Throng

We’re getting to the very end of the year now; you can just smell the New Year celebrations! Today and tomorrow, I’ll be showcasing the two biggest personalities of reality television in 2011 as I begin to wrap up my coverage of 2011 reality television FOR GOOD!

Intro: Polly Porter first exploded onto out screens as the wild, amateur, fun loving, ocker girlfriend of Waz Jones who together, formed one team of Nine’s popular The Block. After making it through the elimination round, she was given house 2. As amateurs, Polly & Waz were always the underdogs. In fact, giving them the title of 2011 Underdog(s) of the Year was an understatement. In the first week, their skills, or lack thereof showed. Creating a bland room that unimpressed the judges looked certainly bad on their behalf. Throughout the series, they continued to score well below the average. Overall, Polly & Waz scored the lowest overall score- taking into account the ‘Design’ score and the ‘Execution’ score for all eight rooms. They won on one occasion; however this was a tie with Jenna & Josh and was seemingly only given to them because they were game-endingly broke. But despite all this, a miracle occurred. These underdog, underperforming amateurs became the only team to sell their house at auction, and for $15,000! Other houses sold for higher soon after, but only Polly & Waz were given the $100,000 bonus.

Polly became quite a hit with the public, and she was even given a place on Celebrity Apprentice Australia where she was again considered the underdog. Unfortunately, her stint on this show didn’t go so well. She was eliminated second however was allowed to return to the final challenge to help out her finalists.

Why She Made The List: Reality television fans will now remember Polly Porter by default. Her amazing win on The Block was an utter shock; especially in a reality television finale that will go down in history. Her inclusion on Celebrity Apprentice was met with criticism; but as she has mentioned once before, she was practically a star on a show watched by millions of Australians week in, week out. Hey, this kind of publicity made the likes of Hugh Sheridan, Stefan Dennis and Luke Mitchell famous; why not Polly. She was the first contestant in Celebrity Apprentice to stand up to villain Deni Hines- she also kept Block teammate Waz in his place; comically referring to him as Bubba to the hilarity of the other contestants. Safe to say The Block won’t be the same without the likes of Polly- she is irreplaceable- this is why she made the list. When you find a contestant you can truly call irreplaceable- you know they are special.

Legacy: It’s been a big year for Polly Porter. She’s gone from obscurity to starring in two hit television shows- one of which she won a big wad of cash some television personalities would drool at. Polly seems to be taking a break next year; but expect to maybe see her on Nine chat shows for the odd appearance and possibly even a guest appearance on The Block. I’m not quite sure if this story is updated, but so far, Polly & Waz are in no hurry to wed.

And with that; there is just one more entry to go. From the bubbly Polly Porter, to the courageous Nathan & Tyler, to the bedazzled Brynne Edelsten, to the shocking Deni Hines- I hope this list has proved its worth.

Tomorrow, it culminates for the crowning of its first Reality Television Star of the Year; and this star will define 2011. I won’t give ANYTHING away with this one- but I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Also tomorrow, to wrap up a big year of reality television, I will also be crowning the 2011 Reality Television Personality of the Year which is a category solely for presenters, mentors or judges who have made an impact on the viewers.

Lastly, from Block contestants, to Beauty & The Geek contestants, even the odd Top Design contestant- there have been plenty of people who have been left out of this list- some possibly regrettably. But that’s what happens when the talent pool is so BIG! So tomorrow, I’ll also be celebrating the best of reality in 2011 with the 2011 Notable Contestant List for those who just didn’t quite make it to the big league.

Despite brazen attempts to poach the AFL panel show, it seems Seven will have to go without Before The Game because, according to the Herald Sun, TEN are confirmed to be ‘doing a footy show’, most probably referring to the comedic Saturday night favourite.

Since dropping the AFL earlier this year from its 2012 lineup, doubts have been cast as to whether or not TEN was to keep its long running Before The Game footy show, later fueling speculation that Seven was on the move to acquire it, and its ‘star-studded lineup’ and add it to its revamped Saturday schedule.

TEN will no longer have any games to play after it, however advertisers are already being briefed on the new season which may have a slight revamp.

Before The Game is produced by the Rove McManus led production company, Roving Enterprises.

Meanwhile, AFL will resume exclusively on Foxtel and Seven in 2012.

Stingers and Rescue Special Ops star Peter Phelps has revealed that he will be joining Seven soap Home & Away when it returns in 2012.

The 51-year old will play Alan, the abusive father of troubled teen and River Boy Stu, who has been a semi-regular in the serial since mid this year.

Stu’s abusive behaviour towards girlfriend Sascha has not gone unnoticed throughout his stint, and his character has been drawn parallels with his father who, to this point, has not appeared on screen.

When Phelps begins in 2012, it will be a long awaited reunion between himself and fellow Stingers star Robert Mammome who ironically plays Sacha’s father, Sid Walker.

“Peter and I have known each other for 20 years,” Robert told TV Week. “It’s like a school reunion when you work with actors that you’ve worked with before for a long time. It’s been lots of fun.

“It’s such a change from when you’re younger and you’re competing for the same work. As you get older, you realise we’re all in it together, and it’s a cool thing when you get older — there’s that mutual respect.”

It is not yet known when exactly Peter’s scenes will go to air.

Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey has stated that he would consider extending his contract which expires in May, as long as producers abide by some conditions.

The actor, who has headed the series since it began eight seasons ago, would want to spend more time with family and do other things.

“I have a family to support, and why not have a discussion about continuing. The question is will I do a full season, a half season or come back at all?” he told America’s TV Guide magazine.

“There are a lot of things I’d like to do: racing, films … so if I’m able to balance all those things and continue on with the show, why not?”

He also claims that so called ‘TV experts’ who say he is leaving the show ‘have it all wrong’.

Dempsey, who also stars in the latest Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, is a loved cast member by fans however is yet to sign any deal.

Grey’s Anatomy will return on Seven in 2012.

SBS ONE will continue with their long held New Years Eve tradition and air German comedy, Dinner For One at 8.30pm this Saturday.

The network has aired the show for years now and this year is no different. It is certainly a tradition despite the fact that the show has little or nothing to do with the celebratory night.

Running for 18 minutes, the comedy special tells the story of Miss Sophy, a woman celebrating her ninetieth birthday party with friends. The only problem, her friends are all dead. In true comedic fasion, Miss Sophy’s butler has to act out the parts of all her friends- something that becomes understandably tiring.

I only heard about this special last year. I taped it and have not watched it, however for many true SBS fans, this is a true favourite.

Having been produced in 1963, it is a long running network stalwart which could give Nine’s Richard Wilkins a run for his money.

While reality television programs dominated the ratings this year, latest Roy Morgan research has shown that only half the audience of shows such as The Block and Australia’s Got Talent are devoted viewers while dramas are attracting a more faithful crowd.

In a publication by News.com.au containing data from the report, it was revealled that a drama such as Packed To The Rafters and Downton Abbey were more likely to attract an audience that tuned into the show because of the sole reason that they liked it. For Packed To The Rafters, three quarters of its audience responded by saying they tuned in because they were a fan.

In contrast, a quarter of Australia’s Got Talent’s audience said they tuned in because ‘there was nothing else on’ while another quarter tuned in because someone else was watching it. That leaves only half an audience that tuned in for the sake of watching the show on its merit alone.

What this says is a few things. Firstly, it could indicate that dramas will have a far less great retention rate than reality shows. This means, people who watch a premiere episode of a drama would be more likely to tune in again for the next installment than people who watch a premiere of a reality television show.

It also means that dramas do better at engaging a crowd. More people are likely to discuss an episode of a drama series than a reality series; something that is particularly attractive to advertisers.

Roy Morgan Research industry director George Pesutto said reality programs that screened every week night could struggle to consistently attract an engaged audience.

Next year, Nine will be trying its hand at Tricky Business, a Shane Bourne-starring drama that is set to rival Packed To The Rafters with its bold similarities. Matched with their heavy reality slate, it is as if Nine got this information early and acted accordingly.

TEN is also set to increase its drama slate with Bikie Wars, Puberty Blues and Reef Doctors all set to debut next year. If they change their mind any time soon about Inside Out, they will also have that up their sleeve. They also have Offspring and Neighbours, which airs on ELEVEN.

Source: AdelaideNOW

Starting on January 1st, MOVIE GREATS is presenting “Celebrating Australian Cinema” that will showcase some of our best home grown movies and talent. From Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Romper Stomper, Two Hands and the horrific Wolf Creek – MOVIE GREATS is offering it all. There is horror, arthouse, romance, action and all featuring the unique Aussie way of life are given the spotlight this month.

Here is the list of movies that will air at 8.30pm AEDT every night this month on MOVIE GREATS.

1/1/12
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Two transvestites and a transsexual take the road trip of a lifetime from Sydney to Alice Springs for a cabaret engagement in this multi award-winning film now regarded as an Australian classic. Starring Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving.

2/1/12
Sirens
Nominated for three AFI Awards, this dramatic comedy is based on an episode in the life of artist Norman Lindsay, who scandalises a young minister and his wife when they visit his bohemian home. Starring Hugh Grant, Sam Neill and Mrs De Generes – Portia De Rossi.

3/1/12
The Lighthorsemen
Winner of two AFI Awards, this epic drama based on historical events follows a group of friends from a regiment of the Australian Light Horse as they take part in the Battle of Beersheba in World War I. Starring Peter Phelps, Gary Sweet and Jon Blake – who we lost in May 2011.

4/1/12
Tim
Winning three AFI Awards, this romantic drama follows the tender romance that develops between a young man with an intellectual disability and the lonely older woman whom he works for. Starring Mel Gibson, Piper Laurie.

5/1/12
All Men Are Liars
Nominated for four AFI Awards, this Aussie comedy sees a teenage boy disguise himself to join an all-girl band to earn back a hocked piano, where he falls for the band’s man-hating lead singer. Starring ex E Street’s Toni Pearen.

6/1/12
Take Away
In this Aussie comedy, two rival take-away shop owners must put aside their differences, when a multi-national burger chain moves in on their turf. Starring Vince Colosimo.

7/1/12
Two Hands
Winner of five AFI awards including Best Film, this comical crime drama centres around a young man who finds himself in hot water when his first job working for a notorious gangster ends badly. Starring Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown.

8/1/12
Romper Stomper
1992 winner of three AFI awards. Russell Crowe demonstrates his raw talent in this frenzied portrayal of a gang of Melbourne neo-Nazi skin-heads battling for white supremacy. Starring Russell Crowe, in a standout performance.

9/1/12
Razorback
Gregory Harrison and Arkie Whiteley star in this Australian horror cult classic by director Russell Mulcahy about an mutant wild pig who wreaks murderous havoc in an outback community and the people who seek revenge for the carnage it leaves in its wake.

10/1/12
Playing For Charlie
This drama sees a teenage boy torn between helping his widowed mother care for his baby brother and pursuing a potential career as a football player. Starring Shane Connor.

11/1/12
The Interview
A duel between a suspected murderer and a detective who is pressed by people who want results. But whose skin is really wanted? Starring Hugo Weaving and Tony Martin (another ex E Street member).

12/1/12
The Loved Ones
When a teenager turns down a date to the school dance by a pretty loner, he soon learns rejection is a dangerous mistake to make. Starring Xavier Samuel.

13/1/12
Mad Max
In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop’s family and make his fight with them personal. Directed by George Miller and starring Mel Gibson.

14/1/12
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits. Stars Mel Gibson and Bruce Spence.

15/1/12
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
Mad Max becomes a pawn in a decadent oasis of technological society, and when exiled, becomes the deliverer of a colony of children. Stars Mel Gibson and Tina “We Don’t Nedd Another Hero” Turner.

16/1/12
The Nothing Men
Panic and intrigue grip the lives of a group of hardened factory workers with the arrival of a man they fear is a head-office spy sent to rob them of their redundancy payouts. The ruthless baiting between top dog Jack and his men only intensifies when the pacifist of the group, Wesley, befriends the seemingly normal outsider, David. But when Wesley discovers David is hiding a much darker secret, the seeds are planted for an explosive finale that strikes like an emotional sledgehammer and seal the fate of The Nothing Men. Starring Colin Friels.

17/1/12
Picnic At Hanging Rock
This film relates the story of the disappearance of several schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic to Hanging Rock on St. Valentine’s Day in 1900, and the subsequent effect on the local community.

18/1/12
Subdivision
A father and son find themselves at odds with one another when a young property developer from the city innitiates big changes for their small community. Stars Gary Sweet.

19/1/12
Blackrock
When a young schoolgirl is raped and murdered, the mateship between a group of surfers is tested as the truth is slowly revealed. It was inspired by the real-life rape and murder of schoolgirl Leigh Leigh in Stockton near Newcastle, Australia on 3 November 1989. Stars Heath Ledger and Jessica Napier.

20/1/12
Rogue
A US Journalist encounters a man-eating crocodile whilst on assignment in the Australian outback. Stars Radha Mitchell.

21/1/12
Wolf Creek
Just when you thought it was safe to go hiking in the bushes again…along comes Mick Taylor. Kristy, Ben and Liz are three pals in their twenties who set out to hike through the scenic Wolf Creek National Park in the Australian Outback. The trouble begins when they get back only to find that their car won’t start. The trio think they have a way out when they run into a local bushman named Mick Taylor. Wait until you get a load of what Mick has in store for them. Rumours had it that Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) was  based on Backback killer – Ivan Milat.

22/1/12
Summer Coda
A woman needing to explore her past, returns to Mildura, where the answers she seeks are difficult to find. Starring ex-Charlies Angel, Rachel Taylor.

23/1/12
Bad Eggs
Ben Kinnear and Mike Paddock are two undercover detectives with way too much publicity. Starring Mick Molloy.

24/1/12
The Last Days Of Chez Nous
Vicki returns to her elder sister Beth’s house in Australia after an affair in Italy. Beth, with a teenage daughter, has become involved in something of a marriage of convenience with Frenchman J.P., and her rather prickly houseproud ways are causing frictions counterpointed by Vicki’s more laid-back and indolent air. When Beth goes off on vacation to the outback alone with her cantankerous father to see if they can finally get to know each other, relationships in the household start to shift. Starring Miranda Otto.

25/1/12
Road Train
A pair of young couples on an Outback camping holiday are terrorised by a menacing semi-trailer. Starring Xavier Samuel.

26/1/12
Gallipoli
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I. Starring Mel Gibson and directed by Peter Weir.

27/1/12
Blessed
This AFI winning drama chronicles the linked lives of several women and their relationships with their troubled children. Based on the play “Who’s Afraid Of The Working Class” and starring Frances O’Connor.

28/1/12
Jindabyne
Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other men when they discover the body of a murdered girl in the river. Rather than return to the town immediately, they continue fishing and report their gruesome find days later. Stewart’s wife Claire is the last to find out. Stars Laura Linney and Deborra-Lee Furness.

29/1/12
Daybreakers
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind. Sam Neill, Isabel Lucas and Claudia Karvan.

30/1/12
Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Animation. When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with newfound friends to seek out the legendary Guardians to stop the menace. Voices include Geoffrey Rush and Deborra-Lee Furness.

31/1/12
I Love You Too
A commitment-phobe and a New Ager buddy-up to win over the women of their respective dreams. Written by “Rove” star Peter Helliar and starring Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski and Megan Gale.

Chris Lilley is making his mark in the USA – with industry bible “The Hollywod Reporter” featuring him on the front page of their website. Here is the article that follows the headline.

Chris Lilley returns to HBO with Angry Boys, a mocumentary in the same vein as their previous collaboration, the critically acclaimed Summer Heights High.

After playing three central characters on the eight-episode send-up of high school life that aired on the premium cable network in 2008, Lilley steps into the shoes of six extremely different characters for the 12-episode Angry Boys. While Mr. G, Jamie and Jonah aren’t featured; a few of the characters will be familiar to diehard Lilley fans who haven’t already seen the Australian series.

Here are five things to know about HBO’s Angry Boys, which premieres Sunday, Jan. 1(USA) with back-to-back episodes starting at 10 p.m.

1. Lilley plays six characters, two of whom fans of the writer-actor have seen before in his Australian/Sundance Channel mocumentary series, We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year: twins Daniel and Nathan Sims. “I wanted to bring back those guys and have them anchor the series and jump their characters off into other worlds,” Lilley tells The Hollywood Reporter. The brothers live in the fictional town of Dunt, South Australia, which serves as the setting for Angry Boys. Other characters include Gran, the boys’ politically incorrect grandmother who works as a guard at an all boys prison; S.mouse, an African-American rapper from L.A.; Jen Okazaki, a soft-spoken Japanese mother of three whose son, Tim, is an aspiring skateboarer; and Blake Oakfield, a former surf champion.

2. The Sims family is the backbone of the series that incorporates Daniel and Nathan’s heroes — including S.mouse and Blake Oakfield — characters who were inspired by Lilley’s conversations with teens across Australia. “I met with teens in country towns and they had hero worship-like posters of pop culture figures, skaters, surfers and sports people — as well as naked girls — and that gave me the idea to jump into the premise for the show,” he says.

3. It’s just as politically incorrect as Summer Heights High was, but that’s not Lilley’s top priority. “There were things with Summer Heights High that I got into trouble with and I think I got a bit scared off,” he notes. “But when I look at [the show], it’s that desire to shock and challenge people — I don’t like the idea that my main motivation is to be politically incorrect. It’s part of what I find funny but mostly I like compelling and real characters. That’s what I care more about than shocking people.” Keep that in mind when you meet Lilley’s African-American rapper S.mouse.

4. Speaking of S.mouse, Lilley brought the character beyond the screen, releasing an album and performing as the rapper in London and is open to doing the same stateside. “It was this interesting thing where the character stepped into the real world — it wasn’t like a comedy show and I’d never done any spinoff things like that before. It was really unusual to be a white Australian guy in London playing a black American guy,” he says. “I’d love to do that [stateside]. We’re going to let the show air a bit but I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a good reaction and the fans will be keen on it. I don’t really do much live stuff ever, but it’s really fun and I’d definitely like to do that.”

5. Summer Heights High won’t be revisited. While characters from We Can Be Heroes were incorporated to Summer Heights High and now Angry Boys, Lilley is pleased with how the series ended and has no plans to revisit Mr. G, Jamie and Jonah despite pressure to bring back the popular characters. “It would water down the motivation of the series,” he says. “I like to think of the series as just this one-off thing that’s a story that starts and finishes and I feel strong about doing that rather than thinking about cashing in.” Instead, Lilley says he’s more excited to step out of his comfort zone by trying something new. “I like the challenge of putting myself in really scary situations — like playing a character like S.mouse, who is so far removed from me.”

Source – Hollywood Reporter

AFL bad boy Brendan Fevola is said to be ‘close to signing’ on for the next season of Dancing With The Stars, the Courier Mail reports.

If true, Fevola would follow in his ex-wife Alex Fevola’s footsteps. She competed on the tenth season of the show last year.

It is claimed that a deal is not far off and Brendan may be seeking advice from Alex.

‘With no AFL team picking him up in the draft for 2012, Fevola would have plenty of time to devote to the dance training schedule’, the paper writes.

Other footy players to have competed on the show in the past include winner Anthony Koutoufides, Peter ‘Spida’ Everett and Brodie Holland.

Since his sacking from the Brisbane Lions in February, Fevola has walked the Kokoda track and worked on radio.

Meanwhile, the show continues to look for a co-host to replace Sonia Kruger. It is expected that the twelfth season of Dancing With The Stars will launch in mid-2012.

Intro: Emmanuel Kelly, an orphan of Iraqi decent who has felt the harsh arm of the war, has been living with the loving and caring Moira Kelly since she adopted him from his orphanage. Since then, they have appeared on news programs and chat shows- but never did anyone think that one of the Kelly boys would ever appear on a reality television show. But in late August, Emmanuel Kelly took to the X Factor audition stage, and blew everybody away with his song. The song in question was Imagine by John Lennon. So much so that he was accepted into the next round. Here, he joined the boys, to be mentored by Guy Sebastian. It was a tough crowd, but it was almost guaranteed that this shining beacon of hope would be accepted into the house visits. Unfortunately, he forgot his lyrics and Guy sent him packing amidst overwhelmingly good competition.

Why He Made The List: The fact that a contestant who didn’t even make it into the finals was able to make this list at number three should be a testament to the effect Emmanuel Kelly had on Australia. Since his audition, Australia couldn’t keep talking about it. The performance literally drew people to tears. What probably shocked me the most was that I have seen Emmanuel on shows like The 7PM Project before and being completely taken aback by his story. But I never knew that he could SING and one day that I would see him on the X Factor stage. News reports would not stop being produced about him when he was shockingly eliminated by Sebastian. Sebastian did once say that he wanted to be tougher this year, but that move possibly made him the biggest villain of them all- if only for a short while. No doubt that Emmanuel will be showing his face again.

Legacy: I guess Kelly’s biggest legacy will be his story. Having been found in a shoebox with no identification to now stepping onto the stage of a hit talent show, his turn-around story will stick with people for years to come. His name, Emmanuel Kelly, will be instantly recognizable however I could predict that in a few years now, it would be hard to imagine that it was this third season of The X Factor that sprung him into the spotlight. Since exiting the show, he has been given the opportunity to sing on stage with the likes of Kate Cebrano, and has recently been picked up by a US casting agency after Yoko Ono tweeted about his John Lennon performance. He will now be trying out for a place on The Glee Project, a role that could ultimately land him a gig on Glee. He could be seen on screens by mid next year.

Absolutely exceptional. Chances are, if you don’t know Emmanuel Kelly, you are reading this blog from the US or UK in which case you just don’t know about Emmanuel Kelly…YET!! Trust me; he is coming your way! Tomorrow is the number two position and people may be wondering what this person did to make it to two- but it has more to do with how MUCH this person did!