Oprah

Dexter renewed for sixth season

Dexter has been renewed for a sixth season by its American network, Showtime. The drama series, which features Michael C. Hall, performed well during its fifth season in the US, recording its second highest audience for an episode in its history.

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Actor Stephen Amell is joining The Vampire Diaries for a two-episode arc. The actor, who has had roles in the likes of CSI: Miami, NCIS and Flashpoint, was on the short list of three actors recently to be cast as the new lead in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Oprah gives viewers skewed view of Australia

Americans have been given an interesting introduction to what Australia is all about courtesy of Oprah and McDonalds ahead of the chat show host’s upcoming tour of Australia. McDonalds bankrolled a segment which featured on a recent episode of Oprah which painted a picture of Australians as a group of “blokes” and “sheilas” who met at “hip joints” called McCafes. The segment was delivered by The 7pm Project’s Carrie Bickmore who went on to say that the McCafe rendezvous are “all just a little bit fancy”.

Cheech Marin joins comedy pilot

Veteran actor Cheech Marin is returning to TV in a new pilot called Outnumbered which is based on the UK series of the same name. The actor will join the sitcom pilot which centres on a couple who are constantly overwhelmed by their three children.

Americans have been given a warped view of Australia ahead of the arrival of Oprah Winfrey this week thanks to a McDonalds-funded preview screened in the US last week.

An Aussie Countdown on an episode of Oprah last week taught around 10 million American viewers that Australians are all a bunch of McCafe-addicted ‘blokes’ and ‘sheilas’.

The McDonalds-funded segment, delivered by Oprah’s Australian guest reporter Carrie Bickmore, stated that “while you have your diners, we have McCafes. Guys come for business meetings, girls come for a catch-up over coffee. It’s all just a little bit fancy.”

Of course McDonalds aren’t the only ones to jump on board the Oprah bandwagon, Motorola has signed on as the official mobile of the trip down under.

Oprah was seen waving around Motorola phones during the episode last week, which will be used on another “official” sponsor’s network, Telstra NextG.

Oprah is set to arrive tomorrow for the start of her eight-day tour.

Source: News.com.au

The arrangements have been made for Oprah’s upcoming visit to Sydney, with extreme measures set to be put in place for during her Opera House shows.

A maritime exclusion zone will be set up 65 metres offshore in Sydney Harbour and buses will be deviated away from Circular Quay during the filming of her two shows.

Organisers are taking no chances when it comes to the safety of both the talk show host herself and the viewers attending the outdoor shows.

To ensure an easy passage for Oprah when she heads to the shows, police will be closing Macquarie Street between Albert Street and the Opera House and many of the inner city’s special event clearways will kick in.

Only the 12,000 ticket holders will be allowed in the Opera House precinct with everyone kept away in Circular Quay.

“We are delighted that The Oprah Winfrey Show has chosen NSW as the location for their ultimate adventure and Sydney’s most famous icon will become known by Oprah show fans around the world as the Sydney Oprah House,” NSW Premier Kristina Keneally said.

“While we expect minimal disruption to the community, it is important that as part of the event planning, the public is aware that some minor traffic and transport changes, special event clearways and maritime exclusion zones will be in place.”

Source: The Age

A shroud of secrecy is surrounding the upcoming Oprah visit to Australia, with even the high profile Aussie guests kept in the dark over what they will be talking about on the show.

Hugh Jackman, who is one of a number of well-known Aussies set to join Oprah on her three shows, is still unsure over what discussions will be about when he gets on set.

“He won’t know what it will be about until pretty much a day or two before he goes on … he does not know any more than anyone else,” his publicist Victoria Buchan said.

Meanwhile senior management at Hamilton Island’s Qualia resort have been involved in talks with Oprah’s people over hosting her entourage.

Rumours on the island are suggesting the talkshow host will arrive on the island on December 8 or 9 before heading to a mystery location ahead of her two Sydney shows on December 14.

Last night TEN previewed Oprah’s arrival with a special edition of her show featuring Nicole Kidman.

”They’re very excited you’re coming,” Kidman said of Australians, “You’re going to get a big greeting.”

Source: SMH

Australia will certainly know when talk-show queen Oparh Winfrey arrives in the country next month.

Winfrey is officially being labelled a “formal guest of government” by the Federal Government when she arrives for her fortnight-long extravaganza in December.

Police escorts will be in order for the American, along with plenty of personal protection for her stay at one of Sydney’s highest security hotels (rumoured to be the Intercontinental or the Shangri-La).

However, Winfrey is also attempting to source a suitably “Australian” family for her to stay with for some of the time she is in the country.

A source told the Daily Telegraph: “She wants to immerse herself in the Aussie culture and she thinks the best way to do that is live with a family and sit down to dinner with them by the barbecue, play a bit of backyard cricket and experience their lifestyle.”

There is also talk of road closures during the time when Winfrey shoots her two Sydney opera House shows, which upwards of 3000 guest will be in attendance.

Source: Daily Telegraph

7PM Project host Carrie Bickmore will appear on Oprah’s Aussie Countdown episode airing on Ten Tuesday night at 7.30pm.

The Logie award winner was personally invited by Harpo Productions to film 2 segments for the program.

Carrie caught up with some of Oprah’s biggest Aussie fans outside the Sydney Opera House in the lead up to Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure in December.

Carrie Bickmore says: ‘I was thrilled to be asked by Harpo to be part of Oprah’s Aussie Countdown special. We had a lot of fun filming the segments and meeting local Oprah fans’ Oprah’s Aussie Countdown, starring Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, will be screened in 145 countries and will be watched by an estimated 10 million people in the United States alone.

Oprah fans will have another chance to win tickets to the Sydney Opera House shows by tuning in to the 7PM Project on Tuesday night.

It’s the hottest ticket in Australia, and now Network Ten have joined forces with Austereo’s Today Network to give fans in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth the chance to secure a coveted place in the audience at “The Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House on December 14th.

Network Ten viewers should tune in to their local Today Network for their chance to win tickets to the Sydney Opera House tapings.

Northern Territory and ACT residents will also have the chance to win tickets, and should keep watching “Oprah” 1pm week days on Network TEN for details.

Then, ‘The Network Ten Oprah Show Ticket Giveaway’ will take place from Monday 22nd November on 104.1 2Day FM in Sydney, 101.9 and from Monday 29th November in Fox FM in Melbourne, 105.3 B105 FM in Sydney, 107.1 SAFM in Adelaide and 92.9 FM in Perth.

Australians can tune into their local Today Network radio station for the opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting events our country has ever seen.

TEN is Australia’s top network in daytime TV and #1, for the under 50 year olds.

Austereo’s Today Network is Australia’s number one radio network and reaches five million Australians on-air and online.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” screens in 145 countries and is watched by an estimated 40 million people in the United States each week.

Screening 1pm Monday to Friday on TEN, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is celebrating its 25th and farewell season on-air when these Australia episodes hit Aussies screens in 2011.

Filming currently taking place in north Queensland has been linked to Oprah’s impending visit next month.

A bush camp set-up housing production crew and cattle station workers has been spotted on Mt Mulligan cattle station, three hours’ drive northwest of Cairns.

Despite those involved saying there is no connection with Oprah’s upcoming visit, several media outlets are suggesting the production is linked.

Confidentiality agreements have been signed by the crew working in Queensland, which is believed to be part of Sydney-based Freehand Productions.

One producer said that visitors to the site were not allowed due to an “exclusivity deal” for an “unnamed television series to be shown on National Geographic.”

Insiders are suggesting that the Queensland filming is capturing the “real Australia” for use on Oprah’s Australian shows in December.

Source: Herald Sun

Rejection emails have already begun to filter out to Oprah fans who tried to win ballot tickets to the live shows in Sydney this December.

Fans of the talk-show were today receiving the bad news that they had missed out on one of the two shows to film outside the Sydney Opera House as part of Oprah Winfrey’s Australian tour.

Over the weekend, fans were asked to join the Oprah website and register for the ballot which closed yesterday afternoon.

It is understood the website had trouble handling the number of visitors who raced to access the site and enter the ballot.

The rejection email features states: “Thank you for your interest in attending The Oprah Show from Sydney, Australia.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to accommodate your request(s) for this ticket reservation window due to overwhelming demand. We will email you if more tickets become available for these tapings of The Oprah Show in Sydney, Australia.”

Source: SMH

In response to the overwhelming interest in Oprah Winfrey’s Sydney Opera House show in December this year, the daytime queen is expected to announce a second show.

It is understood that Winfrey will be announcing that two shows will be filmed on the Sydney waterfront on December 14 as part of her week-long venture down under.

Emails are also expected to be sent out to those who have expressed an interest in attending the show inviting them to enter the lottery for tickets.

While in Australia, Winfrey will also take to the Outback to present a show.

Source: News.com.au