FRIDAY, JULY 20 2012 THE INNER CITY WEEKENDER

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16 ENTERTAINMENT

H ello! Thanks for turning the page, now before you keep turning, here’s all the latest local and international television

news…

It could be tricky times for Channel Nine drama ‘Tricky Business’ because I’m hearing Nine has pulled out their axe and are having it sharpened. OK, without me speaking in riddles, the show is in huge trouble and there is now an online petition set up to help save it. You know things are bad when cast members Gigi Edgley and Debra Byrne are pleading for people to log on and sign it.

In some positive news for Australian drama, hit Channel Ten series, ‘Offspring’, has been renewed for not one but two more seasons. This will see the dramedy, which launched the career of Asher Keddie, reach to at least season fi ve. Ten’s Chief Programing Offi cer, David Mott, said: “The commissioning of two new seasons

of ‘Offspring’ further cements Network Ten’s ongoing commitment to producing high-quality Australian drama that has a unique and interesting voice”.

If you can cast your mind back to the Sydney 2000 Olympics you may remember a small but hugely successful late-night show called ‘The Dream’ starring Roy & HG. Well, one half of that comedy duo is set to return during next week’s London Olympics, this time making regular appearances on Channel Ten’s ‘The Project’. HG will be the program’s Olympic correspondent and will give viewers his take on all the action and drama live from the Games.

Long-running Channel Ten children’s show, ‘Totally Wild’, has just celebrated its 20th year on the small screen. It’s hard to believe that a show that began way back in 1992 is still on air today and has fought its way through this current era where if shows don’t rate, they go. If only ‘Agro’s

Cartoon Connection’ or ‘Humphrey B Bear’ were still alive – man I miss those shows!

Channel Seven has released some of their big titles for the second half of 2012 and they include: ‘The X Factor’, ‘Beauty & The Geek’, ‘Brynne: My Bedazzled Life’, ‘The Unbelievable Truth’, ‘Good Christian Bitches’, ‘Killing Time’, ‘Anh Does Vietnam’, ‘Smash’, ‘Bathurst 1000’, ‘Melbourne Cup’ and ‘AFL Finals’.

Plenty of new Channel Ten shows hitting local screens in the next few weeks, here’s when they are due: ‘Everybody Dance Now’ premieres Sunday, August 12 at 7.30pm and ‘Masterchef Australia Allstars’ premieres Thursday, July 26 at 7pm.

It was good to see ‘Today Tonight’ last Monday covering a story other than dodgy plumbers and dole bludgers. ‘TT’ host Matt White’s Australian exclusive interview with the

captain of sunken Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, was brilliant. White asked the right questions, as well as the right follow-up questions – something ‘60 Minutes’ reporter Tara Brown did not do when she ‘grilled’ fellow Nine personality, Grant Hackett, a few weeks back. Nice work Whitey!

Also on Monday night, ‘The Shire’ took a beating on Twitter but managed a reasonable 913,000 viewers. Wonder how many will return?

Lastly, the news from the set of ‘American Idol’ has heated up over the last week with popular judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler announcing their exit from the hit show. Remaining judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest are the only original pieces left. More big names have been thrown into the new judging mix including: Jerry Lewis, Charlie Sheen, Adam Lambert, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Fergie and Aretha Franklin.

CHATTER ON THE BOX With Nathan Taylor