “The Bill”. If we’re not home to watch them, then we tape them for later viewing. Sports-wise my only regular “must watch” interest is watching the annual Tour de France cycling - all that beautiful French countryside passing by is just too much to resist.
Used to watch The Bill, which I always thought was good until getting hooked on Blue Heelers :=). Given my time-poor nature in high school I chose Blue Heelers over The Bill. After that ended, I somehow never got back to watching The Bill.
Also watch the Chasers but watch it live rather than recording it, so I end up missing some eps now and then.
Being in France-withdrawal, the first thing I sat down to watch when I got back was the French news on SBS this morning. I watched it as often as I could before Paris mission - but now it feels like I understand more of it than I used to.
When ballet doesn’t interfere, I like Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation. The Simpsons (as long as Homer hasn’t hit one of his utterly cringeworthy lows). Spicks & Specks if my sister’s watching. Any travel programs (Great Outdoors, Getaway, etc). The occasional Futurama when it plays (one of my Muslim students from Blacktown days - who felt I was her favourite teacher - said I reminded her of Leela from Futurama). It’s Academic when there are no independent schools playing a round. Thank God You’re Here from time to time.
Also planning to see Double Take and TV Burp. Recorded on PVR and haven’t watched it yet, but initial reviews are scathing (think of reviews of The Wedge).
Only one ep of the Chaser left - missed last ep, and might not be bothered to check their webpage for that.
Watched Double Take / TV Burp last week. Double Take was quite funny - but then again I’m into sketch comedy. TV Burp was atrocious. I will watch Double Take (only) regularly from now on.
Planning to see Talking ‘Bout Your Generation for just one time this week - wonder why the ratings are so high for it? I don’t understand as other than you Tia, I don’t know anyone who watches it!
Planning to see Talking ‘Bout Your Generation for just one time this week - wonder why the ratings are so high for it? I don’t understand as other than you Tia, I don’t know anyone who watches it!
It has been consistently either # 1 or # 2 on the night’s ratings and has regularly been scoring a national audience of about 1.7 million viewers - and is usually among the top 4 weekly viewed shows.
Also, if look at my post of 12/7, you will notice that it is one of our ‘must watch’ shows. Lots of laughs - that’s one of their secrets for success. Oh - and Shaun Micallef’s humorous style helps a lot too. At least for MY generation that is ;)
Shaun Micallef is the principal reason I think the show works. Always brings a chuckle.
It’s an excellent format for him, as a natural improviser who makes awkwardness look amusingly normal. Any time of the night he can just hijack the ideas he’s been given & make it work.
It’s great to see a show that brings out the best in him - Micallef Tonight, which aired a number of years ago was too restrictive for his style, and before that the ABC had axed The Micallef Programme, a bit of a shame. That said, he did well in the gigs he got on Thank God You’re Here.
Talking ‘Bout Your Generation was reasonably good last night. I liked the half-game show half-panel comedy style interspersed with Shaun Micallef’s quips.
I’m also sure they mix around the segments week by week. Regular watchers confirm this?
However, it is an hour commitment and I find that I’ve lost focus about the 40-45min mark (unlike action shows like Prison Break or CSI: Miami). Perhaps I’ll end up watching the odd ep now and then if there’s time :=).
Pasty bespectacled comic John Safran is coming back to ABC TV with an eight-part comedy-documentary, and it’s his most daring and personal adventure yet. It’s about cross-cultural, interracial and interfaith love.
Torn between his Jewish upbringing and his inclination to hit on Eurasians, Safran comes up with some of the craziest television ever. Safran’s insane globetrotting takes him to Israel, Palestine, Togo, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, the UK, the Netherlands and the United States. He turns black and goes undercover in Chicago, talks to his dead mother, becomes a ladyboy and an Elephant Man, all in an attempt to make sense of cross-cultural love.
Safran might be figuratively crucified for this series - but because he is literally crucified in the climax, he’s not too worried. You see, John Safran just needs to know: when it comes to love, should you stick with your tribe or escape your tribe?
John Safran’s Race Relations starts Wednesday October 21 at 9.30pm on ABC1.
Hope you notice this in time. I see that ABC TV has this ballet documentary on tonight :
A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia
ABC 1 TV - 8:30pm Tuesday, 03 Nov 2009
Documentary CC G
One hundred years ago Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes in Paris. Seventy years ago this company was to change Australia forever. A Thousand Encores is the story of how the greatest ballet company of the 20th century – the celebrated Ballets Russes - came to Australia and awoke a nation, transforming the cultural landscape of the conservative 1930s, leaving a rich legacy that lasts to this day.
In 1936, the celebrated Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo stepped off a boat into the bright Australian sunlight. With exotic sets and costumes designed by cutting edge artists and avant-garde music by great composers like Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes inspired Australians and they clamoured for more.
Over five years from 1936 to 1940 the company came to Australia three times, winning the hearts and minds of Australian audiences and inspiring a generation of our greatest artists - Grace Cossington Smith, Jeffrey Smart and Sidney Nolan.
At the end of the Australian tours in 1940, a number of Ballets Russes dancers chose not to return to war-torn Europe. They established ballet schools and companies in their new country, inspiring further generations of Australians with a passion for dance. These pioneers set the stage for professional ballet in Australia today.
Some bits were interesting, though I was seeing it through classical-ballet purist spectacles, and am really NOT a fan of Graeme Murphy’s choreography (he featured a lot in the final 15 mins.).
Liked the interviews with the “baby ballerinas”, e.g. Irina Baronova; the impact of WWII was quite sad, esp. for the Jewish dancers in the Ballets Russes. Very thankful that most decided to stay here (instead of going home to Europe and getting gassed by the Nazis in Auschwitz/other camps).
Just saw an ad for ABC2 tomorrow ( Monday ) night - at 9.30pm they’ll be repeating the Dr Who “aboard the Titanic” episode. It’s up against the final two hour episode of “Good News Week”.
Just a reminder that Dr Who is on tonight ( Monday ) at 9.30pm on ABC2.
Also, have just received this ‘timely’ news in my in-box from the ABC :
Doctor Who: The End of Time
Check out this exclusive sneak peek at the forthcoming Doctor Who special, The End of Time . This eagerly anticipated two-part special marks the end of the era of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.
Guest stars John Simm, Timothy Dalton, Catherine Tate, Lindsay Duncan and Bernard Cribbins join Tennant on his final journey.
The specials will screen over Christmas and New Year in the UK. The Australian screening date on ABC1 is still to be confirmed.
In the meantime, you can see the latest special, The Waters of Mars on Sunday December 6 at 7.30pm on ABC1.
They’re back - for 3 new episodes STARTING TONIGHT :
Red Dwarf Special 2009: Back To Earth
8:00pm Monday, 30 Nov 2009 - ABC 2
The Emmy award-winning sci-fi sitcom series, Red Dwarf, is back. Nine years on from the last episode, the crew are older, but still none the wiser. The intergalactic comedy series that took viewers on a joyride three million years into the future finally heads back to Earth.
In this most anticipated return, fresh mayhem unfolds as Lister’s (Craig Charles) busy day of annoying Rimmer (Chris Barrie) is interrupted by the discovery of a dimension-hopping monster in the ship’s mile-deep water tank. Rimmer’s gross incompetence triggers the arrival of his replacement, Katerina (Sophie Winkleman), who is determined to guide Red Dwarf back to its home planet.
But Earth 2009 is not everything the boys expected and Rimmer has no intention of being replaced.
Discovering they are destined to die, Lister, Rimmer, Cat (Danny John Jules) and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) – in the best Blade Runner tradition – track down those responsible for their creation…and plead for their lives.
First shown in 1988, Red Dwarf attracted first-run audiences in excess of eight million in the UK. It has been broadcast in more than 30 countries across the globe and remains as popular as ever.
You Tube features almost 3,000 clips, Facebook has more than 500 appreciation groups and Bebo has over 50,000 entries. The official Red Dwarf website gets over two million page requests every month.
Also showing on ABC2
- 8:00pm Monday, December 7
- 8:00pm Monday, December 14
Red Dwarf Special 2009: Back To Earth Mon 8pm, ABC2
After a decade in the cosmic wilderness the mismatched crew of Red Dwarf have the chance to return home. With their usual cosmic chemistry the main players blend witty scripts and ingenious concepts into unique entertainment.
Followed by :
Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America - Honey, I’m Home! / Breadwinners And Homemakers
ABC 1 - 9:35pm Monday, 07 Dec 2009 Documentary CC PG
From the pratfalls that entertained immigrants in the early 1900s to the most biting satire on television today, Make ’Em Laugh features the funniest moments in American entertainment, including the great comedic talents of Charlie Chaplin, Jack Benny, Abbott & Costello, The Three Stooges, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Woody Allen, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and many more.
The domestic comedy may be the most American of comic concepts. The moment that George Burns and Gracie Allen admitted to their radio audience that they were a married couple, a tradition of laughter on the home front began. Groundbreaking television sitcoms like The Goldbergs, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, All In The Family, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons reflect the ongoing changes at home and in the workplace. Sitcoms continue to be a consistently humorous barometer of American gender roles and attitudes toward racism and politics.
Further episodes also showing on ABC 1 :
Slip On A Banana Peel / The Knockabouts - 9:35pm Monday, December 14
When I’m Bad, Im Better / The Groundbreakers - 9:35pm Monday, December 21
Has anyone been watching John Safran’s Race Relations? It’s been equal parts hilarious and disturbing. The final is one this weds night, where he gets crucified. Really.
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