So what’s been your summer gem?
With so much content on digital channels, 09 / 10 summer has delivered far more content than previous years. So what little gem have you found?
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Programming
The other week a journalist asked me for some quotes on how our TV summer season was faring and I pointed out that historically, the 09 / 10 season has offered an abundance of choice -at least compared to when we had just 5 channels, half of which were stuck on sport.
This year the amount of content has boomed, thanks to our extra digital channels.
But when the article appeared in print, readers hit back saying summer is still a dead zone. I got slammed. Well, it is if you stick with Australia’s Funniest Home Videos Daily Edition or Whacked Out Sports. Or you settle for a repeat of a 1995 movie. The key is to drill down and look at what is being offered on GO!, 7TWO, ABC and SBS. There have been some fantastic shows that are overlooked and deserve a little more word of mouth.
On Free to Air we’ve had The Circuit, John Adams, Lillies, Bush Slam, Torchwood: Children of Earth, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Shrink Rap, The Graham Norton Show, Killer Whale Attack, The Colbert Report, Reaper, My Place, Gourmet Farmer, Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam, Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes, White Collar, Kingdom, Burying Brian, Make Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, Rex in Rome, Chandon Pictures, The Fixer, The Middle, and Elders with Andrew Denton.
Maybe you’ve been getting reacquainted again with old friends like Survivor, Ugly Betty, Nip / Tuck, Weeds, The Wire, Californication, Band of Brothers, Futurama, The Unit, Stargate: Atlantis, Beautiful People, Inside the Actor’s Studio or ER.
Are you basking in smiles now Big Love is back? Are your eyes popping out of your head at the steamy scenes in Dante’s Cove? Does Fringe still have its fans since its been playing new episodes? Are you now a fan of Man vs Wild or a late-night convert to The 7pm Project?
And has anyone out there actually found a gem on SBS TWO they simply have to share?
Pay TV’s offerings are too numerous to mention but summer highlights would have to include Satisfaction, The #1 Ladies Detective Agency, Gossip Girl, The Contender Australia, Hung and of course Dexter. Not succumbing to ratings pressure, the Pay sector isn’t really doing much in 09 / 10 that it didn’t do twelve months ago, whereas the landscape in Free to Air summer is wildly different.
Let’s not forget a ‘summer gem’ isn’t really a big broad hit title like Dexter or new episodes of Glee. It’s something you’ve discovered, possibly by mistake, that nobody else seems to know about.
I found another one this week: Taking The Flak. A British satire about Foreign Correspondents working for the BBC in the fictional African state of Karibu, and the lengths they will go to in order to land a story for the 6pm News. It was like Frontline meets guerilla soldiers. It’s buried at 10pm on Thursday nights on ABC2. Definitely worth a look, and I only wish I had found it earlier to write a review for the first episode last week (Ep 1 is on iView). Getting On is another little gem (it starts tonight on ABC1).
So let’s hear it. What are your newest discoveries we should all be taking a look at? Please try to keep answers succinct guys.
Share
- Tagged with Australia's Funniest Home Videos, Band of Brothers, Beautiful People, Big Love, Burying Brian, Bush Slam, Californication, Chandon Pictures, Dante's Cove, Dexter, Elders with Andrew Denton, ER, Fringe, Frontline, Futurama, Getting On, Glee, Gossip Girl, Gourmet Farmer, Hung, Inside the Actor’s Studio, John Adams, Killer Whale Attack, Kingdom, Lillies, Luke Nguyen's Vietnam, Make Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, Man Vs Wild, My Place, Nip / Tuck, Reaper, Rex in Rome, Satisfaction, Shrink Rap, Stargate: Atlantis, Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Survivor, Taking the Flak, The #1 Ladies Detective Agency, The 7pm Project, The Circuit, The Colbert Report, The Contender Australia, The Fixer, The Graham Norton Show, The Middle, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, the unit, The Wire, Torchwood: Children of Earth, Ugly Betty, Weeds, Whacked Out Sports, White Collar
78 Responses
@ Andrew – new eps of Glee ran out – yes, but they were up to ep 7 in repeats which were meant to keep going through summer but have been taken off due to low ratings.
@Steph: Didn’t Ten take Glee off only because they had caught up with the US and there were no new eps to show?
Nothing.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the first episode of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? on UKTV. Not the usual talent show i was expecting. And Graham Norton is a hoot as the host.
Man vs Wild is must see TV on a Monday night in my household now. Surprisingly, how i met your mother has grown on me and i’ve enjoyed new private practice. The Unit has been good to watch…..and gossip girl when they can be bothered showing it!
the only shows I am watching that haven’t already been mentioned are spellbinder on abc3 and crusoe on 9, don’t know that I’d really call them gems but they aren’t too bad.
Parks & Recreations – nice little new show. Otherwise, some repeats of Heartbreak High was also fun. Reno 911 on GO was something I caught when I remembered too!
I didnt watch Glee the first time around, but was getting into it this summer – before 10 pulled it … again…
Repeats of Being Human, The IT Crowd & Beautiful People on ABC1, that’s about it.
Weeds, Graham Norton, Ugly Betty, Futurama, Heartbreak High, Reno 911 (when I can find it) and Seinfeld. I also enjoyed Hestons Feast and I have been taping TMZ during the day.
Everything else is pretty Z-grade IMO and I am still in two minds re 7PM project.
I sincerely hope The Office and The Cleveland show disappear and never ever come back.
Glad to see alot of people like White Collar – have aslo enjoyed that. 30 Rock on Seven, many were missed last time round due to starting too early or too late or just forgetting it was on. Top Chef on Arena, also Burn Notice on Arena. Enjoyed older Amazing Race seasons on 7TWO and Arena. ER on GO – but only one week so far. Have even sampled Home and Away – the early years and the Leyland Brothers on 7TWO! Tried Survivor for first time on Nine. Blankety Blanks on the Comedy Channel Saturday nights – so much you could not get away with now!
Stargate Universe recorded off Sci Fi months ago (finally get time to watch some), Tangle Showcase also recorded and watched, Chuck FOX8 as well, and of course, my favourite every year – Retro Staurdays on Rage.
Other than that, our local DVD rental store gets triple their usual income from our place in January. Usually catch up on the previous years’ movies in January while nothing much is on TV.
Parks and Recreation was a stand-out for me. I don’t really check any US shows until they are announced as coming soon to FTA so I can see if it’s any good. And after seeing the pilot episode it made me add this show to my ever-growing list of favourite TV shows.
Also on the list: Fringe Season 2 on GO! and Ugly Betty [Even though I’ve watched this whole season and the season after already (and still continuing)] on 7TWO.
Sidenote – I gotta say that the 7PM Project is daily viewing for me – it is more entertaining and has improved. If Ten aren’t happy with its ratings at 7PM, they should keep the show to late-nights or once a week.
Bones repeats on 7. Still rating highly – anyone know if they’ll go back to Season 5 after the tennis?
Parks and Recreation – like the Office. The Office should be onsold to 7 and shown with this and 30 Rock.
Survivor – Can’t wait for Villians v Heroes (when is it coming to 9?) Saw an ad for it last night.
I had hoped White Collar would be my summer gem, as it seemed like it had a fun premise. But it hasn’t held my attention. I think it veers off track too often within an episode, sometimes changing direction from an off-the-cuff comment, and if I miss that I find I can’t keep up and lose interest.
For me it will be the reruns of Alf starting next monday on 7two. Other than that, I’ve found this summers line up pretty bland.
Mike, The Office is one of the silliest shows you’ve ever seen? You need to stay in more … and catch some truly bizarre shows, like Flight of the Conchords and The Mighty Boosh. The US version of The Office is one of the rare examples of the yanks taking an import and making it work.
I’ve been enjoying Graham Norton and, like Len, surprised by how funny The Middle can be.
Nine- CSI:NY – has become the better of the three CSI’s in my opinion. Wipeout is another fave as well as The Big Bang Theory.
GO!-Nightmares and dreamscapes, South Park
Seven- 30 Rock ,Parks and Recreation
Ten- The Cleveland Show, Glee, Futurama
ABC2-The Colbert Report, also will be watching Breaking Bad.
Well i have been watching a truck load of PayTV and so my favorites have been Gossip Girl and Top Chef while on FTA it was fantastic to see Private Practice and on 7TWO its been great watching Ugly Betty, Reaper and Stargate Atlantis.
I happened to watch lead balloon on ABC2 last night and it was hilarious. Its got me hooked i will be back next week. its a funny version of curb your enthusiasm.
for me – definitely fringe – im amazed c9 have rolled straight on through to the 2nd season. Good work people.
For once, i have something good to say about C9 and It feels good not to be 9 bashing – for this post at least.
Other than that – been watching the office (though it pains me to know it’ll probably get yanked off prime time soon). Watched man vs wild for the last 2 days and despite some of it seems a tiny but staged, it’s actually pretty good, mainly because it’s surprisingly educational with survival pointers.
I didnt know parks and recreation was on 7 – has it been on long? Have i missed much? Im assuming this is the show with Will arnetts wife (amy poehler, or something?).
Loving The Fixer on SBS, repeats of Party Animals on ABC2, Ugly Betty, The Unit & Reaper on 72, ER, Fringe, & New Amsterdam on 99! Was looking forward to SGU, Supernatural & now White Collar has finished I’m afraid Ten has lost me completely, only ONEHD gets a run for the male in the house.
Sunrise with out Kochie !
I’m hooked on Jack Osborne’s Adrenalin Junkie on ABC 2, I only wish they started with the previous season.
Very excited about the return of ‘Big Love’
Also addicted to Dante’s Cove (in spite of the atrocious acting) and The Graham Norton Show (The 50 cent episode was v funny).
Looking forward to The Inbetweeners on Go! and Benidorn (except 7 has ruined that one)
I’ve caught up with a few Ugly Betty episodes lately. Plus it’s hard to knock back a weeknightly fix of Seinfeld on GO, and I’d forgotten about Big Love until i was channel surfing last night so saw that too.
also enjoyed The 7PM Project, 30Rock and on my days off even the repeats of Sons and Daughters on 7TWO.
Also there can be a few gems on ABC iView for those that have access. They’ve recently put on the Barry Humphries Flashbacks series from 1999 and also re-run a doco from a few years ago about Indian call centres – Never forget the little Indian fellow learning to say in his best Australian accent “I’m as dry as a dead donkey’s dong”.
And for any fans of Catherine Tate be sure to check YouTube for Nan’s Christmas Carol that aired in the UK on Christmas night. It’s a cack.
Inside the Actors Studio on ABC 2
Iron Man cartoon on ABC 2
New Amsterdam on GO! (pity so few episodes were made)