Top Gear Australia

While the main channels fill up with repeats and alternative programming over the two weeks of Easter non-ratings, GO! has managed to program some new content from next week, including new (to free to air) episodes of Chuck, season 16 of The Bachelor and unaired episodes of Top Gear Australia.

Chuck airs on Monday night (April 2) at 11.40pm, with the first episode of season three Chuck Versus the Pink Slip. Meanwhile, season 5 is underway on FOX8, and available in HD (and Chuck looks brilliant in HD – worth the money for the HD package just for Chuck in HD!).

The Bachelor will air at 7.30pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays from April 3. This is the 16th season of the show. GO! never aired the 15th season.

New episodes of Community find their way into Thursday nights, at 8pm. Suburgatory, on the other had is in repeats during Easter, with new episodes possibly to return from April 15.

Rumours on Facebook suggest new episodes of Fringe will air in GO! soon, as will the new series of Spartacus. Not holding my breath though, those rumours have been around for months.

The remaining few episodes of Top Gear Australia that Nine never aired will play out on GO! in the usual Top Gear USA timeslot of 6.30pm Saturday from April 7.

Meanwhile, with Excess Baggage finishing Thursday March 29 (sighs of relief can be heard), Two and a Half Men return to 6.30pm Monday to Thursday and Australia’s Home Videos to 7pm those days.

Still no sign of Survivor: One World on either Nine or GO! Hoping for after Easter?

Try not to look too surprised here.

Nine have taken off $#*! My Dad Says from Tuesday nights, replacing it with The Big Bang Theory at 8pm. That now means there are two nights a week in Nine’s schedule with triple episodes of Big Bang from 7pm – Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Same Name – Lame programming. Why is it, that just about everyone who comments on sites like this and Nine’s own Facebook page knew that Same Name would have been a flop in ratings?

Last Wednesday, the show managed 525,000, and dragged down Nine’s night with it. Expect to see it on GEM one day! Same Name will be replaced by documentary series Ocean Giants: Giant Lives – the fourth change to 7.30 Wednesday in as many weeks. Methinks Top Gear Australia might work better at this time, when it is not against Packed to the Rafters on Seven?

Speaking of Top Gear Australia, Nine have moved that as well from 8.30 to 9.30 on Tuesday night. No idea why they thought it would do well in that timeslot either. At 8.30, Under Surveillance airs, with an episode called Charlotte’s Web.

10.30 that night is a repeat episode of Top Gear.

Source: Many EPGs.

Questions: Why do I now have to find out this information from EPG’s? Why aren’t Nine sending out amendments to bloggers anymore? Whether they send them out or not, it’s not going to change anyway at all what we post and write about these excessive programming changes.

Ratings predictions: Ocean Giants 600,000. Under Surveillance 600,000. Top Gear Australia 300,000.

At this stage, no clue as to what will happen the week after next as the Foxtel advance guide ap – which allows you to look 14 days in advance – still has the programming unchanged – that is, Same Name is still on, Top Gear Australia at 8.30 Tuesday. Obviously that is all wrong now.

I don’t think Nine have any clue what to air that week either – they’ll watch and see what happens with ratings and then decide.

Top Gear Australia is returning for its second series on the Nine Network, leaving passports at home, hitting the roads and off-roads of Australia, and bringing new car reviews, motoring challenges and stunts to Tuesday nights.

In this series starting Tuesday, August 30, at 8.30pm, Ewen, Shane and Steve won’t just spar with each other – they’ll also take on Australian lawmakers, questioning the lack of common sense and safety in road rules passed by State and Federal governments.

Plus there are new Aussie stars on the Top Gear racetrack.

In the premiere episode the boys add some spice to rally driving by introducing a novel twist: blindfolding the driver. Will the new sport catch on? Watch and find out.

In this week’s car review Ewen declares his long-held dirty secret: he loves Volvos. The question is, will he like the sexy new S60-R? Or has Volvo lost its geek appeal by going to cool school?

Toyota has relaunched its retro-style FJ Cruiser and when Ewen and Shane head out to review it, Shane comes up with a unique test that doubles as a world record attempt. Will the trio get their names in the history books?

One half of comedy duo Hamish and Andy, Andy Lee, might be a national radio and television star, but how will he take to our Top Gear track?

In a controversial new segment Ewen will debate why he believes freeway speed limits should be increased, while in another new segment,V8 to the Rescue, the boys rev up a V8-powered fast-bowling machine that will no doubt help Australia win back the Ashes against England.

Nine programing for the week August 28 – September 3.

Sunday August 28.

Nine are set to capitalise one more time with the success of The Block with one final episode of The Block Unlocked set air at 6.30pm Sunday August 28. While there are no details of the show yet, it will no doubt capture the couple’s views and reactions to the auction results and ultimate winner of the series.

Don’t forget, Throng will be live blogging the Block Finale, this Sunday (August 21) from 6.30pm eastern.

At 7pm that night is a repeat of RBT, followed by 60 Minutes at 7.30 and Underbelly: Razor at 8.30pm. The premiere of Camelot then airs at 9.30pm with a double episode. Read more about this one here.

Interestingly, a repeat of Flashpoint – a series that has done very well in Canada follows at 11.30pm.

Monday August 29.

Big Bang repeats air at 7pm weeknights, but there is also an episode at 7.30pm Monday night, with a TBA at 8pm.

At 8.30 is Rescue (Special Ops), followed by CSI: Miami (repeat) at 9.30pm.

Tuesday August 30.

No doubt this will change? Another Big Bang repeat at 7.30pm, and another TBAat 8pm.

At 8.30pm, is the premiere of season two of Top Gear Australia: Top Gear is back – bigger, brighter and faster than ever. Shane, Steve and Ewen add some spice to rally driving by introducing a dangerous twist: blindfolding the driver. Ewen declares his long-held dirty secret: he loves Volvos. Plus, Ewen and Shane head out to review the new Toyota iconic FJ Cruiser, and two six-time world champion surfer Layne Beachley in an attempt to break a world record. Also special guest Andy Lee.

That is followed by the season finale of Megacities at 9.30pm.

Wednesday August 30.

Here’s where some confusion sets in. According to Nine promos, The Farmer Wants a Wife continues on Wednesday nights, yet the series does not appear in advanced guides, nor is it in the EPG for next Wednesday August 23. Top Design is still salted for 7.30pm both Wednesdays. Look out for programming amendments on this one.

RPA and RPA: Where Are They Now? Both, at this stage, remain scheduled for 8.30 and 9.30pm respectively on the next two Wednesday nights.

Thursday August 31.

TBA from 7.30-8.30. Hamish & Andy at 8.30, with the Footy Show from 9.30pm.

Programming  subject to change – and there will be!! Check local giodes and look out for amendments!!

7:30pm – Tuesday, November 16 on Channel Nine

Steve and Ewen find out if the top-of-the-range 4WD’s from Porsche and BMW really stack up in the speed stakes.

Ewen and Shane find out if the humble family van is really as daggy as it appears whilst Jimmy Barnes takes on our Celebrity track.

Shane drives two Peter Brock inspired “Blue Meanie” Holden’s. Steve heads to New Zealand and becomes a test pilot for the latest NZ super car, “The Hulme”.

And… Shane and Ewen ask the question – can a V8 really rock your baby to sleep?

Junior Masterchef - Mon Nov 15, 7.30pm, Ten

Packed to the Rafters – Tue Nov 16, 8.30pm, Seven

Parenthood – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm (double episode), Seven

RPA – Thur Nov 18, Nine

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – Tue Nov 23, 7.30pm, Ten – Xmas Special

The Big Bang Theory (new) – Wed Nov 10, 8.30pm, Nine. NO MORE FOR 2010.

The Block – Wed Nov 24, 7.30pm, Nine

NCIS (new) – Tue Nov 23, 8.30pm, Ten

Offspring – Sun Nov 21, 8.30pm, Ten (two hours)

The Force – Wen Nov 17, 7.30pm (double episode), Seven

The Good Wife – Wed Nov 24, 8.30pm, Ten

The Mentalist – Mon Nov 8, 8.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

The X Factor – Mon Nov 22, 7.30pm, Seven

Top Gear Australia – Tue Nov 2, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Tue Nov 9, 16 or 23) – so has now finished for the year

Two and a Half Men (new) – Mon Nov 8, 7.30pm, Nine (not on Mon Nov 15 or 22)

Undercover Boss Australia – Mon Nov 22, 8.30pm, Ten

Assumed:

60 Minutes – playing best of in summer.

Neighbours – 6.30pm, Friday Dec 17, Ten

Rush – Continues in summer. If no doubles, last would be Thur Dec 16, 8.30pm

Two and a Half Men (repeats) – At this stage, appear to be continuing into summer

* Not including GO – which may continue playing repeats at varying times – although I would assume the need to fill the GO schedule with Big Bang and Two and a Half Men repeats would not be as prevalent during non-ratings.

The Amazing Race and Survivor Nicaragua will continue as it would not make sense to hold off the final few episodes until 2011.

The list will be updated as more information comes to hand. Focus here is mostly on prime time main channels. Feel free to comment or question any exclusions.

Neighbours generally finish later than the end of ratings. Will add dates once confirmed. 

First Nine held off new episodes of shows on Monday night, now they are doing the same with Top Gear Australia on Tuesday night.

As we know, Top Gear Australia is off on Tuesday November 9 to make way for the National IQ Test. On the following Tuesday, November 16, the 4^th episode Top Gear Australia has been shelved to make way for a repeat of episode 5 of season 9 of Top Gear.

That is followed by the series premiere of Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds at 9pm. The series focuses on what we can’t see – using extreme slow motion videos, it reveals extraordinary things happening that completely pass us by. This is a world where thin air can shatter rock and water can tear through metal.

That puts Survivor Nicaragua even later at 10pm.

Tuesday November 16, is the night of the finale of Packed to the Rafters. Not that it makes any difference to 7.30pm though – the move to show a repeat Top Gear could again be because Nine know they rate well and they would prefer to hold off the Australian series until later.

It could also be that Nine will save up the remaining few episodes of Top Gear Australia to use on nights where they have a better chance in the ratings. The last episode of the show fell short of a million, and Tuesday night is one of Nine’s weaker nights overall.

The Tuesday repeat of Top Gear means you can see it three nights that week, when you include those on Go on Sunday and Thursday nights.

Summary – Tuesday November 16, on Nine:

7.30 Top Gear repeat
9.00 Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds
10.00 Survivor Nicaragua
11.00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares
12.00 You Saved My Life
12.30 Entertainment Tonight
1.00 Skippy.

7:30pm – Tuesday, November 2 on Channel Nine

Our three hosts re-trace an epic journey to Lake Eyre in the middle of the South Australian Wilderness. This is a ‘boys own adventure has all the ingredients for disaster.

Our three hosts drive 40 year cars bought off the internet along 4WD only tracks with sailing boats in tow.

Their ambition is to sail on Lake Eyre which is filling for the first time in decades.

Shane Warne again offers his services to test another super car at the home of the British Grand Prix, Silverstone.

Steve and Ewen find out if the latest speciality 4WD’s from Porsche and BMW really stack up in the speed stakes.

Andrew Hansen and Craig Reaucassel from the Chaser take on the Celebrity track and break all the records.

7:30pm – Tuesday, October 26 on Channel Nine

Ewen Page lives out a teenage fantasy and drives a ford performance V8 racing car through the streets of inner Sydney. For his second bite of the cheery he also gets a chance to have some practical tips from Mark Winterbottom around the track.

Our three hosts head across to NZ and take on one of their most dangerous roads, for their own version of Race to the Sky. The NZ Stig makes a brief appearance to help take the three cars to the top of the South Islands Peaks.

Shane Jacobson test drives America’s latest super car, a little red Corvette and Michael Clarke takes on our brand new celebrity UTE.

7:30pm – Tuesday, October 19 on Channel Nine

Our three hosts take on the ultimate grey nomads challenge, hitching vans to cheap priced 4WD’s in an attempt to see if the great Australian retirement motoring journey is still possible on budget. Shane Warne makes a guest appearance and road tests the latest British super car at the legendary Silverstone Racetrack. Steve Pizzati explains our new Celebrity Test Track and Lisa McCune offers her services to be our first celebrity victim.