Michael Bodey, The Australian, June 21, 2007
A STRONG ratings tussle looks set to emerge in the second half of the television year with Nine and Seven scheduling program launches for media and advertisers to showcase their wares.
While Seven has a strong 2007 ratings lead, questions will be raised if Kerry Stokes's network loses momentum in July. Seven has won 15 of the 16 ratings weeks, yet Nine's resilience has been unexpected despite some embarrassing hiccups.
Seven's year-to-date network share is a mere two points more than Nine's, 29.4 per cent against 27.4 per cent, with Ten at 21.5 per cent, the ABC at 16.1 per cent and SBS at 5.6 per cent.
Nine is expected to aggressively program ahead of what it anticipates to be a fruitful slate of US product next year.
Nine's director of programming Michael Healy is particularly confident about legal drama Damages, starring Rose Byrne and Glenn Close, and a musical drama co-produced by Hugh Jackman, Viva Laughlin. Either may be programmed this year.
The Ten network traditionally works harder in the second half of the year, with Australian Idol and the AFL finals being strong platforms for its schedule. That platform will be boosted by the July return of Thank God You're Here, which averaged more than 1.7 million viewers last year.
"We've tracked well this year given how Seven has gone out with its top shows in the first half," says Ten's head of network programming David Mott. "I'm feeling very comfortable for the second half of the year."
Beyond Thank God and Idol, Mott expects big business from So You Think You Can Dance, America's Top Model, the movie Kenny (ahead of its series debut next year), the revamped Neighbours and Rove's series of shows from the US. Rove McManus was also a no-brainer to host Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
"I feel very confident that will be a break-out and we will look after that schedule-wise," Mott says. Indeed, if, as expected, that moves into Sunday 6.30pm, ahead of Idol and Rove, it could damage Nine and Seven.
Ten will also debut some US programs as they start their US season in September, with a racy comedy from Showtime, starring David Duchovny, one of the prime candidates.
"There's no decisions yet but it's fair to say you'll see one of them on air," Mott says. "Within 12 months to two years you're going to see one-third of all new shows running straight after their US programming."
At Seven, US dramas Bones, Criminal Minds, Las Vegas and Ghost Whisperer will be joined by one of the few recent hits from the past US season, Shark, but Seven's focus will be local.
Seven has been unwilling to divulge its line-up before Monday but it is known the network will bring back Border Security, The Force and Medical Emergency. The line-up will be bolstered by the launch of drama City Homicide, Australia's Best Backyards, Jamie Durie's first effort since jumping the fence from Nine, and factual series Surf Patrol. Oh, Kath & Kim will also debut its fourth season on Seven.
The ABC threatens to spoil the commercials with The Chaser team returning for an expected tilt at the election campaign in three months. Drought drama Rain Shadow also debuts, as does a four-part documentary on Captain James Cook.
SBS is just as prolific locally. Upcoming is its edgy drama Major Crime and another about an Aboriginal lawyer, The Circuit, as well as Great Australian Albums, Hot Spell and possibly Shaun Micallef's world news satire, Newstopia.
CBS - Viva Laughlin - Promo
Scenes from the show "Viva Laughlin"
premiering in fall 2007 Sunday at 8:00PM
http://www.splendad.com/ads/show/1161-CBS-Viva-Laughlin-Promo
Posted by: Jake Malone | June 23, 2007 at 12:42 AM
Viva Laughlin
What it’s about: Based on a BBC series called Blackpool, Viva Laughlin is about an guy who opens a brand new casino in a smaller city in Nevada. Did I mention that this is a musical?!
What’s good: Oh sweet Lord, how I love this show. If you’d told me that CBS was going to put on an Americanized remake of an interesting but not great Brit-drama and that the characters would spontaneously start singing, I wouldn’ve told you that sounded like certain disaster. To have it turn out to be the best network show of the season (or at least my personal favorite – by a very wide margin – is damn near miraculous.
It’s important to note for the skeptical (though this might not allay any reservations) that the songs are not original compositions, but pop tunes spanning the last 40 or 50 years. “Viva Las Vegas” and Blondie’s “One Way or Another” are some notable ones. The characters don’t lip synch or merely sing…they sing along with the original track, so you can hear both at once…an interesting and confident stylistic choice.
Cast is also great. Lloyd Owen, a british actor with a long career behind him plays the lead, and he’s got just the right amount of smarmy confidence and, when the story calls for it, abject fear. And, somehow, they got Hugh Jackman (Wolverine from Oklahoma!) to play the bad guy! Melanie Griffith makes an appearance as well as a sort of washed-up femme fatale.
Viva Laughlin is totally ridiculous and extremely fun to watch. It reminded me a lot of the early seasons of Nip/Tuck, only without the mean-streak and pretentious aspirations. Oh, and with singing.
What’s not so good: Hell, I don’t know. I just really, really love this show.
Will it be a hit? FOR SURE !!!!!!
Posted by: Viva Laughlin | October 02, 2007 at 02:17 AM