White Room Fail

Unsurprisingly channel 7 has axed it's celebrity game-show The White Room after just two episodes (from Mumbrella).

The show featured two teams of celebrities answering questions about television - sounds like fun right? It certainly had the 'nostalgia' element that was so popular last year where we saw the return of Hey Hey it's Saturday and specials like The Best of the Paul Hogan Show. 

But The White Room just didn't rate.

I would suggest it's because the show was a plain white room filled with varying degrees of celebrity talking about shows of days gone by that were actually wonderful - who wants to watch another cheaply made game-show when reminded of shows like Always Greener and Mother and Son?

Another failed reality/quiz show just brings attention to the fact that the commercial stations put little or no funding into creating quality Australian drama and comedy. It's a lot cheaper to put a few cameras in an airport, on a beach, or in a veterinarian clinic to follow people leading their everyday lives and sell it as "drama" than to hire actual talent to make something new and creative. 

The success of Packed to the Rafters proved that there was a gaping hole in the commercial schedules. Perhaps Nine, Seven and Ten could use the revenue boost from their cut licence fees to create some fresh new drama ...

One can dream.

TV settles in for 2010

To be honest I didn't watch a whole lot of television over summer; the thought of accidentally switching over to the cricket or tennis made me break out in hives. So I took the opportunity to spend some time in the real world bitching about sports with my intellect-elitist friends over a glass of wine at various Fitzroyalty locations where "Hewitt" is a dirty word and tie-dye is well back in fashion.

Of course I can only fake 'cool' for so long so I'm back in my couch-groove watching whatever is on offer.

Here's my thoughts so far;


LOVING

Sleuth 101 (ABC1, Friday 8pm) - pure joy, and this week we have investigator Frank Woodley which should be a hoot.

Poh's Kitchen (ABC1, Wednesdays 6:30pm) - short, simple, good cooking and good conversation.

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation (Ten, Sunday 7:30pm) - I think it's safe to say I'll watch Shaun Micallef read the newspaper. The only down-side to this great program is Charlie Pickering - sorry, but the more I see him, the more I dislike him - and unfortunately he's everywhere. 

Collectors (ABC1, Sunday 6:30pm) - seriously, what the hell is this brilliant show doing on a Sunday afternoon? Bad timeslot but thank heavens for iView. The new panel line-up is still getting comfortable but it's always well worth watching.

Heartbreak High (ABC3, [repeat] 8:30pm) - what's not to love? Teen angst, 90s fashion, racial tensions, pregnancies, affairs and ... oh yeah ... Alex Dimitriades, *swoon*.

 







LIKING

Hungry Beast (ABC1, Wednesday 9pm) - it's back, it's a bit tighter and smoother (obviously it's been using the Ab-Pro) and I am more than willing to spend half an hour watching it and supporting something that's a bit left-of-centre and that's nurturing young talent.

The White Room (Seven, Thursday 7:30pm) - well, I think 'liking' is a stronger word than I'd use, perhaps 'tolerating' is more appropriate. Either way, it has some great clips from old TV and I'll watch anything that features Man oh Man! I'm guessing it will be axed before it finds its feet, if it has any.

Q & A (ABC1, Monday 9:35pm) - hasn't quite hit its stride yet but we're only two episodes down and one featured only Kevin Rudd so that was hardly going to be edge-of-your-seat entertainment (- unless you like watching an awkward little man be thrown grammatically incorrect questions by Young Liberals who look like they're trapped in 1976) ... actually, that sounds a lot more fun than it actually was.


My Kitchen Rules (Seven, Mondays and Tuesdays 7:30pm) - the shock reveal of 5 new teams has made me lose interest a little bit but I'm definitely semi-watching the show for the time being (by "semi-watching" I mean watching it while I'm doing other things like talking on the phone about how glad I am the WA team were booted).

Good Game (ABC2, Monday 8:30pm) - I still miss "that other guy" but I'm a nerd, so I'll watch it.

Good News Week (Ten, Monday 8:30pm) - depending on the guests, this show is variably watchable. Unfortunately if Akmal Saleh is on I have to switch off, I've heard his joke one too many times. Either way though, Paul McDermott is devilishly handsome.


LOOKING FORWARD TO


Food Safari with Maeve O'Meara (SBS1, returns March 18) - Love Meave, love food, wish I had smell-o-vision.

Wilfred (SBS1, series 2 starts March 8) - One of the funniest Australian comedies. Wilfred is genius.


OBSERVATIONS

The Circle (Ten, weekdays 10am - midday) - as far as I can tell it's just David & Kim with 4 people instead of 2 (and without David or Kim). "Ding Dong" Denise and Chrissie Swan are great and the four women have a good rapport, unfortunately Yumi Stynes is almost unbearable - clearly she has been included to replace David Reyne's awkward comments (when cooking an Asian meal this morning she said she was getting more "slanty" by the minute, *cringe*).

The Biggest Loser (Ten, every five minutes as far as I can tell) - are people seriously still watching this? It's on at dinner time for heaven's sake.

Home & Away (Seven, weeknights at 7pm) - I've never been a fan of the show but I did switch over a few weeks ago to find an incident a la the Cronulla Riots taking place. There was a group of intoxicated youths wearing Australian flags setting fire to the Surf Club - with people of various ethnicities inside! Now that's topical.

Neighbours (Ten, weeknights at 6:30pm) - I haven't been watching Neighbours this year but from what I could piece together from the ads; Steph and Toadie are faking a relationship because Steph is pregnant to her best friend's husband who just happens to be the brother of the man Steph was dating AND caring for after he had a bike accident that left him unable to walk (-for a week or so). Good to see business as usual on Ramsay Street.

The 7pm Project (Ten, weeknights at 7pm) - it seems every time I flip over to this show lately there's a right-wing radio announcer on the panel - so I've stopped flipping over. I do, however, check the website every now and then to find James Matheson doing his thing - and it's usually hilarious.

I'm sure I've forgotten something - I'll edit as I remember.

Education Versus Child-Rearing

With all the bad press Tony Abbott has been getting lately following his comments on virginity and housework, he might just be rubbing his hands together with glee after an article in the SMH today by Nina Funnell has painted Kevin Rudd to be similarly misguided. 

Funnell tells the tale of a meeting with Rudd where, as she says, he admonished her for using a PhD as an excuse not to breed;

At that point one of my friends introduced me, dropping in that I am completing a PhD. At this, Rudd rolled his eyes and in a terse voice lacking any sense of irony remarked that is the "excuse" that "all" young women are using nowadays to avoid starting families.

Since I had such fun tearing through the Abbott faux-pas-double-shot I thought it only fair that I should bring up this article. Of course, it's not excactly the same situation; Abbott was speaking to reporters, to the nation and unfortunately, to the world. Everyone heard the words come out of his mouth and was resultantly shocked and/or horrified. In this case though, Funnell can only repeat what was said to her in a private conversation.

Yes, the Prime Minister has spoken about the aging population and the inevitable gap in skilled workers once the baby-boomers drop off the radar, but are the words Funnell is almost quoting something that the PM would really say? First of all, I don't think Rudd is capable of irony. His all-over-the-shop-inflections-but-otherwise-monotone pattern of speech mean that he has an air of smugness disabling any ability to jest. Also, there's the fact that he seems to hold higher education in high esteem if we are to believe not only his policies but his personal achievements.

But besides all this, he is hardly in a position to have any ill feelings about successful women - after all, his wife is far more successful than him in most capacities (entrepeneaur, business manager, income earner) - besides running the country of course ... though one does wonder.

The opposition will no doubt ride with this incident as evidence that Rudd shares the same cro-magnon opinion of women as Abbott but I would suggest that it's Rudd's ego that might have tripped him up in this situation. It's obvious that our PM has a rather high opinion of himself - after all, what kind of politician would he be without one? One would assume that when speaking to a young person - a member of Gen Y whom he is desperately trying win over after his Q&A trauma - he might attempt to jest - albeit badly.

Besides, there's a difference between supposedly making a sarcastic comment to one woman with the defense of economic stability and definitely making an ingnorant comment (or two) to the whole world with the defence of an imaginary friend that lives in the clouds.

The overall sentiment shared in the article however, is not lost on the readers. Nearly all of the commenters are in agreeance with Funnell that the pressure on women to have children is misplaced at best, and at worst, unrealistic. Her article makes a good point that it is difficult in today's economic environment to have an education, a career, a life and a child - all things that women in Australia are encouraged to pursue.

Over at The Punch, Carrie Miller has written a brave column titled Why I Hate Parents - That Means You which outlines the grievances of a woman not interested in pro-creation. It is sharp-tongued and to the point and in an interesting contrast has won her few supporters.

Whilst Funnell used her column to paint Rudd as equally archaic as Abbott and to assure the public that she may indeed have children in the future (but that the government should stick their noses out of her decision) Miller didn't hide behind a possible conversation with the PM, but rather expressed her feelings honestly.

As is the way in social commentary, it's easier to voice your opinion as an opposition, rather than simply give your opinion and wait for the public to voice their opposition. 

EDIT: Christopher Scanlon has written a rebuttal to the recent conversations in The Punch today adding some good points to the argument, however one in particular;

Nor does it follow that those with children are superior to those who choose not to. Clearly a full and fulfilling life can be had with or without children.  

- is I think exactly the issue that prompted Miller to write her column. Scanlon of course, has logic on his side, while Miller has a (mostly justified) bee in her bonnet.

Either way, the discourse will be an interesting one to follow over the coming weeks.

My Kitchen, Master Kitchen, Poh's Kitchen

I have to admit, I didn't really watch Masterchef. I did like the format and thought it was a great concept and there were even one or two contestants that I thought were bearable but I just could not bear watching George Colombaris slurp his way through taste tests and end every sentence with an emphasised "Yeah?". I was pretty sure the Horsemen of the Apocalypse would soon follow him being labeled a 'sex symbol' - alas, they did not.

The success of Masterchef though, cannot be ignored. Channel 7 have tried to tap in to the new-found love of all things culinary with My Kitchen Rules. But there is just one factor that drew me to this particular program; French chef, Manu Feildel. 

I fell in love with Manu on channel 10's Ready Steady Cook (along with the irrepressible Peter Everett) so seeing he was one of the judges on MKR (along with Pete Evans) meant that I had to watch. Unfortunately there are few other likable people on the show.

It's been interesting to watch the contestants under pressure - the WA couple at first just seemed like they had no personalities at all. Watching them under the pressure of their first task I realised that I would have preferred, at least the husband, to stay that way. The Queensland girls are straight from the set of Kath and Kim and the Melbourne boys are trying too hard to be cool. The NSW couple are nice enough but all these contestants are generic, middle/upper class folk who who have very little to offer in the way of entertainment. 

Then, of course, there's South Australia. The public despises this pair if you believe the comments on the MKR website but the fact remains that they're the only spark in the show. I'm hanging on after every bite for a bitchy comment from Melissa and the looks between her and Adam when served their meals are priceless. The next episode is SA night - where Melissa and Adam will cook for the other contestants and judges and I'm hoping they come up with the goods so they stay in the competition.

But the jewel in the foodie-show crown would have to be Poh Ling Yeow on the ABC's Poh's Kitchen. Poh was one of the finalists of last year's Masterchef and the ABC have made an inspired choice by giving her a half-hour show to replace The Cook and the Chef which ended last year (- in tears, might I add). Poh is friendly and engaging and her show is light, fresh and conversational. Like The Cook and the Chef you get to spend a bit of time at the start of the show getting to know your host - what inspires her, where she buys her produce and her history with food.

Poh's Kitchen, as a program of substance, far surpasses Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules. There's no repetitive narration, no dramatic music, no diary-room type confessions - just good cooking and an infectious laugh.

Mind you, MKR is quite bearable if only to see SA (hopefully) triumph over all those boring nobodies that make up the other contestants.

What Century is This?

There have been a few news items lately with a running theme - indulge me for a moment while I wax lyrical. 

First there was the Tony Abbott faux pas re his opinion of his daughters 'gift' giving. Many reactions to the story, including mine, have wondered at the archaic idea that a woman's sexuality should be either repressed, or traded as a commodity.  Many, many more though have called Tony "brave" for talking about an issue that is supposedly avoided by male public figures and defended his right to have an opinion about his daughter's sex life.

Then there was the banker-turned-meme David Kiely who was sprung ogling naked pictures of Miranda Kerr in the background of a live cross on the channel 7 news. Kiely became a hero overnight. The David Kiely Facebook group has almost 2000 fans. The video has been watched more than a million times on Youtube and comments on the News Ltd sites are very much in support of the "unlucky" banker. Yes, men look at pictures of naked women. Yes, banking is probably not the most exiting job in the world. But the reaction to the story irks me to say the least. Whichever way you look at it, he was objectifying women - and he has been made a hero as a result.

I wonder what the public reaction would have been had the live cross been to a government department and the employee was looking at naked pictures of Jenna Jameson (supposedly the world's most famous porn star)? I put it to you that there would have been outrage at the "tax payers dollar being wasted" and that the images would have been labeled as "smut" or "porn". But as long as he's wasting someone elses money (and who doesn't hate banks?) and as long as it's "Our Miranda" then go right ahead buddy! It would be unAustralian to punish him.

Then I saw this story about the recent bomb attack on a Darwin insurance company. It alleges that the reason there was no footage of the attack is that the CCTV cameras were disabled due to investigations into misuse by the NT police. Supposedly there had been one or more officers using the cameras to "perv" (sic) on schoolgirls.

And finally back to Tony Abbott who has put his foot in his mouth again today by referring to "the housewives of Australia" doing their ironing - like the good little wifeys they are. As I've said in a previous post, I don't expect much more from Abbott, but an article in today's The Age reports a strong gain by Abbott in opinion polls. Seemingly he is growing on the Australian public.

So let's see. We have a society it seems that glorifies men objectifying women. Where a police officer thinks it's acceptable behavior to use CCTV cameras to sexualise young girls. Where looking at naked women in a corporate workplace is excused as a form of National Pride. Where a man who could one day (I can barely even type the sentence) lead the nation thinks women should be at home ironing shirts, cooking roast dinners and making themselves pretty for when hubby comes home to receive his "gift".

Rapid technological development and globalisation has moved sexualised images of women from behind the counter at the drug store to our television screens, our street corners, our soft drink bottles, our car windows, our buses - basically everywhere you look. Feminism has become a dirty word to young women who aspire to a cameo on Girls Gone Wild and a new advertising target group called "Tween" has been invented so that big companies can make squillions of dollars selling 12-year-olds bondage wear.

I'm not saying that a woman's sexuality should be shut up behind closed doors or that David Kiely is the devil - it's not necessarily what he did that bothers me, it's the public reaction. Women are used as objects to sell products. How can they be taken seriously? When Julia Gillard was made Deputy Prime Minister it was her hair and outfit choices that were scrutinised, not her political comments.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that the extraordinary power of new media to give the 'common man' a voice has shoved a microphone into the face of a public that has evolved very little over the last century in its opinion of women and their place in society.    

For the Love of 3D

Australia's gone mad for 3D. Since James Cameron's Avatar has broken all manner of box office records across the country there has been a renewed interest in all things Third Dimension.

Both A Current Affair and Today Tonight have had stories about the supposed rush to buy 3D televisions for the home and cinemas are hurrying to get whatever films they can in 3D so they can show movie-marathons and ride the wave of 3D popularity.

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation on channel 10 returns this Sunday with some special segments in - you guessed it - 3D. (You can get your 3D glasses from TV Week or Women's Day magazines this week.)

Is it just me, or is 3D a little bit crap? I went to see Avatar at Imax and was thoroughly underwhelmed. Granted, after the hype surrounding the film I probably wouldn't have been happy with anything less than a Daft Punk-esque laser show requiring a cornea implant and resulting in a near-death-experience-so-close-to-heaven type revelation of existential proportions.

After three hours of checking my watch and wondering what species had bred with Jar Jar Binks to make these not-even-remotely believable creatures, I left the theatre wondering how this film had created such a buzz.

I suppose I should point out that I had watched Back to the Future II the night before - so I really had very high expectations of these new, fandangled 3D shenanigans. I mean, we've been promised 3D for a LONG time now haven't we? I mean, 3D films have been around since the start of the 20th century.

When chatting to a friend of mine about going to see Avatar he explained to me that the glasses provided by the cinema would probably be scratched from overuse and that he was going to be taking his own pair that he had saved from a 1976 Mad magazine.

Basically my reaction to the film, and particularly the 3D technologies was disappointment. Is this how far we've come with 3D? Is this as good as it gets right now? 

Buying a $7000 3D television set seems like a high price to pay to see some sparkly bits of stuff in front of your face every now and then - you can just as easily bang your head on the wall and get a similar effect. 

3D? As far as I'm concerned we have failed as a human race. 

- And where's my f#cking Hoverboard?