Channel Nine's blog

Wide World of Sports presents -THE PRESIDENTS CUP
Wednesday, November 16 – Sunday, November 20

The cream of the world’s golfers will compete in an elite match play tournament when Nine’s Wide World of Sports broadcasts The Presidents Cup from Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 16 to 20.

Held every two years, The Presidents Cup pits 12 players from the United States against a 12-strong International Team representing the rest of the world, excluding Europe.

The star-studded United States Team will be captained by former world No.1 and U.S. Masters champion Fred Couples. John Cook, an 11-time PGA TOUR winner, and former Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup representative Jay Haas will be his assistants.

The United States Team is Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson, David Toms, Hunter Mahan and Bill Haas.

Two-time British Open champion Greg Norman will captain the International Team, with PGA TOUR winner Frank Nobilo and Players’ Championship winner Tim Clark as his assistants.

Golfers from four nations have made the International Team, including five Australians: Jason Day, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley. South Korea has K.J. Choi, K.T. Kim and Y.E. Yang, while South Africa provides former World No.1 Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, and Ryo Ishikawa flies the flag for Japan.

Nine’s Wide World of Sports will broadcast the four days of play plus the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies. The coverage will be hosted by Eddie McGuire and Mark Nicholas and supported by Nine’s expert commentary team of Ian Baker-Finch, Jack Newton and Wayne Grady. James Brayshaw will be out on the fairways along with Ken Sutcliffe, who will perform as the tournament’s official starter. Reporter Tim Sheridan will bring viewers all the big stories from the course and the clubhouse.

The United States Team has won six of the last eight Presidents Cups. The only win by the International Team came in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, and the 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie.

Coverage of The Presidents Cup begins with the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, November 16, from 4.00pm LIVE on GEM. The first round of the tournament starts at 12.30pm on Thursday, November 17, LIVE on Channel 9.

In addition to Nine’s Wide World of Sports coverage, the Today show will cross live to Royal Melbourne on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, bringing viewers all the action as it unfolds.

Unlike most sporting events, the players do not receive prize money at The Presidents Cup. Instead, the PGA TOUR pledges to contribute funding to charities nominated by the players, captains and captains’ assistants.

International Team                                                                  

Jason Day (Australia)                                                            
Adam Scott (Australia)                                                          
Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)                                          
K.J. Choi (South Korea)                                                       
K.T. Kim (South Korea)                                                   
Retief Goosen (South Africa)                                             
Geoff Ogilvy (Australia)                                                  
Ernie Els (South Africa)                                                
Y.E. Yang (South Korea)                                                 

Ryo Ishikawa (Japan)                                                      

Robert Allenby (Australia)                                                 
Aaron Baddeley (Australia)                                            

U.S Team

Matt Kuchar
Steve Stricker
Dustin Johnson
Webb Simpson
Nick Watney
Phil Mickelson
Bubba Watson
David Toms
Hunter Mahan

Jim Furyk 
    
Tiger Woods
Bill Haas

Broadcast Schedule

Wednesday, November 16 – The Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony, 4pm LIVE on GEM

Thursday, November 17 – Day 1 Play: Foursomes competition, 2.30pm LIVE on Channel 9

Friday, November 18 – Day 2 Play: Four-ball competition, 11.30am LIVE on Channel 9

Saturday, November 19 – Day 3 Play: Foursomes and four-ball competition, 7am LIVE on GEM and 9am LIVE on Channel 9 after Today.

Sunday, November 20 – Day 4 Play: Singles competition: 10am LIVE on Channel 9

Sunday, November 20 – Closing Ceremony: Following conclusion of play

Sunday, November 6 at 7.30pm on Nine

A New Shot at Life

They call it “the long goodbye” and it’s the most heartbreaking journey imaginable. Alzheimer’s robs its victims of their memory and their dignity, erasing their personalities until all that is left is the shell of their bodies. Thirteen hundred Australians are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every week, making it more common than cancer or even heart disease. And for those who get the news, it’s as good as a death sentence. Until now. Michael Usher visited a revolutionary clinic that’s offering real hope to sufferers and their families. The doctors there believe Alzheimer’s disease can be reversed and they have the results to prove it.

Reporter: Michael Usher

Producer: Jo Townsend

The Empty Nesters

It had to happen, eventually. That generation of stay-at-home kids has finally grown up and flown the coop. Peter Overton first met these coddled twenty and thirty-somethings five years ago. Back then, they were sleeping in their childhood bedrooms, letting their parents pay the bills and stashing away money for a future that never seemed to arrive. Well, it has now. And their Mums and Dads couldn’t be more pleased, most of them, anyway. They’re celebrating, happily spending their hard-earned savings on something completely different – themselves.

Reporter: Peter Overton

Producer: Sandra Cleary

Dame Helen

Sometimes, it’s the late starters who finish first but it’s a rule that doesn’t often apply to Hollywood.

Dame Helen Mirren is a spectacular exception. Her career only took off when she was in her forties. And when it did, she managed to shatter another movie star myth, by proving an actress could combine beauty and brains. Along the way, she’s become a Dame of the British empire, and an international pin-up girl for ageing gracefully. But when Liam Bartlett was granted an audience with Dame Helen in Berlin, he soon found this Oscar-winning screen queen is not one for airs and graces.

Reporter: Liam Bartlett

Producers: Gareth Harvey, Sandra Cleary

In a television coup, on her first visit to Australia, singing superstar Susan Boyle will perform three songs live before a studio audience on TODAY next Thursday November 10.

Susan will also chat exclusively to TODAY hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson about her extraordinary life and career since being discovered on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009.

More than14 million album sales later, Susan is making her first trip Down Under to promote her new album Someone To Watch Over Me.

Next Thursday, Susan will perform two tracks from the new album – Both Sides Now and Autumn Leaves – plus the song that shot her to international stardom, I Dreamed a Dream.

On her planned TODAY appearance, Susan Boyle says: I’m really looking forward to visiting Australia, I’m having to pinch myself that I’m finally going to be there.

“I’m looking forward to performing on the Today show immensely. It is a real privilege.”

TODAY host Karl Stefanovic says: “This woman, who came from nothing and became a global phenomenon, is the music story of the decade and to be in her presence will be humbling – and everyone knows how much I love a good sing-along!”

Lisa Wilkinson adds: “Australia has wanted to meet Susan Boyle ever since she stunned the world with that first unforgettable performance. 

“She’s living proof it’s never too late to make a dream come true.

“We’re so excited to have her perform live – it is a treat for us and most importantly for all our viewers.

In their biggest challenge yet the stars of Celebrity Apprentice take over the Kerri-Anne program tomorrow at 9.00am on Channel Nine.

The stars of Celebrity Apprentice will unite and ignite in front of the cameras for one last mighty challenge – to host Kerri-Anne live in front of a national audience. This time there is no room for error as all of Australia is judging.

The Boss, Mark Bouris, will lead his celebrity co-hosts. He’ll be joined by one half of his Celebrity Apprentice advisory team, Deborah Thomas, plus Max Markson (Celebrity Agent), Shane Crawford (AFL Legend), Jesinta Campbell (Miss Universe Australia 2010), Julia Morris (Comedienne), Didier Cohen (International Model), Polly Porter (Reality Star), Deni Hines (Singer), Jason Coleman (Dance Guru) and Warwick Capper (1980s AFL Pinup).

Jesinta Campbell will be talking celebrity diets, while PR extraordinaire Max Markson will quiz entertainment reporter Lucy Chesterton on the showbiz gossip of the day.

The show will cross live to Shane Crawford and bookmaker Tom Waterhouse in Melbourne to give viewers their tips ahead of Derby Day and the Melbourne Cup.

Deborah Thomas leads a panel discussion with Jesinta Campbell, Didier Cohen and Julie Morris, live from Adelaide, on the hot topics of the day. Jason Coleman will cook up a storm with Masterchef’s Marion Grasby.

Deni Hines and Jason Coleman will meet up with renowned guitarist Tommy Emmanuel and Deni will perform her new single, Finger on the Trigger, live in the studio.

Plus, The Block’s Polly Porter will set a very special challenge for Warwick Capper and Didier Cohen.

The legendary David Attenborough presents Frozen Planet, a landmark series that traverses the two greatest wilderness areas on Earth – the Arctic and Antarctic – from Sunday, October 30, at 6.30pm on Channel Nine.

Over six enthralling episodes, this series from the BBC Natural History Unit paints a portrait of the polar regions that will take your breath away at a time when melting of the ice caps means they might soon be changed forever.

This series crosses the spectacular landscape of the North and South Poles and gives viewers a never-seen-before look at their charismatic wildlife. Using unique aerial photography and underwater cameras that plunge into the icy polar depths, we follow the life journeys of the animals struggling for survival in this unforgiving environment: the polar bear, the albatross and the adelie penguin.

Frozen Planet is an ultimate natural history of the fascinating polar regions. Its journey into the southern hemisphere starts at the Antarctic Convergence, where cold water from Antarctica meets the warmer currents from the north. This massive expanse of ocean includes the roughest waters in the world, in the Drake Passage, and remote sub-Antarctic islands packed with wildlife.

In the northern hemisphere we traverse the Arctic Circle, which includes much of Alaska, the tundra regions of northern Canada and the vast taiga forests of Siberia.

Finally the series explores man’s presence at the North and South Poles – a presence that almost pales into insignificance in the grandeur of two of the most inhospitable regions on Earth.

FROZEN PLANET

Premiere episode – Sunday, October 30, at 6.30pm

Episode two – Wednesday, November 2 at 8.30pm on Nine

Wide World of Sports will broadcast the Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and France, and the playoff for third place between Australia and Wales, LIVE on Channel Nine and simulcast LIVE in HD on GEM.

The Wallabies, shattered after their semi-final loss but boosted by the return to their starting lineup of Kurtley Beale and Berrick Barnes, face Wales at Eden Park with Nine’s broadcast starting at 6.30pm AEDT tonight on Nine, 6.00pm AEDT on GEM.

Then at 6.30pm AEDT on Sunday, the tournament comes to a north-versus-south climax when France, “Les Tricolores”, do battle with the New Zealand All Blacks at Eden Park.

The All Blacks, who have reached the final unbeaten, are chasing their first Rugby World Cup crown since winning for the only time in 1987, the year the tournament began, while France has yet to taste victory.

Wallabies legends George Gregan and John Eales head up the Wide World of Sports rugby broadcast live from Eden Park. On the expert panel is former Wallabies captain Andrew Slack, test prop Benn Robinson and host Ken Sutcliffe. Tim Sheridan will report live from the sideline at Eden Park.

Australia v Wales: Tonight at 6.30pm AEDT on Nine, 6.00pm on GEM

France v New Zealand: Sunday at 6.30pm AEDT on Nine and GEM

Young Doctors, an eight-part observational documentary series which follows the gruelling journey of seven junior doctors at one of Australia’s busiest hospitals, will premiere Wednesday, October 26 at 8.00pm.

What if your first day in a new job was literally a matter of life and death? That’s the real-life prospect facing these interns as they begin a three-month posting at the regional John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW.

As newly qualified enthusiastic professionals, these young first and second-year doctors are stepping into something the public has an admiration for – being a doctor. We all trust them with the lives of our children, our parents and our loved ones, yet underneath their scrubs our young doctors are still growing up.

We follow the interns as they make their first diagnosis, perform their first emergency surgery and face their first Saturday night in accident and emergency. Their patients and supervisors are important, but they are more of a backdrop. In this series it’s the group of young doctors we get to know best.

The interns are Dr Colinda Holmes and Dr Rory Gledhill – Surgery; Dr Kate Haggar – Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Dr Leila Usher – Emergency; Dr Ineke Wever – Cardiothoracic; Dr Michael Burgess – General Medicine; and Dr Mike Pomroy – Medical Acute Care Unit. All are in their mid to late twenties and all will have someone’s life in their hands.

From day one they are thrown in at the deep end with heart attacks, car accidents, binge drinkers, embarrassing procedures and difficult patients who look them in the eye and ask, “How many times have you done this before?” 

As well as working together the interns will live together in a six-bedroom house which is, ironically, a converted hospital.

The series will track the doctors at work as well as providing fly-on-the-wall coverage of their home lives, socialising and recreation. You will see them together at home at day’s end or beginning as they reflect on each other’s progress, work towards deciding what kind of doctor they want to be, and share their emotional ups and downs.

This inspiring series will present the difficulties they face in juggling their great new responsibilities, as well as the trials and tribulations of being a young doctor in one of the liveliest cities in Australia.

Young Doctors: Premieres on Nine, Wednesday, October 26 at 8.00pm

CyberShack TV is Australia’s only 30 minute, free-to-air television program dedicated to looking at the rapidly evolving consumer electronics and home entertainment industry.  

From the latest in games and gadgets to lifestyle and entertainment products, CyberShack TV is the place for information on all things technology.

The dynamic and enthusiastic CyberShack team is back with a new tech host, Yas London, who will join Anthony Slater and the always informative Charlie Brown, the show’s Executive Producer, as the main anchor. Ashley Cheadle is currently on leave.

Along with keeping you up-to-date with the coolest new apps available, this season Cybershack TV takes a look at the latest Batman game, Arkham City, mingles with the stars at the launch of the Nokia N9, unveils cool new GPS products from Garmin and helps you finally solve your personal information and data storage problems with some awesome new web services.

The ever popular CyberShack TV is back for its 12th series, with the Spring 2011 season screening on the Nine Network for the next 4 weeks on Sundays at 11.30am:

Sunday, 16 October

Sunday, 23 October

Sunday, 6 November 

Sunday, 13 November

It’s a massive Australia-New Zealand double-header this Sunday as rugby league and rugby union provide two sizzling sporting clashes LIVE on Channel Nine and simulcast in HD on GEM.

Super Sunday is shaping as the most epic day in the history of sport between Australia and New Zealand with the Trans Tasman rugby league test and the Rugby World Cup semi-final.

And to whet the appetite of football fans before the fireworks on Sunday, Wales play France in the first Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday at Eden Park. This game will be shown live on Nine from 6.30pm AEDT.

On Sunday the Kangaroos play New Zealand in the Trans Tasman rugby league test at Ausgrid Stadium in Newcastle. Wide World of Sports will broadcast the game LIVE at 3.30pm AEDT on Channel Nine and simulcast it LIVE in HD on GEM.

Leading the commentary team is Ray Warren, with Australian legends Peter Sterling, Wally Lewis and Andrew Johns on the expert panel. Nine will also catch up pre-game with Manly’s premiership winning half-back and Kangaroo debutant, Daly Cherry-Evans.

Then the Rugby World Cup second semi-final between the Wallabies and the All Blacks gets underway LIVE on Nine from 6.30pm AEDT. The do-or-die clash will also be simulcast LIVE in HD on GEM.

George Gregan heads up the Wide World of Sports expert rugby panel LIVE from Auckland. Joining him for both Rugby World Cup semi-finals are Wallabies legends and former captains Andrew Slack and John Eales, along with injured test prop Benn Robinson. Ken Sutcliffe is the host and Tim Sheridan will report live from the sideline at Eden Park.

Ray Hadley, who called his last Rugby World Cup match in the Australia-England final in 2003, returns to call the Wallabies-All Blacks semi-final from Eden Park for the Nine Network.

Trans Tasman Test Australia v New Zealand: Sunday live at 3.30pm AEDT

Rugby World Cup Semi-Final Australia v New Zealand: Sunday live at 6.30pm AEDT

The Celebrity Apprentice Australia premieres on Channel Nine on Monday October 24 at 7pm and will screen five nights a week.

Monday Nights at 7pm: Celebrity Challenge
Tuesday Nights at 7pm: Boardroom and…“You’re Fired”
Wednesday Nights at 7pm: Celebrity Challenge
Thursday Nights at 7pm: Boardroom and…“You’re Fired”
Friday Nights at 7pm: A cheeky, behind-the-scenes insight into the Celebrity Apprentice’s week.

In Celebrity Apprentice some of Australia’s most well-known and controversial celebrities will be working towards raising money for their various charities.

The Apprentice Australia’s Mr Mark Bouris, one of the country’s most successful high-profile businessmen and Chairman/Co-Founder of wealth management company Yellow Brick Road, will helm the series.

Joining Mr Bouris in the boardroom are: 

Pauline Hanson: Politician
Polly from The Block: Reality Star
Jason Coleman: Dance Guru
Max Markson: Agent to the Stars
Julia Morris: Comedienne
Jesinta Campbell: Beauty Queen
Wendell Sailor: Footy Champion
Shane Crawford: AFL Legend
Lisa Curry: Olympian
Deni Hines: Australian Singer
Didier Cohen: International Model
Warwick Capper: 80′s Icon

At stake is $100,000 for the winning celebrity apprentice’s charity.

All of the (in-) famous contestants will be competing in challenges using their fame, their contacts and anything else they can think of to win for their respective charitable causes.

The celebrities will be subjected to long hours, gruelling mental challenges, and intense scrutiny…all without their usual safety net and support team of agents, managers and personal assistant. 

The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, weeknights at 7pm on Channel Nine