The Big C

More last minute programming changes from Nine – this time on GEM.

Tonight, the 8.30 airing of Top Design has been dumped, leaving just the 10.30pm airing on Nine for the few fans of the show to catch. The show only has one more week to run anyway, before its finale. Last Wednesday, Top Deisgn on GEM was watched by 106,000 viewers. 

The Thursday night replays of The Big C and Weeds on GEM have also been dropped. GEM’s line up for Wednesday and Thursday night from 7.30 looks like:

Wednesday
7.30 The Zoo
8.30 David Attenborough’s Tiger – Spy in the Jungle
9.30 The Closer
10.30 Rizolli & Isles

Thursday
7.30 Joanna Lumley The Jewel of The Nile
8.30 A Dream Home Abroad
9.30 Embarrassing Bodies

French Food Safari, SBS ONE, 7.30pm

In the final episode, Maeve and Guillaume are taken on a tour of one of the top Parisienne kitchens with three-Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy, who cooks up some of his signature dishes. Then it’s a visit to one of Paris’s most famous wood-fired bread makers, Poilane, whose oven has been creating great sourdough for decades. Finally, there is breakfast in the markets of Lyon with legendary chef Paul Bocuse, who shares his thoughts on the future of French food.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour, Seven, 8.30pm

More of a reminder to fans that now it is on Thursday night as well. Tonight, the red cell team travels to Arizona to decipher the message a suspect is sending following two brutal murders.

Pawn Stars, 7mate 8.30pm

Moved to 7mate, after not doing the business on Seven. The authenticity of a Civil War saber is questioned when brought inside the shop for sale. Also arriving is a Fender guitar signed by Chuck Berry, and a National Register dated back to 1916.

The Big C and Weeds, GEM, from 10.40pm

If you missed them a few nights a go, GEM are replaying the two new episodes of The Big C and Weeds tonight.

The Big C: Season 2 opens with Cathy seeking a second opinion about her cancer, which doesn’t sit well with Dr. Todd. Meanwhile, Sean discovers that his sister is battling cancer while he’s dealing with the growing pains of living with a pregnant Rebecca; and Adam is less-than-happy about seeing a therapist.

Weeds: Season 7 opens three years after pot-dealing Nancy Botwin has done a stint in federal prison and has been paroled to New York City. She is placed on probation in a halfway house, but fully looking for an opportunity to fire up her canni-business and reunite with the men in her life.

The Defenders, ONE, 9.30pm.

And for fans of The Defenders, after the show was dumped from Ten’s line up, it now airs on ONE on Thursday nights. Nevada Vs Wayne: Nick decides to defend a personal friend charged with sexual assault. Meanwhile, Pete is stunned and a little bit upset when he is selected for jury duty.

Stargate Universe, ELEVEN, 8.30pm

When Camille and Sgt. Greer use the communications stones to return to Earth, they arrive to learn there is a high state of alert in anticipation of an attack from the Lucian Alliance.

RBT, GO!, 8.00pm

For some reason, RBT has ended up on GO! Was on Nine – look at all the shows on tonight that have gone to digital channels after airing on main channels! Tonight’s count, three – one for Seven with Pawn Stars, Nine for RBT and Ten for The Defenders with these three shows airing on 7mate, GO! and ONE respectively. Talk about musical chairs in programming!

The Block, Nine, 7.00pm

The judges announce the winner of the final reveal, and then it’s party time for all four teams before they have to pack up and leave the block.

Swift & Shift Couriers, SBS ONE, 8.30pm

In this 10-part series, the gang returns to Hashfield Depot with manager Keith Warne facing more cutbacks due to the global financial meltdown. On orders from head office, Keith has everyone in the depot reinterviewing for their jobs. What he doesn’t know is that the interviewer that Amanda has sent is colluding with her to introduce outsourced labour from India.

Suits, Seven, 9.40pm

Harvey Specter is the best lawyer in New York City, and he’s on the hunt for a new associate. Mike Ross isn’t your average Harvard Law School student…he’s not even enrolled there. But that doesn’t stop the legal prodigy from taking the bar exam for Harvard graduates. However his grandmother is sick and he needs money- fast. Thanks to his best ‘pot-dealing’ friend and a little bit of fate, Mike ends up being interviewed by Harvey, and with that, the finest law due in the toughest town is born. Mike is handed his first case, a ‘pro bono’ sexual harassment suit involving a CEO. But will Mike’s need for money and his ‘bad influence’ friend get in his way? Harvey is about to find out.

The Big C, GEM, 10.34pm

Season two opens with Cathy seeking a second opinion about her cancer, which doesn’t sit well with Dr Todd. Meanwhile, Sean discovers that his sister is battling cancer while he’s dealing with the growing pains of living with a pregnant Rebecca, and Adam is less than happy about seeing a therapist.

Weeds, GEM, 11.10pm

Season seven opens three years after pot-dealing Nancy Botwin has done a stint in federal prison and has been paroled to New York City. She is placed on probation in a halfway house but is fully looking for an opportunity to fire up her canni-business and reunite with the men in her life.

Cult hits The Big C and Weeds return with new season premieres on GEM from Monday, August 15, at 10.30pm.

Laura Linney returns in her Golden Globe-winning role in The Big C, the heartfelt comedy series about living with cancer. Upon learning about her illness, conservative wife and mother Cathy Jamison (Linney) decided it was her turn to act up by confronting her immature husband, spoiled son and selectively homeless and wildly outspoken brother.

She also decided against treatment until her family learned the truth. But now she’s opting to face cancer head on. With a new clinical trial about to begin and brother Sean living in her recently deceased neighbour Marlene’s house, Cathy’s life is sure to get more complicated.

Then at 10.30pm, Weeds returns for its seventh season. When we left the last series, pot-selling single mum turned Mexican mafia princess turned escape artist Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) turned herself in to the FBI rather than face certain death at the hands of her vengeful husband Esteban and his goon squad. It’s now three years later and Nancy is sprung from the joint and making a fresh start in New York. But can she reunite her far-flung family and keep her hands clean?

The Big C – Season 2: Monday, August 15, at 10.30pm

Weeds – Season 7: Monday, August 15, at 11.00pm

The Amazing Race Australia, Seven 8.30pm

Finally – after 18 US seasons, Australia gets its own version of The Amazing Race, premiering tonight on Seven. The 11 couples start their 50,000 kilometre, 4 continent, 12 country and 23 city race around the world, vying for the $250,000 prize for the team that crosses the finish line first. While it is not quite the $1,000,000 the US series offers, the Australian version is just as good, if not better than the US version. Look out for the team who has not even been overseas prior to taking part in the race.

An Idiot Abroad, SBS ONE 8.30pm

Created by and starring Ricky Gervais and his radio show colleagues in Britain, Karl Pilkington and Stephen Merchant, this is a travel documentary series that drops Pilkington into various “New Seven Wonders of The World” locations, without any prior knowledge to where he’s headed. In tonight’s episode he is sent to China, landing in Beijing. Karl in unimpressed by the pollution and that no one speaks English. We see him eat the local cuisine, try there door-less toilets and head to “The Great Wall of China”  where the other men set him a goal. This episode took 2 weeks to complete.

Offspring, Ten 8.30pm

This is the season premiere of the show that won Asher Keddie the “Most Popular Actress – Logie Award” this year. In tonight’s double episode, we return to the life of Nina Proudman (Keddie) six months later. She’s had a break but is now thrown back into the chaos and turmoil of her family, after an unexpected emergency. This season will see the continuation of romantic entanglements, crises and upheaval for Nina and her loved ones.

Come Fly With Me, Nine 8pm

Come Fly With Me is a mockumentry, spoofing British shows like Airport and Airline. Brought to us by the infamous David Walliams and Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame, it follows a variety of staff and passengers at a fictional airport. With more than 15 main characters and 13 supporting, the boys show their brilliance by playing them all. There are three airlines FlyLo (a low-cost airline), Our Lady Air (an Irish low-cost airline and Great British Air (a spoof of British Airways).

The Big C, Gem 11.30pm

This is the first episode of the first season of this niche series. Originally played at Gems debut, it was marketed as a flagship show. For some reason it didn’t get the ratings, so they are giving it another go. This is a show about Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), a suburban mum diagnosed with cancer – hence the big C! With almost a black comedy feel to it, we see Cathy deal with her illness through humour. With the three times Oscar nominated Laura Linney as the lead and Oliver Platt as her husband, the cast is superb. Also stars Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe (Precious).

Between the Lines encore

It hasn’t aired yet but Nine have already slated an encore late Friday night at 11.30pm, after the Football in NSW and QLD. So if you miss the premiere on Thursday night at 8.30pm, you have a second chance. Just another encore in the wave of encores Nine are doing lately.

No Ordinary Encore

This week, 7mate have again decided to air an encore of No Ordinary Family, at 8.30pm. Being on 7mate, it airs in HD. As a result, Garry Unmarried moves to 9.30pm while Reaper is out. Does not apply to regional NSW and QLD who have Firday night AFL on 7mate at that time.

The Amazing Race Finale.

The finale of season 18 of the US series of The Amazing Race airs Wednesday 7.30pm on 7mate. This comes two days after the premiere of the Australian series of The Amazing Race, which airs on Seven at 8.30pm Monday May 16. The following Wednesday on 7mate sees How I Met Your Mother back on Wednesday nights in double episodes.

Super last minute change – Twenty Men on GO!

Starting Tuesday May 10 – yes I know, that has happened already! GO have changed their early evening strip again. No more Seinfeld doubles, no more Spin City. At 6.00pm Monday – Thursday, in double episodes will be Two and a Half Men. That’s 8 more episodes of Two and a Half Men every week on GO! They took off from season 3, ep 1 on May 10. At 7pm, Australia’s Funniest Home Videos Daily Edition.

The Big C back on GEM

From next Monday, at 11.30pm, GEM will be replaying what was originally supposed to be on eof the flagship series for the channel – The Big C.

Tuesday night on GEM changes again.

At 7.30 next Tuesday May 17 on GEM, will be David Attenborough’s Bear – A Spy in the Woods. At 8.30 is Secret Dealers, bumping out Hoarders.

Jailhouse Girls move into GEM

Three part series looking at the lives of prisoners and officers at one of Europe’s biggest prisons. It airs at 9.30pm and 1.00am on Wednesday nights from May 18.

Yet another programming make over by the Nine Network.

Today, it is GEM that gets an overhaul.

Changes start from tonight.

As predicted, seeing that a last minute movie change on Monday got GEM a share of 4.0%, they have done it again for tonight (Wed Dec 15). Tonight, the movie As Good as It Gets will be seen instead of The Mentalist, The Big C and Weeds.

The last minute removal of The Big C from tonight’s schedule comes just as the show receives an Emmy nomination.

The Mentalist will now move to Thursday nights from next week, instead of movies on Thursday nights. The changes also include confirmation that movies will now regularly air on GEM on Monday nights and Wednesday nights. This comes after a GO make over that has seen movies on GO instead of regular programming on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

So – we get the strategy here. Movies seem to help the multi channels. Nine are using GO and GEM to alternate as movie nights during the week. GEM has movies on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. GO also has a movie on Sunday, as well as Tuesday and Thursdays now. All three channels have movies on Friday and Saturday nights. Problem is though – most of these movies are now running at very short repeat cycles – sometimes as short as a month between airing on two different channels.

Nine, GO and GEM have all seen major overhauls in their summer schedules.

Here’s the latest GEM changes in summary.

Wed Dec 15
8.30 Movie: As Good as it Gets
11.15 Conan
12.10 Friends
The Mentalist, The Big C and Weeds are out.

Mon Dec 20
8.30 Movie: US Marshals
11.15 Southland
12.15 Friends
Law & Order, Rizzoli & Isles are out

Tue Dec 21
10.30 The Closer replaces the Tuesday night encores of The Big C and Weeds as they were not aired on Wed Dec 15.

Wed Dec 22.
8.30 Two Weeks Notice
10.30 The Big C
11.00 Weeds
11.30 Conan

Thur Dec 23
8.30 The Mentalist
9.30 Amazing Medical Stories
10.30 Embarrassing Bodies
11.30 Conan

Sat Dec 25
9.45 CSI: Miami
10.45 CSI: NY
11.40 Conan
Scheduled movie: Meet Me in St Louis is out.

Sun Dec 26
8.30 Man on Fire
11.20 The Wings of Eagles.
Movies Legends of the Fall and Birds of a Feather are out.

Mon Dec 27
8.30 Movie: The Perfect Storm
11.30 Southland
12.30 Friends
Again Law & Order and Rizzoli & Isles are out

Wed Dec 29
8.30 Movie: Made of Honour
10.30 The Big C
11.00 Weeds

Thur Dec 30
8.30 The Mentalist
9.30 Amazing Medical Stories
10.30 Embarrassing Bodies
11.30 Movie: Confessions of a Young Bride

Mon Jan 3
8.30 Movie: Breach
10.50 Southland
11.45 Friends

Wed Jan 5
8.30 Movie: Friends with Money
10.20 The Big C – season final
11.00 Weeds
11.30 Friends (Conan off over holidays)

Thur Jan  6
8.30 The Mentalist
9.30 Amazing Medical Stories
10.30 Embarrassing Bodies

Fri Jan 7 (a weird one?)
8.30 The Mentalist
9.30 Law & Order double

GEM: First week of summer, Week 49 (Nov 28 – Dec 4), 2010.

One of those missing promised titles from the Nine network shows up on GEM in the first week of summer TV fro 2010/2011 – Southland. The second season of Hotel Babylon premieres on GEM, while some classic UK comedy on Sunday nights goes up against 7TWO’s new British Sunday.

New episodes of The Big C and Weeds continue, while another first run show – Rizzoli and Isles premieres on Monday Nov 29. The Nanny, Friends and The Zoo remain stripped weeknights from 6pm – 7.30pm.

HD simulcasts of test cricket continue, with the first test wrapping up on Monday Nov 29, and the second test of The Ashes starting on Friday Dec 3. All test cricket is played during the day, from 10.30am AEDT.

Here’s the summary:

Sunday Nov 28
6.00 The Nanny
6.30 Birds of a Feather
7.10 Bless This House
7.45 ‘Allo ‘Allo
8.30 Movie: In The Line of Fire (HD)
11.05 Movie: Firecreek (HD)

Monday Nov 29
6.00 The Nanny
6.30 Friends
7.00 The Zoo
7.30 Animal Emergency
8.00 Airport
8.30 Law & Order (now on two nights, HD)
9.30 Rizzoli & Isles (Premiere, HD)
10.30 Southland (Premiere, HD)
11.30 Friends
12.00 Law & Order replay
1.00 Rizzoli & Isles replay

Tuesday Nov 30
7.30 Secret Millionaire
8.30 Law & Order (HD)
9.30 The Closer (HD)
10.30 The Big C (encore, HD)
11.00 Weeds (encore, HD)
11.30 Friends
12.00 The Nanny
12.30 Law & Order replay
1.00 Alive and Cooking

Wednesday Dec 1
7.30 The Truth About Food
8.30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (HD)
9.30 The Big C (HD)
10.00 Weeds (HD)
10.30 Hotel Babylon (new season, HD)
11.30 Conan
12.30 Friends
1.00 The Closer replay from Tue (HD)

Thursday Dec 2
7.30 Neighbours at War
8.00 How Clean is Your House
8.30 Mary Queen of Shops
9.30 Amazing Medical Stories
10.30 Embarrassing Bodies
11.30 Conan
12.30 Friends
1.00 Mary Queen of Shops replay

Friday Dec 3
7.30 Movie: Oliver! (HD)
10.30 Movie: City of Angels
12.45 Conan
1.45 Oliver! Replay

Saturday Dec 4
6.00 The Nanny
6.30 David Attenborough’s Life of Mammels
7.30 Wild Caribbean
8.30 Secrets of the Humback Whale
9.30 CSI: Miami (HD)
10.30 CSI: New York (HD)
11.30 Conan
12.30 Movie: Butterfield 8

The NRL Grand Final will be seen in HD with GEM confirming the event as part of its programming for Sunday October 3.

Coverage will include the pre-game entertainment from 4.30pm as well as the post match wrap up that concludes at 7.30pm, eastern daylight saving time.

States not on eastern daylight savings time, will see the Grand Final programming live as well – which means in WA for example, it all starts at 1.30pm.

Regular national GEM programming continues from 7.30pm that night.

Movies on GEM in its second week include: City of Angels and The Brigand of Kandahar on Sunday (Oct 3) night, About Schmidt on the Monday, The Dirty Dozen on Friday night and JFK on Saturday Oct 10 at 8.30pm. The majority of Saturday and Sunday daytime programming remains as older movies.

Also – for those who miss out on the premiere of the Big C on Wednesday Sept 29, there will be an encore on Tuesday Oct 5 at 10.30pm, with episode 2 on Wednesday Oct 6 at 9.30pm.

The Big C, a witty and unique comedy about living life to the full, premieres on the Nine Network’s new GEM channel on Wednesday, September 29, at 9.30pm.

The Big C, which was US Showtime’s most watched series debut in eight years, features a pedigreed cast led by three-time Emmy winner and triple Academy Award nominee Laura Linney in her first regular series role, as well as multiple Emmy nominee Oliver Platt and Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe.

Cathy Jamison (Linney) is a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives life-changing news – she has terminal, stage four melanoma. She decides from that moment on to make drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living. Cathy decides that her “C” will stand for carpe diem – seize the day!

While she decides when, if and how to reveal the news of her illness to her family, Cathy begins to form unusual bonds with unexpected people, including her grouchy neighbour Marlene (Phyllis Somerville) and her saucy student Andrea (Sidibe).

Another person that Cathy turns to frequently, and in some ways envies, is her brother Sean (John Benjamin Hickey). Selectively homeless and wildly outspoken, he appreciates life on his own terms at all times – critics (and deodorant) be damned. He cares nothing for the trivial things in life.

Who says you can’t eat dessert first? Why do we save the best for last? Time is precious and for Cathy Jamison, if she’s on her way out, she’s going on her terms. And the first order of business is to get the swimming pool – a tangible symbol of her unrequited youth – that she’s always wanted.

The Big C: Wednesday, September 29, at 9.30pm on GEM