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Four telemovies for Nine in 2011

The Nine Network has confirmed details on its 2011 telemovies, which recently won funding from Screen Australia.

The Nine Network has confirmed details on its 2011 telemovies, which recently won funding from Screen Australia.

As previously noted, Screentime will produce true crime telemovies, to be self-contained and centre upon three separate and criminal events.

First is the story of ‘a not-so-glorious crooked Victorian cop, looking for redemption, who jumps at the chance to go deep undercover into the world of the Calabrian Mafia. For eighteen exhausting months he attempts to survive with only his local knowledge and lingo to keep him from a bullet in the head.’

The second telemovie depicts ‘a Saturday night stake-out in the suburbs of Melbourne in the late 90’s where uniformed cops, Gary Silk and Rod Miller, are cold-bloodedly shot dead. But the killers aren’t part of the “normal” criminal world and so the Lorimer Task Force, with outstanding detective work and dogged determination, sets out to track the killers down.’

The third tale follows Russell “Mad Dog” Cox Australia’s ‘most successful’ armed robber.

Panic At Rock Island (working title), which was listed by Screen Australia as a drama series is actually a telemovie. The disaster thriller is set on Sydney Harbour during a three day rock music festival. ‘Great music, DJ’s, sunshine and gorgeous young people from all over the world. What could possibly go wrong?’ Nine states in a Press Release.

Nine CEO David Gyngell said, “Nine has earned a deserved reputation for its support of diverse local drama , most recently through the runaway success of the record-breaking Underbelly series, but also from the quality and consistency of contemporary programs like Sea Patrol, Rescue Special Ops, and before them McLeod’s Daughters, Water Rats and many more in a distinguished portfolio.

“We have real momentum at Nine and we intend to build on it. So a fourth series of Underbelly in 2011 together with these four big telemovies is a good way to do just that. Australians love quality local drama, and we have plenty on the plate.”

Jo Horsburgh Head of Drama said, “These are certainly exciting times for Drama at Nine with such rich material to mine and fabulous stories to bring to our audience.”‘

7 Responses

  1. disgusted: screentime are an independant australian production company, who are well within their rights to apply and be granted funds from SA. if ch9 want to invest in the production, great! would you rather another dull arthouse film made by an auteur film school grad that costs millions yet makes only a few thousand at the box office? what viable company would exist to lose money? if australian production can be profitable, shouldn’t that be encouraged?

  2. I don’t care if tax payers dollars go there.. If not for that money, then they wouldn’t be producing as much.. or if they were, it would be on an (even more) shoestring budget, which would inevitably lower the quality.

  3. Panic at Rock Island is very similar to Picnic at Hanging Rock. Can’t they think of something more original. I know that it is only the working title, so they could possibly change it.

  4. Disgusted, at least taxpayer money is actually going on something that will stimulate the economy this time.

    I hate all of Nine’s crime wave of television, but I would rather that than another Packed to the Rafters. Besides, some of those telemovies sound good.

    That is of course except Rock Island. Lord, it sounds terrible. It has a dire premise, almost as bad as the Georgie Parker one about fires and no water.

  5. How disgusting that taxpayer dollars go to producing shows for a for profit network. Screen Australia lift your game. How disgusting. If Channel Nine wants my tax dollars to pay for its telemovies, at least show them commercial free.

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