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Foxtel: summer highlights

Damages, Boardwalk Empire, Cricket Superstar, Gossip Girl, Grimm, Conspiracy 365, Wife Swap Australia, American Idol, AFL -it's all headed your way this summer.

Foxtel has announced its highlights for the summer of 2011-12, a time of year when it takes advantage of Free to Air’s quiet season.

Amongst a massive list of Australian and international content there are first-run international dramas, reality and lifestyle premieres and exclusive Australian productions.

Local productions include Cricket Superstar (FOX8), Wife Swap Australia (LifeStyle YOU) and Bargain Hunt Australia (The LifeStyle Channel), along with a second series of both Balls of Steel Australia (The Comedy Channel) and The Stafford Brothers (FOX8) and and Family Movie Channel’s big budget, local drama Conspiracy 365.

International debuts include Last Man Standing, Grimm, Hart of Dixie, Shameless (US) and Enlightened.

Returning favourites include Gossip Girl Season 5 (FOX8), American Idol Season 11 (FOX8), Kourtney & Kim Take New York Season 2 (E! Entertainment) and Hung Season 3 (showcase), Boardwalk Empire Season 2 (showcase), Damages Season 4 (W) and The Glades Season 2 (W).

The FOX Footy channel returns with AFL including magazine style, AFL focussed shows. Other local sporting highlights include the JBWere Australian Masters, Hyundai A-League, KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, the 2012 Australian Open with John McEnroe as a commentator, the Innsbruk Youth Olympic Winter Games (dedicated channel), Winter X Games 16 Aspen (ESPN) and Spanish Primera League (ESPN).

A new HD channel, A&E, with factual entertainment for men launches in early 2012.

Other factual programming highlights include I Survived… Stories of Australians (Bio), 11 Kids And Wanting More (LifeStyle YOU), The Aussie Way Up (Nat Geo), Australia’s Greatest Flood (National Geographic Channel) and the 2011 Pride of Australia National Medal Presentation (SKY NEWS), Big Fat Gypsy Christmas (LifeStyle YOU), Matthew Hayden’s Christmas Lights Spectacular (The LifeStyle Channel), Sarah’s Holiday Party (LifeStyle HOME), and Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! (Disney Channel).

For kids there is Baby Jake (CBeebies), The Adventures of Chuck and Friends (Boomerang), The Loony Tunes (Cartoon Network) while music highlights include Homebake 2011 (Channel [V]), Big Day Out 2012 (Channel [V]), MAX House Party (MAX), Top 50 Hits of Summer (MTV Hits), and The 12 Hits of Christmas ([V] Hits).

And TV Tonight brings you all the Airdates here:

ENTERTAINMENT & REALITY
Cricket Superstar – FOX8
Wed Jan 4 at 7.30pm
Hosted by Lee Furlong, CRICKET SUPERSTAR is a competitive new sports-reality series following 15 up and coming young male cricketers as they battle it out to become Australia’s ‘next big thing’ on the cricket pitch. Over the course of filming, the boys must compete in a series of cricket and non-cricket challenges, while also dealing with the rigours of daily training and match day situations. Judging the boys at every step is cricketing legend Allan Border, while former Australian test cricketer Graham Manou helps mentor the boys on their journey from backyard cricket ace to CRICKET SUPERSTAR. The 10-part series is an offshoot of the successful FOOTBALL SUPERTAR franchise, which ran for three seasons on FOX8.

Wife Swap Australia – LifeStyle YOU
Mon Jan 9 at 8.30pm
Have you ever wondered whether the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? From moody teenagers and spoilt children to errant husbands and trophy wives, this series gives a whole new meaning to domestic bliss and lifts the lid on what it means to be Australian in the 21st century. WIFE SWAP AUSTRALIA is a reality show unlike any other, where the battlegrounds are the kitchens and living rooms, child-rearing is a subject of intense and heated debate, and the outcome isn’t a cash prize, but a couple’s opportunity to re-discover why they love each other and decided to marry in the first place. With its mirror on Australian domestic lives, this series sees sparks fly as two wives from radically different families swap places for a week. It’s not just the wives that need to get used to a new family, but the husbands and children are given a wake-up call too as they have to adapt to new house routines. Packed with suspense and jeopardy, WIFE SWAP AUSTRALIA gets right to the heart of the way we live and lifts the lid on the choices different people make about how to live their lives.

Last Man Standing – FOX8
Thu Jan 22 at 7.30pm
Tim Allen, the star of the mega 90s hit HOME IMPROVEMENT, made his return to TV in America with a bang. After more than ten years off the air, his new series LAST MAN STANDING smashed the competition with an impressive 19 million viewers tuning into the first night. Tim stars as Mike Baxter, world voyager and one daredevil of a marketing director who is about to face his greatest challenge yet…his family. After Mike’s wife, Vanessa, (Nancy Travis) receives a promotion at work; Mike must spend more time in his female-dominated household. With years of advice and guidance from their nurturing mother, Mike’s three daughters are not prepared for their old-fashioned, hotheaded father to take over.

DRAMAS
Enlightened – showcase
Sun Jan 15 at 8.30pm
ENLIGHTENED is the new, offbeat drama series starring Laura Dern as Amy, a self-destructive health and beauty executive who has a very public workplace meltdown. After three months of contemplation and meditation at a treatment centre in Hawaii, Amy returns rested and ready to pick up the pieces of her old life and reshape the world she left behind. That includes delivering well-meaning, but generally unwanted advice to her mother Helen (Diane Ladd), with whom Amy is now living; her slacker ex-husband Levi (Luke Wilson) whose only solace comes from recreational drugs; and the crew of awkward co-workers Amy finds herself reassigned to. The series follows Amy as she navigates an unconventional path between who she is, who she wants to be… and what everyone is willing to tolerate from her.

Grimm – FOX8
Wed Jan 4 at 8.30pm A new drama series inspired by the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as ‘Grimms,’ charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world. As he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his fiancée, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), and his partner, Hank (Russell Hornsby), he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world. With help from his confidant, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a reformed Grimm creature himself, Nick must navigate through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers.

Shameless – W Sun Dec 4 at 9.20pm
Meet Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy): proud, working-class patriarch to a motley brood of six smart, spirited and independent kids who, without him, would be… better off. In Frank’s booze-addled view, parenting just eats into his hard-earned bar-crawling and carousing time around Chicago so he leaves it to eldest daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to hold down the fort. Bearing the de facto parent badge, she’s donned the proverbial apron and makes sure her younger siblings do their chores, keep a clean(ish) home and feed the kitty, the Gallagher family fund jar, because the gas bill is due, and everyone (no matter how small) works to keep the house lights on, as well as food on the table. Brothers Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) use their intellect to break every rule in the book to survive and make the bank, while younger sister Debbie (Emma Kenney) would sooner steal her share. Toddler Liam, the youngest, is just happy to be along for the ride. The Gallaghers are irreverent, endearing, resilient and they’re absolutely, wildly and unapologetically SHAMELESS.

Hart of Dixie – FOX8
Sat Jan 7 at 6.30pm
Rachel Bilson stars as fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart, who has it all figured out – after graduating top of her class from medical school, she’ll follow in her father’s footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will. She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn’t always so hospitable – the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe’s only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker – who just happens to be Lemon’s fiance. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe’s decision to stay in Bluebell for a while, discovering small-town life and a side of herself she hadn’t known was there. The series also stars Jamie King as Lemon Breeland, Wilson Bethel as Wade Kinsella, Cress Williams as Lavon Hayes, McKaley Miller as Rose and Scott Porter as George Tucker.

Conspiracy 365 – FMC
Sat Jan 14 at 7pm
CONSPIRACY 365 is the story of a year in the life of teenager Cal Ormond, who is forced to go on the run and become a fugitive as he searches for the truth behind a deadly family secret. Adapted from the best-selling novels by Australian author Gabrielle Lord, and starring AFI Award-winner Harrison Gilbert, CONSPIRACY 365 will broadcast on Family Movie Channel (FMC) with a unique multiplatform broadcasting strategy mirroring the release of the original novels: monthly installments, commencing in January 2012. The series was shot entirely on location in Melbourne, VIC.

FACTUAL & LIFESTYLE
I Survived… Stories of Australians – Bio
Wed Jan 11 at 8.30pm
This eight-part local series will profile the extraordinary stories of every day Australians who have overcome unbelievable and traumatic circumstances – with each person offering their own insight into the event that has now changed their life forever. I SURVIVED… STORIES OF AUSTRALIANS will feature survivors of events including the Boxing Day tsunami, the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the recent Queensland floods, the London and Bali bombings, the Port Arthur Massacre and the fateful Sydney to Hobart Yacht race in 1998.

Bargain Hunt Australia – The LifeStyle Channel
Mon Dec 5 at 7.30pm
For the first time in its 11 year run the Bargain Hunt team travel to Australia to test out our eye for a bargain exclusively for The LifeStyle Channel. Combining all the excitement of competition, the fun of shopping for a bargain, the fascination of antiques and the drama of an auction, BARGAIN HUNT AUSTRALIA celebrates the history of Australia and examines the antiques that are in the country and their origins. Over five nights, two teams of two contestants – the Red team and the Blue team – are each handed a budget and let loose at an antiques fair. They have just one hour to trawl the stalls for items that they hope to sell later for a higher price. Each team is assigned an antiques expert to advise and tell them about the items which catch their eye. But expert help is not always enough to curb the amateurs’ enthusiasm for an unwise purchase. The team which makes the most profit (or invariably, the least loss) wins. The BARGAIN HUNT AUSTRALIA team includes effervescent host Tim Wonnacott and two of his trusty antiques experts, David Barby and Paul Laidlaw. With lots of laughs and valuable lessons along the way, will the Aussie teams find out that it’s not as easy as it looks?

11 Kids And Wanting More – LifeStyle YOU
Thu Dec 8 at 9.30pm
This new, locally produced special follows the incredible story of Australia’s most extraordinary family – Darren and Dale Chalk, who have 11 kids under the age of eight. They’re the only couple in the world known to have conceived two sets of quads back-to-back. And while most parents would be horrified at the prospect of bringing up so many little ones, Darren and Dale are over the moon and determined to have even more. In this one hour special, we see what life’s like in the Chalks’ oversized Brisbane household – with a grocery bill topping $900 a week and too many bodies to fit into one car, it’s certainly not the average family home. This documentary reveals the often difficult journey that Darren and Dale have undertaken to conceive their family, and follows their search to now find alternative ways to conceive after being turned away from fertility clinics. Facing criticism and accusations of being ‘addicted to having babies’ their choices have met with controversy and even hostility.

The Aussie Way Up – Nat Geo Adventure
Sun Jan 15 at 8.30pm
15,000 kilometres from Tasmania to Darwin and no petrol stations! When not hunting for recycled oils to power the next leg of the journey, these four Aussie boys – Justin the DJ, Oscar the banker, Chuck the welder and Bob the engineer – look at people and businesses that are moving in leaps and bounds toward a more sustainable, cooler future. This Gen Y adventure is a journey of epic proportions

Australia’s Greatest Flood – National Geographic Channel
Sun Jan 15 at 8.30pm
In early 2011, Queensland is hit by floods on a scale of biblical proportions. A freak inland tsunami smashes through towns and cities bringing widespread destruction and claiming lives. Then cyclones batter the coastline wreaking even further devastation. This is the story of Australia’s greatest flood, caught on camera by those who lived through it.

2011 Pride of Australia National Medal Ceremony – SKY NEWS
Tue Nov 22 at 10.00pm
For the past seven years, News Limited’s Pride Of Australia initiative has recognised thousands of everyday Australian’s who do extraordinary things in our communities. The medal ceremony will be hosted by Rebeccah Wilson and Jim Wilson, and will be broadcast from the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney.

ENTERTAINMENT & REALITY
American Idol S11 – FOX8
Wed Jan 25 at 7.30pm
Reality juggernaut AMERICAN IDOL will be back for an eleventh series this summer! Airing straight off the satellite on the same day as the US broadcast, the series will kick off in January with the AMERICAN IDOL team scouring the country and auditioning thousands of hopefuls in search of America’s next big recording star. These hopefuls will be whittled down to a select group of semi-finalists who will sing their hearts out over two nights each week, one of whom will be the ultimate winner of the coveted AMERICAN IDOL title. AMERICAN IDOL is hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

Hung S3 – showcase
Sun Dec 11 at 8.30pm
showcase presents the third season of HUNG, the half-hour comedy series starring Thomas Jane, Jane Adams and Anne Heche. Set in the suburbs of Detroit, HUNG continues to revolve around the unorthodox efforts of divorced teacher/coach Ray Drecker (Jane) to generate extra cash – by selling his ‘winning tool’ to women. Picking up approximately six months after the end of Season 2, the new season begins with Ray and his unlikely pimp Tanya (Adams) taking matters into their own hands in the face of a (still) recession-plagued economy by opening the ‘Happiness Consultants Wellness Center for Woman’ – a front for their gigolo business complete with ‘orgasmic living’ seminars run by Tanya and ‘private consultations’ with Ray. Meanwhile, as their business begins to yield dividends, Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) seeks revenge upon Ray and Tanya for stealing her ‘lifestyle’ idea, and transforms a 25-year-old busboy named Jason (new series regular Stephen Amell) into a new male hooker to rival Ray. Will Happiness Consultants’ small roster of clients stay loyal to the older, more sensitive Ray, or will they be swayed by the young hot guy?

The Stafford Brothers S2 – FOX8
Fri Jan 27 at 8.30pm
After a successful first series, Australia’s most unique dance music DJs – Matt and Chris Stafford – are back for another global tour filled with pumping music, exotic locations, pulsing crowds and glamorous parties. Season two of THE STAFFORD BROTHERS exposes the drama and personal turmoil for DJ brothers Matt and Chris Stafford, fighting to stay on top of the ultra-lucrative entertainment industry. As their nightclub and music empire continue to expand, drama and chaos consume their personal lives, leaving mayhem to ensue as Australia’s most popular DJ’s continue to work hard and play even harder. This latest world tour sees the boys travel to destinations including New York, Miami, Amsterdam, Germany, Thailand and Hong Kong.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills S2 – Arena
Tue Dec 13 at 8.30pm
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS returns for a second season of glitz, glamour and high drama. All six original and over-the-top housewives are back including some unofficial housewives Brandi Glanville and Dana Wilkey, who certainly know how to spice things up in the world’s most famous zip code. Sisters Kim and Kyle are still trying to mend their relationship after last season’s blowout fight, but with Kim focused on a new boyfriend, her relationship with her family and the other ladies seems to not be a priority. Lisa continues to be the voice of reason, but with six opinionated housewives, the witty Brit begins to ruffle some very expensive feathers. Camille is back and focused on starting her new life without husband Kelsey. She’s determined to stay away from the drama, but she’s also not one to hold her tongue. Adrienne is forced to make some serious business decisions and when she introduces the ladies to her friend, Brandi, she is also forced to break up a few fights. Last but certainly not least, Taylor and her husband Russell have always put business before pleasure, but it’s had a major impact on their relationship. As Taylor struggles with a loveless marriage, she acts out against the other women and falls on the shoulder of her friend Dana for support. While each of the ladies has their share of drama, they also know how to have fun in true Beverly Hills style; with trips to Hawaii, Vegas, Beaver Creek, as well as jaw-dropping parties and shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive.

Balls of Steel Australia S2 – The Comedy Channel
Tue Jan 31 at 9.30pm
The Chaser’s Craig Reucassel returns to host the exclusive brand new series of BALLS OF STEEL AUSTRALIA. The anarchic first series was a runaway success for The Comedy Channel and in series two our fearless pranksters take public humiliation to the next level performing stupid, dangerous and ill-advised stunts in an attempt to impress a studio audience and to lay claim to the title of having the biggest ‘Balls of Steel’. At the end of each episode, the audience uses their keypads to vote for the winner of the coveted BALLS OF STEEL AUSTRALIA trophy.

Kourtney & Kim Take New York S2 – E! Entertainment
Tue Jan 3 at 9.30pm
The antics continue as the Kardashian sisters return. Kourtney and Kim return to the Big Apple, along with their men, and with both couples living under one roof, New York will never be the same.

DRAMAS
Gossip Girl S5 – FOX8
Mon Nov 28 at 8.30pm
Looks like gossip is global as GOSSIP GIRL returns for its hotly anticipated fifth season! Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) has spent a fabulous summer in Monaco with her fiancé, Prince Louis (guest star Hugo Becker), but when she returns home she quickly learns that planning a royal wedding can be a royal pain. Meanwhile, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) scored the perfect summer job in sunny Los Angeles, working for an A-list director. But will the return of her cousin Charlie (Kaylee DeFer) threaten to ruin everything? Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) and Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) enjoyed a hedonistic summer trip around the globe, but when they stop in LA to visit Serena, things quickly spin out of control. Nate falls into bed with a sexy and mysterious older woman, Diana Payne (guest star Elizabeth Hurley), who has more in store for him than he knows. And a seemingly carefree Chuck is chasing down exotic adrenaline rushes that might put his life in real danger. And after a relaxing summer in the Hamptons, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) has his whole world shattered when he discovers that Vanessa has gone behind his back and found an editor to anonymously publish his autobiographical novel which takes a scathing look at New York high society.

Boardwalk Empire S2 – showcase
Sun Nov 27 at 7.30pm
Steve Buscemi returns as Nucky Thompson in season two of this hit drama series that charts the continued rise of organised crime at the dawn of Prohibition. Set a few months after the end of season one, the 12 new episodes take place in 1921, after Nucky and his lieutenants – including young WWI veteran Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), whom Nucky helped raise – appeared to solidify their power by successfully rigging an election and getting a Nucky crony elected as Mayor. However, after a bloody KKK attack at Chalky White’s (Michael Kenneth Williams) bootleg warehouse, Nucky finds his hold on Atlantic City weakened, first by federal agents who arrest him for election fraud and ransack his office, then by members of his own inner circle and even his family, who align themselves with Jimmy’s father, the aging Commodore Louis Kaestner (Dabney Coleman), in an attempt to oust Nucky altogether. All the while, mobsters like Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg), Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza), Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef) and Al Capone (Stephen Graham) wait in the wings, looking for the right opportunity to grab a bigger piece of Nucky’s pie.

Damages S4 – W
Wed Dec 7 at 7.30pm
The Emmy-Award winning series DAMAGES revolves around the brilliant, ruthless lawyer, Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), her protégée, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) and the law firm, Hewes & Associates. In this fourth series, Patty and Ellen wage legal war against Howard T, Erickson (John Goodman), the C.E.O. of the largest US private military company operating in the Middle East.

The Glades S2 – W
Sun Dec 4 at 8.30pm
Season two of W’s hit drama series THE GLADES returns this summer. Australian actor Matt Passmore stars as Jim Longworth, an attractive and brilliant Chicago homicide detective who is
relocated to Palm Glade, Florida after he was wrongly accused of sleeping with his former captain’s wife. In the season two premiere, the daughter of a notorious Cuban mobster turns up dead in a Little Havana alley, and Longworth and the rest of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement must solve her murder to prevent an all-out war between two rival mob families. Meanwhile, Callie (Kiele Sanchez) prepares for her husband’s release from prison.

FACTUAL & LIFESTYLE
Tough Nuts: Australia’s Hardest Criminals S2 – Crime & Investigation
Presented by bestselling crime author Tara Moss, this explosive eight part series blows the lid off Australia’s criminal underworld and reveals the real story behind what made and shaped the most notorious figures in Australian criminal history. Featuring never before seen interviews with psychologists, police detectives, investigative journalists, former criminals and friends and associates of the men in question, combined with cinematic dramatised scenes of pivotal points in the criminals lives, Tough Nuts exposes the facts behind the fiction and offers a revealing and often shocking insight into what these criminals were really like.

Episode 7: Dino Dibra – The Sunshine Boy
Thu Dec 29 at 7.30pm
Multiple murderer, drug dealer, kidnapper extortionist and street hoon, Dino Dibra grew up in Sunshine – a tough working class suburb where he became lifelong friends with a group of boys at school who would all go on to make their marks in Melbourne’s underworld. He may not have been bright but Dibra was fearless to the point of recklessness. Dibra was finally murdered by his old schoolmate, Benji Veniamin, outside his shack in Sunshine West. The kid, who had always wanted to live like a gangster had finally achieved the death he would have wanted, gunned down in the street by a former friend. He was just 25.

Episode 8: George Freeman – The King Of Sydney
Thu Jan 26 at 7.30pm
Murderer, standover man, race fixer, SP bookmaker and crime lord, George Freeman was the King of Sydney for over three decades. Freeman grew up on the tough streets of Annandale and fell into crime at an early age. Freeman rapidly became one of Sydney’s most influential criminals, running a network of SP bookies and standing over the illegal casinos for protection money. In 1979 and at the height of his powers, Freeman faced an assassin’s bullet but lived to tell the tale and exact revenge. In his dotage, Freeman, a chronic asthmatic, became addicted to pethidine, and the King of Sydney died prematurely as a result of his addiction.

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS
Big Fat Gypsy Christmas – LifeStyle YOU
Mon Dec 19 at 8.30pm
Following the enormous and unrivalled success of the captivating five-part series, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, LifeStyle YOU now offers a look into how the gypsy and travelling communities prepare for the biggest event on the Christian calendar; Christmas. In the gypsy world, there’s far more than the run-of-the-mill twelve days of Christmas, with many preparations to be made long before the yuletide festivities begin. And, with eye-catching, specially-made dresses a necessity for any self-respecting gypsy girl, Thelma, the gypsy and travelling communities’ dressmaker of choice, is run off her feet with orders for festive dresses that must be bigger than ever and outshine the rest. After splashing out on extravagant dresses for their other halves, the men head down to the pub on Christmas Eve, letting their hair down before the day of festive celebrations which the entire community begin the next morning. This December, get a sneak-peek into how the gypsies do Christmas – it’s sure to be bigger, brighter and shinier than any Christmas you’ve ever known.

Christmas Lights Spectacular – The LifeStyle Channel
Sun Dec 4 at 7.30pm
Matthew Hayden takes us on an amazing Christmas journey to find Australia’s most spectacular Christmas street lights. Throughout this 90-minute special event, Matthew will be helping one Aussie street achieve its ambition to become one of the best Christmas street light displays in the country. Following in the footsteps of his parents some 20 years earlier, Laurie McGinty has been trying to harness the community spirit of a quiet suburban street to ensure it transforms in time for a spectacular Christmas wonderland. This year Laurie is going all out to put his street on the Christmas map. As the community pulls together Matthew will meet the characters old and young and discover what an Australian Christmas really means today. Can they hold it together as they try to come up with the theme for this year’s extravaganza? Can they afford to achieve their illuminating plans to stun the scores of visitors? Will the street newcomers join in? And which house will be voted the best on the street? Matthew will also be unearthing some of the most spectacular and dramatic displays across the country.

Sarah’s Holiday Party – LifeStyle HOME
Sun Dec 11 at 8.30pm
Sarah Richardson throws the party of the year every year at Christmas. And this year, you’re invited! In this one hour special, Sarah shows you what she does to pull together a memorable holiday soiree while balancing a hectic work and family schedule. SARAH’S HOLIDAY PARTY is packed with tried, tested and true methods for decorating, cooking and gift giving. Accompanied by Tommy Smythe, her talented and quick to quip partner-in-design, Sarah deftly navigates the key elements of throwing a holiday event to remember – decking the halls, being a good guest, party prep and ‘day of’ activities. Always ahead of the design curve, Sarah rethinks traditional Christmas items and gives them a fresh, thoughtful twist. It’s a fun and informative way to usher in this most festive season!

May The Best Christmas House Win – LifeStyle HOME
Saturday Dec 3 at 6.30pm
Four unique houses in the North-West of England pit their Christmas homes against one another in a bid to win a £1,000 prize in this Christmas special. Going through the keyholes of homes as weird and wonderful as their occupants, contestants will judge one another’s houses in terms of interior design, homeliness, comfort, the hospitality on offer and its unique Christmas appeal. And at the end of each episode, the four Christmas-fanatics will discover what the others thought of their home, and they won’t always like what they hear!

The 12 Hits of Christmas – [V] Hits
Sun Dec 25 at midday
[V] HITS are playing Santa, and bringing you twelve songs from superstars who love Christmas just as much as we do! What better way to get happy, merry and jolly, than with this Christmas Top 12! Get right into the Christmas spirit with the likes of Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Cascada, Destiny’s Child and more!

Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! – Disney Channel
Fri Dec 16 at 6.30pm
The Duncan family embark on a road trip from their home in Denver to visit Mrs. Duncan’s Parents, the Blankenhoopers, in Palm Springs. When they find themselves stranded between Denver and Utah, they try to hitch a ride to Las Vegas with a seemingly normal older couple in a station wagon from Roswell, New Mexico. It turns out that the couple believes they are the victims of an alien abduction. The Duncan’s must resort to purchasing a clunker Yugo to get to
Utah, have their luggage stolen in Las Vegas, and survive a zany Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Blankenhooper.

Big Time Christmas – Nickelodeon
Sun Dec 11 at 6pm
Big Time Rush’s Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan are spreading Christmas cheer with a new TV movie, BIG TIME CHRISTMAS. The guys are excited to head back to Minnesota for the holidays, but hours before their flight, Griffin tells them they have to stay in Los Angeles to record a three-song holiday EP – and two of the songs have to be with celebrities. Racing against time, they help Gustavo write the first song, ‘Beautiful Christmas.’ After watching a commercial for Miranda Cosgrove’s holiday TV special, the boys and Gustavo decide to sneak into Miranda’s taping and convince her to duet with them on the Mariah Carey holiday classic ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You.’ After leaving the studio, Gustavo gets hit by Snoop Dogg’s limo while crossing the street. Snoop feels so badly about the accident that he offers to record the third song with the boys – a new Yardsquirrels (a novelty band that Gustavo had a hit with in the ―90s) song, ‘Let’s Stay In Our PJs (All Christmas Long).’ This episode also features a guest appearance by Fabio as himself.

KIDS & FAMILY
Baby Jake – CBeebies
Mon Dec 5 at 8.10am
Baby Jake is a nine-month-old baby boy and the youngest of 10 children who live in a windmill with their parents. At the heart of the show is the relationship between Baby Jake and Isaac, Jake’s six-year-old brother. Isaac is the narrator on the show and can understand all of Baby Jake’s giggles and gurgles. Isaac also opens the door to an imaginary world where Baby Jake sings, dances and baby-talks with his animal friends Pengy Quin, Sydney the Monkey, Nibbles the Rabbit and the Hamsternauts.

The Adventures of Chuck and Friends – Boomerang
Mon Jan 2 at 8am
Chuck is a smart, adventurous, creative, funny dreamer and doer with the world at his wheels! Chuck and his friends push the limits of their imagination and build amazing things. These great adventures always end with a lesson learned and the kid trucks totally covered in mud! The Adventures of Chuck and Friends is all about the thrill of discovery, big adventures, and most of all, having fun with your friends. Turn the key, floor the accelerator, and get your imagination into high gear as we zoom along with Chuck!

The Looney Tunes – Cartoon Network
Mon Jan 2 at 4pm
Life just got a little more animated! Screen icons Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are back, starring in THE LOONEY TUNES SHOW, an all-new modern comedy series featuring all of your favourite Looney Tunes characters. Fresh designs coupled with a vivid, contemporary animation style enhance the timeless wit and charm that make these classic characters so beloved around the world.

Gigglebiz S2 – CBeebies
Mon Jan 2 at 4.45pm
Double Bafta-award winning presenter Justin Fletcher is back to get under-sixes laughing in GIGGLEBIZ, a lively collection of short, simple, funny comedy sketches packed with hilarious and eccentric individuals. All the familiar favourites return: hapless superhero Captain Adorable, creative cook Dina Lady and her revolting recipes and the geographically-challenged Lost
Pirate. This series sees the introduction of new faces too: Keith Fit, the most unlikely health and fitness guru you’ll ever meet; Opera Oliver, a larger than life restaurateur with a habit of breaking into song, and roller-skating pie-maker Simon Pieman. A huge hit with pint-sized laugh lovers, GIGGLEBIZ is perfect for little gigglers as they begin to develop their own sense of humour.

Shake It Up S2 – Disney Channel
Fri Jan 13 at 5.30pm
The buddy comedy series SHAKE IT UP, the first sitcom built around dance, is about high spirited best friends CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue who land their dream job as background dancers on the most popular teen dance show ‘Shake It Up, Chicago!’ In the one hour season opener of series two, CeCe and Rocky risk being booted from ‘Shake It Up, Chicago’ – and learn a lesson about friendship and judgment – when, on a group bus trip, they make a detour to a reality show audition.

SPORT
KFC Twenty20 Big Bash League – FOX SPORTS
Fri Dec 16 at 7.00pm
From December 16, the KFC TWENTY20 BIG BASH LEAGUE will change the face of sports entertainment in Australia. The fastest growing sport in the world has gripped the nation and now with eight new city-based teams ready for battle, the inaugural competition will become the can’t-miss, blockbuster event of the summer. As well as all the best local talent in the land, the KFC TWENTY20 BIG BASH LEAGUE will boast a collection of cricket’s iconic international names including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi. FOX SPORTS will deliver LIVE and EXCLUSIVE coverage of all 31 matches over 43 days, including a spectacular week of finals action from January 21-28. The FOX SPORTS summer of cricket will be spearheaded by the nation’s freshest cricket commentary team, led by Brendon Julian alongside Allan Border, Mark Waugh, Damien Fleming, Greg Blewett and Michael Kasprowicz with boundary riders Jessica Yates and Sarah Jones.

JBWere Australian Masters – FOX SPORTS
Thu Dec 15 at 12.30pm
Australia’s premier professional golf tournament arrives on the eve of the festive season in 2011 when Stuart Appleby returns to Victoria Golf Club to defend his JBWere Masters title. FOX SPORTS will once again provide an unrivalled broadcast from Melbourne, with LIVE coverage and a full interactive service available on all four days of action from December 15-18. Golf fans will be able to choose from four unique screens by pressing the red button on their FOXTEL or AUSTAR remote control at any time during the broadcast. The interactive feature will provide detailed live information including tee-off times, scores and leaderboards, while giving fans the option to watch up-to-the-minute highlights and post-round interviews. The feature will also allow fans to follow the tournament’s top drawcards throughout the event with ‘Player Tracker’. FOX SPORTS’ LIVE coverage of the JBWere Masters begins with the opening round and continues until the prestigious Gold Jacket is donned by the 2011 champion. Two-time PGA Tour winner Brett Ogle and Warren Smith will lead the FOX SPORTS commentary team throughout the tournament.

Hyundai A-League – FOX SPORTS
Continues through summer
With Australian football alight with Harry Kewell fever, the most anticipated season in the history of the Hyundai A-League clicks into overdrive over summer. The arrival of Kewell and fellow Socceroos and former Premier League star Brett Emerton has seen interest in the national competition soar to unprecedented heights. The third month of the season opens with Kewell’s Melbourne Victory taking on Newcastle Jets on December 3, before Emerton’s Sydney FC clash with defending champions Brisbane Roar in one of the year’s blockbuster encounters on December 4. The 2012 action begins when Wellington Phoenix host Emerton’s Sydney FC before Kewell’s Melbourne Victory visit last year’s Grand Finalists Central Coast Mariners among five back-to-back matches and eleven consecutive hours of LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE Football coverage on January 4. Football fans will have another date circled on the calendar early in the New Year when Kewell and Emerton face off for the second time this season when Melbourne Victory hosts Sydney FC in an Australia Day blockbuster on January 26. FOX SPORTS’ live, exclusive and High Definition coverage of the Hyundai A-League is delivered by the country’s premier football commentary team featuring the game’s number one voice, Simon Hill, alongside Mark ‘Bozza’ Bosnich, Robbie Slater, Andy Harper, Adam Peacock and Mel McLaughlin.

2012 Australian Open – FOX SPORTS
Mon Jan 16 at 11am
The Mac is Back – John McEnroe, a tennis icon and one of the most colourful characters in the sport’s history joins the FOX SPORTS commentary team for the 2011 AUSTRALIAN OPEN. Now arguably the pre-eminent tennis broadcaster in the world, McEnroe will front FOX SPORTS’ live, interactive and multi-court coverage of the year’s opening Grand Slam from January 16-29. It will be Supermac’s first visit to the country since 2004. FOX SPORTS will once again provide live coverage of Days 1-8 from Melbourne Park, enabling viewers to choose their preferred live matches using the FOX SPORTS Active service. The red button feature will offer tennis fans the choice of up to four live matches at any stage during the broadcast over the opening eight days of action. FOX SPORTS will also deliver all the excitement of the second week of the tournament, culminating in the Women’s and Men’s Singles Finals in glorious HD. McEnroe will join FOX SPORTS’ established Australian Open commentary team featuring Wally Masur, Pat Cash, Nicole Pratt, Roger Rasheed, Josh Eagle and colour court reporter Lee Furlong.

Innsbruck Youth Olympic Winter Games – dedicated Channel
Fri Jan 13
FOXTEL will have a dedicated channel broadcasting the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games live from Innsbruck, Austria. The event will bring together 1,059 top athletes aged 14 to 18 from over 60 nations to compete in the seven sports.

Winter X Games 16 Aspen – ESPN
Fri Jan 27 at 1pm
Winter’s most prestigious action sports event returns to glamorous Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado with ESPN’s LIVE coverage of WINTER X GAMES 16. Last year’s event was again one of the most-viewed events on ESPN, attracting large crowds to the site and millions of viewers worldwide. Back for a 16th edition, the Winter X Games spotlight more than 200 world-class athletes, among them past and present Olympians, who take on the steep and deep in Aspen in hopes of heading home with medals and prize money in winter’s most popular sports: Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobiling. Last year saw snowboarder Shaun White once again rise to the occasion, throwing a double McTwist 1260 to claim the first Winter X SuperPipe four-peat. All eyes will be on the showdown between White and Switzerland’s Iouri Podladtchikov, I-Pod, the reigning SuperPipe Gold medallist from Winter X Games Europe. Australian athletes hoping to be on the slopes include Russ Henshaw, the Silver medallist in Men’s Ski Slopestyle last year, and Torah Bright, the gold-medallist in Women’s Halfpipe Snowboard at the Vancouver Olympics and one of the sport’s most dazzling talents.

The Spanish Primera League – ESPN2
Sun Jan 8 at 5.55am
THE SPANISH PRIMERA LEAGUE, one of the most skilled, entertaining leagues on the world football stage, continues LIVE all month on ESPN. While three-time defending champions Barcelona and reigning Copa del Rey champs Real Madrid remain favourites to lift this year’s trophy, the first half of the season saw some unexpected sides – among them Levante and Málaga – and some not so unexpected sides – Valencia and Sevilla – stay in step with the leaders. Not surprisingly, the season started with Barcelona’s Argentine striker Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo leading the goal scoring, but newer faces have recently joined the familiar ones, led by Valencia’s Roberto Soldado, Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuaín and Atlético Madrid’s fiery Falcao. Fans of Atlético were concerned when popular star Diego Forlán left for Italy’s Inter Milan, but Falcao – the Colombian forward formerly with Portugal’s Porto – is on track to become every bit as energizing and effective as the departed Uruguayan.

MUSIC
Homebake 2011 – Channel [V]
Sat Dec 17 at 11am
Homebake 2011 is here Saturday 3rd December and Channel [V] has you covered with this all Aussie festival tradition. Four stages and an impressive line up from Grinderman to Gotye, Pnau to Cut Copy, along with the Cinema Pavillion and brand new Comedy Stage. Channel [V] will take you behind the scenes to the places you don’t normally see. We’ll be talking to the biggest artists, the craziest comedians and the punters, all of which will make HOMEBAKE 2011 an event not to be missed. Hosted by Danny Clayton, Jane Gazzo, Billy Russell and Carissa Walford.

MAX House Party – MAX
Sat Dec 3 at 7pm
This summer, get active with MAX HOUSE PARTY! Hosted by Jabba, it will have over 200 hours of interactive music madness! For seven massive weekends we are handing over the control of the channel to you. Go to maxtv.com.au to choose your own House Party playlist and you could have your very own House Party played on MAX. MAX will also have special editions of House Party on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. So invite MAX into your celebrations and take control with MAX House Party.

Top 50 Hits of Summer – MTV Hits
Thu Dec 1 at 6.30pm
Celebrate the Aussie summer with MTV Hits as the channel counts down the Top 50 Hits of Summer.

Big Day Out 2012 – Channel [V]
January 2012
Danny Clayton, Jane Gazzo, Billy Russell & Carissa Walford return to host Channel [V]’s exclusive coverage of Australia’s biggest music festival.

29 Responses

  1. Sorry Jason S although JB & Sanity have it listed as 14.12 it is not happening it has been pulled until after W finishes showing it. Also Neverland has been pulled from DVD until Foxtel has shown it

  2. What a wonderful 13 weeks of new summer programming on the Foxtel brands.

    Then we’ll have more excitement for 39 weeks as Foxtel repeats the lot of ’em…

    (Sometimes they’re really sneaky and air the same trash on another chanel – calling them “premiere episodes”)

  3. No worries about having nothing to watch this Summer!
    Just worried there may not be enough hours in the day!
    Don’t care if FTA closes down for 4 months now.
    Thanks David!

  4. Qubec, they probably put it on the weekend because Saturday night likely has the least amount of shows clashing on people’s IQs. Can you even get Foxtel without an IQ these days? It doesn’t matter when shows are scheduled, because no one watches non-sport stuff live.

  5. What are Fox8 doing putting Hart of Dixie on a Saturday at 6.30? It’s a perfect week night show. I find their programming choices so odd at times. I always see it as a teen channel but when they get teen shows they just put them on at stupid times. They almost need another channel for their more teen orientated shows like Smallville, Supernatural, Greek. They could also put on old favorites like The OC, the original 90210 and Veronica Mars.

  6. Wouldn’t Dexter fit this period even though he returns in a week or so? I’m rather disappointed with this line up, but as you said it’s only the “highlights”.

  7. was that John Goodman that i saw in that photo? if it is then what new show is he on, i would love to see him back on tv, been a long time comming.

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