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I'm still around, wishing desperately that I could get back to a bit of blogging every now and then. Unfortunately, work and uni seem to be constantly getting in the way! Hopefully I will be able to post a little over the coming months.
It has been an insanely long time since I posted on TV Babble - far more time has passed than I realised. My absence has been mostly due to work, university, and my involvement in the organisation of the Queensland Business Icon competition. Blogging unfortunately has had to take a back-seat to everything else, but it has never been far from my mind. The Orble landscape has changed somewhat since I was last here, but hopefully I haven't been completely forgotten...
Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, which I first blogged about last November, is well and truly on its way to us in all its Whedonesque glory. Although Fox won't be airing it until next January, there is already plenty of buzz around the show - including a pre-emptive campaign by fans to save the show from the notoriously axe-happy network.
As one would imagine with a show centred around a 'dollhouse' concept, the set is absolutely amazing:
The main set of the Dollhouse
[Image courtesy of Dollverse]
If you're itching for more information regarding Dollhouse, or simply looking for ways to while away the time until it premieres, the following fan sites are chock-full of news, pictures, trailers, and the kind of fandom that only Joss Whedon's shows can muster:
* Dollverse - contains a bevy of information regarding the production of Dollhouse, including more images of the set
* Dollrific - blog following the lead up to and coverage of the show
* Watching Dollhouse - a look at information and inspirations behind the show and what can be expected from it
* Dollhouse Forums and Dollhouse TV Forum - forums where you can discuss everything Dollhouse with fans from around the world
In an increasingly fast paced world full of media proliferation, it's hardly surprising that television is starting to adapt. Until now, the most notable change had been the emergence of extended and online content.
However, a new product has entered the market - Short-form drama, also known as Snack drama. Snack drama is a new phenomenon of bite-sized shows, with episodes of under four minutes that are intended to be viewed online or on a mobile phone.
Like many burgeoning new-media concepts, Snack drama began with offerings by disgruntled producers whose efforts were shunned by the networks. Now, the television industry and mobile TV providers are lining up to get a taste of this newest treat.
Does short-form drama signal the end of hour-long shows? For the most part, doughnuts have yet to replace the meal of dinner, and crackers don't fill you up - they simply tide you over. I feel that Snack drama fills an emerging niche, but I sincerely hope that they do not usurp the position of lengthier, in-depth shows.
So, dear readers, what is your opinion of Snack drama? Do you like to steal a few mouthfuls here and there? Is it the answer to entertainment in a time-starved era? Or is it simply a symptom of decreasing attention-spans brought on by the technological age?
Ive been meaning to write this post since So You Think You Can Dance Australia first aired on our screens. Finally, with the aid of a sliver of free time and a gentle nudge from Dusk Devi, I can now wax lyrical about this guilty pleasure of mine.
I had some initial niggling reservations about the Australian incarnation of the American hit; namely that, with a smaller industry and pool of dancers to choose from, the Land Down Under contestants would not be of the same standard as their Land Up Over counterparts. I neednt have worried the Top Twenty dancers chosen were every bit as talented as I had hoped, and then some. Over the last few weeks many gifted performers have had the chance to show off their prowess in some brilliant routines
[ Click here to read more ]
The Television Industry and aficionados can breath a collective sigh of relief - the Writers' Strike has official come to an end. After three long months, a deal has been reached between the WGA and the AMPTP, and 92.5% of guild members voted for an immediate end to the strike. A further vote to ratify the new contract will be held on February 25.
This means that the writers would have returned to work today (Wednesday in the US). The most immediate impact will be seen on the late night talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report. Each of these hosts has had to struggle through writer-less since early January, with the results falling everywhere on the spectrum between 'hilarious and moving' and 'uncomfortable and awkward
[ Click here to read more ]
One of the few upsides to the American writers' strike is that it has forced the Australian Networks to consider more Australian programming. Rather than develop a new concept, Network Ten have decided to revive a programme that disappeared from our screens almost 8 years ago - Good News Week. While I'm hoping that the channels with attempt to create some new and exciting Australian shows, I am certainly happy for Ten to soothe the GNW withdrawal I still feel to this day.
It's not surprising that Ten have decided to resurrect this mishmash of news, current affairs, comedy, and performance - it really did serve as a template for many of Australia's most entertaining shows of recent times. Although the ABC has had a lot of success with Spicks and Specks and The Chaser's War on Everything, there is certainly a gap in the market for this kind of programme, particularly with the axing of The Glasshouse and the absence of The Panel [ Click here to read more ]
2007 is well and truly behind us, and with it a year of television that ranged from amazing to abysmal. As I was away from Orble at the end of the year, I now present to you a belated look at the stand-out episodes of the year that was. (As aired on Australian Television in 2007)
Lost The Man Behind the Curtain [ Click here to read more ]
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Comment by Nina
on RIP: Tim Russert