ABC2's blog

7:30pm – Wednesday, July 6 on ABC2

After six weeks globetrotting, driving the world’s most jaw-dropping machines, actor Will Mellor and presenter Kirsten O’Brien take on their final World’s Toughest Driving Test.

With the series score level, it’s a climactic end and it all comes down to one last race driving the tree harvester, a six-wheeled monster truck with teeth, deep in the Uruguayan forest.

It will be a gruelling week for Will and Kirsten and there’s one man they need to impress, mentor David Henderson. Scotsman David transformed tree harvesting in Uruguay 14 years ago and nobody is better placed to teach Will and Kirsten the dos and don’ts of modern day tree-felling than him.

Tough-talking David’s regime of lessons and tests will prepare Will and Kirsten for the ultimate head-to-head at the end of the week, but only if they buckle down, listen and learn fast.

Throughout the week, Will and Kirsten believe they have the edge over the other, but an 11th hour setback puts the final race in doubt, as mentor David drops a bombshell. David’s not happy for them to proceed to the race.

After driving everything from tanks to dumper trucks, the possibility of not being allowed to race is a body blow to Will and Kirsten. In true fighting form and after one final push, Will and Kirsten convince David that they’re capable of handling the awesome tree harvester and the race is back on.

Thousands of miles from home and in the searing 40 degree temperatures, the heat is well and truly on as Will and Kirsten desperately battle for victory.

But who will be the ultimate winner of World’s Toughest Driving Test?

9:30pm – Monday, July 4 on ABC2

Having spent an uncomfortable night in jail, George Hearst (Gerald McRaney) is further incensed by this affront to his veneer of respectability, and vows to destroy anyone or anything that stands in the way of his control of Deadwood.

On the other side of town, however, he inadvertently finds a window of opportunity. Alma Ellsworth (Molly Parker) has been turned back on to the destructive drug laudanum and her supplier is no less than Cy Tolliver’s (Powers Boothe) manservant Leon (Larry Cedar).

But even as Tolliver rushes to inform Hearst of this fortuitous development, Leon has second thoughts about supplying Mrs Ellsworth with the drugs, knowing that in the event of a calamity he might find himself silenced – permanently – if anyone were to find out who gave her the drugs.

Meanwhile, Trixie (Paula Malcolmson), who until now stood by Mrs Ellsworth through her recovery/addiction, finally confronts her boss and sometime-friend, hoping to talk some sense into her.

Then of course there’s the matter of Aunt Lou (Cleo King), Hearst’s coloured taskmaster/chef. When her son Odell (Omar Gooding) arrives in camp he proves to be an unexpectedly volatile presence. Hearst initially rebuffs Odell’s stay in his mother’s room but becomes fascinated by the boy when he volunteers information about gold claims in Africa that he saw while working in Liberia.

9:30am – Monday, July 4 on ABC2

Loved by the young and old, Play School celebrates its 45th birthday with month-long festivities.

From July 4, 20 new episodes of Play School will go to air over four weeks at 9.30am on ABC 4 Kids on ABC2.

In addition, Play School will unveil its new opening titles, featuring the much-loved Play School toys. Using stop-frame and digital animation, the new titles will be accompanied by a new arrangement of the classic Play School theme song, sung by Jay Laga’aia and Justine Clarke.

The first Play School episode went to air on July 18, 1966 at 10.05am in NSW and Victoria, and soon after broadcast around the country. In December that same year, Play School began afternoon transmission as well as mornings, a practice that continues to this day.

Play School has had a total of 86 presenters throughout its 45 years on air.

Current presenters include: Karen Pang, Justine Clarke, Andrew McFarlane, Emma Palmer, Jay Laga’aia, Leah Vandenberg, Rhys Muldoon, Georgie Parker, Alex Papps, Teo Gebert, Sofya Gollan, Luke Carroll, Jolene Anderson, Hugh Sheridan, Essie Davis, Abi Tucker, Jonny Pasvolsky and Rachael Coopes.

In July, the new themed episodes include, ‘Putting On A Show’, ‘Once Upon A Time’, ‘Farms’ and ‘Arts and Crafts’.

8:00pm – Sunday, July 3 on ABC2

Sunday,3 July 2011 With only four students left after last week’s brutal elimination round, renowned international designer Philippe Starck’s search for a new British protege moves to the next level.

The remaining students will now get to work with Starck’s leading model maker Jean Phillipe, the man who’ll finally turn their ideas into reality. At his workshop on the outskirts of Paris, Jean Phillipe looks over the projects and lets the students know what he needs to make a successful model.

None of the students escape’s his critical eye. But in particular he destroys the central mechanism for Trevor’s idea before telling Ilsa she must start again. He tells Jess to source the actual material for her glove while Mike needs to sexy up his design. Jean Phillipe gives them only 48 hours to make all the necessary changes.

The students must also present their branding and logo ideas to Philippe when they next meet. With the opportunity of a lifetime at stake – the six month placement working with Starck – the pressure has never been more intense. Which two students will move through to the final round?

8:30pm – Saturday, July 2 on ABC2

Saturday,2 July 2011 Woody Allen’s 1977 romantic comedy, Annie Hall, follows the up and down relationship of two mismatched New York neurotics. Jewish comedy writer Alvy Singer (Allen) ponders the modern quest for love and his past romance with tightly-wound WASP singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton).

Hailed as Allen’s most mature and personal film, Annie Hall beat Star Wars for Best Picture and also won an Oscars for Allen as director and writer and for Keaton as Best Actress; audiences enthusiastically responded to Allen’s take on contemporary love and turned Keaton’s rumpled menswear into a fashion trend.

Annie Hall also represented the peak of America’s love affair with stand-up comic turned filmmaker and film star Woody Allen.

Woody Allen’s classic film season continues next week with his 1979 iconic New York romantic comedy – Manhattan.

7:30pm – Saturday, July 2 on ABC2

The final four trucks arrive in New Orleans eager to take advantage of the culture and nightlife of the Big Easy.

Wicked weather drenches the teams and leaves them scrambling for customers.

An epic battle ensues on the edge of the French Quarter until a surprise catfish cook-off sends one team back to the streets and the others to a slimy, grimy punishment that no one will forget.

One more team is eliminated, setting up a small-town showdown 700 miles north in Tennessee.

9:30pm – Friday, July 1 on ABC2

Sir Robert Packington, a Parliamentarian and friend of Cromwell (James Frain), is shot dead in a London street. Cromwell suspects the assassination as a warning to him but refuses to speculate who might he behind it. He is more concerned with finding a new bride for his King who has shut himself away in sadness and grief following the death of his much-loved third wife Jane Seymour, mother to his only male heir. The infant, Edward, is being looked after by his half-sister Lady Mary (Sarah Bolger) and several of Jane’s ladies-in-waiting.

Soon afterwards, there is another deadly assault on the Sergeant-at-Arms himself – the King’s law enforcer – by unidentified swordsmen. With the King in isolation, law and order is beginning to break down at the political heart of the kingdom. Cromwell is summoned to the secluded King’s (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) chamber to bring news. Cromwell proposes remarriage, but Henry is disinterested.

Henry meets with Bishop Gardiner (Simon Ward) who is writing the doctrine of the Church of England. As usual the bishops have failed to agree on anything and Henry, with growing impatience, has taken the matter into his own hands providing six doctrinal questions which will form the basis of his church. After consultation, the Bishops respond to his ‘Six Articles of Faith’ in accordance with Catholic theology. Although Henry seems unperturbed by this, Cromwell is most certainly disturbed by this roll-back on revolution.

What has happened to his Reformation?!

9:15pm – Friday, July 1 on ABC2

After scanning the town for clues and coming up empty handed, Riese and Fenrir decide that the best plan of action is to sleep silently through the night, and leave in the morning. But the eerie feeling of being watched haunts Riese, and her dreams reflect Vidar’s nightmarish quality in vivid detail as she sees her family being murdered on that fateful day.

She wakes panting and sees the ghostly figure of a child skirt by her window.

Thinking she may finally have stumbled on to the trail of the missing children, Riese follows the child, but finds herself ensnared by a gang of vapid, zombie-like children.

Amara is happy to hear of her army’s progress on the battlefield, and although it causes the kingdom great pain of sacrifice, orders a still stronger push to root out the rebels.

Her debriefing is interrupted by a message from the temple: a low priestess by the name of Marlise delivers a message that Trennan’s presence is requested. While in the royal chamber, Marlise lets slip that Herrick is in the capital for a conference at The Sect temple – a fact that was meant to be kept secret from the Empress Amara.

8:30pm – Friday, July 1 on ABC2

Magnus becomes trapped in a rundown, abandoned building after responding to an anonymous call for help. She hears a strange sound and is knocked off her feet by a violent blow. Whomever – or whatever – called her for help, now seems to have a very different agenda.

Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup). Together they track down, study and protect the strange and often terrifying creatures that secretly populate our world and live among us.

8:30pm – Thursday, June 30 on ABC2

Arrested Development continues, and this week Michael (Jason Bateman) can’t help but notice that Lindsay (Portia De Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) are having a tough time with their marriage, despite efforts to disguise their troubles. Later he pays his father a visit in prison. George Senior (Jeffrey Tambor) seems more interested in a prison baseball game than helping his son solve the riddle of his mysterious bookkeeping.

Michael gives up and heads to the office, where he speaks with Kitty, his father’s secretary. Michael suspects she may know the whereabouts of some documentation pertaining to international accounts, but she plays dumb.

Meanwhile Gob (Will Arnett) uses his charms on Kitty in the hope of getting the information Michael needs. But after sleeping with her he still doesn’t get what he needs.

Michael takes George-Michael (Michael Cera) to see his father, but the visit doesn’t go as planned with Michael Senior telling George-Michael he will die in prison, which leads to George-Michael becoming hysterical and George Senior being sedated…

In Dr Ginty’s office, Lindsay and Tobias participate in a role-reversal game, but when it fails to produce results Ginty steps in and takes Tobias’s role. When he finishes Lindsay declares that now “there are two men I want to leave”.

Meanwhile Maeby finds her mother’s appointment book and finds out about Ginty. She fears her parents are getting a divorce.

Please note: This is the first episode of the series that has been available to send out for publicity purposes.