This Sunday night Nine will air their ratings bonanzas of CSI a-go-go from 9pm. The FINA not-drowning championship has not been doing well for them in the ratings but they’re willing to allow it an extra half hour on their most popular night of week.

Why?

Well, Rove starts at 8:30pm on Ten. I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody in programming had the cynical idea that the first half of Rove will rate its arse off because all people want to see is how a man so recently bereaved will handle his return to television. The hope, no doubt, is that after the intrigue is taken care of, people will have no interest in the show and look for something else to watch.

Am I missing something here? Is there some vital event at the not-drowning that must be aired between 8:30 and 9? Am I being too harsh on Nine and they really have a fully justified reason for starting CSI so late?

Last week is in the past. This week is in the now… or present… or something. More poignant thoughts are discussed in this fantastic episode of Boxcutters. We talk about The Black Donnellys and This American Life as well as throwing out a bunch of criticisms of our Communications Minister.

Plus Josh really wants tickets to see the Pixies.

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Regular listeners will know I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to computers, so it is quite a concern that I seem to have a better grasp of the broadband problems than the Communications minister.

Last night Coonan huffed and puffed her way through Lateline, in a condescending and patronising manner, attacking Labor’s new broadband initiative.

Her main arguments seemed to be that if Labor’s plan would eventually run at a profit, it shouldn’t need any initial investment (an argument proving she has as good a grasp of business as she does of everything else) and that the government are committed to providing the bush with the same level of service metro enjoys.

What’s that 256? 512?

We are falling dangerously behind the developed world on this. A study highlighted in The Age showed in Paris for the equivalent of $50 Australian they get 24Mbps, unlimited downloads, unlimited VOIP calls within France and 100 TV channels coming in through the internet.

And it is not just for entertainment purposes. The lack of a world class broadband service will start to effect the way we do business, the economy, everything.

Nobody is suggesting the bush doesn’t need broadband. That is not the issue here. And I know we have a vast, somewhat isolated country and that there are complex problems which need to be overcome. So overcome them. Just sitting around saying there are problems and doing nothing won’t help. Neither will Telstra and the government just blaming each other.

It is heading towards as big a stuff up as digital TV. Only this matters even more.

Be interesting to see what sort of influence youtube has on the upcoming US presidential elections. Somebody has already repackaged Ridley Scott’s seminal 1984 Apple Mac ad (and Planet Express ad) into a new anti Hilary version.

Ah, episode 77. Full of … stuff. Lots to hear, not so much to learn.

This week we have a Things You May Have Missed Life On Mars, two, count ‘em two I Don’t Buy Its, News, Ratings, Pork and a Raywatch (although frankly I don’t think the Raywatch has leg to stand on).

Enjoy

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Rumours are circulating on the net that Veronica Mars has been cancelled.

It’s not entirely unexpected given the show only just survived the chop last year, then had this season’s order cut by 4 episodes.

Still it is bound to upset the small but dedicate army of fans. I guess we will never find out how Veronica did at the FBI academy.

The last few episode screen in the states in May (while Channel 10 has slotted them in for 2236).

So is it a new series of Futurama episodes or 4 straight to dvd movies? One and the same. All is revealed in this Matt Groening interview.

The 4 movies 90 minute movies will be reconfigured into 16 episodes. That’s bound to work.

Oh well, new Futurama is new Futurama.

Great to finally have Season 10 about to screen here. As I said in the show 6 months ago it is a top quality series. However it is not without its problems.

Firstly why has it taken SBS so long to screen it? Season 11 has already started in the States. South Park famously has a week turn around from idea to finished product, meaning it can be a relevant, up to the minute satire. This is somewhat negated if SBS don’t screen the episodes for 12 months.

Secondly for some reason SBS is starting with Tsst - a great ep but episode number 8 in the series. For those less numerically inclined that means they have left out episodes one to seven.

My guess is that SBS is trying to make itself as despised as the commercial networks - first ads, now contempt for the viewers by ignoring the running order. How long until they claim these faults are just them responding to viewer suggestion and giving us what we asked for?

News, quotes, The Biggest Loser, a review of the book Prisoner of Trebekistan, some Pork and a monkey in the mail. That and more is what you can expect from episode 76. All gold, no lead.

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Today Tonight seemingly up to it’s old tricks.

Whether they used Liz O’Neil’s name or not, it’s a pretty cheap stunt whatever.