The ABC and Netflix have commissioned an international political thriller set behind the fence of the US/Australia joint defence facility Pine Gap. The project, titled Pine Gap, comes from writers Greg Haddrick and Felicity Packard, and will be filmed in South Australia and the Northern Territory in 2018. Haddrick described the series as a "compelling work of fiction inspired by modern geopolitical tensions." The ABC's director of television, David Anderson, said the series would tap into the "intrigue" which surrounds Pine Gap: "It's the perfect anchor, and a timely subject, for an Australian drama that can resonate both locally and with a global audience."
Stardom's riches revealed
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While the defamation case between Australian comedy actress Rebel Wilson and Bauer Media created diverting headlines with the size of the damages payout, the fine print of the judgment made interesting reading for anyone interested in the economics of stardom. While Wilson might have pocketed only $US3000 for her role in Bridesmaids - an astonishingly small fee given it went on to make a quarter of a billion at the box office - she earned $200,000 for her two episodes of Seven's now defunct The Big Music Quiz. Honourable mentions: Pitch Perfect paid $US165,000 while the shortlived TV series Super Fun Night was worth around $US2 million.
Israel to serve up MKR
The Seven Network has licensed another international production of its restaurant reality format My Kitchen Rules. July August Productions will produce a version of the format for Keshet in Israel. Versions of the series have been produced in Canada, Lithuania, Serbia, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, South Africa, Britain and the US. The tape rights to the series - that is, the Australian version of the show - have been sold into more than 160 countries. Seven's in-house production company, Seven Studios, has a slate which includes Border Security, Home and Away, House Rules and the Foxtel drama A Place To Call Home.
Aussie in Junior Eurovision
Melbourne teenager Isabella Clarke has been selected to represent Australia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. This year's event will be held at the Tbilisi Sports Palace in Georgia. The junior iteration of the competition is somewhat slimmer than its adult cousin; just 16 countries are competing this year. But telecast producer Paul Clarke said he was confident Clarke - no relation - would do the country proud. "She has a terrific voice and we are looking forward to her performance in Tbilisi," he said. Australia's song will be announced soon, Clarke said. The competition will be broadcast on ABCme and ABC iView in November.
