I’ve never seen that sort of thing in any other show either. Perhaps they did contribute to the costs but I really don’t know. I didn’t even think BTV6 showed The Restless Years and I’m not aware of it ever being “affiliated” to the Ten Network (although, ironically it is now as WIN)
It was something I never really reconciled at the time either, to see these Play School presenters playing serious drama.
His fingerprints are all over those soaps from the 70s and 80s. So many theme tunes… And although Arcade was the dud I think its theme song was one of his best work, although very much of its time.
Interesting to see on his Wikipedia page, it lists The Power The Passion as a mini-series! I mean, I know it was short lived but that’s a bit harsh!
13 February 1993: Jo Beth Taylor appears as host of Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show for the first time. Taylor follows Graham Kennedy, Jacqui MacDonald and Lisa Patrick as host on a show that had only been running since 1990. Presenting videos featuring men being hit in the nuts was obviously exhausting work.
13 February 2006 Bert Newton makes his debut on Channel 9 hosting a version of the hit game show Family Feud. The show lasted only until May 2007 before it was axed
I was under the impression that Deal Or No Deal (which was probably at/around the peak of its success in 2006-07) absolutely smashed Bert’s Family Feud in the ratings.
Although the 2014-18 version on Ten with Grant Denyer wasn’t much better IMO!
As if. It was way better than the John Deeks and Sandy Scott versions. Probably better than the Daryl Somers version in hindsight. On par with the Tony Barber version but Rob Brough version is probably still the best.
14 February 1981: Hoping to piggy back on the success of Prisoner, Network Ten presents Punishment, a prison drama set in a men’s prison. The first episode premieres on ATV10 on a Saturday night with TEN10 screening the debut on Friday, February 20. The show rates single digits and the network removes it from the schedule after four episodes.
14 February 1983: ATN7 airs Olivia in Concert in simulcast with 2Day FM. It’s a two hour special made during Olivia Newton-John’s US “Physical” tour. Seven pays a record $80,000+ for rights to screen the concert.
14 February 1989: Gary Reilly produced Australian sitcom The Family Business debuts on Ten with the Australian premiere of Roseanne following at 8pm.
14 February 1991: Series one of Police Rescue premieres on the ABC. The multi million dollar series was spawned from a well received telemovie that had aired in 1989 and is an ABC-BBC co- production.
14 February 1995: Seven debuts drama series Fire with Georgie Parker in the role of a female firefighter in a Brisbane fire station.
14 February 1996: Who Dares Wins premieres on Seven with Mike Whitney and Tania Zaetta daring ordinary Australians to do things they never thought they would do.
14 February 2005: On this day 15 years ago, Karl Stefanovic began his tenure hosting Today. For the first 2-3 years, Karl went through 4 different co-hosts before being paired up with Lisa Wilkinson to turn the struggling breakfast show around.
I do recall the opener being on YouTube, but it must have been deleted.
Of course Karl remained with the program until the end of 2018 (despite rumours dating back to 2008 that he was leaving), where his private life, constant media attention and an infamous call on the back of an Uber saw him being ousted from the show. However, after a disastrous 2019, Nine pleaded Karl to come back and host the show with Allison Langdon in 2020. Sorry @NewsWeary, I wasn’t meant to tag you in this
I thought he was only in the first few episodes. I remember Kris McQuade, who played his wife, mentioning when promoting Wentworth her role in Punishment didn’t continue because Mel had become a hot property following Mad Max.
