Battlefronts
Here comes another team of cheerful, pranking landscapers. But the gardening tips are always secondary to the moment we really wanna see: the big reveal.
- Published by David Knox
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Hold onto your spades, here comes another gardening makeover show. This one, from Channel Nine, is set entirely on the front lawns of suburbia.
Two Battlefronts teams of competing landscapers will transform rather bland-looking gardens in just one day, on a budget of $10,000. It’s the speed-dating of gardening. The local neighbourhood will choose a winner -I’m not really sure what they actually win, as it would seem the “loser” benefits just as much as the winner. The property values of two houses will increase from having the Nine team bestow their skills. You’d think a valuer should therefore decide the winner…
But Battlefronts thrives on its communal feel. This show is chockful of friendly neighbours, kids on tricycles, and the sort of folk who will lend you a wheelbarrow or bake some scones at the drop of a hat.
Giaan Rooney referees the teams, who are a good-looking bunch of landscapers brimming with zest and cheerful smiles. If you don’t have a garden needing a makeover, you could just as easily invite them over for a BBQ and they’d probably come at it with as much enthusiasm as they do horticulture. Heck, they spend just as much time pranking as they do gardening. I do find myself wondering if these experts actually finish the jobs they tell us they are undertaking, or whether they down tools once the camera has filmed their viewer tips.
Even the SES is roped in to assist (let’s hope their rescue skills are better than their acting).
There is also a military tone to Battlefronts with khaki colours, “rules of engagement” and Rooney as something of a designer drill sergeant throughout.
The two houses, joined only by a fence, are bland indeed. The neighbours are also good friends. One is a young family headed by a paediatrician. The other is a retired widower living on her own –nice to see a single getting a look in, for once. One of the strongest elements of the show is that it actually feels like an ordinary street in an ordinary suburb.
The gardening tips in the show, like most of these programmes, is secondary to the aspiration and the big reveal. Rooney, rather wisely, doesn’t attempt to match the gardening expertise of Jamie Durie, whose show she will compete with this Sunday night.
The end results are certainly aesthetic (even if Rooney tells us “anyone” can make over their yard). It would be interesting to learn if the $10,000 gardens were bolstered by sponsor ‘freebies’, not to mention the cost of the free labour. 300 of the neighbourhood gather for the big reveal, from kids to grandmas all cheering for the two lucky house-owners. All cheering for Giaan and Channel Nine.
At sixty minutes, the story-telling is stretched for what is now an exhausted genre. It’s hard to find a point of difference in these things anymore. Personally if I see another blokey landscaper arguing with a cheery blonde over the best way to build a sandpit I may just go and shove them in a city apartment building and lock the door behind them. But Battlefronts is lightweight enough to suit as a Sunday diversion. After all, we don’t really care about which is the best hammer to use. We just wanna see the look on the faces when they see what’s happened to their home. Right?
Battlefronts airs 6:30pm Sunday on Nine.
KINDLY CONTACT NINE FOR ENQUIRIES REGARDING THIS SHOW.
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33 Responses
Hey Adam, you forgot to add………..you can take the girl out of Ipswich………….
Josephine I think your son and yourself are the real talent on the show and more than likely the only talent on this show.The public want the gardeners to have cred, I would love to see the likes of say Celias ‘gardening’ resume on what she has ever done with gardening or renovating before this show I think you will find it would be blank. You see TV stations decieve viewers every day by putting on ‘talent’ who their only ‘talent’ is dating a channel nine cameraman……..this does come back to haunt them for the ‘talent’ struggles to read lines….
Josephine thanks for the info on how enjoyable it was to work on Battlefronts. Clearly the show has had trouble connecting with an audience, now unable to build a following in ratings or non-ratings.
Alas in television there are innumerable shows that people have invested blood, sweat and tears into creating that don’t succeed. But that’s the game. In a saturated genre like renovations, there needs to be a point of difference, and it’s probably found in tone rather than neighbour v neighbour (but that’s just my opinion).
I’d also be inclined to accept the worthiness a bit more if we knew everyone involved was volunteering. But television is a business, and with no audience, no ratings, no revenue there’s probably no more renovations being done out there in suburbia by the crew who you clearly enjoyed working alongside. If its as worthy as you suggest should we expect everyone to continue to go and rescue needy yards even though there are no cameras around? Doubtful…
Glad you had a good time but the bottom line was its entertainment and storytelling value…
Well, you uninspired, do nothing to help anyone else type of people can bag this show all you like. All you do is sit on your lounge chairs and bag people. I worked on this show and I had a ball. The fact that we were helping people with a bit harder lot in life than ourselves gave me a feeling of doing something worthwhile. And it was worthwhile. They were real people with real houses in real Sydney suburbs. The makeovers were done by real people and you saw them doing some real work as some of these yards were shockers to start with. And some did wear hats!! My son did every episode!! A white baseball cap. He was a labourer and had never had landscaping experience before this show, but as he is the type who can take direction and can do anything he ….he was used. And I was on the crew and was kept very busy. Sure, the antics of the teams were captured, but that is what really happened, and alot of the practical jokes were just spur of the moment things, and really were just captured on film as they happened. Most of the time, the teams didnt know they were being filmed! And they ususally happened when the boss wasnt looking. And the personalities of the team members ….well, they were exactly like that when the camera wasnt rolling. Giaan is a true sweety. Melissa is just as lovely in real life, and the guys….well, they really are hunky! And to be true, Ceila really is that ocker. But she has a lovely nature and would do anything for you. None of these swollen heads you would expect from “Stars.” It is an experience I will never forget and neither will my son….to be involved in a tv show which actually helps people. And as for the front yards just being thrown together…..no they werent. We had plans to go by. And the designer of the plans was the same person who does the yard plans for Backyard Blitz. (Matt).
Oh please ! I couldn’t believe this shoe was making a comeback over summer..!Giggly Giaan and clearly immature behaviour of the teams make this show a dud!! Let it go Channel Nine and remember ex-sports people don’t necessarily make great presenters !
I would like to find out the name of the green garden carry-all that you use to ferry around the heavy things in the garden. It was green and seemed to be activated by a foot pedal. Looks like something every gardener should have. Appreciate your feedback.
Merry Christmas
Hi I loved that show where they put those rustic looking screens up in the front with the lights shining on them, how do i find out were to get screens like that?? Thanks
Thank god this show has been axed can I say the black team were ok but the downfall will be on the shoulders of Celia Pisasale and the green team with their annoying performances. Cringed just viewing them. Please dont put them on TV ever again they will bomb every show.