60 Mins v Sunday Night v Merlin

This week 60 Minutes is at the earlier timeslot of 6:30pm because of the Logies. That pits it head to head for the first time with Sunday Night on Seven.

Nine has stories on the Swine Flu in which reporter Michael Usher’s sister has been quarantined. Another promises to be frank about STDs -in a 6:30pm timeslot. Current affairs and News shows fall under different classifications to other shows in that timeslot. And the puff piece of the week sees Karl Stefanovic chat to Simon Baker, who has hit the big time (again) with The Mentalist. It’s a network cross-promo of course, but a good one for TV fans.

Meanwhile Seven’s Sunday Night has eye-catching pics of the world’s oldest conjoined twins, Rebecca Maddern meets up with three Irish priests who have become recording stars, and there is a follow up on last week’s immunisation story.

TEN will be looking to tilt with the premiere of its Merlin fantasy.

May the best man, or kid, win!

Sunday Night
World’s Oldest Conjoined Twins
We meet Ronnie and Donnie Galyon – the world’s oldest conjoined twins. Ronnie and Donnie have never been apart, not even for a second, but they are two individuals with their own personalities. This is a story about brotherly love. Not just between Ronnie and Donnie, but also with their younger brother, Jim, who looks after them. Ronnie and Donnie’s health is quickly getting worse and they want to fulfill their life-long dream of attending a football match. But when you’re conjoined twins, that’s easier said than done.

Gifts from God
On the road with The Priests
Sunday Night hits the road with The Priests on their whirlwind Australia tour. The group’s self-titled album is the fastest-selling classical album of all time with over one million copies sold worldwide in just seven weeks. So how did these three Northern Ireland priests become one of the world’s biggest acts, all the while maintaining their parish duties? Reporter Rebecca Maddern tries to keep up with The Priests.

Questions answered
Immunisation debate continues
Sunday Night had a massive response to our immunisation story last week. Many viewers had questions and concerns. This week, we’ll put those questions and concerns to the experts.

60 Minutes
The Love Bug
Let’s be brutally frank, let’s talk about sex. Sex and young people, teenagers in particular. It’s no secret they’re doing it. But talk to them, and you’ll be horrified to hear how risky behaviour, like unsafe sex, is now just a part of their lives. And that’s certainly reflected in the thing nobody wants to talk about. Sexually transmitted infections, love bugs as they’re called. One in every eight Australians has such an infection and the most common, Chlamydia, has reached epidemic proportions amongst the young. Many don’t know they have it, don’t even know it exists, and the consequences can be very nasty, indeed.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producer: Sandra Cleary

Baker’s Delight
On Logies night 16 years ago, one young soapie star thought he had it made. Life was oh-so-sweet for the winner of the most popular new talent award. I’ll bet no-one in the room thought he’d end up one of the biggest television stars in the world. But that’s what happened to Simon Baker. Now every week, 20 million Americans sit down to watch him in his top-rating show, The Mentalist. He’s been called the sexiest man on TV, the new Errol Flynn, even the new George Clooney. Well, like Flynn he was born in Tasmania, and like Clooney women do swoon over him but Karl Stefanovic found he’s still one of the boys.
Reporter: Karl Stefanovic
Producer: Sandra Cleary

Outbreak
Until a couple of weeks ago none of us had ever heard of it. But now Swine Flu is striking fear around the world. The fear is that this mutant infection that originated in Mexico could become a global pandemic. As medical authorities struggle to contain its spread, 60 Minutes has the latest on the outbreak with international coverage from Peter Harvey in Mexico and developments here in our back yard, where it’s striking close to home. 60 Minutes reporter, Michael Usher’s own sister has been caught up in the panic, quarantined in her house with flu symptoms and anxiously awaiting test results. We go inside the lab to reveal how the virus developed, how it transferred from pigs to humans and the international race against time to find a vaccine.
Reporters: Michael Usher, Peter Harvey

Merlin
Young warlock Merlin arrives at Camelot and finds himself in a place where magic is punishable by death. Upon meeting the Great Dragon, Merlin’s destiny becomes clear – he must use his magic to protect Arthur, son of Uther and future king.