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Battle lines drawn in next ratings war

Battle lines are drawn as networks prepare for the return of TV ratings from Sunday.

2013-04-05_0107Battle lines are drawn as networks prepare for the return of TV ratings from Sunday.

And viewers will be the winners, with plenty of local and international titles on offer.

Here are some of the key programmes tipped to be on offer over the next few months.

NB: List is not complete, and subject to change. Includes multichannels. To find out more on any particular show, try the show’s Tag at the end of the story.

SEVEN
A Place to Call Home
New local drama featuring Marta Dusseldorp and Noni Hazlehurst

Celebrity Splash
Stars diving in a new entertainment-Reality series.

House Rules
New renovation series from the producers of My Kitchen Rules.

Mrs Biggs
The story of Charmain Biggs, the wife of train robber Ronnie Biggs.

Hannibal
Explores the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and a young FBI profiler, before he became the world’s most famous serial killer.

Mr Selfridge
Jeremy Piven stars as the iconic Harry Selfridge, the creator of retail stores as we know it.

The Mole
Shura Taft hosts rebooted Reality contest.

Kath and Kim specials
Includes new material.

Formal Wars
Parents choose the dresses and dates for their daughters in a new fly-on-the-wall series.

Mrs Brown’s Boys
New series

Grey’s Anatomy
Returning series.

Citizen Kahn
UK comedy series.

Continuing: My Kitchen Rules, Revenge, Downton Abbey, Packed to the Rafters, Home & Away, Parenthood, Criminal Minds, AFL, How I Met Your Mother, Better Homes & Gardens, Last Resort, Castle, Private Practice, Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, American Dad, Family Guy, Escape to the Country, The Amazing Race.

NINE

The Voice
Ricky Martin joins the second season.

House Husbands
Season Two

The Great Australian Bakeoff
Cooking series filmed before Werribee Mansion

The Following
Starring Kevin Bacon

Arrow
New US super-hero series

Celebrity Apprentice
Season Three

Underbelly: Squizzy
Spanning the years 1915 to 1927, this will chronicle the exploits of Joseph Theodore Leslie Taylor, known to all as “Squizzy”

What’s Your Emergency?
UK factual series

The Block: Skyhigh
Renovation series returns to Melbourne

TV Week Logie Awards
State of Origin

Continuing: 60 Minutes, NRL, The Footy Show, The Big Bang Theory, Anger Management, Two and a Half Men, Top Gear, 2 Broke Girls, CSI, Survivor,

TEN
Offspring
Season Four

The Truth Is
Featuring Hamish MacDonald in a bold new way of exploring some of the big issues of our time.

Reef Doctors
Lisa McCune stars as an accomplished doctor, who with her team, looks after the residents of neighbouring islands, as well as holidaymakers.

The Americans
A period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC

Beauty & The Beast
Catherine “Cat” Chandler is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective who is haunted by her own tragic past. With Jay Ryan.

Continuing: Mr & Mrs Murder, Elementary, The Biggest Loser, Bondi Rescue, Modern Family, Bondi Vet, Can of Worms, Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, NCIS: LA, The Good Wife, The Living Room, Before the Game, The Simpsons, American Idol, Law & Order: SVU, American Horror Story, Supernatural, The Office, Neighbours, Californication, Glee, Fashion Star, The Cleveland Show, Excused, Burn Notice, White Collar, Blue Bloods, The Killing, F1.

ABC
Cliffy
Telemovie about long distance runner Cliff Young

Silent Witness
Season 16

Parkinson: Masterclass
Sir Michael Parkinson returns after a five-year absence to host a new series with s an array of guests from across the artistic spectrum.

Desert War
Insightful and subtly revisionist account of one of the most celebrated campaigns of the Second World War

The Roast
Weeknight, satirical news show returns in a new ten-minute format.

triple j’s One Night Stand
held in Dubbo, and will feature Flume, The Rubens, Ball Park Music, Seth Sentry and a local triple j Unearthed act.

Head First
Sabour Bradley could be described as a bit of an Aussie Louis Theroux.

Comedy Up Late
Direct from the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, hosted each night by Lawrence Mooney,

Portlandia
Second season of US sketch show

Funny As
New and classic stand up including performances by Ricky Gervais, Alan Carr, Simon Amstell, Wil Anderson, Eddie Izzard, Dara O’Briain plus many more.

Junior Doctors
Season Two

Continuing: Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting, Tractor Monkeys, The Checkout, Inspector George Gently, Last Tango in Halifax.

SBS
Borgen
BAFTA award-winning, compelling Danish drama series from the producers of the internationally acclaimed series, The Killing.

Eat, Fast and Live Longer
Michael Mosley has set himself a truly ambitious goal: he wants to live longer, stay younger and lose weight in the bargain.

Housos
Season Two

Shameless
Series 9

Urban Secrets
Award-winning Hollywood actor and writer, Alan Cumming, unearths hidden gems and fascinating stories
from within some of Britain’s most iconic urban environments.

One Born Every Minute USA
New series

Eurovision Song Contest
58th event from Malmo, Sweden

Skins
Season 5

The Midnight Beast
YouTube, parody band The Midnight Beast bring their bonkers all-singing, all-dancing six-part, self-titled comedy series.

Ugly Americans
Season Two.

Continuing: Who Do You Think You Are?, Gourmet Farmer, Lilyhammer, Mad Men, Cycling, UEFA Champions League, Bullet in the Face, Threesome, Him and Her.

FOXTEL
Wentworth
New reimagining of Prisoner

Da Vinci’s Demons
Lavish new drama series from David S. Goyer

House of Cards
Featuring Kevin Spacey

The Borgias
Season Three

VEEP
Season 2

Mad Men
Season 6

True Blood
Season 6

Magic City
Season 2

The Glades
Season 4

Falling Skies
Season 3

Defiance
New sci-fi drama

Dexter
Season Eight

Continuing: Game of Thrones, Top of the Lake, Smash, Celebrity Apprentice All Stars, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Revolution, Grimm.

This post updates.

22 Responses

  1. Just saw a promo during the Logies on 9 for ‘Love child’ but no mention of it here, can we get a summary of it if possible please? The promo didn’t do a very good job seeing as i couldn’t work out what its about exactly!

  2. Yeah, I’m looking forward to Scandal coming back too, I follow it on Twitter and it looks like some great episodes in the new season. And Body of Proof too, that’s just started up over there too. And I wonder when 10 will show the next season of Touch, that’s just started up too.

  3. Poss, it was the one where Bailey nearly got married, but the accident happened and they rushed back to the hospital. I’m looking forward to finally seeing what happened.

    I’m wondering if One will continue on with White Collar, I noticed on a US site there are only a couple of episodes left of S3, so I hope they just continue on with S4 and not stop it. Then we may catch up to the US. Yay!!!!!

    Looks like I have a busy time ahead of me and will be taping shows madly.

  4. Yeah Grey’s is up to Bailey’s wedding. That is the last we saw. It should not be too far away from coming back since Parenthood just has two episodes left so they should both air next Tuesday. Hopefully Greys is back on the following week.

  5. A Place to call Home looks like a bit like a Downton clone, albeit in a different decade, with Noni Hazelhurst playing the role of Dame Maggie Smith…. but that said, if it is even half as good as Downton, would be worth watching.

    Other than that, pretty slim pickings on the commercial channels, glad I have foxtel. Really looking forward to Wentworth in particular.

  6. I think Grey’s Anatomy was up to Bailey’s wedding. Episode 9 of season 9. I am currently up to date with all the episodes as Australia can’t keep up lol.

  7. Good article David…thanks for taking the time…quite a few things I am looking forward to…
    As you suggested …I did use the tags to check out more info on different shows….

  8. Not too many things there catch my interest, but I am pleased Lilyhammer is getting another season. The Americans is getting good reviews. I hope TEN(FIVE) treats it well. I’m a sucker for crime thrillers so The Following, Hannibal and Borgen are welcome. Also a sucker for a good six pack and nice arms, so if Arrow finally ever makes it here, it will be nice to look at!!!

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