GnW Returns?

[Mythor]

There's an interview with monkeyboy in "The West". And there's a copy on the intarwebs here.
It's very long, so the short version is that the team captains have been hired but they're not revealing them yet, though McDermott says old fans will be pleased to see some familiar faces. So maybe Amanda Keller, who filled in for Julie sometimes? Hrm.
Anyway, full, very long, article:

Originally Posted by The West article by Rachel Donkin

Paul McDermott is back. In fact, he’s on the phone, doing a string of interviews to promote the much-hyped return of Good News Week. Unfortunately, when we chat, McDermott is in a less than cordial mood, blaming his disaffected manner on a sore throat brought on by a long morning of interviews.

“I’m getting a bit dry, that bloody girl from South Australia wouldn’t stop talking,” he complains of the previous reporter.

Although McDermott is a frustrating man to interview, he oozes charisma on screen and it was his sparkling persona that made Good News Week such a success the first time around.

He and the crew behind GNW will be hoping he’s still got that Midas touch as the show embarks on a second coming of sorts, with Channel 10 commissioning the 90s hit for another season amid uncertainty about American series because of the US writers’ strike.

But despite the good news coming after the short-lived success of his variety project, The Sideshow, McDermott denies he’s worried, even a teensy bit, that he might be flogging a dead horse with the revival of GNW.

“No, it’s all been great. It’s been an extraordinary roller-coaster since we announced it and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the reaction,” he says.

He is similarly hostile to the suggestion that another season of GNW on commercial TV might have less sting.

“Certainly, it was sharp on the ABC. I thought it was even sharper when it went to Channel 10,” he says stiffly. “It will be sharp and it will be as acerbic as it once was. Age has not mellowed us.”

But diehard fans of the satirical current affairs-based game show, seen as a forerunner to everything from The Glass House (now axed) and The Chaser’s War on Everything to music-themed panel show Spicks and Specks, have reacted to news of the show’s return with varying levels of enthusiasm.

“It’s not GNW without (former captains) Julie (McCrossin) and Mikey (Robbins),” one fan complained on a viewer blog.

McDermott is unconcerned.

“I think it’s wonderful that there’s a whole new group of Australian comedians and performers out there who haven’t had that opportunity to show themselves on television,” he says, adding there have been “discussions” with both McCrossin and Robbins about appearing on the new series.

In fact, two team captains have just signed on but Ten is still “waiting for the ink to dry” on the contracts, so he won’t reveal their identities. “But people will be chuffed if they’re regular watchers of the program, they’ll see some very familiar faces,” he teases.

As for the intended targets of that famous acerbic wit, McDermott is less enthusiastic.

“Well I don’t know what’s going to happen, I’m not a psychic,” he says. “But everything is open season. I’ve got no idea what’s going to be happening in Iraq but we’ll be talking about that and, yeah, we’ll be talking about the Rudd Government.”

The producers will try to lure a few members of Rudd’s Cabinet on set, of course, and might even pull off the coup of the decade by getting John Howard into the studio. Well, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch.

“We’ve been trying to get him, which would be a great way to come back, wouldn’t it?” McDermott says. “No response though, funnily enough. When we did GNW back then, we’d badger Howard’s office the whole time to try to get him on. It’s part of the sport of it.”

The politicians seem to have lost their sense of humour since those days in the early 90s, which is a shame, he muses.

“You can be shown in a completely different light when you’re on a show like Good News Week compared to something where you’ve got to give a sound bite to a news crew,” he says. “You’re allowed to talk about the topic, illustrate your point.

“Part of it, the most entertaining part, is the informative part where someone like Natasha Stott Despoja would speak passionately about a topic, and hopefully we can find other politicians that have her honesty and integrity on the program.”

Fans will look forward to watching the next-generation GNW pin-up girl, although Stott Despoja will be hard to beat.

Good News Week premieres on Channel 10 at 9pm, February 4, then 8.30pm every Monday.

I guess that's where Sammy got her times from then?

[SammySatine]

Yes it was.

I was confused by the time after seeing it.

But here's what it looked like and the front cover of the section. In case you are interested.

Amities,

SS

[Sllej]

Apparently Julie recently ended her radio commitments so that could be a sign that she may be returning but there's nothing in concrete yet.

Those times are a little strang but I've seen three or four different ads so far with the black screen and Paul's voice over and they've all had the time as been 9:00pm Monday the 11th. They're the times that I'd be following, not the ones from the paper.

[unfrufru]

does anyone else think that mosh has been quoted in that article??

“It’s not GNW without (former captains) Julie (McCrossin) and Mikey (Robbins),” one fan complained on a viewer blog.

[Spoofy]

Originally Posted by unfrufru

does anyone else think that mosh has been quoted in that article??

thats what I thought as soon as I read it.

[unfrufru]

man this has been the greatest past few weeks of my life

first good news week comes back and now

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!

[Mythor]

I thought so but I couldn't find anyone saying that in the thread so I suspect it's from elsewhere.
Wish they'd just announce it and get it over with so we can start cheering and/or bitching!

[Mythor]

There's a teaser ad airing on Ch10 at the moment.
No footage from the show, it's just Paul talking while text goes across the screen saying it's coming on Feb 11 at 9pm.
Still. YAY!

[junglegirl_1976]

Originally Posted by Mythor

I thought so but I couldn't find anyone saying that in the thread so I suspect it's from elsewhere.
Wish they'd just announce it and get it over with so we can start cheering and/or bitching!

I got a little excitied thinking they quoted me, until I realised the article was published before I said it! Never mind!! Maybe I quoted them!!!

I have just seen an ad for GNW (while typing this, it came on in the background) with a voice over quoting what GNW has done for the world. It sounded a bit like Adam Spencer, maybe he's one of the captains. Maybe they might start off like they did back in 1996, and trying captains to see who works.

Does anyone else think that Paul always seems sick?? I know he's quoted this fact in some of the articles he used to write, but damn Paul, take some vitamins!!

[Mythor]

I just caught another ad... for an audience call!

You need to be 16 years or over and the number to call is 02 9876 5432. Nice number, heh.
You can also email them at ten at-thingy networkten.com.au if you'd prefer.
There's no details on when/where the taping is, so someone who wants to go should go ring or email them and ask, okay? Okay.

[SammySatine]

According to a person on LiveJournal this is what is happening:

Right, so I've been in contact with my sources (god, I love saying that XD) and I can confirm the following -

The article posted in The West was definitely in error - the 4th of February was an early possibility, but the first episode will definitely go to air on the 11th, filming on the 9th.

The taping on the 9th is just a single episode (although not a pilot), but from the 16th, they'll be double tapings and will be filmed fortnightly, much like Glass House used to be.

The team captains are in negotiation and will probably be confirmed later this week.

The show will run for an hour, but that's a commercial hour, so it'll actually be forty-four minutes long. (Stupid ads.) At the moment, there aren't any plans to have more musical stuff like Nite Lite, or the show in 2000.

Melburnians, you're in luck! There are plans for an MICF episode, probably filmed on the 5th.

(Just under two weeks to go!)


Apparently they've spoken to GNWTV which was where they got this info.

Hope it helps. (Really hope to go this year...parents promised to take me to Sydney figured it'd be fun)

Amities,

SS

[Alisso]

*flails quietly* MICF taping!

On the 5th? That kind of throws off the fortnightly double tapings thing as far as timing is concerned, I think...but I'll be interested to see how it plays out. I was kind of hoping for a 29th of March Melbourne taping *bg*

And depending on how they do the double tapings, that might mean they have a taping on mardi gras night, which just seems like an odd thing to do *g*


Tapings will be at the ABC studios in Ultimo, at least for the first one. Which is odd, but I guess Global mustn't be an option anymore, and there just aren't a lot of studios with room for an audience like the main studio at the ABC.

[Spoofy]

Originally Posted by SammySatine

According to a person on LiveJournal this is what is happening:


Melburnians, you're in luck! There are plans for an MICF episode, probably filmed on the 5th.

(Just under two weeks to go!)

Amities,

SS

Damn Damn Damn...why couldn't they do it between 21st and 25th March

[Amanda]

According to tvtonight.com.au the captains have been announced. Mikey is back, yay!!! However, Julie has been replaced by Claire Hooper, damn. Why not Corrine Grant or Amanda Keller or someone less annoying than Claire.

[Mythor]

I quite like Claire.
I'm not sure about her as a captain though. I'll give her a chance, of course, but the thought of Amanda Keller being back on TV did make me happy for a bit...
I think they'd've been crazy to try and do the show without at least one of the captains coming back though.

[Edit]
SMH is reporting the same thing. Might be where TVTonight got their info from, don't know, they don't cite a source.