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Bondi Vet

Tall, single, blonde, chisel-jawed, single, a winning smile and single -Dr. Chris Brown is bound to win over his audience on TEN.

ep-1-bondi-vetIn the last few years TEN has been moving closer to the side of the room that’s a home to Factual Television.

Bondi Rescue, Bondi Recue: Bali, Saving Babies, Saving Kids were all original network franchises, and there’s more on the way with Guerilla Gardeners and Recruits. In what amounts to a significant shift from its core audience, TEN has seen where Middle Australia is sitting and it wants a bigger slice of the action.

Enter: Dr. Chris Brown on Bondi Vet.

Brown is no stranger to television having been on Harry’s Practice, Burke’s Backyard, Today and Talk to the Animals. Now he lands his own vehicle as a Bondi veterinarian from his own practice. It’s a match made in television heaven: sexy single doc, sick animals and a lush backdrop.

Produced by WTFN, the storytelling here is straight up and down. Sick pets, or wounded wildlife, are accompanied by a voice-over and worried owners to the caring resolve of Dr. Brown, who delicately talks us through the ailment, his plan of action and each step to recovery along the way. Since its habit in dropping most credits, TEN’s preview didn’t indicate who was behind the female narration.

Whether its major surgery or a little TLC, each case is constructed as its own piece of drama rising to a commercial-break cliffhanger that may or may not turn out well if an animal doesn’t respond well to surgery.

The opening episode includes a wounded fairy penguin, and two dogs, one which has been poisoned by bait and another with a fractured leg. Like most in the factual genre, stories are regularly paused to cut us away to another case in progress.

Brown is a natural for this kind of stuff. Tall, single, blonde, chisel-jawed, single, a winning smile and single -he’s bound to win over his audience. Thankfully he looks very skilled at his job and relaxed with the cameras.

He is joined by Dr. Lisa Chimes whose expertise is dogs and cats -though in the premiere episode it’s all about Brown.

Some of Brown’s home and social life will also feature. We see him at home with his flatmate (Flatmate: “You haven’t brought a bird home in a long time”) and the opening credits see him surfing the Bondi waves.

It’s odd that TEN hasn’t slated this mid year when it will be out of Bondi Rescue episodes. The suburb is going to saturate the channel.

Although it’s been a very long time coming (it was announced in 2007), Bondi Vet slots easily into a crowded genre. The real challenge will be creating a point of difference from other animal shows.

But with its pin-up boy it looks like it’s off to a good start.

35_starsBondi Vet premieres 8pm Thursday February 5th on TEN.

24 Responses

  1. i enjoy your show and i like wataching it and i get some great tip from your show i have a pup call rex and he is 13 weeks old and he is a loveble pup and i love him and he love me to i take him for a walk every day and we play to he is the best thing in my life i do not beleave in hurting pups or dogs or cats i love them all love from brodie and wish you all the best

  2. I think your shows are terrific, however please when giving advice about
    dog dog fights the best advice you can give anyone is to train your dog.
    i.e. because the dog sits in front of its food bowl does not make it a
    trained dog. Dogs need to learn good manners when out as much as at
    home, of course so do owners. There is never to much training, it is an
    ongoing thing a well trained dog is a joy to take out, and isn’t it wonderful
    to get comments such as what well behaved dogs you have Thank You
    Fran

  3. Help – an elderly couple of Mackay contacted me about their 2 yr old tabbie cat, Sooty. It is a very loving and lovable cat. Spends a lot of time with Rob who has been very ill for many years and practically bedridden. Sotty spends a lot of time with him, sometimes sitting on his chest.
    Sooty also likes to sit on Joan’s knee at the end of the day whilst she watches tv.
    The problem is 6 months ago Sooty began biting Joan and only Joan. He does this regularly and at times has really hurt her. She has scars all over her legs.
    Their local vet suggested the cat was schitzo and put it down, but she can’t bear to as Rob loves it.
    I asked did anything remarkable happen prior to this biting starting and she doesn’t recall.
    Do you have any ideas and – have you heard of such behaviour before?
    Would appreciate a reply as these 2 are desperate – he’s over 80 and she’s 10 years younger.
    Regards – Sue Angles

  4. I had no intention of watching this show nor of liking it but luckily I had the station on when it aired and I absolutely love this show, it makes me laugh and cry every week and it passes way to quickly.

  5. I think it’s an awesome show. Chris your gourgeous and you love animals. Your my dream man!! It’s not often you get guys who really care and go the extra mile for an animal, I’m an animal lover with loads of pets who I adore and I get teased alot cause I bring home wild animals and fix them up.Your my rolemodel Go Chris Go!!!

  6. “That Mitchell and Webb Look” had a spoof skit
    featuring vets abseiling from helicopters to rescue
    animals… Wanna bet TEN put in a tender for it? 🙂

  7. Yes, it’s a nice show… but is it needed? Hasn’t this
    format & subject matter been done to death?
    I’m all for happy animals being well cared for (ask my
    own), but yet another Vet show… is this really necessary?

  8. it just gives us a chance to look at the hot bodies on bondi.
    The guy seems to be a pretty good vet so lets see what else he can do in his on practice. We’ve only seen him talk about the animals and recomendation on what the different breeds are or what there combadabilaty to us humans on burks back yard.

  9. I’ve got a great idea for a show. We’ll steal all the great pictures from Bondi Rescue (quite literally) and add some cheerleaders.

    Bondi Cheerleaders.

    It’s got everything, dontcha think?

  10. Count me in – whether’s he sexy or single or chisel-jawed. Or single. 😉 Seeing animals being helped will just be a bonus for having a look at this show!

  11. “Produced by WTFN”

    The What The F*** Network? Couldn’t have put it better myself 🙂

    Anyone else suspect all these “Bondi” shows are just a neato excuse for the show producers and crew to get in a little bit of sand, surf and eye candy while working? I mean, it must be a far more appealing prospect to work on “Bondi Vet” than on “Paramatta Vet”. However, the latter would quite likely be a more interesting show.

    This one does sound pretty awful (though “Guerilla Gardeners”… sheesh, why on earth did I spend over $900 on a HD PVR again?) regardless of the cute penguin.

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