By James Manning

But instead of collaborating with Offspring producers John Edwards and Imogen Banks, this time have teamed up with the busy production house Hoodlum Entertainment for the drama series.

It’s been a busy week for Hoodlum with the second season of Harrow launching on the ABC on Sunday night, and Five Bedrooms premiering on Wednesday.

Hear the complete Mediaweek Five Bedrooms podcast here.

According to the writers, Five Bedrooms tells the story of a group of very different people. With very different backgrounds. At very different stages of life. All bonded by where they found themselves seated at a wedding. The singles table.

The ensemble cast includes Kat Stewart, Stephen Peacocke, Doris Younane, Katie Robertson, Roy Joseph, Kate Jenkinson and Hugh Sheridan.

The two long-time collaborators first met at a Screen Australia feature script workshop. “We both had feature projects in there,” Lucas told Mediaweek.

“They were the best ones!” added Bartlett. “We found each other across a crowded table and it was pretty magic for me.” [Laughs]

Lucas: “We peeled off at that workshop managed to make each other laugh for the rest of the workshop. I was working on Offspring at the time and we were going into a second season. I thought Christine had the perfect voice for it, so I suggested her to John Edwards and Imogen Banks and they agreed.

“We worked on Offspring together for years and all sorts of other things as well.” Some of the other things they worked on together were 10’s Party Tricks and The Wrong Girl.

Separately, Lucas has worked on Rosehaven (as a producer) and Wentworth (writing). Bartlett has worked on Nine’s House Husbands.

As to the origins of the new Five Bedrooms drama, they told Mediaweek: “It is something we have both talked about legitimately in our own lives. When we met neither of us was in the real estate market. We used to talk about how we could get a group of people together and buy the ‘commune’ as we called it.”

The Five Bedrooms concept was put to Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield at Hoodlum Entertainment who had an idea about long term singles.

“That appealed to me and I instantly thought we could marry the two ideas,” said Lucas.

The writers admitted that 10 wasn’t the only network that talked to Hoodlum about the project. “10 is a very natural home for it and we have a long history with 10,” said Lucas.

“Rick Maier and Sara Richardson at 10 were aware of the project and they were asking Tracey about it. By that stage we had quite a few scripts.

“That is a huge asset because they are falling in love with it, as opposed to falling in love with a pitch that they love.”

Bartlett said it was not unusual, and almost liberating in a way, to write a script before the project is commissioned.

“You think that no one is going to see it anyway, so let’s just have a good time.”

Lucas: “As long as someone is paying you, you just don’t care. You are just so happy to be writing for some money! The advantage is you can let the show find its own voice. I would prefer that rather than going in and handing in a great one pager or a verbal pitch.

“What happens there is you end up submitting drafts about what they loved about what you said, and what you loved about what you said can be a completely different thing.”

Bartlett said in the case of Five Bedrooms, they had scripts for half the series – four episodes.

She explained they were delighted to be involved in the casting for the Hoodlum drama. The two writers are EPs on Five Bedrooms, which means they get their “stinky little fingers in the pie”.

Bartlett: “What was good about Five Bedrooms was that it was not a hero’s journey, but an ensemble where we look at five different characters. The chemistry between all five was a difficult thing to get right and the most challenging part of the process.

“We were so in love with the characters that we wanted to bring them to life in a way that felt true to them.

“We struck gold really.”

Lucas: “The first person aboard was Kat Stewart and we have a long history of writing with her. After Offspring I was very keen to work with her again and we often talked about things and there were a few things we both had in development with Kat.”

Lucas said that once a cast member of the calibre of Kat Stewart is aboard she attracts other cast too.

Bartlett: “Her character already very much existed on the page. Once her part was cast, and the others too, you start to write to the strength of those actors.

“Even though that some of the things that Kat’s character Liz is doing over the course the season are a little bit questionable, Kat has an extraordinary magic she brings and there is nothing she can’t do.”

The writers told Mediaweek they had been working on the idea for this series since 2015.

Lucas: “We didn’t work on it consistently. We would do a script then go away and regroup with notes. We both also had quite a lot of other projects on the go.”

Bartlett: “The idea changed quite dramatically over the course of that development.”

Hear the complete Mediaweek Five Bedrooms podcast here.

“We have worked on this project completely differently to anything else we have worked on together.”

—

Top Photo: The homebuyers meet in Five Bedrooms episode one

The broadcaster released these details:

InStream offers SCA’s clients’ access to an addressable live radio streaming environment, in addition to music streaming through the recently announced, exclusive partnership with SoundCloud.

The two will be used in tandem to offer clients addressable digital audio solutions with a combined commercial reach of over three million users in premium and brand safe environments, adding further depth to an already market-leading offering.

SCA’s chief sales officer Brian Gallagher said, “Audio platforms are proliferating and audio as a medium has never been more important in maximising reach of your target audience. This scaled development gives buyers the opportunity to rapidly gain reach of targeted consumers wherever they are. InStream represents the future of audio, available to advertisers now.”

SCA’s InStream product has been in the beta stage for a number of months to ensure that the technology and commercial offering are ready for both clients and listeners.

The digital audio market is seeing significant growth with the recent IAB Audio State of the Nation Survey stating that 84% of buyers intend to invest in Digital Streaming Audio in 2019.

As one of Australia’s leading media companies, SCA reaches 95% of the country with assets in television, radio, digital and podcasts. InStream enables clients all-new sophisticated access to the streaming audience, that chooses to listen through any internet connected device.

Multi Channel Network (MCN) has appointed David Roddick as chief sales officer.

Roddick joins MCN after five years as sales and marketing director at out of home (OOH) media owner Adshel, which became part of oOh!media at the end of 2018. He will report to MCN CEO, Mark Frain after starting on June 3.

Roddick was formerly international sales director at Clear Channel Outdoor Global, group commercial director at Northcliffe Media, and digital director at News UK.

He will be responsible for the management of MCN’s over 200 strong salesforce in Australia, and will be tasked with leading and leveraging the Foxtel platform across TV and digital. He will also be responsible for MCN’s newly launched out-of-home division.

MCN CEO Mark Frain says the high-profile hire is a strategic decision for MCN as the business looks to re-fresh its innovation proposition in market.

“David brings deep expertise across the entire media landscape both locally and internationally, so we’re delighted to have someone of his calibre heading up our sales function and continuing our growth trajectory,” he said. “During my time at MCN I have often heard of David’s achievements and leadership qualities, so I am thrilled our paths have crossed and we can bring such an outstanding executive into the business.

“His varied media sales background will also bring a new perspective to an already strong executive team. MCN is packed with TV experience, so David’s appointment is about adding sales diversity to the business during a time of great change and progress for MCN. We are looking to not only invest in new advertising models, but key talent across the business. David’s specialist knowledge, proven accomplishments in the innovation space, and experience in building new advertising propositions will allows us to deliver outstanding outcomes for our agency clients and partners.”

Roddick said the move to MCN is an obvious next step, with the business sharing his goal of innovation and industry evolution.

“I’m very excited to be joining an innovative operation such as MCN, and moreover at such an exciting time of change,” he said. “MCN has a unique position in the market with the breadth of properties we represent, and it’s a great opportunity to re-imagine and drive the future of the industry. I’m also looking forward to working with our agency and channel partners to help re-invigorate how they reach and activate audiences across the Foxtel platform.”

Following Roddick’s announcement, MCN will be releasing a series of additional appointments and promotions in the next few months as the business finalises its strategic integration into Foxtel after the disengagement of Network 10 at the end of 2018.

MCN recently announced the replacement of its traditional annual UpFront showcase of new programming with a new entertainment venue, Foxtel on Oxford. The custom-built facility will operate year-round, and help connect advertisers, agencies and subscribers with the Foxtel platform and its wide range of content.

Launched in News Corp Australia’s Sunday metro newspapers with EGN print ads, the campaign runs from 12 May to 2 June 2019. Consumers of each masthead will have the chance to win a Peugeot 5008 SUV valued over $49,000 when they buy a copy of the newspaper between May 19-26, find the daily code word in the paper and then enter online.

News Corp Australia’s subscriber +Rewards members have double the chance to win if they enter via the +Rewards website.

Amy Slade, General Manager of Marketing for Peugeot Australia said: “We are excited to partner with News Corp Australia for the first time, to highlight the brand with a campaign of this scale. We have no doubt the visibility and exposure of our advertising and marketing will accelerate the reach of our brand and our new Peugeot model to new audiences – readers who value style and wish to stand apart from the crowd.

“We want to dive into the world of News Corp Australia’s readers, inspiring them to immerse themselves in a stylish world celebrating individuality with a Peugeot. An experience which we can then bring to life for four lucky readers.”

Benjamin Keating, general manager of consumer retail sales and marketing at News Corp Australia said: “This partnership with Peugeot is a great example of how we use our trusted publications to grow leading brands, while providing incredible opportunities for our valued readers.

“Peugeot has a very clear understanding about their customer demographic, and we are confident we will reach these targeted consumers at scale through our creative marketing campaign.”

Created by The Works, the creative heroes the chance to win, while positioning the elegant lifestyle embodied by the Peugeot brand. The fully integrated advertising and marketing campaign features:

• 10 second radio credits after traffic and news updates across ATN metro stations
• Full page, half page and medium strip print advertisements in EGN for The Sunday Telegraph and Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Herald Sun and Herald Sun, The Sunday Mail and The Courier-Mail, Sunday Mail and The Advertiser, Body + Soul, QWeekend, Motoring and WATCH
• ROS ads on digital mastheads as well as on WHIMN, Kidspot, Taste, Body + Soul, Escape, GQ Australia, Vogue Australia and on the +Rewards site
• Retail POS across newsagents and Peugeot dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and on newsagent digital screens
• Direct, digital and social marketing as well as PR.

The four winners of the Peugeot competition will be announced in the relevant metro newspapers in print on Sunday, 2 June 2019.

Additional cast members include Rachel House, Kate Box, Clarence Ryan, Claude Jabbour, Rose Riley and Helana Sawires.

The ABC and Screen Australia have joined forces with Matchbox Pictures and Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton’s Dirty Films, with production set to begin in South Australia in June, based at Adelaide Studios.

Cate Blanchett

Stateless is a drama about four people caught up in an immigration system that profoundly affects their lives. Each character deals with the contradictions of protection and border control from a unique perspective, offering relevant and timely insight into issues that countries are grappling with around the world.

Stateless received major production funding from Screen Australia and the ABC and is financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation. It will be distributed worldwide by NBCUniversal.

Co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie, the series centres on four strangers in an immigration detention centre in the Australian desert.

They are an airline hostess escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat caught-up in a national scandal.

When their lives intersect they are pushed to the brink of sanity, yet unlikely and profound emotional connections are made amongst the group. Inspired by real events, the series intertwines gripping and devastating personal stories revealing a system struggling with the irreconcilable contradictions of border protection.

Tony Ayres, co-creator and executive producer says, “We have assembled the most extraordinary array of Australian talent to make this show, both in front of and behind the camera. In each case, people were drawn to Stateless because it asks one of the most vexing questions of our times – how do we as a nation maintain control of our sovereign borders whilst retaining our own humanity?”

Co-creator, executive producer and actor Cate Blanchett says of the story, “Whilst this story centres on Australia, the dilemmas that it explores through four absorbing characters will resonate globally: the desire for personal freedom, the need for social stability, an escalating lack of faith in the political process and the deeply unsettling impact this has on individual lives.”

Sally Riley, head of scripted production at the ABC says, “The ABC is proud to be collaborating with such a high calibre of home-grown talent to create this thought-provoking, ambitious and gripping series that is sure to connect with Australians and audiences around the world.”

Sally Caplan, head of production at Screen Australia says, “Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse are two directors at the top of their game, and combined with this immensely talented cast I look forward to seeing this remarkable story on screen.”

Alastair McKinnon, managing director of Matchbox Pictures says, “Stateless is at once both intimate and epic in its scope and ambition, and this stellar cast is testament to the power of this story. Thrilling, courageous and intensely relevant, this is certain to be an unmissable drama series.”

Courtney Gibson, chief executive of the South Australian Film Corporation says, “We were so pleased to support the development of this landmark series, with its all-female writing and directing team including some of Australia’s leading key creatives. We look forward to full production and post at Adelaide Studios and locations in South Australia, with SA producer Paul Ranford working alongside the team at Dirty Films and Matchbox, together with Matchbox SA’s Kirsty Stark, who is a co-producer on this major series.”

Stateless is written by Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko and will be directed by Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse, produced by Sheila Jayadev and Paul Ranford for Matchbox Pictures with Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton and Tony Ayres as executive producers. Elise McCredie is showrunner and executive producer and Liz Watts will serve as executive producer. ABC executive producers are Sally Riley and Andrew Gregory. The series will be distributed worldwide by NBCUniversal International Distribution.

Who reps who in the cast: Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Yvonne Strahovski is represented by Paradigm, McKeon/Myones Entertainment and Sue Barnett and Associates, Jai Courtney by Morrissey Management, Silver Lining Entertainment and UTA, Asher Keddie by United Management and Independent Talent Group, Fayssal Bazzi by Shanahan, BAFTA winner and two-time Golden Globe winner Dominic West by WME, Tavistock Wood Management and Narrative PR and two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett is represented by CAA, Wolf-Kasteler PR and RGM.

Rachel House is represented by Kathryn Rawlings Actors Agency, Kate Box by Shanahan, Clarence Ryan by RGM, Claude Jabbour by Marquee Management, Rose Riley by United Management and Helana Sawires by Smith&Jones Management.

Production Credit: Stateless is a Matchbox Pictures and Dirty Films production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC. Financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation. Matchbox Pictures is an NBCUniversal International Studios company.

Henry, a property valuer from Sydney, and Cade, a video game designer from Brisbane created an incredibly detailed diorama of Poseidon rising out of a wave to fight a giant sea serpent.
 
Their model attracted praise for the “NPU” (nice part usage) in Poseidon’s head, as did their incorporation of impressive mechanical techniques in his arms and torso. Their amazing “sculpted” wave and Greek ship moving through the water at an angle, full of Minifigure detail, were equally impressive. This design was able to edge out David and G’s theme-park build and Jordan and Miller’s space battle designs.
 
Competition judge Ryan “Brickman” McNaught said of the win: “As our most consistent team across the whole series, Henry and Cade exhibited a unique building style and were able to really deliver on some wildly ambitious builds. For mine, their builds were of the highest standard, and they really didn’t falter at any of the crazy challenges we threw at them.”
 
The final three masterpieces were judged by Brickman and Fenella Charity, a Senior Design Manager from LEGO’s Denmark headquarters, plus 250 members of the general public who all voted.
 
Host Hamish Blake said: “Probably like a lot of Australia, I wasn’t expecting to get sucked in as deep as I did, and that’s because of the amazingly high quality the teams delivered, particularly the final three.
 
“I would love to have won the $100.000 myself and truly made history on TV as the first host to win, but I understand that rules are rules. Plus Henry and Cade’s build was incredible, so they are more than deserving. It was a total joy to stand by, yelling finishing times at them.”
 
Nicknaming themselves #teamdadbod, Henry and Cade seamlessly united their building styles throughout each challenge, melding Cade’s artistry and Henry’s love of LEGO Technic at every turn.
 
Cade said: “What an amazing adventure. It’s such an honour to win the title of LEGO Masters. Henry and I had so much fun with every crazy build along the way and were so pleased with our final build. Thanks to every fan of the show, with a special shout out to our friends and family, without whom we would not have been able to do this.”
 
Henry added: “It’s been the greatest creative binge of my life!”
 
Closing the first chapter on the blockbuster comes the news that a second series of  Lego Masters has been commissioned, with applications now open. 

That honour is reserved for the host country, this year Israel, plus the “big five” European countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Australia’s 2019 entrant Kate Miller-Heidke competed for a place in the Grand Final this morning and the fan favourite was a stand-out performer among a field from all corners of Europe.

There were 17 competitors in the First Semi-Final with 10 qualifying for the Grand Final.

Bookmakers had already identified Miller-Heidke as a threat, ranking her third favourite behind Netherlands and Sweden.

Miller-Heidke delivered another flawless performance of Zero Gravity. She towered above the stage with two dancers floating beside her with a backdrop of a galaxy of stars.

This morning she performed 12th in the First Semi-Final, wedged between competitors from Georgia and Iceland. Iceland also qualified for the Grand Final, Georgia did not.

Although there was never any doubt that Miller-Heidke would make the Grand Final, she and the Australian delegation had to wait until her name was read out as the seventh qualifier for the Grand Final.

The 10 qualifiers for the Grand Final rom the First Semi-Final are:

• Greece
• Belarus
• Serbia
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Czech Republic
• Australia
• Iceland
• San Marino
• Slovenia

The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest has returned to Israel this year after it won in 2018.

SBS is the broadcaster of the contestant with Myf Warhust and Joel Creasy returning this year as hosts.

The Second Semi-Final airs live early on Friday morning with the Grand Final live early on Sunday morning.

Barnes said: “It’s great to play in an intimate setting where the songs are stripped back so that the audience get to hear the lyrics a little more and get a feel for what the band was emotionally trying to do when we made the record. I look forward to playing new and old songs and let the viewers hear the essence of the songs in the rawest form,” 

Barnes’ seventeenth solo studio album release, My Criminal Record, is his first rock album since 2010’s Rage And Ruin and was written by Barnes, with significant assistance from his oldest sparring partner, Cold Chisel’s Don Walker. Contributions also come from close friends Troy Cassar-Daley, Mark Lizotte (aka Diesel) and The Living End’s Chris Cheney, as well as Rodgers, Harley Webster and Jade MacRae.

Fraser Stark, Group General Manager, Foxtel’s Entertainment & Music channels said: “MAX is all about Great Music and, in addition to our classic playlists and countdowns; we are thrilled to get some of the greatest artists in music into the MAX Studio to record exclusively. On a wish list of Australian music greats, Jimmy Barnes’ name is uppermost. The man is as Australian as Vegemite and now, from within a highly-successful reflective phase in his career, delivers fantastic new work with his trademark vocals that fearlessly nail the note every time. His performance is powerful, personal and fans will delight in the material – old and new – given the hard touch that has made this icon so well loved for so long.”

Studio MAX with Jimmy Barnes screens Saturday June 1 at 12pm on Foxtel’s MAX channel and available to stream through Foxtel On Demand.

Now, with more than 1.4 million Telstra TVs in living rooms around the country, Telstra is sharing the love with eligible mobile customers (consumer postpaid mobile or mobile broadband service), regardless of their internet service provider.

Customers will be able to take-up Telstra TV outright or on a 24-month plan.

Telstra TV allows users to stream movies, TV shows, live sport, music and more. Plus watch free-to-air TV, all in one place.

Telstra TV is claiming to have Australia’s first integrated live TV, catch-up, and on-demand search function. With Telstra TV Smart Search, users can search simultaneously for specific movies, TV and people. This includes free-to-air, catch up TV, Foxtel Now, Netflix, Stan, Kayo Sports, Telstra TV Box Office, Hayu, Animelab, Garage Entertainment and DocPlay.

The current Telstra TV now includes voice control built into the Wi-Fi-enabled remote. Users can now control, play and search with their voice – just ask to search, play and pause movies and TV shows, plus change channels, apps and much more.

Bonus $125 Telstra TV Box Office Credit

Buy a Telstra TV and customers will receive a $125 Telstra TV Box Office credit, providing up to 20 new release movie rentals.

Payment options

Customers can own a Telstra TV for $216 outright, or if they can pay off the device for a monthly fee of $9/mth over 24 months (min cost $216).

Telstra TV FAQs

Telstra TV requires compatible TV, minimum internet speed of 3.5Mbps. Antenna required for live TV. $9.95 delivery fee may apply. Subscription and data charges apply.

Telstra TV Box Office Credit: Must activate new Telstra TV and complete Telstra TV Box Office registration before 26/08/19. Credit expires 24 months after registration. Up to 20 movie rentals example based on standard definition movies.

Hardware Repayment Option (HRO): Only customers with an existing fixed or post-paid mobile service are eligible. Maximum 5 HROs per customer at any one time. If you cancel an HRO early or cancel your existing fixed or post-paid mobile service(s), your HRO will also terminate and you will be required to pay out the remainder of your HRO.

Tuesday Week 20 2019

By James Manning 

• Seven News 1,041,000/967,000
• Nine News 933,000/918,000
• A Current Affair 810,000
• ABC News 700,000
• 7.30 520,000
• The Project 381,000/473,000
• 10 News First 441,000
• SBS World News 148,000

Breakfast TV

• Sunrise 271,000
• Today 198,000

6pm audience

• 7News 1,041,000
• 9News 933,000
• Celebrity Name Game 248,000 (Mon: 314,000)
• The Drum 222,000
• Mastermind 99,000

Seven

The channel had its lowest Tuesday share since January.

The 7pm soap slipped to 638,000 after Home And Away started the week on 699,000.

House Rules was not much over 500,000 after successive Tuesdays of 534,000 (last week) and 533,000 (last night).

Andrew Denton’s Interview then did 378,000 with Steve Martin and Martin Short. The episode was down from 447,000 last week. Liz Hayes also interviewed the US comedians last month on 60 Minutes.

Nine

Nine’s winning share of 25.5% was the best on the channel since the final two nights of Married At First Sight.

The Lego Masters Finale drew a massive audience to Nine which caused some mayhem for some of the competition.

Nine split the final into two parts with both dominating their timeslots and most demos. The Lego Masters franchise is the only program so far this year with a metro audience over 1m for every episode.

Brickman called the winning construction from Henry and Cade “epic” several times and he was right. The team share a $100,000 first prize and might have just built themselves a career competing in Lego competitions and spruiking the product around Australia and the world.

The Finale started with a metro audience of 1.249m metro, which didn’t quite manage to outperform the series’ launch episode of 1.372m.

The Winner Announced though set a new high for Lego Masters with 1.493m.

The Melbourne audience was more invested than anyone else with over 500,000 watching the Winner Announced with 394,000 in Sydney.

Elsewhere on Nine last night A Current Affair lifted to 810,000 after 794,000 on Monday.

A final season episode of The Big Bang Theory did 703,000 followed by a repeat on 461,000.

10

Share dropped less than 1.0 week-on-week.

An immunity challenge on MasterChef Australia drew the biggest audience with 592,000 after 654,000 a week ago. Simon made it through to the challenge by presenting Nigella with the best custard dish, although he never looked like beating professional chef Coskun.

Earlier in the night The Project 7pm was on 473,000 after 511,000 on Monday. George Calombaris was among the guests.

The second week of Mr Black clashed with the end of Lego Masters, which might help account for the drop to 278,000 after launching with 471,000. Tough crowd.

Earlier in the night, the new 6pm game show Celebrity Name Game also stumbled. After launching Monday with 314,000 it was down to 248,000.

ABC

After ABC News and 7.30, the third episode of Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure was next best with 286,000.

The Recording Studio preceded it with 257,000.

SBS

Nine and SBS were the only channels to lift Tuesday share week-on-week.

SBS did it with help from 331,000 watching Marta Dusseldorp on episode three of Who Do You Think You Are?

Insight then did a very healthy 294,000 as it paid tribute to women who migrated to Australia during the 50s, 60s and 70s. It was followed by Dateline on 146,000.