ABC TO GET DEDICATED CHILDREN'S CHANNEL

The ABC Australia network have formally announced their plans, after a period of intense speculation, for a dedicated free to air children's tv channel, set to go to air in April 2008. Helped of course by the $82 million that the government have provisionally agreed to cough up, arn't elections wonderful things!

The channel will be known as ABC3, ABC Director of Television, Kim Dalton, speaking from the Screen Producers Association of Australia Conference on the Gold Coast, said ABC3, as the new channel will be known, will be a tremendous addition to the entertainment choices available to Australian families.

Planning is already underway at the ABC for the provision of ABC3, which will be a digital channel, available free to viewers who have a digital television or a digital set-top box.

Mr Dalton issued a caveat saying, “Provided the funds are approved by government soon after the election, we will be on air by April 2008.”

The Galvanized Film Group Acquires Film Rights to Tracy Chevalier’s novel Remarkable Creatures

Heather Ogilvie (Galvanized Film Group) has acquired the option to produce a feature film based on Tracy Chevalier’s novel Remarkable Creatures and will partner with Icon Film Distribution to bring it to the big screen. Academy Award nominee Jan Sardi (Shine, Mao’s Last Dancer, The Notebook) will adapt the book, which was published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2009. Tracy Chevalier is the author of five previous novels, including the international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Virgin Blue, Falling Angels, The Lady and the Unicorn and Burning Bright. ‘I’m thrilled Tracy has entrusted to us the exciting task of adapting her wonderful novel for the screen,’ Heather said. ‘Icon Films have endorsed our conviction that this book will result in an outstanding movie by partnering with us to accelerate its development. Jan Sardi is a gifted, sensitive scriptwriter, and we’re confident he’ll deliver a script that more than lives up to our expectations.’ Tracy comments, ‘I think a

DOC MARTIN SEASON THREE EPISODE FIVE

Former Coronation Street actress Denise Black dyed her hair bright red to star in tonight’s episode of Doc Martin. “I play Dawn Lamb, the mother of the doctor’s receptionist, Pauline. Dawn is brash and boho, so I dyed my hair red exclusively for the role,” Denise explains. But the dramatic colour change didn’t go quite as Denise had planned. “I volunteered to come on set a day early because after I had dyed my hair the colour was rather robust. The make up artists looked stunned. ”A Corrie fan who saw me when I was walking around Cornwall during filming screamed when she saw the colour of my hair.” In the fifth episode of the third season which airs tonight on ITV1 @ 9.00pm will the course of true love run smooth for the star crossed couple Dr Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) and school headmistress Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz) as they go on their first date? It is the perfect spot for romance: being serenaded with classical music at a concert in the stunning grounds of a country hou

ELAINE CASSIDY ON A ROOM WITH A VIEW

The very lovely Elaine Cassidy plays Lucy Honeychurch in ITV1 splendid new adaptation of E.M. Forsters A Room With A View (adapted by Andrew Davies so expect some raciness amongst the longing glances). We caught up with Lucy recently to talk about the romantic drama. Spending hours at the piano practising with a concert pianist, Elaine Cassidy has rediscovered a childhood interest in playing, although she never had a passion for it like her character Lucy Honeychurch in A Room With A View. "Lucy lives out her emotions through her piano playing, but she isn't aware of it which is really sweet.” Explaining how she came to portray a talented pianist Elaine says: "I really can't play the piano that well. I had lessons for three years when I was young but then I lost interest in it, so I didn't practise and didn't get any further. “Tanya, my tutor on the show, was absolutely brilliant. She plays lots of concerts and seemed to have an understanding of what we we

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