In very sad news today, reports that Mark Priestley who played Dan Goldman in All Saints was found dead in Sydney. He had apparently been suffering from depression. (See stories at: The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC online.)

Anybody who had seen All Saints in the last four years would have been aware of Priestley’s exceptional talent. His natural style and extraordinary range helped raise the quality of the show in a time of difficult transition. It was always a pleasure to watch him work.

He was nominated in 2007 for an AFI award in the Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama category.

It is shocking news and our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Support for depression can be sought by calling:

• Lifeline 131 114;
• SANE Helpline 1800 18 7263;
• or beyondblue 1300 22 46 36.

OK. It does not get better than this. Jess McGuire from RRR’s I’d Rather Jack and also Defamer joins us to talk about Australian Idol. We also finally cover off on Daria and mix it up a whole lot around the edges.

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Update:
The Australian Idol related sites Jess mentioned are Scott, To Be Certain and Bland Canyon.

Erratta
During the news it was said that TV Tonight’s David Knox wrote: “Samantha Armytage had been a seamless fill in [for Anna Coren reported]”.
Actually, this was a quote from an article in the Daily Telegraph. David Knox’s post on the blog was a criticism of the Telegraph article. Boxcutters apologises for the mistake.

Yes the Olympics are still on but we do our best to find television news amongst all the medal action. We talk about Quantum Leap in a bit of Things You May Have Missed as well as a Crap TV and the world’s quickest I Don’t Buy It. The truly excellent John Richards joins us this week with anecdotes and opinions that can help us all.

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Get more of John Richards at the Outland Institute.

Gerard McCulloch joins us to look at the first few days of Olympic coverage, Hole in the Wall and Make Me A Supermodel. Keep a look out for another Postcard from A Show as well as some letters to Boxcutters. Plus news and pork and a couple of chicken related I Don’t Buy Its.

Good for what ails ya. It’s 144, senor.

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You can hear more of Gerard on Comedy Obscura.

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With Tom Elliot and James Talia we talk a lot about the state of commercial television in general, its past, its future and the way things currently stand.

It’s a great chat with some eye or ear opening insights and predictions.

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Yes, ladies and gentlemens, we have the one and only fabulous Adam Richard with us in the Ross Seat this week. We talk about Celebrity Dog School, Star Dancers and a thousand other shows. Fun and exciting, it’s 142.

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The Australian reports that Sunday and Nightline have both been axed by the Nine Network.

Two news and current affairs programmes that once stood tall in the jungle of commercial network reportage are now gone. Over the past few years both shows, but Sunday especially, were stripped of their traditions and leadership.

It’s a sad day for network news.

The one hundred percent excellent John Richards joins us as guest co-host this week. We talk about what it’s like to try to get a pilot made and accepted in Australia. There is also heaps of nerdalicious sci-fi and fantasy talk and almost no reality TV coverage. Really!

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Save Our SBS has been in the news a lot lately with its criticisms of the way Shaun Brown has been running things. We speak to Darce Cassidy from the group about the problems they see with the broadcaster. Queen Josie Parelli sits in the Ross seat this week and we’ve got a bunch of news, pork and an I Don’t Buy It to fill out the rest of the show. It’s a big one.

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James Talia joins us on the phone from the UK with a Boxcutters scoop. Not even Media Watch had the information we have for you on this show. Nerida Haycock sits in Ross’s seat, keeping it warm and us informed. We talk about Press Gang in our youth television series and have a super-tough question in the quiz.

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