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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - Page 17
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
TV Times
7-DAY TV GUIDE LIFTOUT
Wednesday, August 1 - Tuesday, August 7
Cyclops
Her Majesty saves the day ■ The Queen saved the day for Nine’s coverage of the Olympics Opening Ceremony at the weekend. The Queen and Rowan Atkinson appeared in spots that highlighted British homour. It was a much-needed tonic to the wooden delivery offered by Eddie McGuire and Leila McKinnon on Nine. They read prepared scripts badly. In some examples, it sounded like they were reading the material for the first time with an “it will be all right on the right” attitude. Social media exploded with criticism of the Australian pair. Alex Hehr, Station Manager of Golden Days Radio, offered his personal opinion: “The commentary was very poor indeed. I have presenters that would have done a far better job. “Eddie surely doesn't have to do everything at 9 for heavens sake. In parts you could not understand what he was on about. Delivery flat as a tack.”!
● The Queen at her desk
The Observer’s One-Eyed TV Critic ... Who Has No Fear
Burnt Breakfast The Circle axed
IS PETER’S JOB SAFE? ● Yumi Stynes ■ Sometimes the Karma Bus runs a little late ... but The Circle is being axed this week. The Circle is the daily advertorial program on the Ten Network hosted by Yumi Stynes, Gorgi Coghlan and guests. It attracted only 62,000 viewers nationally. The Morning Show (Seven) has 145,000; Nine’s Mornings has an audience of 117,000. The Circle, produced by Pam Barnes, from the Ten Studios in South Yarra, was the location of dreadful comments early this year by Yumi Stynes and George Negus about Australian military hero Cpl Ben Roberts-Smith VC.
● Paul Henry ■ The Ten Network's early morning news program, Breakfast , is to continue, but changes are to be made. The show will be shorter. An ‘emergency meeting’ of all show staff was held at Ten's Sydney studios on Monday morning, which raised immediate questions about the show's future.
Gorgi stays at 10
Yumi cops it ● Peter Mitchell, Seven News anchor in Melbourne ■ In the cut-throat world of commercial television, there is open speculation this week that a restructure of the Seven News operation in Melbourne may see long-time presenter Peter Mitchell axed. ■ The subsidiary high-definition channels (ABC2, Recently sacked Herald Sun Editor Simon Pristel could ABC3,ABC4, 7Two, 7Mate, Gem, Go, One and Eleven) be recruited as News Director for the Docklands-based won more than 27 per cent of the free-to-air audience station. Veteran Steve Carey moves to another position. on a pre-Olympic viewing night last week. Nine News, led by Peter Hitchener, has clawed back ■ What is with Channel One and its obsession with the number one position, for the first time in six years. Planets Of The Apes movies? The Australian newspaper says that research shows a ■ Comedian Denise Scott yesterday (Tues.) arrived lack of connection between Mitchell, 52, and Victorian in Edinburgh, Scotland, for comedy appearances. viewers.
This just in ...
Media Briefs
Movers, Shakers
Olympic ratings
■ Peter Hunt has been appointed as the new Chairman of APN News and Media, part owners of the Australian Radio Network. ■ Buddha Radio is now online at www.buddharadio.com.au ■ The next Melbourne radio ratings figures are due to be released on Tuesday (August 7). ■ Repeats of The Ricky Gervais Show start at 2.05am Tuesday (Monday night) on SBS One ■ The ACCC is due to publish its findings tomorrow over News Ltd’s bid for ConsMedia.
■ A quirk of the Australian TV ratings system produced an amusing result in Saturday's ratings. Despite the day starting with the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air came out on top for the day , with an impressive 2.025 million viewers. ■ Channel 9 had 2.46 million viewers tune in to its 5.30am-9.30am coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Saturday. A peak of 1.895 million viewers watched the replay at 2pm. Some 2.8 million watched Games action on Day 1 (Saturday).
● Leila McKinnon
■ Blame for the collapse of The Circle is being laid squarely withYumi Stynes, onsocial media: ■ “The show was a dud root. Bye bye Yumi,” said Adrian at the Herald Sun website. ■ Alex offered: “It's the age old story of ‘celebrities’ or ‘personalities’ who in actuallity have no specific skills, but are well known for being well known. Yumi Who ?” ■ Frank commented: “What an airhead she is. Now let's forget her. What was her name again? ■ Judy said: “Have not watched it since they made that silly comment about our brave soldier.” ■ Marilyn: “Time it went we don't need those type of people on our screens.
● Gorgi Coghlan ■ The Ten Network will try ande find other duties for Circle co-host Gorgi Coghlan after the final episode this Fruday (Aug. 3). Ten is not interested in keeping Yumi Stynes on the payroll. "I think it might be time to host more drinks at my place," Yumi said on Twitter. ■ Rachel Griffiths and Mandy McElhinney have been cast in the lead roles in Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, ABC’s mini-series sequel to Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo.
TV Times Tele-Grams
After having been a ratings disaster for Nine, The Voice (US) has ★Fewer been quietly moved to the Go channel, 7.30pm, during the Olympics. Home Shopping programs on a number of networks during ★ the Games? Is this the networks expecting late night viewers switching channels ... or an inability to sell advertorial programs during the Games? The Ten Network’s The Shire has moved into a new timeslot: 8pm ★Fast Wednesdays (from tonight, Wed.). But does anyone care? Fact: The Olympic Games Opening Ceremony was NOT tele★vised live in the United States, reports CNN. Is there nothing left as taboo? A TV commercial presenter for Care★free now talks about vagina health in the latest promotion on air.