Following the State of Origin III what are the biggest shows so far in 2025?

Here are the top Overnight shows for the Calendar Year so far (includes non ratings weeks).

Shows are averaged based on Program Title (ie. MAFS: Sunday, MAFS: Monday etc).

Please note rankings change when based on Consolidated 28+ Day.

Overnight National TV Audience. 1/1/2025 – 9/7/2025. Based on Program Title.

If the Federal Government had mandated local quotas on streaming platforms as it vowed to do by 1 July 2024, might Neighbours have been saved?

Perhaps….

Perhaps not.

But there is also the removal of Drama sub-quotas on Free to Air networks in 2020 which is a contributing factor, according to Screen Producers Australia.

SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said, “The loss of Neighbours is a blow to the Australian screen ecosystem, which needs long-running, stable content production like this to be properly developed and generate opportunities for new talent and crew as well as build sustainable careers for others. Many leading Australians launched their careers in front of or behind the camera on Neighbours.

“The removal of regulation on commercial television in 2020 is a significant part of this story, as is the subsequent delay in regulatory reform. The Australian Government must urgently step up and conduct a comprehensive review of the impact of the rapid changes affecting our industry, largely driven by the shift to streaming services, and respond with the necessary actions to keep our local industry viable and sustainable. Without this and in the face of mounting pressures, our future is very uncertain.”

Alan Fletcher, once Federal Vice President of Actors Equity, told TV Tonight, “Obviously, as an actor and a member of the of the industry, we all crave to have some sort of content provisions for streamers.

“A lot of people look at content controls as being kind of like a free kick to the industry. ‘Why should they get a quota to make product ?’ But people conveniently forget how much taxpayer money goes to fund or assist primary industries and other other manufacturing industries and so forth.

“There are subsidies flying around everywhere, and the entertainment industry is subsidised as well, to a degree, through to arts funding bodies and so forth. That’s the only way you can keep your culture alive.

“The reality is, though, with Free to Air television now becoming less of a focus for drama, we are in danger of losing our voices.

“It’s going to be so important for government to monitor this and to ensure that Australian voices still appear on Australian TV.”

Nine has issued an apology to the Serbian Council of Australia, its members and the wider Serbian-Australian community following Tony Jones comments made during the Australian Open.

Earlier this year in front of chanting fans Jones shouted, “Novak, he’s overrated. Novak’s a has-been. Novak, kick him out!” before adding “I’m glad they can’t hear me.”

On social media some suggested they had been encouraged to chant for Djokovic, prior to Jones’ broadside.

He later apologised on air.

“On 17 January 2025, 9News Melbourne aired a live broadcast as part of its 6pm bulletin that referred to Novak Djokovic’s attendance at the Australian Open (Broadcast),” Nine said in a statement.

“Nine sincerely apologises to the Serbian Council of Australia, its members and the wider Serbian-Australian community for any offence caused as a result of the Broadcast.

“No harm, nor any offence, was intended to the Serbian-Australian community.

“Nine thanks, and is pleased to have co-operatively worked with, the Serbian Council of Australia to address and resolve their concerns in respect of the Broadcast.”

It’s official.

Scrubs will return in a revival format after US network ABC gave the project a series order.

The series, which followed professionals at Sacred Heart Hospital, originally ran on for seven seasons from 2001 to 2008, followed by two additional seasons, airing from 2009 to 2010.

Zach Braff, Donald Faison, and Sarah Chalke have all signed to reprise their roles as doctors, JD, Turk, Christopher Turk, and Elliot Reid, respectively.

The Scrubs revival follows JD and Turk as they scrub in together for the first time in a long time. In the years since viewers last saw them, medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has continued to stand the test of time. As characters both new and old navigate the day-to-day at Sacred Heart, they’ll do so with laughter, heart, and a few surprises along the way.

No other official casting has been announced, discussions about Judy Reyes‘ return as Carla Espinosa, Turk’s wife and nurse of Sacred Heart, have been ongoing.

Series creator Bill Lawrence is back at the helm, serving as executive producer alongside Tim Hobert and Aseem Batra, who have been tapped as showrunners. Additionally, Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer will executive produce the show, with the latter two working under Lawrence’s production company, Doozer.

An Australian broadcaster is yet to be announced.

Source: TV Insider

Guests on Monday’s Have You Been Paying Attention? are Lloyd Langford, Emma Holland, Sashi Perera.

They join Ed Kavalee, Sam Pang and Quizmaster Tom Gleisner.

8:40pm Monday on 10.

Guest on Insiders this Sunday is Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.

Patricia Karvelas and the panel Jacob Greber, Jennifer Hewett and Mark Kenny discuss the PM’s trip to China, the US review of AUKUS, the PBS and Trump tariffs, the Antisemitism review plus the RBA keep interest rates on hold.

9am Sunday on ABC.

That was fast… double eps of The Backside of Television see the series finish this Monday night.

Man vs Man!
Mitch looks at a long forgotten programming battle of 1994 – how a dating show with a
pool almost changed the TV landscape forever. Plus, the 0055 premium number grift, and
the surprisingly violent consequences to home VCRs in the early 80s.

Soap Conspiracy!
Mitch recalls one of the best worst TV specials that ever existed – the biggest creative
gamble for nostalgia, nudity, and audience sanity. Plus, why did all the TV networks
end up on trial when they refused to run a news story? A grubby conspiracy of money,
incompetence and soap.

8:30pm Monday on FOX8 / Binge

Comedy quiz show, hosted by Narelda Jacobs and Steven Oliver in NAIDOC Week. 7:30pm Saturday on NITV

• Travels With Agatha & Sir David Suchet SBS
• Grantchester ABC
• The Great Outdoors 7
• Tour de France SBS
• rage ABC

With the sad passing of Julian McMahon last week today I’ve turned back to The Power, The Passion.

Seven boldly commissioned a daytime soap in 1989 – the first local daytime soap produced in 20 years for Seven. It was part of a wider plot during the Christopeher Skase era to unseat Ray Martin on Nine, joined by The Bert Newton Show which screened before it.

Created by Bevan Lee, filmed in Melbourne, it centered around ruthless business tycoon Gordon Miles (Kevin Miles) who manipulates his wealthy empire, grooming a surprising heir amidst family intrigues, love affairs, and shady deals as he nears the end of his life.

Julian McMahon made his Australian television acting debut as Kane, medical student and son to Dr. Andrew Edmonds (Alan Cassell) and Ellen (Olivia Hamnett). He previously worked as a model, including Levi ads.

After a one week engagement, and stripping down for his buck’s party, Kane married Rebecca (Libby Purvis) but their honeymoon ended abruptly when Kane was arrested for the murder of Sonny (John Higginson). Go figure.

Alas, the show would not see out a year, ending at 168 episodes with The Bert Newton Show axed and the soap already moved to 11:30pm.

McMahon would go on to join the cast of Home and Away as Benito “Ben” Lucini in 1989, lasting another year, this time for 150 episodes.

By 1993 he was in US soap Another World, followed variously by Profiler, Charmed and Nip / Tuck, amongst others.

Period dialogue may offend.

Apple TV+ has announced a season two renewal for Murderbot, starring Alexander Skarsgård, who also serves as executive producer.

“We’re so grateful for the response that Murderbot has received, and delighted that we’re getting to go back to Martha Wells’ world to work with Alexander, Apple, CBS Studios and the rest of the team,” said creators and executive producers Chris and Paul Weitz.

“Chris, Paul, Alexander and the entire Murderbot team have delivered a brilliantly original, addictive, witty and vibrant adaptation that has captured the imagination of audiences everywhere,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+. “We can’t wait to unveil what’s next for Murderbot and, of course, ‘Sanctuary Moon’ in season two.”

The cast also includes Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones and Tamara Podemski.

Murderbot hails from CBS Studios. The Weitz brothers write, direct and executive produce under their Depth of Field banner. Andrew Miano also executive produces for Depth of Field. David S. Goyer executive produces alongside Keith Levine for Phantom Four. Wells serves as consulting producer.

The season one finale premieres today on Apple TV+.

Much has been written around the infamous Mushroom Trial which concluded in Morwell this week.

But here’s some insight into how news crews covered the event.

Nine News Deputy News Director Nathan Tanti today sent this email to staff…

Hello team

For the past three months, one story has ruled them all. That epic chapter has finally ended, and what a ride it’s been.

Throughout the trial, the deliberations, the verdict, and the washup, every member of this newsroom contributed in some way. It’s rare to cover such an all-consuming story for so long, and watching the newsroom mobilise – particularly on Monday – was something to behold.

Everyone would agree Amber Johnston and Penny Liersch have given so much to this saga. They uprooted their lives to tell this story for eleven weeks straight – effectively moving to Morwell for the entire duration.

From the Today show to Daytimes to 6pm to Late News, as well as the podcast, radio, digital, social, YouTube, international outlets, and various docos and specials, Amber and Pen have lived and breathed the mushroom trial, balancing the demands of daily news and the legalities of a highly sensitive jury trial.

All that preparation came to the fore on Monday, when Penny fed the verdicts out from the courtroom one by one, allowing Amber to deliver them to a national audience within seconds. It was described to me as a lesson in planning and composure. We had a plan, we stuck to it, and it worked.

It’s particularly worth noting that during the course of the trial, the Supreme Court never pulled Nine up for pushing the legal boundaries, let alone crossing the line. This is a huge accomplishment given the volume of information there was to work through every day. Our commitment to accuracy held us in good stead.

We thank Amber and Penny for giving it their all.

So much dedication and effort went into this story from all corners of the newsroom – much of it going on in the background, unseen by many.

The camera crews that were part of the Morwell Bureau rotation, away from home for days at a time – Tim Baker, Jason Conduit, Liam Dix, and Tom Elia – as well as those on standby in Leongatha and at GTV, ready to launch once the jury was back.

The editors who sifted through hours of vision to prepare for rolling coverage, contributed to the world-class coverage on verdict day, and cut dozens of mega packages, sometimes with little time to spare.

The reporters and presenters who supported, workshopped, counselled, listened to, and backed up the Morwell Bureau, while covering the rest of the day’s news.

The producers who curated dozens of packages and lives, helped find the angle, monitored live blogs, wrote graphics, serviced the network, and crafted some epic bulletins.

The COSs who made sure the newsroom was prepared every step of the way, and managed to get across everything else happening on any given day with fewer resources. May we never speak the words ‘desk buddy’ again.

The links team which balanced trial coverage with other commitments back in the city.

The graphic artists who designed OTSs and created graphics to make the trial and verdict packages stand out from the rest.

The digital and social teams which pumped out so much content (see Vi’s note from earlier today – 10 million impressions!) to complement the broadcasts and give hungry viewers angles that might have not made it to air.

The story planning and promo shuffling that constantly took into account the possibility of a result.

The control room teams, studio crew, and makeup/wardrobe teams who were on standby for hours on end, ready to get us on air within minutes (for the record, we were on air just NINE minutes after the notification of a verdict being reached).

The chasers and COS assistants who picked up entire packages so the ‘desk buddy’ reporters could stay within a few metres of the studio.

The library team which ensured all the material from two years of coverage was on hand at a moment’s notice, ready for whatever the editors needed.

The MEX team which ingested countless PTCs and other feeds from Morwell and other networks, and the MC team which helped ensure our comprehensive rolling coverage went off without a hitch.

Kylie who became a Morwell accommodation specialist, making sure our team was taken care of every night.

I reckon Sport asked more than anyone, ‘Will there be a verdict today?’ Good on you for remaining patient for crews when most cammos were stationed in Morwell.

All those who did extra days, swapped shifts, worked RDOs, and pitched in on days off – it is greatly appreciated.

And finally, a big shout out to our lawyers. The Legal Team took calls and answered emails day and night to ensure we could cover the story the way we wanted to without falling foul of the law.

On broadcast and on digital/social, we have seen the incredible interest in this story, and proven how we can meet the viewers where they are, with up to date, accurate, and engaging content.

The audience overwhelmingly chose 9News during the trial, and particularly on Monday. A big reason for that is the way our team told the story.

We will all remember the mushroom trial, and the way the world was watching. Well done on being a part of it. THANK YOU.

On 60 Minutes this Sunday…

Hell in Bali
Millions of Australians love Bali. And why not? It’s a stunning place. But a thirst for sun and fun in paradise can hide a sobering truth. The reality is that safety standards in Bali are not what they are here, and when things go wrong, they go really wrong. In March a group of 11 tourists, including Australians, took a boat trip to go snorkelling. No one had any reason to fear danger, until the vessel they were on suddenly capsized. Anna Blight, a 39-year-old Melbourne woman, died and many of the others onboard were injured. On 60 Minutes, Amelia Adams reveals graphic accounts of a tragedy that survivors say could – and should – have been avoided. In Bali, she also tracks down the boat owners and tour operators to get answers about how and why this disaster happened.
Reporter: Amelia Adams
Producers: Natalie Clancy, Sheree Gibson

8:10pm Sunday on Nine

Australian Emmanuel Kelly, who once competed on The X Factor, will perform at the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup Final Halftime Show at MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey.

Curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay as part of his ongoing role as international curator of Global Citizen Festival, the show is headlined by J Balvin, Doja Cat & Tems.

Produced by Global Citizen, in partnership with Live Nation, Done+Dusted, and DPS, the show is directed by Hamish Hamilton with executive producers Guy Carrington, Hamish Hamilton and Dave Meyers. It will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to raise USD 100 million to provide children around the world with access to quality education and football. One dollar from every ticket sold for FIFA Club World Cup matches in the United States this summer will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

Emmanuel’s story is one of triumph over adversity. Found as an infant on an Iraq battlefield, and born with severely underdeveloped limbs due to chemical warfare in his community. Emmanuel’s journey to Australia for life-changing surgery, marked the beginning of a new chapter. This new life is one filled with achievements, alongside his brother Ahmed, rescued from the same orphanage and now a four-times silver-medalist Paralympian swimmer.

Emmanuel skyrocketed to fame following an appearance on X Factor aged just eighteen. In 2024, he became the first physically differently-abled artist to perform to stadium crowds when he opened for Coldplay on their record-breaking “Music Of The Spheres” tour. His single “My Sky” garnered over 30MM views on TikTok and his EP “No Zodiac” was released to critical acclaim, voted into the Top Ten Australian releases by Rolling Stone magazine, and reaching No. 3 in the vinyl charts. Spotify ranked him in the Top 30 of the most globally influential artists to come out of Australia. In 2025, Emmanuel will also be performing on the main stage at the Isle Of Wight Festival and Glastonbury.

Australian broadcast:
Watch live and free worldwide on DAZN.com.
Also on Kayo Sport and Foxtel Now.
Monday, July 14, 2025 – halftime during FIFA Club World Cup Final, which kicks off at 5:00 AM AEST

Tipping Point topped entertainment on Thursday at 844,000 in National TV audience, beating The Chase on 641,000.

7:30 was 587,000 then Joanna Lumley’s Danube (435,000) and Airport 24/7 (355,000). In key markets were RBT (232,000) and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? UK (228,000).

AFL was 554,000 where it screened with NRLW at 236,000.

Seven won Thursday.

Seven News was 1.36m then Home & Away (746,000).

Nine News was #1 at 1.4m then A Current Affair on 1.1m.

ABC News drew 850,000. Hard Quiz (381,000), Grand Designs Australia (301,000) and Griff’s Great Australian Road Trip (174,000) followed.

10 News pulled 358,000 then Deal or No Deal (248,000), Law & Order: SVU (200,000), 10 News+ (150,000) and a Cheap Seats replay (122,000).

On SBS it was SBS World News (210,000 / 154,000), Tour de France (157,000), Treasures of the World with Bettany Hughes (122,000), Mastermind (111,000).

The Morning Show: 276,000 / 165,000
Today Extra: 193,000 / 114,000/

National Total TV: Thursday 10 July 2025

Season 17 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia premieres next week on Disney+.

This premiered in the US today. Returning cast are Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob Mac,
Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito.

In Season 17 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Gang craves money and parasitic social privileges.

That’s been plain since 2005. But they’re also human beings. They crave love, respect, conditional freedom, constant adulation, histrionic amounts of attention, non-stop gratification, and unfiltered, slaphappy eroticism.

Produced by FX Productions.

Wednesday July 16 on Disney+

In the season finale of Travels With Agatha & Sir David Suchet we head to Canada.

Sir David Suchet recreates Agatha Christie’s 1922 trip to Canada where he goes stargazing, ranching and takes a train across the Rockies. He discovers why Indigenous peoples were absent from Agatha’s itinerary and explores Canadian identity at the National Gallery in Ottawa.

7:30pm Saturday on SBS.

A first-of-its-kind agreement has been announced in Britain by ad-supported BVOD ITVX and Disney+ which will see curated content from both platforms shared to UK viewers.

A ‘Taste of ITVX’ and a ‘Taste of Disney+’ will commence from July 16 across each platform with regularly refreshed content, allowing more viewers to discover both Disney+ and ITVX.

Disney+ customers in the UK will be able to stream some of ITV titles including Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Spy Among Friends, Love Island, Endeavour, Vera, Karen Pirie, Price of Perfection, The 1% Club at no extra cost.

ITVX viewers will access The Bear, Andor, Only Murders in the Building, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Kardashians, Lilo and Stitch: The Series, Phineas and Ferb ad free also at no cost.

Joe Earley, President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment said, “We are proud of this innovative collaboration with ITV, which will allow us to bring Disney+ customers some of the UK’s favorite and buzzworthy shows and encourage ITVX viewers to discover some of Disney+’s award-winning series and blockbuster films.”

Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, ITV added:“Disney are fantastic, partners with a brilliant breadth of content. This mutually beneficial alliance allows us to show our complementary audiences a specially selected collection of titles, regularly updating, that gives a flavour of the range in our respective offerings. For us, this deal means even more great content for viewers on ITVX, and even more opportunity for viewers to find and enjoy our distinctive titles and services.”

EXCLUSIVE:

TV Tonight is on site at Neighbours studio on this historic final day of Production.

9:30am
I’m sitting in the cafeteria of NEP’s Nunawading studio as Neighbours cast and crew are undertaking their last ever day. I’ve been here many times before, for Neighbours, for Prisoner, Holiday Island and a once-glorious music show my parents brought me to.

I feel pretty sad to return for this occasion but grateful the team has given me such rare access this morning. I’ve never Live blogged from a studio production before, so while I don’t quite know what to expect, I’m keen to try and act as a link between production and you, the loyal fans in Australia, the UK and beyond.

I encourage you to comment, maybe share which city / region you are from, pass on messages to the cast and crew or ask a question I will endeavour to answer (may not get to them all sorry!)

And hit refresh across the next two hours as we update!

9:44am

TV Tonight paps the paps who are outside the studio fence…. a pity they are not inside. A 10 News+ crew is also here for the morning.

9:49am
I am frantically chatting with cast to bring you quotes… stay tuned.

10am:
Stefan Dennis swings by to share his feelings…. “I had a lovely send off from my wife this morning where she made the loveliest of last days, and it still hasn’t sunk in, because I’ve been absolutely flat chat since the second I opened my eyes. I think if you ask me this question, in about eight hours, you’re going to be talking to a different person. I know everybody’s going, ‘Oh, you know, you must be used to it’, because this is the second / third time round for me. It’s yet again, another ending. And endings are never happy, it’s sort of sad happiness, isn’t it?”

10:05am
Rebekah Elmaloglou reflects on her final day: “I’ve got a massive, massive day in pretty much every scene. So I’m kind of focusing on just getting through with that. I’ve got a bit of a head cold too, which isn’t ideal. Hoping that will get better before the wrap party tomorrow night. But it’s really kind of mixed emotions. I guess it’ll really hit me at the end of the day, when we’ve got the last scene with a lot of cast in. We’ve got a big party scene that we’re doing. So I’m hoping that I’m able to get through the day and focus on what I’m doing, character-wise. And then we’ll probably be able to celebrate. It was really weird driving through the gates this morning for the last time. What wasn’t weird is my last alarm, getting me out of bed. I was so glad to see the last of that moment!”

10:13am
The cafeteria is in a Christmas in July mood, especially for cast and crew on the last day (this room was famously the Prisoner cafeteria if you ever watched that). Around the walls are pics and clippings from recent years.

10:19am
Annie Jones admits to being emotional: “I sat in the makeup chair and burst into tears, so it didn’t start very well. They made me up, and then I went and did one of my final scenes, and burst into tears again. So it’s a little tricky, a little tricky….It’s a surreal day to be going through this again, saying goodbye to everyone, it breaks my heart a little bit, I have to say. I’ve been coming to this building a very, very long time. In the beginning I was probably 18. I came back again in 2018. It’s been a big part of my life. I’ve been Neighbourly for a long time.”

10:28:
Huge thanks to Tom Sage from the social team who is bringing me cast and crew for chats in the cafeteria. Legend.

10:35am
Riley Bryant who plays JJ Varga-Murphy is one of the younger cast members, one of hundreds to hone a craft through serial drama. He filmed his final scene yesterday, but is here to be with everyone: “It was actually really sad, there’s really no other word for it. It’s devastating. I cried right after my last scene when we wrapped. It’s just so special to be able to feel those feelings and develop those relationships with the people you work with. I’ve been on the show, nearly two and a half years now…. I’ve learned how to quickly learn a scene, I’ve learned a lot of naturalistic acting… acting classes can’t compare to what it’s like being on a show for two years. And learning from Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodburne.”

10:48am:
Executive Producer Jason Herbison pays me a visit to tell me how the day pans out: “We have one crew going today. Neighbours is traditionally shot with two crews and the location crew start the week before studio, so now the final week of the show we just have the studio crew going. The location crew actually finished on Monday. It’s a busy day in studio, basically, we’re filming all the final scenes in studio and we’re wrapping tonight. There’s a wrap party tomorrow night….We’re having Christmas in July, as you can see so it’s a bittersweet mood. We’re all sad to be seeing the end of the show. But as I said before, you know, very grateful that we’ve had this this chapter in this time together, and a little bit of hope, who knows, for the future. …A little reminder that we do have five months more of storylines. We have a big five months of Neighbours still to air. We absolutely are not slowing down story-wise. Lots of big storylines, lots of new characters, lots of big story locomotives still to play out. So whilst it’s the final day today on set, for our viewers, there’s still five big months of the show to watch.”

10:55am
Stefan and Rebekah filming one of their very last scenes. Cast are loving reading your comments and heartened by how far it is reaching right now.

11:00am
In the cafeteria there is music playing through the audio… Joe Cocker, “You Are so Beautiful.” Jeez, we don’t need help to cry thanks.

11:10am
I’m not going to turn around all these chats by 11:30… a dilemma!

11:12am
Emerald Chan who plays Sadie Rodwell is another of the show’s younger actors: “There’s definitely a lot of emotions, a lot of sadness, but also a lot of hope for the future. So that’s always nice.( My last scene was) really sad. And my last line just, I think, summed up my entire emotion and how I was feeling. A coincidence, but it was really nice…. This has been my only acting job and it’s been the best…. I thought this (shooting schedule) is normal. Apparently this is fast! But I’ve learned so much about the industry, so much about other actors and the manners that you have to have, the teamwork you really have to have with each other. And the trust as well. It’s collaborative … it’s not just the actors, just not the crew, it’s everyone together. ”

11:23am
TV legend Nadine Garner has been working behind the scenes with the team for several years. Coincidentally, her links to the show go back to its beginning at Seven: “We shot Henderson Kids at Seven. And of course, Neighbours was at Seven. So the very first Neighbours was happening while we were shooting. It was exciting, because I was a teenager, and the Neighbours cast were all 20-something and groovy and young, and it was going to be this next big, hip show. I was there when it was first launching, and I remember it being a big moment in Australian television. Everybody kind of knew it was going to be the big hallmark show. ..

“But here I am. I came back to help the producers the first time it ended because Eve (Morey) had turned into an intimacy coach, and they needed some cast support. So I’ve sort of stepped in as a cast support person. They call me a Coach, but I’m not that interested in coaching acting. I’m really interested in actor wellbeing, so I kind of provide a space for actors to come and talk about what’s going on for them, so that they can be match fit. Sometimes the schedule is so intense for some of them, that they just need a pit stop place to kind of recalibrate and go back out there.”

Having worked with its younger actors she also comments on the training ground that Neighbours has provided.

“Look, it’s just happened again with Xavier Molyneux just booking Bloodaxe. Neighbours has always been a training ground, not just for actors. We’ve seen incredible pathways for Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie, but also crew. There’s been a generosity of spirit in this place to train people up in every department, from props and art department, through to sound design and editing. Everyone’s been given a go. They’ve always got attachments and traineeships happening here and given the depressed nature of film making and television making in Melbourne, particularly Victoria, at the moment, this will be sadly missed. It’s going to be a sadly missed training ground. ”

11:30am:
While I’m formally wrapping this Live blog now, I still have some quotes to come, so I will update those later this afternoon.

Updated:

Sally-Anne Upton who plays Vera: “I never, ever, ever thought in my life that this building will be such a significant part of my life for 35 years. I came out for Bingles at the end of 1989, then we shot the Comedy Company out of here, all the Crawford’s Productions, like Law of the Land … I knew that Prisoner was shot out here from my my time with Annie Phelan and Betty Bobbitt and Lois Collinder. And then, of course, Bert Newton filmed out of here.before Como. I was a regular on his show.

“I got associated with Neighbours through working as a nurse for an actor who broke her leg, and she needed somebody to be here. Because I had nursing skills and acting skills, I could help her with the lines and then I just stayed on, whether as medical advisor, or nurse. When COVID hit, they went down to a very skeleton crew cast. Natalie Lynch locked herself in a room for two days (to create a world-first schedule), it was amazing.

“And then out of that, Vera had already been created, and they have honoured me by developing her even further and now I’m in the opening credits!

“Neighbours is like a metropolis. It’s really fantastic and I’m not just being biased. It’s been nominated for two Emmys, and now it’s going. The government needs to subsidise this.”

Series Producer Andrew Thompson explained that shooting today is: “Block 1786 directed by Eugenie Muggleton, the second to last, sets up the finale beautifully. It’ s a big day, emotional, obviously I’m bouncing on and off set to do cast final scenes and then jumping back into the edit……I haven’t had time to process it, to be honest, but I’m proud. Proud of the last 460 episodes and all that we’ve achieved and the workplace that we’ve created, the new talent that have had an opportunity to get their first gig here. We’re overwhelmed but with a great sense of pride and joy.”

Mark “Whits” Heuston is DP Camera Operator who has more than 3 decades on the show: “I started in staging, and worked my way through Assistant Focus Pulling, Camera and then into DP. So it’s been a good learning curve…. It’s very mixed emotions, sometimes sad, sort of happy sometimes. But I’ll miss the people -not the hours – because you spend more time here than you do at home. You get home late at night, sometimes you come here at dark and you’re leaving at dark…. I started here just doing one or two days. 35 years later, I’m still here.”

Alex Long, Head of Hair and Make Up, reflects on highlights: “It’s very sad. Obviously, we’ve been through this once before, but it’s a bit different this time,… It’s a pretty long day today. But it’s long days every day. We don’t wrap until 7 o’clock tonight. … I guess the last couple of years, the travel has been the highlight. Going to the Outback in particular was amazing, and Hamilton Island nice…. There’s 10 of us so it’s a large team and the mixture in this current team is probably half who were here from previous Neighbours and girls who are new to the current Neighbours.”

Script Producer Lisa Maroun has been in the writing dept since the reboot, and previously freelance: “My favourite thing about Neighbours are all of our really comedic, silly stories, the things that give you a belly chuckle. So there’ll be a few of those coming up. There will, of course, be high drama between all of our Neighbours, and there will be love stories where people will come back to each other, but also will be torn apart…. The last two years, I’ve mentored so many new writers, young people starting out. This is the place to do it. This is such a learning ground, and we need it in Melbourne. This place gave me my first writing credit at a time where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep pushing in the industry, because it’s so hard to get a break. It’s so hard to get your foot in the door.”

This concludes today’s on site interviews (and congrats to the team on a Daytime Emmy nomination today).

Please keep the comments coming as the cast and crew are reading!

A reminder you’ll see a story from Angela Bishop tonight on 10 News+.

My thanks to Neighbours and Network 10 for today’s unique access.

David.

This Sunday on Spicks & Specks…

The new games keep coming with titles like Blah Blah and the Blah Blahs and Musical Chers! Playing along is Eddie Perfect, Jordan Barr, Vera Blue and Tom Ballard. And yes Musical Chers is exactly what you think it is.

The final song by Emma Donovan will leave you breathless.

7:30pm Sunday on ABC.

Today marks the historic final day of production for Neighbours at their home of 4 decades in Nunawading.

Cast are grateful but melancholy about their last day of filming when they spoke with TV Tonight.

A Live Blog from the studio will also be published from 9:30am AEST today (12:30am UK) and you are encouraged to share your thoughts with the team.

EXCLUSIVE:

Alan Fletcher

“It does feel different. There’s obviously enormous sadness… we finished up with some crew in the studio on Monday and there were tears shed. Suddenly you think, ‘These people have been part of my life for a very long time.’ Realistically, it’s unlikely we’re going to see much of each other in the future unless we moveon to another job.

“There’s enormous sadness for the fans. I’m on all the social media platforms, so I get to see their comments about how desperate they are for the show to be saved. I try and console that as best I can, but there’s not much you can say. So I’m very sad for them. I’m fortunate because I’ve got a project to go straight to. I’m off touring the UK with music, and that’s going to to distract me. In fact, the same thing happened last time the show was cancelled. I went straight off to the UK and did my Dr. Karl stage show.

“I think if I had to sit at home next week and mow the lawn, it would hit me pretty hard, but it probably won’t hit me for a while yet., I imagine once I’m amongst the fans in the UK, that’s when I ‘ll see their palpable grief. I suppose that’s when it’ll hit me a bit more.

“I mean Neighbours as we know it is done. That’s the harsh reality. But Fremantle as a company are always forward planning and always looking at what they might do next. So, who knows what they might generate? Hopefully, if they generate something that’s kind of in the genre, the fans would connect with that ….with a new cast and a new look, new situation. Who knows? But it’s all spectacular conjecture.”

Annie Jones

“I think we’re even sadder because these last two years have been such a gift. We were so grateful to Amazon for saving us, but also we just felt so loved by all of the fans that took the time to write in and email and just make so much noise to let it be known how much they’re going to miss the show. That’s kind of continued. We get a lot of lovely, lovely comments from people online, just telling us how much the show means to them and how devastated they are now that it’s ending again. So we really feel the weight of all of that even more so, this time around. It’s gonna leave a big hole in a lot of people’s lives, unfortunately.”

Rebekah Elmaloglou

“If you ask me on Friday night, I’ll be probably an absolute mess. Look, I’m devastated as we all are. We’re such an incredibly close family and we have so much fun.

“Stefan (Dennis) and I have so much fun. We’re so naughty and we just love our characters, we love working with each other. It’s been a wonderful place to work at. I’m just devastated that I won’t get to see everyone every day. I think I’m just a little numb at the moment. It’s a very different feeling this time around….. I’m not sure, it’s a really hard one to explain.

“Jason (Herbison, producer) is very optimistic about the future. I mean, it’ll never be the same platform or episodes if it did come back. But honestly, the way he’s written it has kept it very open to a few really clever options.”

Matt Wilson

“We’ve had some practice with this, haven’t we?

“This time, I know that anything can happen because Amazon picked it up out of nowhere. So it wouldn’t surprise me if it did get picked up. And it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t. Last time it felt more like the end, because we didn’t know that was a possibility, whereas this time it would not surprise me.

“There’s a lot of reasons why somebody would pick up this show. It’s got to be the cheapest created drama in Australia. There’s so many reasons, particularly if streamers have to hit their local content quotas to be able to trade here. It’s got to be one of the only shows that can nail that local content quota in one purchase.”

ABC has picked up 2025 British murder-mystery drama I, Jack Wright.

Produced by Federation Stories the 6 part series tells the story of a family feuding over the fortune left behind by murdered patriarch Jack Wright, a powerful and successful businessman.

It stars Trevor Eve, Gemma Jones and John Simm.

It has also been acquired by broadcasters in France, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Source : C21

We’re 99 days out Telethon 2025, but first guests have been announced for the annual WA even on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October 2025.

A massive 26-hours will be broadcast live across Channel 7 and 7plus, and for the first time nationally on 7flix.

Emma Memma met with the 2024 Little Telethon Stars backstage at her Perth show earlier this week.

“Telethon holds a very special place in my heart, it’s such an incredible and important event, and I can’t wait to be back in Perth, singing, dancing and signing with everyone again!” she said.

Also joining the 2025 lineup are Shannon Noll, Manu Feildel, Shane Crawford, Mick Molloy,
plus stars from Home and Away, Better Homes and Gardens, Sunrise, The Morning Show and The Chase, as well as the 7NEWS Perth team, and Telethon’s very own Fat Cat.

Channel 7 Telethon Trust Chairman Richard Goyder said “Telethon stands at the heart of providing hope and delivering tangible outcomes for those who need it most.

“This work is only possible thanks to the unwavering commitment, generosity and kindness of the WA community.”

Last year’s Telethon raised a record $83.3 million.

Nine News presents another doco special this Sunday, as Christine Ahern explores The Trial of Diddy, investigating the staggering downfall of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

This must-see documentary delves deep into the bombshell allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering that have shattered the reputation of one of the music industry’s most powerful figures. From his meteoric rise to global stardom to the FBI raids and high-stakes trial that has captivated the world, The Trial of Diddy uncovers the ugly story behind the sensational headlines.

With unprecedented access to key insiders, this special investigation presents a compelling chronicle of the accusations that brought down his empire. Through exclusive interviews, it pieces together a timeline of events, from the infamous “freak off” parties to the ongoing federal prosecution.

Reported by Nine’s Christine Ahern, the program features confronting testimony and expert analysis from those closest to the case, including:

• Sharay “The Punisher” Hayes: A key witness and former exotic dancer who provides a harrowing firsthand account of his involvement in the “freak offs” with Cassie Ventura and Sean Combs.
• Elie Honig: Former federal and state prosecutor who offers his expert legal analysis, having led numerous federal racketeering cases in the same New York court where Combs has been on trial.
• Cheyenne Roundtree: The senior investigations reporter for Rolling Stone who conducted a bombshell six-month investigation into Combs and has been inside the courtroom every day of the trial.
• Derrick Parker: The original “Hip-Hop Cop”, a former NYPD detective from the Rap Intelligence Unit who reveals his experiences with Diddy during the volatile East Coast vs. West Coast feud of the 1990s.
• Jay Quan: A respected hip-hop historian who provides crucial context on the culture and industry that Combs dominated for decades.

Producers: Tracey Hannaford and Alex Chance
Editors: Dave Milkins and Sonia Serrao

Sunday, July 13, at 9.10pm on Channel Nine.

This week on Better Homes & Gardens Dr Harry meets the research team bringing the White’s Seahorse back from the brink, Melissa’s inspo from Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and Clarissa serves up a crowd favourite with minimum prep.

Johanna – A View Of Pacific Pines
Located close to beaches and the city with a relaxed coastal atmosphere, a friendly and vibrant community, fantastic restaurants and gorgeous weather all year round, who wouldn’t want to live on the Gold Coast? And just a short drive from the city centre, in the suburb of Pacific Pines, it’s possible to buy a freestanding home for a good price that’s perfect for families. What’s not to love? Johanna’s visiting the Goldy to find out whether it really is the perfect place to call home.

Dr Harry – Sydney Seahorse Project
The views of Sydney Harbour are spectacular, but dive beneath the water and you’ll find a world teeming with marine life that’s just as breathtaking. Unfortunately, one of the harbour’s most unique residents is currently facing a major threat. The White’s Seahorse is only found on the east coast of Australia, but due to human activity and habitat loss, its numbers have dramatically declined in recent years. This week, Dr Harry’s meeting the research team bringing the White’s Seahorse back from the brink. They’re restoring seagrass meadows in Sydney Harbour, breeding seahorses in captivity and then releasing them in ‘seahorse hotels’ – artificial habitats designed to support their recovery. Dr Harry is finding out more about their amazing work.

Dr Harry – Life Off The Track
What happens to racehorses when they retire? Dr Harry’s visiting international thoroughbred stud, Godolphin Australia Aberdeen, to find out. Their Lifetime Care program is one of several retirement programs that help champion horses live fulfilling lives, even after their professional careers are over. These horses thrive as therapy animals and companions, and many of them are rehomed, too. Dr Harry is meeting some of these amazing horses to find out what life is like off the track.

Adam – Lounge In A Classic
This week, Adam’s not just making a chair…he’s making a standout piece of modern art. The Red and Blue Chair was designed over 100 years ago by Gerrit Rietveld and became so iconic, it’s now found in museums across the world. Geometric, minimalist and understated, this chair really does make a statement…but the original version comes with a $120,000 price tag. So, Adam’s making his own spin on it, using off-the-shelf and affordable materials from the hardware store. Not only does the final result make a statement, but it’s also super comfy, too.

Colin – Fish Stew
Colin’s making his version of a traditional French bouillabaisse, or seafood stew, and it’s delicious, easy to make and affordable. Colin’s using mussels and leatherjackets, but any fresh cut of fish will do. Served in a tasty broth made with fennel, ginger, white wine, tomatoes, orange, thyme and cream, this stew is bursting with flavour and guaranteed to warm you up on a cold day.

Clarissa – Steamed Pork Belly Ribs With Black Beans
Clarissa’s recreating a popular yum cha dish and her version tastes just as good as what you’d get in a Chinese restaurant. Made with fermented black beans, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lots of chilli, these steamed pork belly ribs take only 15 minutes to prep, and they’re guaranteed to be a crowd favourite.

Charlie – what’s wrong with my lawn?
It’s the series of questions we’ve all asked at some point, usually without a satisfying answer: What’s wrong with my lawn? Have I killed it? And if not, how do I get it looking healthy again? Luckily, Charlie’s here to help. There are so many factors to a good-looking lawn, and Charlie’s sharing the info you need to get yours back in tip-top shape.

Melissa – Shortcut – The Nostalgia Garden At MIFGS
It might not have won Best in Show, but The Nostalgia Garden by Paul Pritchard was a crowd favourite at this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Melissa’s taking a closer look at this mid-century masterpiece, including the Palm Springs-inspired details that you can incorporate at your place.

Juliet – Weather Seal Artwork To Warm Up Your Walls
Weather seal tape is a great tool for closing gaps in your home and keeping the cold out during winter…but did you know it can be used as the starting point for a unique piece of art too? Juliet’s showing you how to use it to create your own textured masterpiece…and it’s really simple to do, too.

Juliet – Kitchen Island/Table Build
If you don’t have a large kitchen, bench space is like prime real estate, especially if you also want to squeeze in a dining table. So, Juliet has a brilliant idea to help with both of those issues by upcycling an old pre-loved piece of furniture. This project will transform your kitchen… in more ways than one!

7pm Friday on Seven / 7TWO

Season two of Shipwreck Hunters Australia, will premiere on Disney+ in August.

The Shipwreck Hunters Australia team – Ryan Chatfield, Johnny Debnam, Nush Freedman, Andre Rerekura, and Ash Sutton – are back, with six new missions to uncover history hidden within the seabed of Australia’s wildly beautiful treasure coast.

With support from maritime archaeologists at the Western Australian Museum, they travel across WA’s Mid West, Gascoyne, Wheatbelt, South West and Goldfields-Esperance regions.

Screenwest Chief Executive Officer Rikki Lea Bestall said: “Shipwreck Hunters Australia is a rousing and exciting documentary series set against the backdrop of Western Australia’s beautiful coast, and I am intrigued to see what these adventurers uncover during Season 2. Not only do series like Shipwreck Hunters Australia showcase our remarkable coastal landscapes to the world, but they help position the state as an attractive destination for screen production.”

Propelled by the unprecedented success of their expeditions featured in season one, which include the incredible historic maritime discovery of the 111-year-old Finnish-owned sailing ship Glenbank, the team are more determined than ever to unearth the treasures that lie beneath the ocean. Obsessed by the wonders of the natural world and fixated by the revelations of untold disasters at sea, the Shipwreck Hunters have leveled up in preparation for what’s ahead. With new locations, even bigger adventures, wild animal encounters and more, the mind-blowing discoveries in season two will have viewers on the edge of their seats.

The series is directed and produced by VAM Media’s Brendan Hutchens (Shipwreck Hunters Australia, Drawn to Water, Walking Man), together with series producer Russell Vines (Ningaloo: Australia’s Other Great Reef, The Waler: Australia’s Great War Horse, Australia’s Sleep Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley) and executive producer Steve Bibb (Shipwreck Hunters Australia, Inside the Sydney Opera House, Matildas: The World at Our Feet).

Shipwreck Hunters Australia season two is a co-production between VAM Media, Terra Australis Productions and Barking Mad Productions for Disney+, and has received major production investment from Screen Australia. Financed in association with Screenwest, Lotterywest, the Western Australian Regional Screen Fund and Tourism Western Australia, with expert assistance from the Western Australian Museum. The series was also developed with the assistance of Screen Australia, Screenwest and Lotterywest.

All episodes August 27 on Disney+.

The cast of Wednesday are set to embark on a global tour as part of the Season 2 launch.

Various cast members will head to England, Poland, Italy, France, Romania, USA, Canada, South Korea, and Australia.

Netflix invites fans in Australia to gather at Wednesday Island at 10pm Saturday August 16, 2025.

Hosted on Cockatoo Island / Wareamah, Sydney Harbour, guests will be plunged into the wonderfully weird world of Wednesday through chilling performances, in-world activations, and unearthly experiences to transport them to Nevermore and beyond.

Netflix are giving Wednesday super fans the chance to win a VIP double pass to Wednesday Island for a festival to die for.  General Admission tix will be open July 23rd.

Part 1 Premiere Date: August 6, 2025
Part 2 Premiere Date: September 3, 2025

Fom today Paramount+ screens three Australian / NZ based football matches from Wrexham AFC, the underdog club turned global sensation.

Backed by none other than Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, this Welsh fairytale club has gone from non-league nobodies to Championship contenders in just four seasons. Now, fresh off their third straight promotion and knocking on the Premier League’s door, the Red Dragons are flying south to take on Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC, and Wellington Phoenix in a tour that’s guaranteed to bring the fire.

From the small Welsh town of Wrexham to the global spotlight, this club has taken the world by storm thanks to the hit docuseries Welcome to Wrexham and now they’re bringing their fairytale story to Aussie soil and straight to Paramount+.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a doco convert, or just here for the Hollywood drama, there’s never been a better time to get swept up in the Red Dragon fever.

Paramount+:
Wrexham v Melbourne Victory – Friday, 11 July 2025 from 7pm AEST
Wrexham v Sydney FC – Tuesday, 15 July 2025 from 7pm AEST
Wrexham v Wellington Phoenix – Saturday, 19 July 2025 from 2.30pm AEST

Rare archival footage, interviews and behind-the-scenes chaos as a blockbuster film turns 50. Friday on Disney+

• Foundation Apple
• Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires Disney+
• Patience ABC
• The Wild Ones Apple
• Dexter: Resurrection Paramount+

Tomorrow marks the final day of production for the team at Neighbours.

It’s a sad occasion but I’m pleased to advise TV Tonight will be Live Blogging from the studio tomorrow morning, to bring you a fly-on-the-wall insight into the very last day.

My thanks to Neighbours and Network 10 for facilitating this rare opportunity at a historic time.

Friday July 11
9:30am – 11:30am AEST
12:30am – 2:30am UK

Fans can also comment on the post and I will try to answer those, or possibly pass on (you will need a TVT account).

I also have a special feature to publish tomorrow to mark the final day.

David.

Queer Eye will wrap with its upcoming 10th season.

The series, rebooted by Netflix in 2018, features food and wine expert Antoni Porowski, grooming guru Jonathan Van Ness, culture and lifestyle specialist Karamo Brown, fashion connoisseur Tan France and interior designer Jeremiah Brent who joined last year.

10 seasons. Fab Five. One last go ‘round.

The final season of Queer Eye is officially in production! pic.twitter.com/kZ4cSAKOlB

— Netflix (@netflix) July 9, 2025

Nominees have been announced in the Daytime Emmy Awards, with Australia’s Curtis Stone nominated in the Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program for his series Field Trip with Curtis Stone.

Updated: Neighbours has been nominated in the Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video.

Winners will be announced on October 17 in Pasadena.

Primetime Emmy noms are announced next week.

Here are key categories:

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series

Days of Our Lives
Peacock

General Hospital
ABC

The Young and the Restless
CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Daytime Drama Series

Sharon Case as Sharon Newman
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Eileen Davidson as Ashley Abbott
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Melissa Claire Egan as Chelsea Lawson
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Nancy Lee Grahn as Alexis Davis
General Hospital (ABC)

Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Laura Wright as Carly Spencer
General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Daytime Drama Series

Peter Bergman as Jack Abbott
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Eric Martsolf as Brady Black
Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Greg Rikaart as Leo Stark
Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Paul Telfer as Xander Kiriakis
Days of Our Lives (Peacock)

Dominic Zamprogna as Dante Falconeri
General Hospital (ABC)

Outstanding Lifestyle Program

George to the Rescue
NBC

Hack Your Health
The Secrets of Your Gut
Netflix [Tremolo Productions]

Harlem Globetrotters: Play It Forward
NBC [Hearst Media Production Group]

Homegrown
Magnolia Network [Eclipse Creative]

You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment
Netflix [Netflix | OPS | The Vogt Foundation]

Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program

Expedition Unknown
Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]

Field Trip with Curtis Stone
Hong Kong
PBS [Sunny Side Up Productions]

The Good Road
PBS [Good All Over]

How I Got Here
BYUtv [FORTÉ Entertainment]

Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out
PBS

Mexico Made With Love
PBS [Symbio Studios]

Outstanding Daytime Talk Series

The Drew Barrymore Show
CBS Media Ventures

The Jennifer Hudson Show
Warner Brothers Television Distribution [JHUD Productions | Warner Bros. Unscripted Television | Telepictures]

The Kelly Clarkson Show
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Live with Kelly and Mark
Disney Entertainment Distribution

The View
ABC

Updated:

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” (ABC [Film 45 | EverWonder Studio | Yellow Shoes Studio])

“The Drew Barrymore Show” (CBS Media Ventures)

“Neighbours” (Amazon Prime Video [Amazon MGM Studios | FremantleMedia Limited])

“The View” (ABC)

“The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Olivia d’Abo as Fifi Garrett, “The Bay” (Popstar! TV [LANY Entertainment | SheMogul Entertainment])

AnnaLynne McCord as Cat Greene, “Days of our Lives” (Peacock)

Ashley Puzemis as Holly Jonas, “Days of our Lives” (Peacock)

Christian Weissmann as Remy Pryce, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)

Lisa Yamada as Luna Nozawa, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)

Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Linden Ashby as Cameron Kirsten, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Clint Howard as Tom Starr, “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)

Jacqueline Lopez as Blaze, “General Hospital” (ABC)

Alley Mills as Heather Webber, “General Hospital” (ABC)

Valarie Pettiford as Amy Lewis, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Avery Kristen Pohl as Esme Prince, “General Hospital” (ABC)

Outstanding Daytime Personality – Non-Daily
Sir David Attenborough, “Secret Lives of Orangutans” (Netflix [Silverback Films])

Brad Bestelink, “Living with Leopards” (Netflix [Wild Space | Natural History Film Unit Botswana | Freeborne Media | Netflix])

Andi Sweeney Blanco, Courtney Dober, Rob North & Kirin Stone, “The Fixers” (BYUtv)

Anthony Mackie, “Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast” (National Geographic [Nutopia])

Martha Stewart, “Martha Gardens” (Roku [Marquee Brands])

Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
“Days of our Lives” (Peacock)

“General Hospital” (ABC)

“The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
“Days of our Lives” (Peacock)

“General Hospital” (ABC)

“The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Source: Deadline

Round 7 of the 2025 Supercars Championship, the Townsville 500, screens on Seven this weekend.

Seven Head of Motorsport, Angela Rampal, said: “Townsville provides us with a taste of the first bonafide street circuit of the season, with kerbs, surface changes and concrete walls all guaranteed to provide the action that we know Supercars can provide.

“With full replays, highlights and bonus content available for streaming, we can’t wait to see whether Broc Feeney can become the first finalist of 2025 in this exciting new format structure for Supercars – and you’ll see it all on Seven and 7plus Sport this weekend.”

The Far North Queensland city will host the second round of the traditional northern swing for Supercars following last month’s Darwin Triple Crown, which saw Broc Feeney clean sweep the Triple Crown and further extend his lead in the Sprint Cup and the Championship.

Seven’s resident motorsport expert and fresh from his NASCAR debut, Jack Perkins, and former Australian Rally Champion Molly Taylor will take viewers live to the Reid Park Street Circuit for a weekend jam-packed with high-octane action, from midday on Saturday and continuing Sunday.

Supercars legends Garth Tander and Mark Skaife will feature in the commentary box with legendary caller Neil Crompton, while Mark Larkham and Chad Neylon will join Perkins and Taylor as they lead the pit lane coverage.

Three-time Supercars Champion Craig Lowndes, Richard Craill and Matt Naulty will also call the support categories throughout the weekend.

Townsville 500 will be headlined by two 200 kilometre two-stop races on Saturday and Sunday and is the penultimate event before the first finalist of 2025 is confirmed.

Ten drivers will compete in Supercars’ first ever finals series, before a Champion is crowned at the BP Adelaide Grand Final on 30 November.

Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney holds a commanding 183-point lead over defending Supercars Champion Will Brown heading into this weekend’s round in Townsville.

It’s brutal in Streaming…

J.J. Abrams-produced period crime Duster, starring Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson, is ending after just one season.

The news comes less than a week after the show aired the Season 1 finale.

“While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a second season of Duster we are so grateful to have had the chance to work with the amazingly talented co-creators J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, and our partners at Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television,” HBO Max said in a statement. We are tremendously proud of this series led by Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson and we thank them along with our cast and crew for their incredible collaboration and partnership.”

The cast also included Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez, and Benjamin Charles Watson.

“J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan delivered a thrilling, multi-dimensional crime drama in Duster with textured characters that took the audience back to the 1970s in a new and innovative way,” WBTV added. “Those characters were brought to life by a wonderful team led by Josh, Rachel, and an extremely talented ensemble cast, along with an expert crew behind the scenes. We are incredibly proud of the show, and while we wish this journey could continue, we are thankful to our partners at HBO Max for the opportunity to tell Jim and Nina’s story.”

Source: Variety

Nine News Brisbane reporter Tim Arvier has departed after 21 years at Nine, to join Premier David Crisafulli’s team.

“After 21 adventurous years filing stories for Nine, I’m having a bit of a change with a new job,” he said on Instagram.

“I’ll be moving away from the day to day shenanigans of Queensland politics & heading to government department land for some new responsibilities, including heading up the Queensland Crisis Communications Network to oversee events like floods, cyclones and major police/emergency incidents.

“I’ll miss working at Nine. It’s a great place full of great people and I’ve made many lifelong friends amongst the camera teams, producers & editors. A special thanks to the Qld leadership team of Brendan Hockings & Kylie Blucher for their unwavering support over the years. The newsroom is in great hands and I know it will continue to thrive.”

“Tim and I started in the industry together around 20 years ago, and I’ve seen first hand how much he’s poured into his journalism career,” Nine’s Queensland news boss, Brendan Hockings, also told The Australian.

“We’ve spoken about this at length, so I know how Tim has agonised over leaving a profession and place he loves but, in the end, he feels the time is right to take on this new role. He leaves with our thanks and best wishes.

“Nine is Queensland’s No.1 television news thanks to the strength of our team across the board.

“We have a very healthy stable of newsbreakers and I’m excited to watch them take up the challenge of holding the government to account.”

Season Two of Twisted Metal, starring Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World) and Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) screens on Stan at the end of the month.

The high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese (Deadpool) and Paul Wernick (Zombieland) sees Mackie as a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The cast also features Joe Seanoa and Will Arnett (Sweet Tooth), Anthony Carrigan (Calypso) and Michael James Shaw as fan favourite ‘Axel’. Recurring guest stars include Mike Mitchell, Saylor Bell Curda, Patty Guggenheim, Tiana Okoye, Richard De Klerk, Michael James Shaw and Lisa Gilroy.

In the new season of Twisted Metal, get ready for some car-nage. Following the revelations in the season one finale, John and Quiet find themselves entering the deadly Twisted Metal tournament, a sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso. As they try to survive an onslaught of dangerous new foes and familiar faces alike, including the murderous clown Sweet Tooth, things get complicated for John when he reunites with his long-lost sister, the vigilante Dollface.

Twisted Metal is written by Michael Jonathan Smith and executive produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Anthony Mackie, Will Arnett and Marc Forman, Jason Spire, Grant Dekernion, Peter Principato, Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions and Hermen Hulst, CEO, Studio Business Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment. The second season is directed by Phil Sgriccia (201-202, 205-206), Bill Benz (203-204, 211-212), Iain MacDonald (207-208) and Bertie Ellwood (209-210). The project is produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Thursday July 31 on Stan.

“Rage against the Regime” will screen on Four Corners on Monday.

This is an edited version of a two part BBC Two documentary.

For decades, Iranians have resisted a regime built on fear, repression and religious control.

Rage Against the Regime captures the latest chapter in that struggle through the voices of those who have lived it, exiled dissidents, young protesters and women who dared to speak out.

This is a story filmed in exile, told by Iranians forced to flee their country. Their testimonies reveal the reality of life under constant surveillance, where a wrong word or a visible strand of hair can lead to arrest, torture, or worse.

The film centers on the protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while under police protection. Using powerful first-person accounts and rare footage smuggled out of Iran, it shows how a single act of state violence reignited a movement, bringing thousands into the streets, threatening the regime.

Rage Against the Regime is an unflinching portrait of courage in the face of brutal repression. It is a story about freedom, sacrifice and the cost of speaking out.

Monday July 14 at 8:30pm on ABC.

State of Origin III has pulled a massive 3.9m viewers in National TV Audience.

That lifts on Origin I (3.76m) and Origin II (3.75m), making it the top TV audience so far in 2025.

City audiences were Sydney 1.00m / Brisbane 915,000 / Melbourne 397,000 / Perth 176,000 / Adelaide 123,000 -and the highest ever BVOD audience of all time with 978,000 watching on 9Now (beating FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi Final: Matildas v England by 7,000).

The game was a bloodbath for the NSW Blues, still on 0 at half time, with Queensland Maroons winning 24 points to 12 by the siren.

Nine easily won Wednesday with a massive 52% share.

Against such mega competition 7:30 drew (747,000) then Gruen (582,000), MasterChef Australia (513,000) and Border Security (425,000 / 366,000).

Later The Front Bar was 351,000 then Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee (330,000), and Elsbeth (200,000).

Nine News won with 1.49m so too did Tipping Point at 851,000 which topped Entertainment. Wimbledon was up to 335,000 in a late slot.

Seven News drew 1.44m then Home & Away (831,000) and The Chase (671,000).

ABC News averaged 927,000. Hard Quiz rpt was high at 374,000 then Spicks & Specks 189,000 and QI (147,000).

10 News pulled 356,000 for 10 then Deal or No Deal (349,000), 10 News+ (162,000) and FBI: International (124,000).

On SBS it was SBS World News (230,000 / 163,000), Tour de France (127,000), Mastermind (121,000), How Disney Built America struggled at 112,000 then Eat Smart: Secrets of the Glucose Goddess (91,000).

Sunrise: 379,000
Today: 300,000
News Breakfast:  233,000

National Total TV: Wednesday 9 July 2025

HBO Max has given a series order to a Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, starring Kevin Sussman as Stuart.

In the series comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.

The series is executive produced by creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady and will feature Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert) and John Ross Bowie (Barry).

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content, quote: “We’re excited to be continuing the legacy of The Big Bang Theory. Much like the original series, this new chapter wouldn’t be possible without the vision and storytelling brilliance of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, as well as Zak Penn, who has brought fresh insight and a distinctive voice to an already exceptional creative team.”

Chuck Lorre, executive producer, quote: “I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory, would have loved, hated, and argued about.”

Zak Penn, executive producer, quote: “I was on a vision quest in the most remote parts of the Amazon Rainforest when a carrier pigeon arrived with a note from Chuck Lorre asking if I wanted to help make a show that the characters from The Big Bang Theory would watch. I couldn’t resist that idea, so I packed up my yurt and hailed the next dirigible out. At the same time, Chuck sent an expedition to locate Bill Prady, who had been frozen with his shield across his chest in a block of arctic ice. The team assembled, we set out to make this insane show, which lives in a universe created by Chuck and Bill. I couldn’t be more honored to be working with these amazing people.”

Bill Prady, executive producer, quote: “The process of writing this show with Chuck and Zak has been damn fun, and I’m certain that joy will come through the screen. Putting characters we loved from The Big Bang Theory into a complex science fiction story with the kind of mythology that those characters love while maintaining the comedic elements is incredibly satisfying.

Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks, quote: “Chuck and Bill have given us one of the most enduring comedies of our time with The Big Bang Theory, and we can’t wait to see the universe continue with this new series. With the help of Zak — a masterful storyteller — this next iteration promises to capture the essence of what fans loved about the original series, but with a completely fresh twist. We thank our partners HBO Max for joining us on this next adventure.”

The series hails from Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Australia’s first talent tour for The Summer I Turned Pretty will see best-selling author Jenny Han and series stars Lola Tung and Rain Spencer attend Prime Book Club Live in Sydney on July 31.

Joining the event is best-selling author Mercedes Ron of Prime Video’s the Culpable (My Fault/Your Fault/Our Fault), trilogy.

Prime Book Club Live will bring to life The Summer I Turned Pretty, the Culpable trilogy, We Were Liars and more. It will be hosted by digital creator Lucinda Price (aka Froomes). Fans will also get updates on some of Prime Video’s upcoming series and films.

Join Jenny Han, Lola Tung and Rain Spencer to celebrate the legacy of the series and dive into what has made the show a worldwide sensation and one of Prime Video’s most successful original series. Mercedes Ron is the author of the best-selling Culpable trilogy. The Spanish-language YA movies Culpa Mia (My Fault) and Culpa Tuya (Your Fault) have achieved huge success, and in December last year, Culpa Tuya became Prime Video’s biggest international original launch ever. Find out what’s in store for the upcoming final film, Culpa Nuestra (Our Fault) launching in October.

“Prime Book Club Live celebrates our prolific book-to-screen storytelling and is a chance for our customers and fans to engage with Prime Video’s series and films, and hear directly from talent about how these stories were brought to the screen. We’re thrilled to have Jenny Han, Lola Tung, Rain Spencer and Mercedes Ron join us in Sydney for this exciting event,” said Hwei Loke, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. “We are proud to be a first stop entertainment destination, offering Australian customers access to a wide range of popular and exclusive content, including beloved book adaptations. With add-on subscriptions and the latest new-release titles to rent or buy, all in one place, Prime Video has something for every genre and mood – whether you’re a fan of worldwide best-sellers, romance, fantasy, thrillers, or drama.”

Prime Book Club Live will take over Machine Hall in Sydney and will also feature a special #BookTok panel presented by TikTok. From interactive experiences, to limited-edition giveaways and behind-the-scenes secrets revealed by the authors and cast, Prime Book Club Live invites fans to not just read or watch their favourite stories, but live them.

• When: Thursday July 31, 2025. Doors open 5:00pm.
• Where: Machine Hall, 185 Clarence Street, Sydney
• Tickets: Free. To guarantee your spot, register for tickets from Monday, 14 July at 12pm AEST here. Limited tickets will also be available on the day if you miss out.
• Win: Prime Video is giving one lucky fan and a friend the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Sydney to attend Prime Book Club Live and meet the talent. Stay tuned to Prime Video AUNZ’s Instagram for details on the competition. Terms and conditions apply.

Are Media, the publisher of magazines including TV Week, is on the market.

Its magazine stable also includes The Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, New Idea, Who, and Take 5.

Mediaweek reports Mercury Capital, led by venture capitalist Clark Perkins, acquired then-Bauer Media for an estimated $40–50 million in 2020. That deal came just eight years after Bauer had paid $525 million for the formerly-known ACP Magazines.

A spokesperson said: “Further to recent speculation, and on the back of a number of market enquiries and approaches, we can confirm that a decision has been made to commence a sale process for Are Media, Australia’s leading omnichannel content company for women. KPMG Corporate Finance has been engaged to run a formal sale process.”

Jane Huxley is CEO of Are Media, with Amber Giles as Editorial Director of TV Week. The iconic magazine has been published since 1957, operating the Logie Awards since 1959.

Season 21 of The Block, positioned in the Victorian country town of Daylesford, will premiere on Nine later this month.

Daylesford, about 80 minutes from Melbourne, is known as one of Australia’s top weekend getaway destinations and the capital of spas and mineral springs.

The production and the entire crew moved there for three months for the shoot which includes the show’s 1,000th episode.

For the first time in the show’s history, the teams this year will build homes from scratch that are exactly the same in layout and size, once again designed by longtime Block architect Julian Brenchley.

Also new this year, all-nighters are outlawed, and the building site will be locked every night, impacting time-management skills.

Host Scott Cam is back for his 19th season, joined by co-host Shelley Craft in her 18th season. Also returning are Dan Reilly as foreman, plus Marty Fox, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer as judges.

“Since all the houses have identical layouts, it really comes down to the contestants’ own creativity where they’ll have to think outside the box to catch the judges’ eye for a win,” Scott Cam said. “They have to produce something spectacular from week one.”

Shelley Craft added, “For the contestants it’s a fresh start every week. Rather than a dirty, grubby, messy start where they had to demolish a room and rebuild it in a week, coming into a clean frame is a much better mindset to be in.”

The five teams who will build a house in Daylesford are:

Plumber Sonny (44) and dental practice manager Alicia (42), married couple from QLD
Barber Robby (37) and hairdresser Mat (41), best mates from SA
Geologist Han (29) and social media and marketing analyst Can (31), couple from WA
Police officer Britt (30) and police officer Taz (30), married couple from WA
Dance teacher Em (33) and engineer Ben (32), married couple from VIC

Executive producer and creator, Julian Cress, said, “What the audience can expect this year is what I would call a classic Block series. We have a really diverse cast of hard-working people who are very competitive, engaged with their design, and of course we will have some high and lows.

“There is a reason why Daylesford is the number one weekend tourist decision in Australia – it’s a very beautiful town with an amazing community. We hope to show how incredible Daylesford is to not only Australia, but to the rest of the world.”

This year there will be another first : a purpose-built Sponsor Village onsite, which transforms how sponsor interaction is done on a program like The Block.

Facts and figures about the show’s history :

186 contestants
103 homes renovated
210+ bathrooms built
103 kitchens built
Broadcast in more than 170 territories around the world
Over $39 million in prizemoney given away

Sunday, July 27, at 7.00pm on Channel 9.

If you’ve watched Deal or No Deal you’re no doubt familiar with the gameplay basics of opening brief cases with cash amounts, trying to walk away with the most amount of money and learning when to accept or reject offers from the show’s own banker.

But how are people chosen, and who allocates the remaining brief cases?

Host Grant Denyer answers the questions you’ve always wondered….

How are contestants chosen? Is it all locked in prior to filming on the day based on their application and back story?

GD: No. We shift on the day a lot as well. Everyone who turns up has the ability of being chosen to play the game. That is 100% legit. Sometimes we have, maybe some preferred selections, but we watch them through the day as well. They don’t know it but we have secret cameras that film them to just see, ‘Are they into it? Are they feeling it? Do they know how the game works?’

So it’s a flexible thing. If someone turns up, and on paper seemed like a good potential, they might be a bit flat, or look a little disinterested. We’ll go, ‘Maybe they’re having an off day.’

I’m not involved in in the selection of the contestants at all. I do not know who they are until I call their name out.

How are the case-holders on the podium selected?

GD: They are just everyone who is in that same section of the audience where the main contestant was pulled.

We have a spare block of audience that comes in and replaces that block.

I would feel terrible if people thought that coming on the show that day, were made to sit through five episodes and they didn’t get their chance. This way someone sort of roughly gets pulled from every block. If you aren’t a main player, you still get the opportunity to go up and hold a case.

It’s kind of why the atmosphere in there is so off the charts because everyone is genuinely supporting of the player that’s currently playing. They could be next. If not, they’ll be holding the cases.

How are cases then allocated to those holding them? Do they choose them or are they handed out by production?

GD: We have our cases pre-loaded, done by a third party under strict regulation. We basically get (people) to go up there and take a spot. Whatever case lands in their hands, is the case that lands in their hands.

The cases come last, and they obviously are not allowed to open them.

Is the case given to their loved one strategically given a high or low value?

GD: We encourage them to bring someone with them, just so they’re not alone in the stand. It usually creates a bigger energy in the room and some encouragement.

People tend to leave their partner till last, for whatever reason. That’s the pattern. We don’t know why. We don’t tell them to do that. I think they want to keep their friends or family member in play until the very end, so they can lean on them for advice. But also it gives (their partner) a better chance of being able to correctly guess what’s in their case and win money if there’s only a couple of cases left to choose from.

Bu yes, if that person’s got a low amount left in their case, or high amount left in case, it can destroy or improve a game.

Case holders guess the amount in their brief case, but unless they are professional psychics is there any logic to this?

GD: I’m surprised, to be honest, how often it can actually be correct. That’s weirded me out a lot. Why we ask them is, obviously, it’s their chance to win some money for themselves, but you also start to learn and understand who’s trying to destroy this person’s game and who wants them to do well.

So sometimes you can see personalities emerge.

Has anyone ever accepted an early offer?

GD: No, not that early. It’s funny. People come in with an idea that, ‘If this gets to 20 grand, I’m taking it.’ But that could come in the first two or three rounds. It’s weird, people can still see all these really large green amounts on board, and then the old greed dragon kicks in and they can’t help themselves. They get caught up in the spectacle of the lights and the crowds cheer and all of a sudden, their heart’s racing and the temptation of winning bigger overwhelms them. No one’s ever taken such a drastic early offer that I’ve had to pad for 22 minutes, thank God!

The banker’s offer isn’t always [total remaining value  ÷ number of cases] so is there a formula to bank offers?

GD: I don’t want to give too much of the smoke and mirrors away, but the banker is a real person. If it was just an algorithm, it would be boring. Everything would be extremely predictable, right? So you would kind of know, roughly what offers are going to come in. Therefore, that would negate the purpose of a banker.

The banker has the ability to dial it up and down a little bit. If one of the contestants has given the banker some lip, you know, expect to pay the price in the next bank offer. But if we’re all in the room right behind this person, maybe we’ve fallen in love with why they need the money… occasionally, the banker is a little more generous. Sometimes the purpose of why you want to win the money can affect the bank offers, depending on how the banker is feeling that day.

Deal or No Deal screens 7pm weeknights on 10.

Seven continues to be frustrated by breaches of the Broadcasting Services Act after the media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority found captioning errors.

The latest was a captioning error lasting just 46 seconds during Seven News Adelaide last October – the second by Seven News Adelaide in six months.

ACMA received a complaint, claiming that the bulletin contained, ‘Unsatisfactory captioning standard and inappropriate location of captioning text box’.

ACMA’s review found that in one segment on the US presidential election, approximately 46 seconds of spoken content of the 1 minute and 54 seconds of the news item were not captioned.

It concluded captions:

– were not readable, as required by subsection 10(a);
– did not accurately recreate the soundtrack of the Program, as required by subsection 11(a); and
– were not comprehensible, as required by subsection 12(a). The lack of any captions for a 46-second period of the Segment means it would have been difficult for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers to follow the meaning of the Segment.

Other than this segment, ACMA found the captions for the remainder of the program were satisfactory.

Seven defended that the root cause of the error was related to an overload of a “relay server” which caused its Lexi captioning system to disconnect for 50 seconds. It added, “Neither Seven nor AI-Media had any control over the technical error that occurred. Further, Seven submits that notwithstanding the measures it has put in place to identify and resolve issues that arise generally, this relay server error was not anticipated.”

ACMA ultimately determined that the breach be disregarded due to  “significant, unforeseen technical difficulties.”

However more concerningly, last December ACMA found a string of captioning breaches relating to a June 2024 bulletin also by Seven News Adelaide.

It found a run of issues around Comprehensibilty and Accuracy across a number of segments, totalling 7 minutes 53 seconds.

Seven also attributed those to an unforeseen technical fault involving the specific captioning equipment in use.

“This equipment has been removed from service and in addition the individual caper has been cancelled on the poor monitoring and failure to escalate to the on-shift coordinator”, said Seven.

Seven disagreed with ACMA’s view that it failed to comply with captioning requirements, and stressed the difficulty of live captioning. It maintained it was doing “everything possibly can to comply with the standard. However, Seven is unsure what more can be done to satisfy the ACMA of its commitment to providing captioning to its deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers within an impractical legislative framework.”

Seven’s Legal Counsel even requested that ACMA not publish its Investigation Report.

“Seven respectfully request that the ACMA exercises its discretion not to publish its final Investigation Report,” Seven said in its submission.

“Seven submits that publication at this time would be unduly detrimental to it and may give the impression that Seven does not take its captioning obligations seriously. This is absolutely not the case. We are committed to fulfilling our captioning obligations as evidence by the fact that we invest considerably in our captioning services with a highly reputable provider, maintain a high level of captioning compliance and regularly caption beyond the minimum requirements.”

ACMA did not comply with that request, however it did publish some of its 44 page report as images making it less friendly for journalists to cut and paste in detail (and password protected a PDF which prevented such).

A second Driving Change summit, bringing together the disability and commercial advertising, broadcast and production sectors, will be held in November at Bondi Beach.

Bus Stop Films hosts its 2025 event, following an inugural summit last November, to explore the employment of people with disability across the screen content industries, on both sides of the camera and above and below the line. Advocate April Hélène-Horton and comedian Madeleine Stewart will again host the event.

It follows the release of the SDIN’s Everyone Counts 2.0 report released this week, showing that disability representation in the screen sector both on screen (12%) and behind the camera (6.8%) remains well below the level of disability experienced by the Australian population.

Over 50 speakers have been locked in, with more to come.

Keynote speaker will be Bella Roberts, London based editor, content creator, Editorial Assistant on Netflix’s Adolescence and Tik Tok influencer with 550,000 followers and 16.7 million likes; and Laura Winson, founder of Zebedee, inclusive talent agent and advocate for inclusion. Laura is Honorary Fellow at the Conde Nast College of Fashion and was named Grazia’s ‘Most Influential Women in Fashion’.

Key speakers include:

Opening Address by the Governor General Sam Mostyn AC
Bella Roberts – Content creator. Editorial Assistant on Netflix’s Adolescence and Tik Tok educator
Laura Winson, Founder Zebedee, inclusive talent agent.
Carly Findlay OAM – writer and advocate
Matt Formston – Blind Surfer, advocate and filmmaker
Dr. Jenny Crosbie – Interim Director, Centre for Inclusive Employment
Hannah Diviney – writer/actor/advocate
Kerry Tavrou – Head of Inclusion & Diversity, Tennis Australia
Elizabeth Wright – Paralympian. ABC Sports Journalist

Governor General Sam Mostyn AC will again open the event which will explore topics including AI, tech & gaming; disability and advertising; Blind / Low Vision community and culture; disability and sports broadcasting; unpacking screen agency support and support for employers wanting to hire people with disability. More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bus Stop Film’s CEO Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM says: “Last year’s Summit was such a brilliant celebration and exploration of our amazing deaf/disabled and neurodivergent community and the creative impact and value we add to the screen, media and advertising sectors. I encourage policymakers, producers, creatives, and commissioners to join us at Driving Change 2025, as we continue to foster meaningful employment pathways on both sides of the camera.”

Mark Butler, Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing says: “The Australian Government is proud to support the work of Bus Stop Films as they continue to break down barriers for people with disability in the creative industries. The Summit will be an invaluable opportunity for people with disability to connect with the wider screen industry. Not only will it amplify the creative work of the community, it will also drive opportunities for employment, inclusion and leadership. We look forward to the rich and engaging discussions this Summit will deliver.”

Susan Templeman MP, Special Envoy for the Arts, who recently visited with the Bus Stop team on set for their feature film Boss Cat, says: “I applaud Bus Stop Films on their mission to make our screen industry more diverse and inclusive of people with a disability. Events like the Disability Employment Summit not only help us imagine that future, they are a powerful catalyst for change. The Summit will bring together great minds and goodwill to generate new ideas and forge new connections. I commend everyone involved for their commitment to expanding access and opportunity within our creative industries.”

Extending the outcomes of the first Summit, Bus Stop Films is also releasing an impact report, facilitated by leading creative industry consultants, Creative +Business, based on surveys and focus groups with both job seekers and employers to research the barriers both groups face around disability employment. The report identified key barriers around income, access, education and representation when it comes to disability employment. The impact report also notes that, while the majority of jobseekers rely on work or financial support outside the screen sector to survive, conversely the industry seeks to better understand what funding is available to support the hiring of people with disability. The full report is available here.

Bus Stop Films is funding the Summit through its own resources, together with significant support from the Australian Government, Netflix, ABC, Screen NSW. Additional sponsors are always welcome.

The event will be fully accessible with live captioning and Auslan interpretation. Tickets for both in person and digital access are available.

Tuesday 25th – Thursday 27th November 2025 at the Bondi Pavillion, Bondi Beach.

Photo: Julia Firak

MasterChef looks to be winding back to 3 episodes a week soon, with Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service moving into a 7:30 Wednesday slot on 10.

The series follows Chef Ramsay as he goes undercover to rescue restaurants on the brink of collapse, using surveillance, undercover diners and an insider to gather intel on struggling restaurants.

He’ll take drastic measures to help transform not only the restaurant and the major issues it’s facing, but also the staff.

There are 8 episodes in the series which screened on FOX in 2025.

7.30pm Wednesday, 30 July  on 10.

In the final episode of Joanna Lumley’s Danube, Joanna’s epic adventure comes to an end in beautiful Romania.

Starting at the vast Iron Gates gorge on the border with Serbia, Joanna will travel right across the country from west to east including an unforgettable encounter with Europe’s most powerful witches.

The highlight of this final leg and perhaps the whole journey is an expedition by houseboat into the vast wilderness of the Danube Delta. Joanna will see the wonderful birdlife here for herself with an early morning boat trip to encounter flocks of majestic white pelicans.

In the dead of night, Joanna will come face to face with another of the Delta’s iconic species, jackals before she finally reaches the Black Sea coast. Here, after 1800 miles, is the mouth of the Danube and the end of Joanna’s epic adventure along Europe’s Mightiest River.

8pm Thursday on ABC.

Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming platform Max has been renamed as HBO Max.

The change, which comes just 3 months after the Australian launch, was flagged in mid-May.

The timing for the change is understood to have been actioned ahead of 2025 Emmy announcements due mid-next week.

David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming. Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”

JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming, said, “We will continue to focus on what makes us unique – not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial – our programming just hits different.”

Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, added, “With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition. And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.”

A new rom-com from Lena Dunham is for the disillusioned who wonder if true love is still possible, but sincerely hope that it is. Thursday on Netflix.

• Poker Face Stan
• Joanna Lumley’s Danube ABC
• Law & Order: SVU 10
• Tour de France SBS
• Airport 24/7 10

SBS has picked up Britain’s Railway Empire in Colour a 2 x 60 min colourised documentary about Britain’s railway empire from UK indie producers Woodcut.

It tells the story of how Britain gave railways to the world, from the first tentative experiments with steam power, through the boom years at home, to the exporting of this new technology to every corner of the globe.

Distributed by Woodcut International, it employs newly colourised archive similar to Titanic in Colour, which screened on SBS last year, with leading experts and enthusiasts, including TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois.

A broadcast date is yet to be announced.

Source: C21

A trailer has dropping for upcoming Netflix thriller, Untamed starring Eric Bana and Sam Neill.

The 6 part series also features Lily Santiago, Rosemary DeWitt as Jill Bodwin, Wilson Bethel.

A character-driven mystery-thriller that follows Kyle Turner (played by Eric Bana), a special agent for the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. The investigation of a brutal death sends Turner on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park, and in his own past.

Thursday July 17 on Netflix.

Ellie Cole is guest presenter on Postcards this Sunday as she takes viewers to her favourite places in Melbourne

Paralympian Ellie Cole begins her day in the CBD (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country) at Palace Coffee, a dynamic, architecturally designed espresso bar serving excellent coffee and canelés. Next she visits The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square for its major new exhibition celebrating Australian-born, Paris-based fashion designer Martin Grant. Ellie wraps up her day on Flinders Lane with a meal at Hazel, an Australian grill located in the historic Richard Allen building that’s all about fire, smoke and seasonality.

Kris Smith is also in the Melbourne CBD, but the west side. We meet him at the Victoria Police Museum, a free-to-enter collection that tells the history of the state police force. Walking west down Spencer Street he comes to B.Cuz Coffee & Eatery, an unassuming neighbourhood cafe specialising in Vietnamese flavours. Kris then tries out the Embassy Cafe, a 24-hour joint that’s been serving burgers in the same family ownership since 1964. He calls it a day at Foglia di Fico, a cosy Italian trattoria that will warm your heart and your belly.

Madeline Spark explores the dynamic cultural hub of the Whitehorse Council area (Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country) in Melbourne’s east, which has a long history of championing the arts. In Box Hill she discovers the Whitehorse Artspace, an intimate gallery in the magnificent Town Hall that showcases leading contemporary artists. At the Community Arts Centre, she sees where visitors can create their own art at pottery classes and workshops. Madeline then heads to The Round in Nunawading, a state-of-the-art performing arts centre that hosts some of Australia’s biggest names in music and theatre. She finishes up in Vermont South at Morack Public Golf, a recently revamped multi-attraction with an 18-hole course, mini-golf, and a 28-bay driving range where you can order food and drinks to your bay.

And Brodie Harper is driving to the Mornington Peninsula (Bunurong Country) to prove it’s geared up for good times year-round, rain, hail or shine. At A Good Little Thing in Tootgarook she finds a cosy neighbourhood cafe that’s a hub of connection and community, with delicious and wholesome food. In Boneo she recharges at Azure on Panorama, a private sanctuary and spa offering a unique wellness experience in a beautiful garden setting. Brodie rounds out her day at The Bodega, a wine bar in Dromana, a gorgeous beachside spot offering over 200 wines, tastings and a Mediterranean-inspired menu.

5:30pm Sunday July 13 on Nine / 9Now.

MasterChef UK presenter Gregg Wallace, who has been with the cooking show for some 20 years, has been fired by the BBC.

In November he stepped aside following allegations of sexual harassment which he denied.

Production company Banijay commissioning a report on Wallace, overseen by the law firm Lewis Silkin.

The BBC said it had been approached by more than 50 more people with fresh claims against him.

The new claims were made as Wallace admitted using inappropriate language but claimed to have been cleared of “the most serious and sensational accusations made against me”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gregg Wallace MBE (@greggawallace)

In a statement on social media, Wallace said he had now been diagnosed with autism. He said while his neurodiversity was discussed across “countless seasons of MasterChef”, he was given no protection.

Wallace repeatedly attacked the BBC in a furious Instagram post.“I will not go quietly,” Wallace wrote. “I will not be cancelled for convenience. I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established. The full story of this incredible injustice must be told and it is very much a matter of public interest.”

BBC News previously said it had heard allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and inappropriate behaviour by 13 people who had worked with Wallace across a 17-year period.

Wallace also accused MasterChef’s makers of turning on him, despite his personality once being regarded as a crucial part of the show. He said they had also failed to protect him, despite his likely neurodiversity.

“I was hired by the BBC and MasterChef as the cheeky greengrocer. A real person with warmth, character, rough edges and all,” he said. “For over two decades, that authenticity was part of the brand. Now, in a sanitised world, that same personality is seen as a problem.

“My neurodiversity, now formally diagnosed as autism, was suspected and discussed by colleagues across countless seasons of MasterChef.

“Yet nothing was done to investigate my disability or protect me from what I now realise was a dangerous environment for over 20 years. That failure is now being quietly buried.”

In 2023 he left BBC’s Inside The Factory after reports surfaced he allegedly offended female members working on the show with a source saying he was “rude towards staff and continued to talk in a derogatory manner, especially to women.”

He said at the time, “I use humour to relax people. It’s a tool I’ve used for lots of years. I never, ever set out to upset or offend anybody and I never would. It makes me upset that I might have upset people.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Banijay UK instructed the law firm Lewis Silkin to run an investigation into allegations against Gregg Wallace. We are not going to comment until the investigation is complete and the findings are published.”

MasterChef UK screens in Australia on Foxtel and Binge.

Source: Guardian

Channel Seven footy show The Agenda Setters made an unfortunate error when paying tribute to the late Richmond Football president, Ian Wilson, who passed away last week aged 91.

Ian Wilson was father to the show’s own panelist, Caroline Wilson, who was not present.

When host Craig Hutchison paid tribute, a Vale image incorrectly showed Bill Barrot, a midfielder for Richmond, who passed away in 2016.

The Herald Sun suggests the image was probably sourced via a Google search of an article by Caroline Wilson at The Age.

On 7plus, Seven later corrected the image with one of Ian Wilson.

Meanwhile on Footy Classified, Caroline Wilson’s former show, Sam McClure also paid tribute. With a correct image by Nine.

Monday’s Australian Story looks at the side effects and impact of an important drug on users and the warnings they seek to share.

Liz Heggaton and Tim Baker should never have met. She’s a recently widowed sheep farmer from Western Australia; he’s a surf writer from northern NSW. But a shared traumatic experience has brought them together to highlight the potentially deadly side effects of a widely used treatment for prostate cancer.

Tim Baker was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer at 50 and put on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a hormone treatment that works by blocking the testosterone that feeds the cancer. While the treatment was effective, it had side effects that he likens to “chemical castration”.

“It absolutely feels like your masculinity is being taken from you,” he tells Australian Story. “I consider myself entirely asexual. It causes breast swelling, genital shrinkage, loss of muscle mass. I think emotionally, it just leaves you feeling really, really vulnerable.”

There were times he felt suicidal and as a form of therapy he started writing and speaking publicly about his experience.

When Liz Heggaton heard Tim on a podcast, she had the terrible realisation that her husband’s suicide months earlier could have been a result of him being on ADT.

Liz’s husband Craig was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 56 and had his prostate removed. But four years later the cancer returned and he was put on ADT, despite having a history of depression. He took his own life not long after.

“If only we’d been forewarned that this could be a side effect to this drug,” Liz says. “What was going down for Tim could well have been what was going down for Craig.”

Liz and Tim recognise that ADT is a lifesaving treatment and men should not stop taking it. But they insist much more needs to be done to prepare patients for the potential psychological impacts of the treatment.

“I think every man and their partner, if they’re going on ADT, need to be counselled to ensure that they’re fully warned how their body’s going to feel when they commence it,” Liz tells Australian Story.

“I know Liz isn’t going to cop this lying down,” Tim says, “and she wants there to be a legacy for her husband and for him not to have died in vain.”

Producer: Ben Cheshire

8pm Monday on ABC.

Cancer Council NSW: Androgen deprivation therapy

Hit UK spy drama Slow Horses starring Sir Gary Oldman has been renewed for a seventh season by Apple TV+.

“Slow Horses has won fans all over the world with its unique mix of self-deprecating British humour and high-octane action. I’m delighted viewers will have another season to enjoy Gary’s magnificent performance as Jackson Lamb alongside the Slow Horses slightly inept spycraft,” said Jay Hunt, creative director, Europe, Apple TV+.

In season seven, Lamb and his Slow Horses are on the hunt to find and neutralise a mole at the heart of British Government before they can bring down the state. Season seven is adapted for television and executive produced by Ben Vanstone, with Robert McKillop set to direct.

Produced by UK / Aussie producers See-Saw, season five is slated for 24 September, 2025, and season six was announced last year.

The series is produced for Apple TV+ by See-Saw Films, with Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Dan Hassid, Mick Herron, Gail Mutrux, Douglas Urbanski and Gary Oldman serving as executive producers. See-Saw Films is part of the Mediawan group.

Question: Why did Seven screen three episodes of Home & Away on a Tuesday?

Answer: because Stranded on Honeymoon Island is sinking and it didn’t want to screen it at 7:30. Last night it drew 251,000.

Last night Summer Bay soap’s triple play drew 856,000 / 808,000 which led its slot / 743,000 viewers in National TV Audience.

Meanwhile Murder Down Under was 759,000 then 7:30  (719,000), MasterChef Australia (636,000) and Walking with Dinosaurs (309,000).

Later The Cheap Seats led with 493,000 well in front of  Stranded on Honeymoon Island (251,000 / 142,000), Insight (233,000) and Whale Wisdom (221,000).

Seven News was #1 at 1.5m then The Chase (685,000).

Nine News was 1.43m with wins by A Current Affair (1.13m) and Tipping Point (868,000 which topped Entertainment). Excluding the pre-show, Wimbledon was up to 231,000. In select markets were Footy Classified (207,000) and Freddie & the Eighth (213,000).

ABC News averaged 919,000. Hard Quiz (406,000) and I Was Actually There (143,000) followed.

10 News was 395,000 for 10. Deal or No Deal drew 323,000 then 10 News+ (188,000) and FBI: International (169,000).

On SBS it was SBS World News (237,000 / 191,000), Continental Railway Journeys (218,000), Tour de France (179,000) and Mastermind (127,000).

Sunrise: 381,000
Today: 315,000
News Breakfast: 224,000

National Total TV: Tuesday 8 July 2025

UK period crime Grantchester will end with its upcoming 11th season.

In the forthcoming season, Robson Green returns as Geordie with Rishi Nair as Alphy, Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. C, Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman, Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters and Melissa Johns as Miss Scott.

Series creator, writer and executive producer Daisy Coulam said in a statement: “At its heart, Grantchester is a show about the power of friendship and love. We’ve been so lucky over the last 11 series to experience that on and off screen. For over a decade now — cast and crew (many who’ve been there since the beginning) have met each summer to film. And it’s been an absolute joy. Thank you to James Runcie for entrusting us with his characters. Thank you to the lovely people of real Grantchester. Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of the show in any way — big or small. I’ll miss you terribly.”

Robson Green said, “From the very beginning, I have had the incredible fortune to be part of this extraordinary team of talented, passionate and dedicated individuals who have become more than colleagues. They have become family. I have made friendships forged through shared laughter, challenges and triumphs. The bonds we’ve formed extend far beyond the camera lens, and I know that they will endure long after the final scene within the Grantchester world has been filmed. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey. Emma Kingsman-Lloyd and Daisy Coulam….from that very first day you gave me the extraordinary opportunity to be part of this experience It has been an honour to share in the magic of Grantchester,’and I am forever grateful for the memories, the friendships and the love that this journey has given me. I hope I made you proud.”

Rishi Nair said: “It’s been the greatest honour to step into the world of Grantchester and be part of a show with so much heart. Over two seasons — and now as we begin filming our third — I’ve had the privilege of telling stories that mean so much to so many, and I’m deeply thankful for that. As we begin filming this final chapter, I do so with a full heart and endless gratitude — for the memories, the friendships, and the incredible journey we’ve shared. To the entire cast and crew — thank you for your unwavering support, love, and warmth that you all bring onto set every day. Working alongside you all, and more importantly getting to know you, has been a true privilege and joy.”

Emma Kingsman-Lloyd, Executive Producer for Kudos, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be returning for another series of Grantchester adventures. After eleven incredible series, and the most wonderful experiences with a fantastic cast and crew, we have decided to bid a very fond farewell to our favorite crime fighting duo. Audiences are in for the most ambitious and thrilling series yet – Geordie and Alphy are going out with a bang!”

In Grantchester Season 11, it’s the heady summer of ’63, and Alphy is learning more about his past. He comes to realize that there is a whole other life he could have led, making him question who he is and what he believes in. He’s also continuing to get to know Meg, the Bishop’s daughter…

Geordie, for once, is positively brimming with bonhomie! He’s learned to weather the storms of life and is enjoying a time of relative peace. Cathy’s happy now that CeCe’s Fashion Boutique is a success, and the kids are old enough to look after themselves! But then, out of the blue, the Chief Superintendent comes to Geordie with a beguiling offer. It could be a chance for Geordie to finally be in charge, but it could also mean an end of his crime solving days. And his crime solving partnership with Alphy…

During a quiet period at the halfway house, Leonard finds himself with time on his hands, and a chance to take stock of his own life and whether he’s doing enough with it. When one of Daniel’s neighbors becomes ill, Leonard is drawn into helping care for the neighbor’s son Raymond – and discovers a paternal side to himself he never knew he had.

In Season 11 everyone will question the paths they are on, and some huge decisions will be made. This final season will look at family, forgiveness, identity, and faith – big changes are coming to Grantchester…

Grantchester S10 is currently screening Saturdays on ABC.

Foreign Correspondent returns to ABC next week with an exclusive interview with Donald Trump’s former wife Marla Maples about the pivotal role she is playing in the wellness revolution now controversially reshaping America’s health system.

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of the famed Democrat dynasty and prominent vaccine sceptic, joined Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, many people were shocked. But in the online world of wellness, the partnership came as no surprise.

Reporter Naomi Selvaratnam reveals the back story to the movement, born out of pandemic-era distrust, which has now grown into a potent political force. Powered by mothers, wellness influencers and alternative health advocates, it’s challenging Big Pharma, the food industry and government regulation.

While America’s appalling health statistics tell a troubling story, not everyone believes Make America Healthy Again holds the answers. Naomi also meets the doctors and scientists who are worried the movement is cover for a growing anti- vax agenda and will do little to solve the real health problems the country faces.

8pm Tuesday July 15 on ABC.

The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, a third instalment in the legal franchise for Foxtel Group, will premiere in August.

Sam Neill returns as Brett Colby SC, who is thrust into a murder trial to defend the husband of a life-long friend accused of a heinous murder. As the trial unravels a deeper mystery, a 1968 cold case murder of two teens is re-opened, and the twelve jurors sworn in for the trial find their own lives changed by the experience.

He is joined by Danielle Cormack (Wentworth), Eryn Jean Norvill (Love Me, Preppers), Sarah Peirse (Stateless, We Went Up The Hill), and William Zappa (The Dry, Population: 11).

Serving as the jury are Ewen Leslie (The Cry, Top of the Lake), Phoenix Raei (The Night Agent, Clickbait), Hanah Tayeb (Miles From Nowhere, Raised by Refugees), Nathalie Morris (Bump, We Were Dangerous), Catherine Moore (Runt, How to Please a Woman), Bolude Watson (Hearts and Bones, Swift Street), Bessie Holland (Fisk, Wentworth), Stuart Daulman (Five Bedrooms, Utopia), Paul Tassone (Poker Face, The Code), Charles Napoleon An (Narrow Road to the Deep North, Last King of the Cross), Libby Stone (The Claremont Murders) and newcomer Claire Leach.

Production credit: The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer is 8 x 1-hour series produced by WBITVP Australia and Easy Tiger Productions for the Foxtel Group, with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. It is distributed globally by Fifth Season. Producers: Ally Henville, Hamish Lewis, Ian Collie and Rob Gibson; Executive Producers: Michael Brooks, Sarah L. Walker, Sam Neill, Alison Hurbert-Burns and Penny Win. Director of Scripted Originals, Foxtel Group Lana Greenhalgh. Directors: Madeleine Gottlieb with emerging director Emma Jackson. Written by Sarah L. Walker, Matt Cameron, Mia Lethbridge, Adele Vuko and Sam Meikle.

Binge, WBITVP Australia and Easy Tiger’s partnership with Screenwest on The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer created more than 650 jobs and delivered a $10M injection into the WA economy, surpassing the economic impact from the previous season.

Weekly from Monday 4 August on Binge / 8:30pm on Showcase.

Julia Zemiro will host Crime Night! a comedy true-crime panel show where real-life cases are examined through the lens of criminology and comedy.

Produced by Dreamchaser and Maverick Entertainment, the six-part series will see Julia Zemiro, alongside a panel of criminologists and comedians dissect famous cases. They will discover the science behind the crimes and use that same science to examine our own lives with hilarious consequences.

“Excellent criminologists and brainy comedians? Check! One very engaged host? (That’s me!) Yes Check!” says Zemiro.

“I am so excited to be back at the ABC steering a panel show about modern day criminology. This new team of writers and producers are a breath of fresh air to work with, as we delve into the science behind the crimes. The how, the what and the why. The curious, the serious and ultimately very human side of crime.”

Rachel Millar, ABC Head of Entertainment, said: “Australians can’t get enough of True Crime, and we’re excited to join forces with Dreamchaser and Maverick to bring this innovative and original format to ABC screens. For anyone who loves bingeing the latest true crime podcast, or playing detective in the group chat, this is the show for you. Led by the inimitable Julia Zemiro, this is a show that will make your spine tingle with intrigue, whilst making you laugh at the same time.”

Carl Fennessy and Monique Keller, Dreamchaser Executive Producers, said: “Crime Night! is the first commission under our Maverick Entertainment and Dreamchaser producing partnership. We’re thrilled to be launching this brand-new comedy true-crime panel show in partnership with the ABC. The combined talents of Executive Producers David Forster, Frank Bruzzese and Julia Zemiro are exceptional, working alongside a brilliant panel of criminologists and comedians to examine the fascinating real-life cases we’re all obsessed with in the funniest possible way.”

Filming will begin in early August in Melbourne, (to be part of the studio audience click here) and will air later this year.

Production credits: Commissioned by the ABC. Produced by Dreamchaser and Maverick Entertainment in association with the ABC. Maverick Executive Producers: David Forster, Frank Bruzzese and Julia Zemiro. Dreamchaser Executive Producers: Carl Fennessy, and Monique Keller. ABC Executive Producer: Michiko Smith. ABC Head of Entertainment: Rachel Millar.

All eyes on The Decider at Accor Stadium. Live 7pm AEST on Nine.

• Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee ABC
• MasterChef Australia 10
• Gruen ABC
• Stick Apple
• Eat Smart: Secrets Of The Glucose Goddess SBS

As she lean into the fourth film in their Zombies franchise, Meg Donnelly (Addison) is passing on the torch, along with co-star and Milo Manheim (Zed).

Both are now executive producers in the hit Disney+ musical horror franchise, but in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires it’s also time to welcome new younger principal characters in Vampire, Victor, and Daywalker, Nova.

“Nova and Victor remind Addison a lot of herself and Zed, I think,” says Meg Donnelly. “Seeing them fall in love reminds her of how there’s way more important things than just trophies and achievements. It’s about connecting people and helping people.

“I think she realises that the world is such a bigger place and through helping the Vampires and Daywalkers come together. It kind of reminds her of what they went through in Seabrook.”

Such is the community of Seabrook, this time around filmed in New Zealand. As director Paul Hoen explains, there are important themes underpinning its splashy fuse of pop and horror, aimed at teens and tweens.

“Almost every Disney Channel movie that I’ve done -which is 15, 18, 20 a lot of them- you access who you are as a kid. I think we all feel that in some ways we’re inadequate. If we’re the cheerleader or the football star, we feel that we’re not the smart kid. If we’re the smart kid, we feel like we’re not the popular kid. If we’re the popular kid, we feel like ‘nobody really likes me’ or whatever,” he explains.

“But we’re all so special as adults and as children. For me, the one thing that I want to tell kids is that whoever you are, whatever your talents are, you’re special and not to be afraid of feeling different. Embrace your differences, embrace your uniqueness because that’s what makes you great. That’s what I’ve always tried to do in all these movies.”

Filming took place in and around the Auckland area in 2024 with a mix of US, NZ and Australian talent.

“New Zealand is absolutely wonderful. First of all the people are incredibly talented. They are also incredibly diligent and kind. I think it just makes it a pleasure to work with the crews. It’s also beautiful here, the landscape is spectacular and vast and varied. Especially since this is a camp movie, I just decided that this is the place to be,” he continues.

Donnelly recalls a magical scene at Bethells Beach, known for its black sand, surf and bushland located about 30 kilometers northwest of Auckland.

“There’s one shot where Addison is seeing the Vampire village for the first time, it was on a cliff so you can see the ocean and mountains. I think it’s like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. So I feel so lucky to be here.”

Joining are US actor Malachi Barton as Vampire Victor and UK actress Freya Skye, sporting an American accent as Daywalker, Nova.

“I’ve always loved music, it’s always been one of my main passions,” says Freya Skye. “Growing up I’d always call myself a singer and more recently, I’ve kind of explored the acting world which has been so exciting too. That’s why Zombies has been so exciting and so fun. I get to do my two favourite things, singing and acting.”

“I’m kind of the reverse to that,” adds Malachi Barton. “I have been acting since I was five. Getting into the Zombies world hasbeen a great opportunity to stretch my vocal cords and do something a little bit out of my comfort zone. However, my mum is a singer and songwriter, so I’ve been exposed to a lot of different genres of music for a long time.

“I love like rap, old R&B, that type of stuff. But when it comes to singing and stuff, it’s more pop especially with Zombies.”

“I’ve always loved pop music,” says Skye. “I’ve grown up heavily influenced by Taylor Swift and people like that. A big part of me getting into music was Disney and I was a massive Zombies fan when I was younger. I used to sing Sunday with my dad in the car. That was like our song. Disney shows in general really inspired me to get into music and performing in general.”

Barton says while Victor & Nova are polar opposites at the start of the story, the story encourages self-expression and community.

“Our story is like a romantic love story, but we’re also kind of going out of our own comfort zones, doing something a little bit out of the norm. Doing what our parents aren’t really used to and what we haven’t been taught. So it’s a really special moment to see growth. You may be different but sometimes it’s okay to go outside of your old traditions and try something new.”

Being yourself is integral to the Zombies franchise. Diversity is also represented throughout the ensemble, with Hoen explaining how a non-binary character led to a GLAAD Media nomination.

“One of the aliens identified as They / Them, so we tried to honour that. It wasn’t a movie about that, but it was an aspect of the movie that we really focused on. Learning about gender identity was an exercise for me and for the crew to do that.”

For Hoen, the importance of Disney Branded Television movies is also important as distinct from series television.

“I think it was Gary Marsh (President of Disney Channels Worldwide), who said, ‘We’re not really interested in finding the right series. We’re finding the right talent and then we’ll figure out the series and then the movies.’ Series television is much different in acting styles than this film. I think we have taught a lot of amazing talent through the years, how to be series actors and how to be film actors. And how to be stars.”

So as she passes on the torch, does Zombies 4 signal a departure for Meg Donnelly to new projects?

“I’m not sure because on the third one, I said it was and here we are,” she admits. “So I’m not gonna say it is, just in case bu this really does feel like a passing of the torch, leaving it to the next generation of kids. And that’s really exciting.

“But I assume, fingers crossed, if there’s more movies I’m sure we’ll be a part of it in some way, shape, or form.”

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires premieres Friday on Disney+

Final names have been announced for the Future Vision at ACMI next week.

They include filmmakers Rachel Perkins, David Michod, Lynette Wallworth and ABC Chair Kim Williams.

Also attending are creators Belinda Chayko (Fires), Elise McCredie (The Clearing), Jacquelin Perske (The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Mithila Gupta (Four Years), Marieke Hardy (Heartbreak High), Peter Mattessi (Return to Paradise) and Warren Clarke (The Heights). Appearing alongside producers Amanda Higgs (Bad Behaviour), Helen Bowden (After the Party), Jo Werner (The Newsreader), Jude Troy (The Clearing), Rosemary Blight (Top End Bub), executive producers Kevin Whyte (Deadloch) and directors Amiel Courtin-Wilson (Man on Earth) and Cherie Nowlan (The Survivors).

“This year, Future Vision has attracted some of the most exciting and thought-provoking thinkers and creative artists currently working around the world and in Australia,” said Co-Chairs Tony Ayres And Bruna Papandrea. “We are honoured they are making the time to provide inspiration for new creative and business practices – and to advance the craft of storytelling so Australian stories can be enjoyed across the globe.”

They join international headliners Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer), Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley) and Soo Hugh (Pachinko).

The new guest speakers will feature at the following invite-only industry sessions. To apply for accreditation, visit the Future Vision website.

Creative Leadership: In Conversation
Tuesday, July 15 (Invite-only: The Roundtable)
A deep-dive into the future of leadership in television and screen industries, featuring Rachel Perkins and Kim Williams AM in a thought-provoking conversation moderated by Oscar-winning producer Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech, The Power of the Dog). This high-level dialogue explores key questions around resilience, creative leadership, market understanding, the evolution of Australia’s storytelling legacy and how we can inspire new leaders.

Staying Bold: The Courage To Create
Wednesday, July 16 (Invite-only: The Writers Room)
A powerful session on creativity and boldness, with internationally renowned artist Lynette Wallworth, filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson, and headline international guest Sally Wainwright, creator of Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack. Moderated by actor and writer Mary Coustas, the panel will explore the emotional and artistic courage it takes to break new ground in screen storytelling.

TV legend Jana Wendt, 69, has given an interview to Guardian Australia as she releases a collection of 12 short stories, The Far Side of the Moon.

In the interview, she acknowledges Marg Downey’s famed parody of her in Fast Forward.

“She was great,” Wendt says. “She got the head turn, which I am possibly doing even now, and she did an achingly slow, deep delivery and I think that at times I might have been achingly slow.”

For Nine’s 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, Wendt interviewed them all… Kermit the Frog, Netanyahu, Gorbachev, Kissinger, Murdoch, Bhutto, David Malouf, Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Keating, John Howard, Ron Casey and more.

Bob Hawke even called her suggestion that his famed parliamentary tears for Tiananmen were merely a display “despicable, contemptible and repugnant”.

“Obviously I liked to ask questions that challenged people and sometimes people resist and resist and resist and you need to break through that wall of resistance,” she says.

“Sometimes it is through a pointed or a sharp word, and then you get a flow of … something.

“When I look around these days in politics, I think boy, is it controlled. I mean, I actually remember having fun interviewing politicians.

“The language has changed,” she says, not just that used by politicians but what she calls ‘professionalised classes.’

“Really the language has been destroyed as a medium for actually saying things that are meaningful. In fact, what a lot of this language does is try to bypass true meaning, because true meaning could get you into a lot of trouble.”

You can read more at Guardian Australia.

Veteran Queensland journalist and animal advocate Michael Beatty, who featured on This Day Tonight, Today Tonight and The 7:30 Report, has died aged 76.

His passing was announced on Sunday, after being diagnosed with leukaemia. Son Liam wrote on social media that “dogs all over Brisbane were howling” as he passed away that day with his family by his side.

“He never lost his fighting spirit, as he continued to defy the odds.

“[He] committed a lifetime to giving a voice to those without one, or who he believed needed a louder one, [and] spent his final days reflecting on a life well lived with his close friends and family.”

Beatty was born in England, the son of Canadian actor Robert Beatty who starred in Where Eagles Dare, Superman III and IV, Murder on the Orient Express.

After interviewing David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks and a teenage Michael Jackson, he joined the ABC in Sydney in the 1970s.

He spent three decades reporting across current affairs shows such as This Day Tonight, Today Tonight and The 7.30 Report, as well as producing documentaries for Wild Life and Beyond 2000.

He covered the downfall of the Marcos regime, the 1981 Brixton riots, land mine removal in Cambodia and the war between Myanmar’s military junta and the ethnic Karen.

He was state producer for Good Morning Australia and State Affairs.

But he was also well-known across Queensland. for his animal advocacy, becoming RSPCA Queensland’s senior media adviser, landing him a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019.

Beatty was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, a condition he lived with for seven years, until he was also diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

A former Channel 7 colleague told the Courier Mail: “Michael, your observations of life and the way you brought to life the wonderful characters you met along your travels will always reflect your story-telling genius; you cared for animals and humans and always stood up for the underdog.”

Source / Photo: ABC

Big Backyard Quiz, previously an NITV special, is now a cheeky new entertainment series hosted by Narelda Jacobs and Steven Oliver that challenges contestants to see who knows the most about the people and history of Australia from a Blak lens.

This season’s line-up of guest comedians include Ernie Dingo, Rove McManus, Tasma Walton, and Peter Rowsthorn.

Episode One:
Fire up the BBQ, grab a snag, and test your Aussie knowledge with Big Backyard Quiz! Tonight’s guests include Meyne Wyatt (The Moogai, We Are Still Here), Shari Sebbens (The Moogai, Little J & Big Cuz), Matt Okine, Nina Oyama, Rhys Nicholson and Emma Holland.

Saturday, 12 July at 7.30pm on NITV.

The Great Outdoors returns to Seven with new episodes this Saturday.

Presenters last year included James Tobin, Phil Burton, Teigan Nash, Kimberley Busteed, Lee Carseldine and Chris Parsons.

The Great Outdoors is skiing USA’s biggest winter playground; staying in Tasmania’s central highlands; swimming on the world’s largest sand island & visiting the peace capital of the world, Geneva.

7pm Saturday on Seven.

The Cranes Call, a feature documentary about the mission to secure accountability for war crimes in Ukraine, will have its Australian premiere on SBS On Demand.

The film is produced by HiddenLight Productions, the company founded by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sam Branson and Chelsea Clinton and is directed by Laura Warner and produced by Australian filmmaker Evan Williams.

Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia & New Zealand said: “The Cranes Call is an important film about important work – the chronicling of the ethnocidal war crimes endured by Ukrainians as part of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion since 2022. As I write these comments, Kyiv, a modern European capital, is again under a major aerial assault. Thousands of civilians at risk of death are taking cover in the city’s Metro stations. It is a stark reminder, as if one were still needed, of evil in action. If we are ever to break this cycle of vicious violence, good must also come into action. That is precisely the work of those who document war crimes and strive for accountability from its perpetrators. I commend Cranes Call to all viewers. By watching, you are part of the pursuit of justice for the innocent victims.”

Malinda Wink, Executive Director of Minderoo Pictures said: “The Cranes Call showcases the extraordinary bravery of war crimes investigators Anya Niestat and Solomiia Stasiv as they document war crimes and pursue justice for ordinary people impacted by the war on Ukraine.”

“Minderoo Pictures funds film for impact, and we hope that this film and campaign will inspire Australian legal professionals to support their (Niestat and Stasiv) efforts through the docket process, helping ensure that the voices of victims are heard and perpetrators are held to account.”

In this real time crime thriller set in a war zone, Laura Warner embeds with war crimes investigator Anya Neistat and her team as they track down a group of survivors bold enough to take a stand against those accused of committing the most heinous crimes of rape, torture and murder against their families.

Working with the Clooney Foundation for Justice, led by Amal and George Clooney, Anya joins forces with Solomiia Stasiv, a young Ukrainian woman just entering the field after witnessing the brutal invasion of her homeland. Together, they document evidence of human rights abuses in the fight to bring Russian commanders and soldiers to trial, and justice to the Ukrainian people.

Thursday 24 July at SBS on Demand.

Emmie Milligan, much loved member of the Gogglebox family, has died aged 96.

On Instagram Isabelle Silbery paid tribute to her grandmother, describing her as “..an orphan, a nurse, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, the oldest woman on TV, a great grandmother, an author and so much more. Thank you for loving her as much as we did and will forever. Have a big rest now- you deserve it. Xxxxx”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Isabelle Richards (Silbery) (@isabellesilbery)

Emmie featured in Gogglebox from 2016 – 2023, stepping back after being diagnosed with dementia, always known for her wit and candid comments on the television shows she was asked to review.

“Our hearts are so heavy with sadness,” wrote Gogglebox co-stars Keith and Lee. “Emmie was our adopted grandmother to Keith and I as we lost our grandparents years ago. You told us so many stories about your life and now they are memories for us to keep. Rest in peace, sweetheart you’ll never be far from our hearts.”

Matty Fahd wrote: “It was an honour to have met her. She was a truly special woman. May she rest in peace.”

Angie Kent said: “Beautiful Emmie. Words can’t describe what you meant to so many of us. Thank you for the countless laughs, tears, goosebumps and memories! Rest now. Your girls are so loved and looked after.”

“Ohh i’m so so sorry to hear. She was so beyond loved❤️,” Lainey Grech commented.

Holly Dalton wrote, “Sending all my love to you all. Rest in peace our beloved Emmie ❤️.”

This post updates.

Kayo Sports screens the FIFA Club World Cup 2025  Semi Finals from tomorrow, with a Final next week.

Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Fluminense will battle it out in this week’s Semi-Finals, with the winners progressing to Monday’s Final. All three games will be held at New York’s MetLife Stadium.

Led by captain Marquinhos, current European Champions PSG have conceded just one goal throughout the tournament – but their defence will face its sternest test against Real Madrid, who have welcomed superstar striker Kylian Mbappe back from injury.

Cole Palmer’s Chelsea will carry England’s hopes in the second Semi Final, where they take on Brazilian outfit Fluminense, the tournament’s surprise packets who have toppled Inter Milan and Al Hilal in the knockout stages.

Kayo Sports viewers will also enjoy an all-star off-field line up, led by Real Madrid and Wales icon Gareth Bale. He will be joined by fellow former stars of the competing clubs, Ronaldo Nazario, John Obi Mikel, Claude Makelele, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, to share their big game experience and unique insights. 

Semi Final 1: Fluminense v Chelsea. Wednesday, July 9, from 4:00am AEST.
Semi Final 2: Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid. Thursday, July 10, from 4:00am AEST.
Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF 2. Monday, July 14, from 4:00am AEST.

Gold Logie nominee Lisa Millar will become the permanent new host of ABC’s Back Roads.

Millar, who has been a guest presenter since 2019, succeeds founding presenter Heather Ewart who retired from the broadcaster earlier this year. Heather Ewart’s final episode airs on Thursday, 31st July.

Lisa Millar said, “What a privilege it is to take the path less travelled with this treasured show. Heather has nurtured Back Roads since the beginning and will remain in the hearts of so many of the communities she visited.”

This season, guest presenters include Paul West, Myf Warhurst, Kristy O’Brien and Tom Forrest.

Lisa Millar’s first episode as host is 8pm Thursday, August 7 with a trip to the Snowy River.

Season return is 8pm Thursday July 17 on ABC.

Screen Producers Australia has opened applications opened today for Ones To Watch, SPA’s flagship professional development and mentoring program.

Each successful applicant will be individually matched with an experienced SPA member mentor for personalised one-on-one guidance.

Participants gain access to a six-month industry webinar series, in the lead-up to the 40th iteration of Screen Forever in 2026.

The program also carries a $20,000 Ones To Watch Screen Placement, supported by Screen Australia.

“Each year, our Ones To Watch program adapts to reflect the ever-evolving needs of Australia’s early-career screen producers. As applications open for 2025, we’re proud to once again offer this unique platform that empowers up-and-coming producers with the tools, insights, and connections they need to succeed. We look forward to discovering the next wave of producing talent and supporting them as they take the next steps in their careers,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.

Grainne Brunsdon, Chief Operating Officer, Screen Australia, said, “Ones To Watch continues to play a vital role in developing Australia’s next generation of screen producers. Screen Australia is proud to support this initiative, particularly the Ones To Watch Screen Placement, which opens doors to meaningful, hands-on experience both locally and internationally. We look forward to seeing how the program continues to empower early-career producers and strengthen the future of Australia’s screen industry.”

The 2025 Ones To Watch cohort will be eligible to apply for the Screen Placement, designed to facilitate hands-on engagement with a production or production company anywhere in the world. Past recipients include Rae Choi (2024), Amy Parry (2023), Emma Roberts (2022), Jessica Magro (2021), Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe (2020), and Rachel Higgins (2019).

Since its inception, the program has supported over 170 emerging and early career producers in fast-tracking their careers. 2023 alumna Amy Parry arranged a placement with Irish production company Trimoon, which participated in Ireland Connect, the second iteration of SPA’s Global Connect Program. 2024 alumni Rae Choi, Georgia Noe, Scarlett Koehne all recently progressed in the SBS & Screen Australia Digital Originals program, Joseph Meldrum recently joined NITV as a Commissioning Editor, and Shontell Ketchell is currently writing on the Australian version of BBC Studios Production of Ghosts Almuni Liam Heyen and Cyna Strachan from Mad Ones recently produced the feature Jimpa, directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, which premiered at Sundance in 2025.

2025 will see Above The Line Accounting and 3P Studio come on board as the program’s newest supporting partners, joining existing partners Screen Australia, Film Finances, Fulcrum Media Finance, Media Arts Lawyers, Media Super, SBS, and Screen NSW.

Applications  close at 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, 27 August 2025.

True crime documentary series One Night in Idaho: The College Murders premieres this week on Prime Video.

On November 13th, 2022 – in the still of the night – four University of Idaho students are brutally stabbed to death in an off-campus house in the quiet college town of Moscow, Idaho. Within the devastated families and the community at large, questions and fear abound. What happened? Who did this, and could the killer be among us? And why these four young adults? The twists and turns of what happens next – an explosion of social media sleuthing, a cross-country manhunt, a dramatic arrest, and a looming trial – have made this crime one of the most high-profile stories of the last decade, capturing the country’s attention, imagination, and paranoia like almost no other case before it.

Told in captivating, tense, and emotionally wrenching detail by only those involved in and affected by the crime, this four-part series intimately explores this American tragedy and its continued impact and fallout.

The series centres on the families and friends of the victims, featuring exclusive interviews with Stacey and Jim Chapin (parents of Ethan Chapin), and Karen and Scott Laramie (parents of Madison Mogan).

Friday July 11 on Prime Video.

Major breaking news lifted News bulletins on Monday.

Seven News was #1 at 1.57m ahead of Nine News on 1.51m.

ABC News pulled 972,000 then 10 News (454,000) and SBS World News (231,000 / 174,000).

All of them were up on last Monday night.

Meanwhile The 1% Club led its slot at 898,000 then 7:30 (858,000), Parental Guidance (671,000) and MasterChef Australia (626,000).

Later Have You Been Paying Attention? led with 701,000 then Four Corners (688,000), a Seven News special (679,000) and Media Watch (623,000).

Seven won Monday.

Home & Away topped entertainment overall at 921,000 with The Chase on 706,000 and 911 at 363,000.

A Current Affair won its slot at 1.2m with a win for Tipping Point (894,000). Footy Classified was 162,000 then 100% Footy (150,000) in their markets.

A Hard Quiz replay drew 383,000 then Lucy Worsley Investigates (258,000) for ABC.

Deal or No Deal scored 321,000 for 10. Unfortunately 10 News+ settled on 199,000 meaning it lost far too much of its news lead-in. Inspired (Unemployed) Impractical Jokers managed 190,000.

On SBS it was Tour de France (159,000), Portillo’s Andalucia (146,000), Mastermind (107,000) and Sue Perkins: Lost In Thailand (103,000).

Sunrise: 393,000
Today: 296,000
News Breakfast: 212,000

National Total TV: Monday 7 July 2025

Latin American doco series Necaxa, from producer Eva Longoria in partnership with Welcome to Wrexham’s Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, will in August on Disney+

In the series Eva Longoria sets out to reignite the soul of one of Mexico’s oldest and most storied football clubs, Club Necaxa — enlisting the help of fellow owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds.

“Necaxa” is a gripping bilingual docuseries chronicling a turbulent, transformational time marked by staff shake-ups, career-defining injuries and the relentless grit of a football team determined to defy expectations and deliver hope to its city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Once a powerhouse in Mexican football, Club Necaxa has spent decades navigating instability including relocations and near-constant reinvention. Though its legacy has flickered in and out of the national spotlight, a passionate core of diehard supporters continues to believe, clinging to the dream that their beloved “Rayos” will one day rise again.

With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, the series follows the emotional journeys of the players, the steadfast fans and believers — and even the skeptics. “Necaxa” brings viewers onto the training pitch and into the locker room as Los Rayos and their supporters chase a playoff dream and hope that lightning can, in fact, strike again. A portrait of faith, resilience and the enduring power of hope, “Necaxa” dives into the lives and dreams of the people who surround the team. Will Club Necaxa make it, or will they lose another season and the hearts of Aguascalientes once and for all?

“Necaxa” is executive produced by Eva Longoria, Cris Abrego, Rachelle Mendez, Nicholas Frenkel, Jackie Cohn, George Dewey, Rob Mac, Ryan Reynolds, Alex Fumero and Diana E. Gonzales. The series is produced by Hyphenate Media Group, More Better Productions, Maximum Effort and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Premieres Friday August 8 on Disney+. Two episodes each Friday for the first three weeks followed by one episode weekly until Friday, September 19.

In very good news (and previously suggested by TVT readers) Planet America is moving to Monday nights on ABC in August.

Hosted by Chas Licciardello and John Barron it will sit sensibly alongside Media Watch, Four Corners and Australian Story, following the demise of Q+A.

Chas Licciardello said, “We’re very excited for Planet America to be moving to Monday nights, which is a more traditional timeslot for news programming on the ABC main channel. On Wednesday nights it’s been almost impossible to convince people that US politics wasn’t some kind of elaborate dark comedy performance piece.”

John Barron added, “When Planet America started in 2012 the most outrageous thing Mitt Romney did when he was running against Obama was misspell ‘Amercia’. Safe to say things have changed.

“Over the years we’ve been able to talk to Members of Congress, top advisors and dozens of the candidates – they really seem to enjoy speaking to people who can’t vote! We’ll still be pointing out the absurd and ridiculous as well as the deadly serious and concerning.”

Returns 9:35pm Monday 4 August on ABC.

This week on Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee….

Josh Thomas, Abby Howells and Ray Badran join current Spelling Champion, Kirsty Webeck to guess what Aaron is cooking and subsequently spell it, and are delivered an ultimatum before being put through their Spelling Paces by Coach Aaron.

8:35pm Wednesday on ABC.

SBS has launched new Commissioning Inclusion Guidelines (2025-2028), reaffirming its commitment to ensuring all Australians see themselves and their communities represented on screen.

The guidelines outline comprehensive multi-year targets for inclusion of talent from historically and ongoing under-represented communities in roles across SBS-commissioned programs, including internal productions.*

They include updated benchmarks for people with disability and introduced a new sub-target for non-European culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

“At SBS, inclusion is central to who we are as an organisation, and underpins how we commission and create content,” said Kathryn Fink, SBS Director of Television (pictured below, right).

“Our previous guidelines set a new benchmark for representation in our sector, and our new Commissioning Inclusion Guidelines for 2025-2028 continue to support our ambition, and SBS’s unique purpose as a network.

“We believe that an industry without barriers to having your voice heard is essential to fuelling the ongoing success of Australian storytelling – both at home, and globally. Our goal is to drive meaningful, long-term industry change by investing in the depth and breadth of Australian talent, on and off screen. We’re proud to continue working closely with production partners across the sector to deliver a truly authentic portrayal of contemporary Australia through the stories we commission, and the people who bring them to life,” she added.

They are announced as the Screen Diversity Inclusion Network releases its Everyone Counts 2.0 findings on diversity amongst 395 Australian TV and film projects, both on and off-screen.

The launch of the SBS Commissioning Inclusion Guidelines (2025-2028) follows the conclusion of SBS’s first Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines (2021-2024), with SBS successfully achieving all of its targets, which were then extended a year while the next iteration was developed.

SBS’s guidelines aim to remove barriers when casting on-screen talent and hiring off-screen crew, and focus on representation of people from five key under-represented groups – First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQ+ people, people with disability, and women – based on what Australia looks like today.

In the new guidelines, SBS has updated benchmarks for people with disability and introduced a new sub-target for non-European culturally and linguistically diverse communities. These updates recognise areas where improvement is needed across the sector. SBS’s guidelines were also informed by industry engagement and consultation, as well as taking on board SBS’s previous performance, and analysis of population and industry data.

SBS’s Scripted and Unscripted commissioned programs have targets for on- and off-screen roles, and for career progression, on a show-by-show basis. In measuring this, SBS will also track how it is representing key groups across its entire commissioned content slate.

SBS’s commitment to transparency and accountability continues with its new guidelines, with public reporting each year to measure and update on progress. SBS also continues to invest in initiatives providing meaningful career opportunities and pathways for under-represented talent and enriched storytelling. These opportunities, and more information about the guidelines, are available on the SBS website.

* SBS’s Commissioning Inclusion Guidelines do not apply to SBS’s News and Current Affairs and Sports programming. Targets do not apply to NITV productions which have their own unique equity goals, as outlined in the NITV Commissioning Guidelines.

EXCLUSIVE:

• • • First Nations people continue to be well-represented in on-screen roles but under-represented in off-screen roles.
    • Disabled people continue to be vastly under-represented compared to the population benchmark both on screen and behind the camera.
    • LGBQA+ people continue to have strong representation compared to the population benchmark, both on screen and off.
    • People with Asian and African ancestries / ethnicities continue to be under-represented compared to population benchmarks.
    • People with European and Anglo-Celtic ancestries / ethnicities continue to be over-represented.

The temperature of industry diversity, both on and off screen, has been measured in a survey, Everyone Counts 2.0, conducted for the Screen Diversity Inclusion Network.

The volunteer industry survey aims to document the diversity of all roles on TV and film projects in Australia – from extras through to on-screen leads; producers through to runners; and hair and make-up through to visual effects; working on productions ranging from Reality TV through to feature films.

The results draw from 12,900 on and off-screen contributor roles filled by 6,976 unique individuals in 395 Australian TV and film projects from July 2021 to June 2024.

The report reveals representation both on and off screen of women, First Nations people, people with disability, LGBQA+, transgender, intersex and gender diverse people, primary carers, people aged over 55 years, the ethnicity and socio-economic status of respondents, and people who speak languages other than English at home.

These were the key findings across the 3 year survey:

• 3.4% are First Nations, with a higher rate of disability among this group (13%) than in the talent pool overall (8.2%)
• 8.2% are disabled, with this group having higher representation of women (54%), gender diverse people (9.5%) and First Nations people (4.2%) than the talent pool overall (50%, 2.4% and 3.4% respectively)
• 20% are LGBQA+, with this group having higher representation of women (57%) and gender diverse people (12%) than the talent pool overall (50% and 2.4% respectively)
• 2.0% are transgender, and 0.8% are intersex with a further 1.6% reporting ‘unsure/don’t know’ if they were ‘born with intersex variation(s)’
• 2.4% are gender diverse and 50% are women, although we know from other research that many screen industry roles remain gendered and that women may be more likely to respond to surveys
• 26% are primary carers and a further 5.8% occasional primary carers
• 20% are aged 55 years or over, a similar rate to Australia’s ageing workforce
• 8.9% speak languages other than English at home (or in addition to English)
• 54% have Anglo-Celtic ancestry/ethnicity, 36% European, 11% Asian, 2.8% Middle Eastern, 2.3% Pacific Islander, 1.6% Central or South American and 2.0% African
• 15% perceive their socio-economic status growing up as below average or least advantaged (considering their family’s work, wealth, and education), 44% average and 39% above average or most advantaged. (2% either selected ‘other status’ or ‘prefer not to say’)

Counting diversity in industry roles 2021–24

Significantly, the productions which participated were 70% Scripted and 30% Unscripted, dominated by Free to Air Television.

This means results would differ if the spread better represented production output in Australia.

Now in its eighth year of operation, the SDIN launched in 2017 under its original host Australian Film and Television Radio School, before moving to the South Australian Film Corporation in 2022.

From July 1 2025, SDIN will be hosted by The Everyone Project under a model focused on practical engagement with industry.

The new hosting arrangement will see the executive functions of the SDIN continue to be managed by agreement of member organisations, with The Everyone Project continuing to operate independently.

The SDIN acknowledged outgoing Co-Chairs, Head of Film, Screen and Culture at Monash University Olivia Khoo and independent producer Loani Arman and thanked outgoing SDIN Project Officer Anita Kimber, who provided admin support since August 2023.

Founder of The Everyone Project Adam Smith said, “As The Everyone Project continues to grow and evolve, we are pleased to note a continual increase in participation over the past three years, demonstrating SDIN members committed to increasing diversity and inclusion at all levels.

“With a clear alignment in our values and purpose, The Everyone Project is pleased to take on a new role supporting the administration of the SDIN, and we are committed to evolving The Everyone Project to ensure improved outcomes for industry.”

Nine has declined to comment on a report in The Australian that 60 Minutes edited responses in online statements from restaurant groups, following an exposé on the hospitality industry.

The Australian reported the Swillhouse and Merivale groups, whose venues were featured in Juna 29’s story on culture and conduct at restaurants, accused 60 Minutes of editing their responses.

The initial report, ‘Out of Order’ lifted the lid on sexual harassment, assaults, rampant drug abuse and staff being ripped off. It quoted statements from restaurant management and pointed to “full replies” on the show’s official website.

But The Australian reported Nine heavily edited Swillhouse’s responses to the story – claiming it removed key details of its reply – before posting a cut-down version in its place.

Merivale Group also accused 60 Minutes of editing its response to the story.

Some of the published responses are lengthy, but the article suggests, “60 Minutes took it upon itself to cut out and censor all the bits they didn’t like.”

It isn’t clear if excised sentences were indeed crucial or superfluous to the issues raised.

Nine declined to comment when TV Tonight asked whether it had edited sections from those responses.

Tick, tick tick…

A 94th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union has canvassed a range of views around Israel’s continued participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, following broadcasters raising the matter in recent months.

The EBU has indicated it intends to analyse how participation is managed amidst geopolitical tensions. An investigation will be led by an unnamed former senior TV executive, who will present their findings ahead of the next General Assembly in December.

“At today’s EBU General Assembly, Members held an open and constructive discussion on the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) and the increasingly complex global context in which it takes place,” said an EBU statement.

“The Assembly was a chance to celebrate the success of ESC 2025 – not just in terms of its record-breaking reach and engagement but in terms of its cultural resonance and ability to foster inclusivity, creativity, and a sense of belonging on a world stage.

“But of course, despite its extraordinary success, the Eurovision Song Contest, like many other events, is not immune to the pressures of global politics. Questions around participation have become increasingly sensitive and multifaceted, and our Members hold a wide range of perspectives on these issues, which they were able to express in detail today.

“Members had a constructive exchange of views. There was a shared understanding that this is an unprecedentedly complex situation and there is a wide diversity of opinions. Members also expressed their support for the work of the Israeli public broadcaster Kan and its independence, noting the pressure it is repeatedly experiencing from the Israeli government.

“To help us navigate the current landscape, a former senior TV executive has now been invited to lead a structured and in-depth dialogue with our Member broadcasters in the coming weeks.

“They will engage with Directors General and other stakeholders to gather insights on how we manage participation, geopolitical tensions, and how other organizations have approached similar challenges. They will report back with recommendations this autumn.

“The EBU remains committed to transparency and will continue to keep Members informed of developments in the months ahead.”

Israeli media Ynet reported that the only countries to show support for Israel’s participation were Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Meanwhile, Iceland and Slovenia were the two countries most outspoken against Israel’s ongoing presence.

In the end, a vote on Israel’s participation did not take place. This is reportedly in part due to the UK representative from the BBC, who asked to abstain from a vote and suggested that conversations on the matter continue over the coming weeks.

However, Ynet’s sources also report that, had a vote taken place, the majority of broadcasters would likely have not sided in Israel’s favour: “If the war continues, Israel will have a hard time staying because many countries are against it.”

Source: wiwibloggs

Hard Quiz returns to ABC later this month.

Hard Quiz is a show like no other. Four vastly different contestants compete on four vastly different topics, all at the mercy of sarcastic host Tom Gleeson. Only one expert will emerge victorious with the Big Brass Mug, but even the winner isn’t spared from Tom’s barbs.

8pm Wednesday July 23 on ABC.

On Sunday, 7News Spotlight addresses the key question following the Erin Patterson guilty verdict: what drove her to commit meticulously planned murders?

Host Michael Usher said: “Erin Patterson’s story is one of deception, manipulation and, ultimately, murder.

“Now she’s been found guilty, we will be using the full weight of our expert panel to investigate how this unassuming mother became one of this country’s worst murderers.”

The people who knew Erin Patterson best finally speak out, as some of the country’s most qualified crime experts break down her motive, her planning and her lies.

Experts joining the live panel include:

· Geoffrey Watson SC, one of the country’s top criminal barristers
· Peter Ashkar, forensic psychologist
· Damian Marrett, former detective
· Tita Smith, the 7NEWS reporter who’s been following the story since it broke

Plus, the detective behind the world’s only other known mushroom murder case shares his insights into the rare and sinister method of poisoning.

Don’t miss this remarkable 7NEWS Spotlight special, a forensic deep dive into the mind of a killer, the evidence that sealed her fate, and the haunting question that still lingers: why?

8:30pm (ish) Sunday on Seven.

2024 horror feature Spin the Bottle premieres later this month on Paramount+.

The film stars Justin Long, Tanner Stine, Kaylee Kaneshiro and Tony Amendola

This American horror feature written by John Cregan follows the story of a group of teenagers in small town Texas who unleash a deadly force after playing the famous game ‘spin the bottle’ in an abandoned house where a grisly massacre once took place.

Tuesday 22nd July on Paramount+.

Horror themes.

A mysterious bucket is following Wizz everywhere. It’s going to pour all over his head if you keep watching. 7:30pm Tuesday on ABC Family.

• The Cheap Seats 10
• Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd Prime
• Great Continental Railway Journeys SBS
• MasterChef Australia 10
• Walking with Dinosaurs ABC

MasterChef Australia is now in its home stretch as it counts down the Top 10 towards its finale, before a new season of Australian Survivor: Australia vs the World (with JLP hosting).

Judge Andy Allen recently explained to TV Tonight why the show still films alternate endings.

“Yes we still do multiple endings … it’s the only way to get a true winner,” he said.

“You can try and contain the 200 people I suppose, with friends, family, crew, if you wanted to gamble it.

“But I think there is so much on the line with this show, the last thing anyone wants is for a production that goes for six months, airs for three months (and then get spoiled).

“It’s the only real way to keep it under our hats.”

In the early years when the finale was filmed same day as broadcast, everyone would be kept on site in lockdown until it had screened.

So this therefore means in some of the alternate endings, judges are telling porky pies with their scoring, just for the sake of cameras?

“If you want to put it that way…” he replied.

MasterChef Australia this week is screening episodes filmed in Qatar.

Corrected.

Tonight on Media Watch hosted by Linton Besser…

Outrage over the racy treatment of a tragic killing.

The automotive journalists who engaged in a financial engagement with a carmaker they were reviewing.

An AFR article’s anti-red tape screed that left out an important fact.

9:18pm tonight on ABC.

2024 Greek drama Kostas will premiere on Acorn TV later this month.

This is an 8 part series starring Stefano Fresi.

Athens Homicide Chief Kostas Charistos interrupts his vacation to investigate the discovery of a body after an earthquake on the Greek island where he was staying with his wife, daughter and her boyfriend. But he also has to deal with the murder of a young Albanian couple.

Monday July 28 on Acorn TV and AMC+.

Michael Usher will present a 7NEWS Mushroom Trial Special tonight, following a verdict in the high profile case in Victoria.

This will feature in-depth analysis, commentary and all the fallout from the case that has captured international attention.

Update: 8:40pm tonight on Seven.

Screenwest Head of Production Chris Veerhuis will depart the WA organisation after three and a half years in the role to travel with family.

During this time he has implemented the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive, overseen the Documentary Production Fund and helped establish the Digital Games Fund.

“My time at Screenwest has been inspiring and rewarding on so many levels. I would like to thank the CEO, Board and Screenwest staff for allowing me to help craft the position the WA screen industry finds itself in right now,” he said.

“I’d like to also give a shout out to all the agencies, studios, producers and production companies that have listened intently as I pitched our great state over the last few years!

“With unprecedented levels of physical production underway, the studio set to open, a 20% PDV incentive in place, the Documentary and Digital Games sectors thriving and a list of Production Attraction projects that include The Twelve S2 and S3, The Surfer, The Travellers, Ghosts Australia, Reckless and an untitled scripted series based on infamous bank robber Brenden Abbott. I believe it’s a wonderful time for our local talent, cast and crew to shine.

“I’ll leave with a hint of sadness, knowing there is so much still to come however am unbelievably exited to take the opportunity to be with my family on this extended road trip and experience all that this country has to offer.”

Screenwest Chief Executive Rikki Lea Bestall said: “Chris has made an indelible mark with his relentless energy, passion and dedication to the Western Australia’s screen industry. We thank Chris for his contribution to Screenwest and the greater screen sector and wish him and his family a fun and memorable trip.”

He departs on 21 August. Recruiting for a new Head of Industry Development is underway.

This week on Insight, Kumi Taguchi hears stories of Australians who have been cut off from loved ones or who themselves cut ties.

If your best friend had an affair with your partner what would you do? If you spend more time cursing a family member than enjoying time with them, should you sever that relationship? Insight looks at what drives us to cut ties and asks if it’s always a good idea?

8:30pm Tuesday on SBS.

SBS chair George Savvides will depart the broadcaster as his second term concludes.

He joined as Deputy Chair in 2017 and was appointed Chair in 2020.

During that time the public broadcaster has undergone a significant digital transformation, supported Australian communities through the Covid-19 pandemic, was recognised as the nation’s most trusted news brand, named Australian podcaster of the year three years in a row, commenced work on its expansion to Western Sydney, and launched its Elevate Reconciliation Plan.

SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “I’d like to congratulate George, on behalf of the Board and the organisation, for the immense contribution he has made to SBS over the last eight years. From the very beginning, he saw the potential and responsibility of SBS — not just to be a broadcaster, but to be a builder of trust, identity, and inclusion in this country.

“He’s been a fierce advocate for SBS’s independence and public value, and his voice has carried weight with government and community stakeholders who trust and respect him deeply.”

Mr Savvides described his time as Chair of SBS as “one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.”

“As I prepare to depart the role of a lifetime, I’m proud that SBS continues to go from strength to strength, delivering essential services to all Australians with a strong focus on building respect, understanding and cohesion to deliver better social and economic outcomes for all the communities we serve,” he said.

“SBS is a public institution that enjoys deep levels of trust among our audiences in an age of misinformation and polarisation. It continues to be an exemplar, offering a seat at the table to all Australians in every language, from every background, across a diverse range of experiences. The story of SBS is – and always has been – the story of Australia.

“I want to thank my fellow Board members and Managing Director James Taylor for their support and expertise over the years, as well as the incredible SBS team – who every day look to the future with the same courage and conviction that brought SBS into being 50 years ago.”

Current SBS Deputy Chair Christine Zeitz will serve as Acting Chair until a new Chairperson is appointed by the Federal Government.

“George has been an outstanding Chair – bringing a rare combination of strategic discipline, lived values, and deeply personal leadership to the role. I thank him for his service, and I look forward to bringing an equal level of passion and dedication to delivering on SBS’s Charter whilst serving as Acting Chair,” she added.

True crime documentary series Amy Bradley is Missing premieres next week on Netflix.

On March 23, 1998, 23-year-old Amy Bradley disappears without a trace from the cruise ship she and her family were vacationing on. Despite thorough searches of the ship, Amy is nowhere to be found and the cruise has already docked in their next port, Curaçao, opening the door for 2400 passengers to explore the island and allowing Amy to potentially disappear into the crowd. Hours later, Amy is still nowhere to be found and fear sets in that Amy may have fallen overboard before port. But a body is never discovered. The search for Amy expands as the FBI and local authorities launch an investigation where everyone becomes a potential suspect.

Amy Bradley is Missing is a three part documentary series from directors and executive producers Ari Mark and Phil Lott (Ample Entertainment) that delves into this cold case decades in the making as the search for Amy continues. As the years pass by, possible sightings of Amy pop up in various locations from multiple people. Is it really her? Was this a tragic accident or a crime? – anything is possible. But for Amy’s family – only one thing matters: bringing their daughter home alive.

July 16 on Netflix.

Both Travel Guides (1.15m) and Dancing with the Stars (939,000) rose in numbers compared to last Sunday.

Meanwhile both MasterChef Australia (576,000) Spicks & Specks (533,000) dipped in figures.

Later 60 Minutes drew 680,000 then 7News Spotlight (476,000), Bay of Fires (240,000) and Fake (219,000).

Seven won Sunday.

Seven News was #1 at 1.48m. UK doco The Philpotts: A Very British Horror managed 229,000.

Nine News was narrowly beaten on 1.45m. Wimbledon was up to 347,000.

ABC News scored 798,000 then Compass (221,000) and Little Disasters (129,000).

10 News was 328,000 for 10. In its first Sunday outing 10 News+ was 186,000, leaving Masterchef to make up ground. FBI was 111,000 / 98,000.

On SBS it was SBS World News (223,000 / 134,000), Tour de France (190,000) and Mont Saint Michel: Rising Again (169,000).

National Total TV: Sunday 6 July 2025

Six-part suburban mystery drama series The Family Next Door will premiere on ABC in August.

The Family Next Door is a ‘female-forward story’ led by Teresa Palmer (Mix Tape, The Last Anniversary), Bella Heathcote (The Moogai, Pieces of Her), Philippa Northeast (Territory, The Newsreader), Ming-Zhu Hii (Prosper, La Brea) and Jane Harber (Offspring, In Limbo).

Propelled by a mystery that disrupts a seemingly harmonious beachside community, the series explores the universal challenges of motherhood, marriage, friendship, and the complexities of identity.

It’s peak holiday season in the popular seaside town of Osprey Point when an enigmatic stranger, Isabelle (Palmer) rents a family home in a quiet cul-de-sac. As Isabelle charms her way into her neighbours’ homes and lives, she quickly discovers that everyone at Pleasant Court has something to hide. How far will her obsessive drive to solve a mystery push her to expose the truth?

Based on New York Times bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth’s novel of the same name, this sophisticated and entertaining mystery blends drama and humour while exploring family dynamics through the unique lens of award-winning screenwriter Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and Emma Freeman’s (The Newsreader, Interview with the Vampire) character-driven directorial skills.

Production credit: Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A Beyond Entertainment and Muse Entertainment co-production. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC. Developed and produced in association with VicScreen. International Distribution Sphere Abacus. Created for Television by Sarah Scheller and written by Sarah Scheller, Pip Karmel, Julia Moriarty, Andrew Anastasios. Director Emma Freeman, Producer: Melinda Wearne, Series Producer: Dean O’Toole. Executive Producers Sarah Scheller and Emma Freeman, for Beyond David Ogilvy, Melinda Wearne, Jenny O’Shea; for Muse Entertainment Joel Rice, Meghan Mathes Jacobs, Aren Prupas; for ABC Rachel Okine, Rebecca Anderson and Sally Hepworth and Rob Weisbach.

Sunday 10 August at 8pm on ABC TV (all episodes on ABC iview).

The Australian Directors Guild is amongst industry groups grappling with AI, with concerns at the rapidity of change and how it is impacting.

Speaking last month at Screenworks Regional to Global conference, Sophie Harper, Executive Director of the Australia Directors Guild said, “I was speaking to one of our board members, who’s a commercial director, and he said that low budget commercials are now being fully AI generated, which means that there’s no opportunities for Directors -unless they’re just directing the AI- to hone their skills and get practice. So it’s appearing in a lot of different ways.

“The Directors Guild of America says that copyright has to be attributed to a person, and AI is not a person… the AI must serve, not replace human authorship.”

Harper also cited examples of how AI is being used internationally by Directors.

“For example, virtual production, generative face and body transformation (Robert Zemeckis film Here with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright)…synthetic voices. ADR (Peter Jackson used AI to on the Beatles documentary to make them clear), audio clean up, STEM separation, film restoration (David Finch used AI for the restoration of Seven), generative concept art, storyboard to motion, synthetic B roll, speech to edit and smart assembly..

“They’re sort of the many ways the AI is being used. You can see, it’s really hard to be black and white about this.”

New features have been added to an update Kayo Sports app for mobile and tablet.

The new app will be released to customers gradually over the next month and will be available on iOS and Android tablets and smartphones.

Foxtel Group’s Executive Director of Product – Streaming Advertising, Tom Blaxland, said: “Our mission has always been to deliver the ultimate sports viewing experience and we know sport on mobile is very different to TV so these new features are a direct reflection of that.

“With features like the Moments Player and Stories, users can immerse themselves in highlights, updates, and bite-sized content that keeps them connected to the action anytime, anywhere. Everything is conveniently housed in one place, eliminating the need to jump between apps or websites to catch up on games, explore highlights, or stay updated.

“We know live sport is just one part of the viewing experience, with fans also eager to consume stats, analysis, highlights, recaps and key moments. This is not just an app update, but a complete reimagining of how fans connect with the sports and shows they love.”

The refreshed app experience will now include:

• Introducing the Moments Player – A fresh way to catch up on the action. The new Moments Player offers a scrollable feed of highlights, making it easy to relive key plays and stay updated at your own pace.
• Stories That Bring You Closer to the Game – Stay in the loop with dynamic, bite-sized stories capturing the energy and excitement of live sports. Perfect for quick updates between plays or on the go.
• A New Home for Live Action – The reimagined homepage places fans at the centre of the excitement. With hero banners and intuitive call-to-action buttons, it’s never been easier to jump into the action and stay there.
• Enhanced Favourites – Fans preferred content now takes centre stage. The app will prompt users to add favourites to improve their personalised recommendations.
• Smarter Navigation, Seamless Streaming – Find exactly what you’re looking for with enhanced search capabilities and streamlined page layouts. Less time searching, more time watching.

7Plus screens the Esports World Cup 2025 live from 9.00pm, Thursday, 10 July.

Taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, EWC 2025 pits the world’s top esports clubs and more than 2,000 elite players against one another for a share of US$70 million: the largest prize pool in esports history with the most popular games in the tournament to be broadcast exclusively live and free on 7plus.

EWC 2025 features 24 of the biggest esports titles in the world, including Counter Strike, League of Legends, DOTA, MLBB, PUBG and Honor of Kings, with millions of people expected to tune in around the world during the seven-week event.

Teams from across the Asia-Pacific region are competing, including Gen G, Talon and Team Secret.

Seven’s coverage will include EWC’s Opening Ceremony, with a live performance from American singer and long-time gamer, Post Malone, and EWS Spotlight, a two-hour live show featuring the biggest moments of EWC, including the thrilling finals across Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week.

Seven’s tournament coverage kicks off with teams going head-to-head in Apex Legends and Fatal Fury

Thursday, 10 July on 7plus. The tournament will continue until Monday, 25 August 2025.

EXCLUSIVE:

Neighbours will wrap production this Friday, July 11, and finish on air on Thursday December 11 in Australia and the UK.

It’s the second time in three years the team based at Nunawading will say goodbye, and despite the pleas and petitions by fans, there is no imminent lifeline.

But Executive Producer Jason Herbison is still hopeful of a return some day, if conceding it won’t be in this form.

“It’s a mix of emotions,” he admits. “It is Groundhog Day here, it does feel very much like deja vu. We have been through this before. I’m sad, but it’s a different feeling to how it was, for me anyway, in 2022.

“But more than anything, I think we all just feel a sense of gratitude that we got another 460 episodes. Not many shows make it to 100 episodes. We just made another 460 on top of the 9000+ we made before. So I think we all just feel very grateful that we’ve had this extra chapter, and we got to tell these extra stories.

“Lots of people have had their their their foot in the door in the last two and a half years, they’ve started their careers, and they’ve had that opportunity, as I did, 25 years ago.”

There’s no big network send-off this time around, but cast and crew will share Friday away from the gaze of media. Neighbours will still go out as Australia’s longest-running drama, if somewhat disrupted, until it presumably gets superceded by its longtime serial challenger, Home & Away.

“Last time it was terribly, terribly sad,” Herbison recalls. “We’d been going for so long, and there were people that had been here continuously for so long that it was a lot to deal with emotionally. Not that it isn’t this time and I can’t speak for everyone, because it is different for everyone. But for those of us that did go through it in 2022 you just can’t go through the same thing twice, it’s gonna feel different.”

In February Amazon Prime announced it would no longer fund the series after its two year run, having folded the Freevee platform. That left Fremantle with no broadcast partner to join 10, despite its ongoing love from British soap fans.

“The show is not ending because it’s not still popular. We do still have a very loyal audience. That’s valuable. That means something, you can’t buy that kind of loyalty and brand awareness,” he explains.

“It was known a year ago that Amazon Freevee was going to be winding up, so we knew that could impact us. When you know the landscape is changing, you start to wonder what the future means….. we weren’t completely blindsided. We knew there were some challenges and we were able to communicate that to everyone as well.”

Jason Herbison

So how has he faced plotting the next farewell?

“I absolutely didn’t want to compete with our last finale. That was amazing. I’m very proud of it. I don’t think I could top that. But I am leaving the show on another hopeful, optimistic note,” he reveals.

“It’s different to the previous finale, but there are some thematic similarities here and there.

“When we get to the last three months of the show there are some big stories that start to dovetail into each other, and they do lead to a certain point for all the residents. There are some interesting possibilities that come out of that.”

Don’t expect another cavalcade of returning faces this time around, with Herbison describing the finale as a farewell to the Amazon era (2023 – 2025).

“When it comes to the actual finale you’re going to see a bit of a focus on people from this particular era, but that could include people that were on the show before, because they’ve come back.

“It is very much open ended as to how it might come back one day. There is absolutely that possibility, and that’ll make more sense when we get there, as to why I’ve gone the way I’ve gone. But there are definite ways that the show could return in the future.”

Just what is he hoping for? Sequels, prequels, telemovies, Christmas specials, road movies, podcasts and YouTube clips?

“It could be anything. It really could. Obviously, when we ended in 2022 and Amazon picked us up, we basically came back pretty much the same, although the new model was airing 4, we’ve still been making 5 episodes a week,” he continues.

“The narrative and the storyline, and I guess the overall tone and model of the show, was pretty much the same. All I’m really saying is, it doesn’t have to be.

“IBut  don’t want to make Neighbours like a student film. I think the brand is too important to do that. But there are other ways to go about it. Maybe it is less episodes, maybe it is a shorter run, maybe it is shorter seasons, maybe it is telemovies…. origin stories. All of these things are things that we talk about, but obviously, right now we are focused on winding up this chapter in a fulfilling way.”

Winding up, in practical terms also means tough decisions on cast contracts, sets, props, costumes and leasing of the Nunawading studio.

“We are winding the site up, and we are packing up. That doesn’t mean we can’t come back at some point. As far as I’m aware, the landlord NEP is still very keen to keep it as a functioning studio. It’s an amazing studio site. We’ve invested a lot and made a lot of improvements to it.

“In terms of carrying the whole site by ourselves, as we have for decades now, that’s not something that’s feasible for us going forward,” he confirms.

“We’ll definitely be storing some things. Some things might be repurposed. We’re developing other projects, other things are coming up. ….I’ll be able to talk to you about that very soon,” he teases.

Lastly, what is Herbison’s message to fans?

“I just want to say we appreciate all of you. It is incredible when news like this gets out and and you do see that fan response. Of course, we get letters and emails and all that sort of thing too. I’m just always touched time and time again.

“People say to me, ‘This show means so much to me, you don’t realise…’ and I’m like, ‘I think I do realise, now. Took me a little while, but I think I do realise how much it means to you, and I’m sorry that we’re not continuing at the moment.’

“Again, I think when you see the way I’m ending the show, there is hope for for the future, whatever that could look like.”

Neighbours screens 4pm Monday – Thursday on 10 / Prime Video.

Newcomer 10 News+ has had a baptism of fire with disappointing ratings, audience feedback and troubling headlines.

It launched to 291,000 in National TV Audience, but by the end of the week it had effectively halved to 152,000. It was also half the audience of The Project, which it had succeeded. But 10 maintains its quest is a “marathon not a sprint” and looks to how The Project also fared in its early weeks.

Meanwhile the week went to Seven at 29.5% to Nine’s 27.9%. 10 was just 14.6%.

Seven News Sunday topped the week at 1.47m viewers, just ahead of Nine’s 1.4m.

Travel Guides was best in entertainment at 1.07m then Dancing with the Stars at 920,000.

Have You Been Paying Attention? was best for 10 at 774,000.

Seven:

1. 7NEWS Sunday: #1 program in all people and grocery shoppers. National reach 2.39 million, national audience 1.47 million.
2. 7NEWS Monday: #1 program in all people and grocery shoppers. National reach 2.32 million, national audience 1.5 million.
3. 7NEWS Tuesday: #1 program in all people in total TV. National reach 2.23 million, national audience 1.49 million.
4. 7NEWS Wednesday: #1 program in total people and grocery shoppers. National reach 2.14 million, national audience 1.43 million.
5. Seven’s AFL: Friday Night Football: #1 program in all people, 25 to 54s, 16 to 39s and grocery shoppers. #1 sport program. National reach 2.13 million, national audience 628,000.
6. 7NEWS Thursday: National reach 2.02 million, national audience 1.32 million.
7. Dancing With The Stars: National reach 1.96 million, national audience 921,000. Up on last week.
8. 7NEWS Friday: #1 news program in total TV. National reach 1.88 million, national audience 1.25 million.
9. 7NEWS Saturday: #1 news program in total TV. National reach 1.65 million, national audience 1 million.
10. Seven’s AFL: Thursday Night Football: #1 sport program. National reach 1.59 million, national audience 541,000.
11. The Chase Australia Monday: National reach 1.45 million, national audience 716,000.
12. The 1% Club: National reach 1.44 million, national audience 791,000.
13. The Chase Australia Tuesday: National reach 1.44 million, national audience 746,000.
14. Home and Away Monday: #1 drama. National reach 1.4 million, national audience 902,000.
15. The Chase Australia Wednesday: National reach 1.4 million, national audience 706,000.
16. Seven’s AFL: Sunday Afternoon Football: #1 sport. National reach 1.4 million, national audience 488,000.
17. The Chase Australia Friday: National reach 1.31 million, national audience 640,000.
18. The Chase Australia Thursday: National reach 1.26 million, national audience 637,000.
19. Home and Away Wednesday: #1 entertainment program in total TV. National reach 1.3 million, national audience 877,000.
20. Home and Away Tuesday: #1 drama. National reach 1.24 million, national audience 850,000.
21. 7NEWS Spotlight: National reach 1.15 million, national audience 581,000.
22. Stranded on Honeymoon Island Tuesday: National reach 1.02 million, national audience 337,000.
23. Border Security – Australia’s Front Line: National reach 1.01 million, national audience 556,000.
24. The Front Bar: National reach 1.01 million, national audience 534,000.
25. Sunrise Tuesday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 1 million, national audience 413,000. 30% more viewers than Today.
26. Sunrise Wednesday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 992,000, national audience 422,000. 17% more viewers than Today.
27. Sunrise Monday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 986,000, national audience 411,000. 26% more viewers than Today.
28. Home and Away Thursday: #1 drama. National reach 973,000, national audience 705,000.
29. Sunrise Thursday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 963,000, national audience 405,000. 30% more viewers than Today.
30. Weekend Sunrise Sunday: #1 breakfast program. National reach 941,000, national audience 385,000. 48% more viewers than Today.

Source: OzTAM VOZ national total TV, overnight program reach (broadcast TV 1 min/BVOD 15 sec), national average audience. Share based on “when watched” 1800-2400. #1 programs based on reach on day of broadcast, unless otherwise noted.

Nine:

Corrected.