Ita Buttrose signed to Channel Ten for new morning show

(Left to Right) Network Ten Chief Executive Officer, Hamish McLennan; Ita Buttrose; Network Director of Morning Television, Adam Boland. Source: Supplied



 

 

Amy Harris, The Sunday Telegraph, reports

Ita Buttrose is about to tell morning TV audiences exactly how it is.

The media legend and Australian of the Year has been signed by Channel 10 as the headline act for a new morning show.

The show is the first salvo from a network gearing up for another fully fledged tilt at the lucrative TV timeslot.

The first name signed to front the as yet unnamed chat-style panel program, Buttrose finally inked a deal last week that will place her in the first bonafide TV hosting role of her career at age 71.

In what will surely capture the attention of Ten's commercial network rivals, Buttrose told The Sunday Telegraph she has no plans to hold back.

"I'm quite outspoken about everything, really, being who I am and being the age that I am now," Buttrose said with a laugh. "I'm like anyone, really. I'll hear something that infuriates me and like anyone I say: 'Well, that's ridiculous.'

"So I plan on saying whatever I want and I'm sure I will be able to say whatever I want. Fearless and forthright is probably the best way to describe it."

Buttrose, whose career took an upswing in 2011 with the ABC's Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, will front one of two programs slated to debut later this year on Ten as part of its much-heralded return to the breakfast market, following the disastrous dalliance with the since-axed Breakfast last year.

Her program will go head to head with Seven's top-rated duo Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies on The Morning Show and Nine's combination of Sonia Kruger and David Campbell, who front the improved Mornings.

Already it's clear Ten's new head of morning television Adam Boland is set to buck the formula with a veteran female anchor at the helm.

The appointment clearly fits in to Ten's grand plan - heralded by new boss Hamish McLennan - to target an older demographic.

The Biggest Loser TV show 'helpful', 'not humiliating', says Channel Ten boss

Michelle Bridges with Biggest Loser contestants. Picture: Channel Ten

Channel 10 bosses have defended The Biggest Loser against claims of bullying, saying the show does not subject contestants to humiliating challenges and helps viewers lead healthier lives.

An opinion article on The Biggest Loser published yesterday by adelaidenow columnist Petra Starke, which accused the show of bullying and exploiting overweight contestants for ratings, has provoked an angry denial from the network.

In a letter to the editor published in The Advertiser today, Ten's director of corporate and public communications Neil Shoebridge said Ms Starke's article was "incorrect and unfair", "misleading", "ridiculous" and "defamatory".

He denied the show deliberately embarrassed its contestants for entertainment value, saying it helped both them and viewers to become healthier.

"We do not subject our contestants to `humiliating challenges' as your article suggests. We are not in the business of humiliating contestants," he said.

"Contestants chose to take part in the program because they need help transforming their lifestyles and their bodies.

"In fact, The Biggest Loser has a long history of helping people - both contestants and viewers - address their weight issues and lead healthier lives."

This season, contestants have been secretly filmed to reveal their bad eating habits, been made to jump off a cliff into the ocean and have had buckets of water dumped on their heads for failing to hold their arm in the air.

Ms Starke's column yesterday attracted more than 75 comments from adelaidenow readers who overwhelmingly agreed with her criticism of the show.

"I agree totally - we are trying to stamp out bullying in the schoolyard and in the workplace and yet a program like Biggest Loser promotes bullying behaviour by belittling those participants involved," one read.

Another comment read: "You have hit the nail on the head Ms Starke - these people all have eating disorders. Shaming and humiliating them is not an acceptable `treatment' method."

Other commenters described the show as "offensive", "cruel" and "a horrific abuse of people who are desperately unwell".

Mr Shoebridge said Ten took its "duty of care" to contestants "very seriously".

"The well-being of our contestants is always our number one concern," he said.

"All contestants have, at all times, continuous support from Network Ten, the production company, the trainers and a highly qualified medical team."

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Ten's corporate and public communications director Neil Shoebridge's letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

Your opinion piece "Ratings race feeds cycle of bullying" (April 4) is disappointing and misleading.

It is incorrect and unfair to accuse Network Ten of pretending The Biggest Loser is "some sort of important community health service", and to describe The Biggest Loser as "a tragic freak show for ratings" and "one big schoolyard bullying session" is completely misleading. If your writer had contacted Network Ten, we would have been more than happy to discuss her extreme view of the program.

To insinuate that Network Ten has been involved in creating and perpetuating a cycle of bullying is a very serious and defamatory accusation with legal implications, which Ten strenuously denies. To suggest the program is "bad" for the contestant's health is completely false, while describing The Biggest Loser as "the modern equivalent of throwing the Christians to the lions" is ridiculous.

Network Ten is fully aware of the duty of care we have towards all contestants on The Biggest Loser, a duty of care which we take very seriously. The well-being of our contestants is always our number one concern. All contestants have, at all times, continuous support from Network Ten, the production company, the trainers and a highly qualified medical team.

We do not subject our contestants to "humiliating challenges" as your article suggests. We are not in the business of humiliating contestants.

Contestants chose to take part in the program because they need help transforming their lifestyles and their bodies. In fact, The Biggest Loser has a long history of helping people both contestants and viewers address their weight issues and lead healthier lives.

Regards,

Neil Shoebridge, Director of Corporate and Public Communications

Time for a change on Channels Seven, Nine and Ten

The X Factor judges throw the term 'star' and 'superstar' too much, says Colin Vickery.

Colin Vickery, The Daily Telegraph, reports

It is time for Australia's TV bosses to make some New Year resolutions - and I'm not talking losing weight, quit smoking or giving up alcohol.

This year I want Channels Seven, Nine and Ten to promise to cut out the shonky practices that make watching commercial television such a frustrating experience.

Resolution number one should definitely be 'we promise to screen all of our programs at the advertised time'.

2012 was filled with TV shows that ran late. That is guaranteed to make disgruntled viewers hurl the remote control at the screen.

Tune in to Channel 7 at 7.30pm to watch The X Factor and you would be forced to see the final few minutes of Home and Away.

It took psychic powers to predict when shows such as Nine's Tricky Business or Ten's Can of Worms would start. Often it was at least ten minutes after their scheduled time.

Network programmers make sure programs run overtime because they hope it will stop viewers switching to rivals.

Other New Year resolutions should be 'we will not anger viewers with too many advertisements' and 'we will not cheese people off with endless repeats'.

I'd also add 'no last minute program changes', 'no inappropriate ad breaks' and 'no showing episodes out of sequence' to the list.

Just to add salt to the wound, TV networks frequently mix first-run and repeat episodes of favourites – think NCIS and Modern Family - to confuse viewers.

Media analyst Steve Allen reckons network bosses are treating viewers with contempt. I agree.

''The biggest gripe is programs running overtime because it pushes the whole schedule out,'' Mr Allen says.

''It is taking the public for granted.''

The most annoying thing right now is the constant barrage of on-air promotions for My Kitchen Rules, The Block All-Stars and MasterChef - The Professionals.

These shows have been flogged to death since the first week of December - two months before they go to air.

TV personalities need to make major New Year resolutions too.

I want Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Guy Sebastian and Mel B to promise to stop using the words 'star' and 'superstar' to describe contestants on this year's X Factor.

I need Scott Cam to promise to stop those annoying variations on The Block (block-tastic, seven-o-block).

I want Hugh Sheridan to concentrate on Packed to the Rafters after that dud I Will Survive.

I'd also like Lara Bingle and Brynne Edelsten to promise to take a year off TV. Being Lara Bingle and Brynne: My Bedazzled Life still cause nightmares.

The most over-used word on TV these days is 'event'. All the networks use it to juice up promotions for upcoming shows. Let's get this straight. The Olympics is an event. A double episode of The Big Bang Theory is not.

One of my New Year wishes would be for Ten to put Before the Game back on in Melbourne on Saturday nights.

Another would be for networks to resolve to stop cloning successful shows.

Ratings hit MasterChef Australia has already spawned My Kitchen Rules. In 2013, networks are set to plate up Recipe to Riches, The Great Australian Bake-Off, and The Taste.

Talk about indigestion.

The success of Nine's The Block led to Ten making ratings dud The Renovators. Now Seven is trying to get in on the act with new renovation show House Rules.

How many times can you see a nail hammered into a piece of wood and call it entertainment?

Fortunately, Seven, Nine and Ten have some exciting new programs lined up for 2013.

The Batavia mini-series based on Peter Fitzsimons' best-seller, Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS, and Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch story all sound compelling.

The ABC will weigh in with a new Chris Lilley project, the Cliffy telemovie about Aussie ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young, and a re-vamped Spicks and Specks.

Let's hope that network bosses have the guts to end the annoying tactics that so often undermine the TV viewing experience.

It is a turn-off at a time you would think TV networks should be begging for every viewer they can get.

The internet and social media have cut into TV audiences – so why add to the exodus?

Channel Ten starts ratings war

Top: New CEO of Channel Ten James Warburton enters the Network Ten offices at Pyrmont on the first day as CEO. Picture: Stephen Cooper.

The Sunday Telegraph reports

THE new-look Channel Ten is hoping to steal the march on its competition, launching its revamped Sunday night schedule three weeks before the start of ratings season.

Having been sidelined on "gardening leave" for six months, Ten's new boss James Warburton has fired the first shot in the battle against rival network chiefs, David Leckie at Channel Seven and David Gyngell at Channel Nine.

Mr Warburton is banking on prime-time music and comedy to blitz Nine and Seven's current affairs programs, with the revamped Young Talent Time the jewel in the crown.

He declared the all-new line-up would "reset a connection point with our viewers and set the agenda for Ten, day one, every week".

In an aggressive start to the week and to the ratings year, Mr Warburton told The Sunday Telegraph that Ten's ratings season starts on Sunday, January 22, three weeks ahead of the official start of ratings on February 12.

In a pre-emptive strike to own the night, Ten will air the first episodes of Young Talent Time, featuring one-time contestant Tina Arena as a judge.

Also debuting is hit US comedy New Girl and the acclaimed US drama Homeland. While Ten has aired its new offerings ahead of the ratings season before, chief programming officer David Mott said Ten had never showed its hand this early.

"It's a reflection of Ten's determination to lead, not follow, in 2012," Mr Mott said.

"We've regained our focus, and this shows our confidence in our slate, as well as its depth. It's the first of a few announcements we will be making."

Ten's Sunday night schedule will open with Young Talent Time featuring Arena, as judge and mentor for the reboot, from 6.30pm.

New episodes of comedy hit Modern Family will follow at 7.30pm, ahead of the Australian debut season of cheeky US comedy New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel at 8pm.

The pace changes at 8.30pm with US psychological drama Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

Mr Warburton took up his CEO role at Ten last Monday, after being forced to sit out six months following a court battle with his former employer, Channel Seven, in May 2011.

He was originally to start as Ten CEO last July, but a NSW Supreme Court embargo on his working meant the former Seven Network executive was forced to cool his heals until New Year's Day.

In his first week in the job he said Ten was overly reliant on reality shows such as MasterChef Australia, with the poorly performed Junior MasterChef and the failed The Renovators expected to be axed.

Announcements on a female host to join controversial Kiwi broadcaster Paul Henry and Dr Andrew Rochford at the helm of Ten's new morning television experiment, Breakfast, and a new member of The Circle following the departure of Chrissie Swan, are also expected.

The ups and downs of Terra Nova

Picture courtesy of Encore Magazine

Excerpt of a story by Colin Delaney, Encore Magazine (shortened version)


Filmed on the Gold Coast, Steven Spielberg’s latest TV offering, Terra Nova is the most expensive show ever made.

Between floods, inflation and fired staff, the production has had as many dramas off screen as on.

Confidence was suitably high for Fox when the bankable Spielberg wanted to tell a story that blended an apocalyptic future with time travel and dinosaurs. Spielberg was in his element.

It began strongly. Fox, rather than commissioning just a pilot, went ahead and commissioned an entire 13 episodes. Emmy-winning director/producer Jon Cassar (24), is one of a multitude of executive producers on Terra Nova. He says it was a smart thing to do on Fox’s behalf. “When you’re making a sci-fi show you don’t just find a set, you have to build it and if you’re going to the expense of building it you may as well commit to 13 episodes.”

The decision was made to film on the Gold Coast and in its Hinterland after a major scout of locations around the world.

Filming has injected a lot of money into the region. Cassar doesn’t have an exact figure but, “a good percentage of our total budget has been spent here, minus post and things we’re doing in the States. Obviously you’re biggest expenditure is production when you’re doing any TV series and because our production is 100 per cent in Australia, a lot of it is spent here.”

Rumours abound the Gold Coast nearly lost Terra Nova after Queensland’s heavy flooding that struck as the pilot was in full swing in December and January.

The rainfall caused damages and delays. “Luckily we were on higher ground with our sets,” says Cassar. “It blocked access to some of our sets but what did hurt was the rain that came with those floods. That was tough. When they were shooting the pilot it became very difficult dealing with that amount of rainfall.” The rainfall caused the shoot to stop temporarily but the rumours to totally abandon Queensland were false. Says Cassar, “the only reason we would have left is if the sets got destroyed, then that question would have come up but it didn’t happen so we were okay. We’ve had unbelievably great weather since we’ve been doing the series.”

Terra Nova premiered on Channel Ten on Sunday, 2 October.