With the 'Mushroom Lady' show, is ABC positioned as the new Channel 9?
A TV drama about the “Mushroom Lady” Erin Patterson seemed inevitable. It is the murder trial that has had Australians captivated for months. The news today is that Australian public broadcaster ABC is producing a series about Patterson and the suspicious deaths of family members eating her delicious meal.
Behind the series is Tony Ayers (Stateless, The Survivors). The new management at the ABC has been pushing the idea that the ABC needs to be speaking broadly to Australia - this absolutely ticks that box. This feels exactly like the sort of show one would have expected the Nine Network to produce in years gone by (before local FTA drama budgets were squeezed out of existence).
With former Nine CEO Hugh Marks now leading the ABC, it really does provide a north star towards the sort of thing we can expect from the ABC going forward.
How long until the ABC announces a remake of The ANZAC’s?
Read more about the show at Mediaweek (where I wrote this up at the crack of dawn).
Quote of the day
Here’s legendary CBS news anchor Dan Rather:
“It’s a sad day for journalism,” Rather told Variety. “It’s a sad day for ’60 Minutes’ and CBS News. I hope people will read the details of this and understand what it was. It was distortion by the President and a kneeling down and saying, ‘yes, sir,’ by billionaire corporate owners.”
Read: Variety
News Desk
Channel 4 has confirmed more episodes of Made in Chelsea and spin-off series Beyond Chelsea. Read: Radio Times
RIP Jim Shooter. The legendary Marvel editor in Chief / industry villain was hugely influential in leading the company in the creation of so many of the books/storylines we’ve seen adapted by Marvel movies and TV shows over the past 20 years. Read: NYT
Netflix has renewed drama Criminal Code for a third season. Read: Deadline
Variety has a helpful list of big release streaming films debuting throughout July. It is US-focused, but many of the release dates hold for the international platforms.
Trailer Park
The Assassin debuts on Stan in Australia and on Prime Video internationally July 25.
Retired assassin Julie (Keeley Hawes) and her estranged son Edward (Freddie Highmore) are forced to flee an idyllic Greek island when Julie’s dangerous past catches up with her. With questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s past life as a hitwoman, the pair go on the run across Europe, working together in a fight for survival.
Catalog debuts July 17 on Netflix.
A recently widowed workaholic clumsily navigates life with his kids, guided by his late wife's online tips. Can he ace this crash course in parenthood?
Diary of a Ditched Girl debuts Sept 11 on Netflix.
Here they are: the boys of Malmö. Watch "Diary of a Ditched Girl" September 11 to see if she manages to get a second date with one of them.
The Nice Guy debuts July 18 on Disney+.
Lee Dongwook is back and this time, it's romantic.
Wall To Wall debuts on Netflix July 18.
A man who poured his life savings into a new apartment discovers its walls are full of disturbing noises, hostile neighbors and unsettling secrets.
That’s the newsletter for today.
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