Returning: Getaway, RPA, The Gift, CSI: NY

Nine is bringing back several of its most popular franchises a week before ratings start.

Getaway resumes its traditional Thursday 7:30pm timeslot. Although Catriona Rowntree is said to be giving some focus to her hosting duties on The Chopping Block she is still listed in the first episode, on Thursday February 7. No doubt these were filmed well in advance.

The Gift returns at 9:30pm. Together with Rapid Response it gives Nine’s Thursdays a strong medical line-up. Til Death moves to Fridays at 10:30pm.

Meanwhile CSI: NY returns with new episodes at 9:30pm Monday Feb 4. “Cold Reveal” is Series 3 Ep 22. It will follow a repeat of CSI.

With a Mondays shaping up as Year with the Royal Family and CSI:NY, it would certainly be logical for Nine to slip in the first episode of Underbelly at 8:30pm Monday Feb 11.

Amended: With Two and a Half Men moving to 7pm RPA will now return a week earlier 8:30pm Jan 31.

1/2/08: Both THE GIFT and RAPID RESPONSE are now out of schedule.

Back for its 16th year, GETAWAY, Australia’s longest running lifestyle program, returns tomorrow night on Nine.

Tour guides Catriona Rowntree, Ben Dark, Jules Lund, Natalie Gruzlewski, Jason Dundas and Dermott Brereton will bring viewers more of the short breaks, weekend escapes, trips of a lifetime, overseas jaunts and happy holidays that make the program so popular.

This week on GETAWAY, Dermott Brereton travels to Swakopmund, a city on the Atlantic coast of north-western Namibia. This destination was firmly put on the map when Angelina Jolie gave birth to her daughter while staying there with Brad Pitt. Dermott gets into the swing of things by going quad biking on the massive dunes that surround the city.

Jason Dundas hits the racing track at Sandown for a stunt driving course in Melbourne with actors from Underbelly, Nine’s new Australian gangland drama. The guys put the cars through their paces as they relive some of the high-octane moments from the eagerly awaited series.

Natalie Gruzlewski climbs aboard a new eco-cruise that takes in the stunning coastline between Port Arthur and Eagle Hawk Neck around the coast of Tasmania.

And Catriona Rowntree visits beautiful Boston, one of America’s classiest cities, spending time in its oldest suburb, North End, which is the Little Italy of Massachusetts.

Photo: stock image