The ABC

Excellent range of Australian children's programmes, documentaries, dramas, comedies, news and current affairs shows. No commercials.
Click here for TV Guide

Wombat TV  Hit Picks
Catalyst: Don't Die Young, 8.00pm. Thursdays.

The "Don't Die Young" series shown on Catalyst is an excellent foray into human physiology and how the human body works, made all the more exciting because the attractive host, Dr Alice Roberts, conducts a lot of experiments on herself. 

In this weeks episode, she inserts an horrifically long tube into her nasal cavity. It's a bit gross, but utterly fascinating TV.

- Frankie J.

Wombat TV  Hit Picks
Q&A, 9.30pm. Thursdays.

Over the last few weeks I've been casually tuning into Q&A (or 'Qanda' as those in the know like to call it) and what at first I thought was the usual junk offered up by the ABC has begun to draw me in.

It's now solid viewing on Thursday nights as Tony Jones hammers his way through the live show which tackles all the big issues, such as climate change, the sexual abuse scandals rocking the Catholic church and other hard-hitting topic. 

What makes it work best is the choice of panelists, which provide a good cross section of ideas and viewpoints.

- David Lennox.

Wombat TV  Hit Picks
The Hollowmen, 9.30pm. Wednesday.

The news is in - the second series of the all-too-real Hollowmen has been green lit and will air right after the current series ends, which is after the Beijing Olympics.

This political satire is probably the best comedy on TV at the moment, taking us on a fictional tour of the Australian Prime Ministers inner sanctum to see how new policies are devised and then manipulated by interest and lobby groups. Top stuff.

- Frankie J.

Channel 7

Strong on Australian drama, lifestyle shows, popularist news and current affairs, game shows. Commercials.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
The Force : Behind The Line, 8:00pm. Mondays.

The Force returns on Monday to brutalise criminals and shine the pure light of justice on everything the police force does. Well, almost everything...

Simon Reeves is the man behind the mic who does his best to sound serious when he utters "Crime doesn't pay" or "If only this criminal stayed in bed, he wouldn't have been shot forty seven times" and does a fairly good job of keeping your attention.But for all the snide remarks, I actually do enjoy this show which shows a brief glimpse of what its like to be a copper.

- Frankie J.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
ABBA : The Mamma Mia! Story, 6:30pm. Sunday.

Following up the phenomenal success of last weeks special on Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Channel Seven is again striking while the iron is hot with another special tied into a phenomanally successful franchise.

Admisdt a publicity storm, Mamma Mia! The Movie took in over $5 Million at the Aussie Box Office, sky rocketing it to the number one spot. So it seems only sensical to jump on the bandwagon.

Over an excruciatingly stretched out hour, ABBA : The Mamma Mia! Story takes a behind the scenes look at the global musical entertainment phenomenon Mamma Mia!

Expect some mighty fluffy interviews with the stars including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Waters - as well as the original band members of ABBA.

Nowhere near as good as the Rowling special, and serves as one long and irritating ad, which no doubt, the fans will simply lap up.

- David Lennox.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
The One : Australia's Most Gifted Psychic, 7:30pm. Tuesdays.

It's shows like this that really lead me to lack any faith whatsoever in the human race. It also goes some way into explaining as to why George W Bush has been elected more than once.

The opening episode of this Andrew Daddo led series (Daddo is actually quite good, one of the best personalities on our TV's... shame he has been attatched to this junk) was viewed by over 1.4 million people.

If it achieves similar ratings this week, I may very well throw my TV set out all together - and hopefully on top of one of this shows moronic viewers.

- David Lennox.

Channel 9

Lifestyle shows, popularist news and current affairs, game shows, reality TV. French Open tennis. Rugby League State of Origin. Commercials.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
Movie: Raise Your Voice, 7:30pm. Saturday.

Okay so sometimes the sweet tub of noodles is a refreshing change, but at the end of the day, it's the spicy ones you get the most value-for-money from. And that same analogy could be applied to Raise your Voice.

Hilary Duff looks sweet, acts sweet, heck; sings sweet - but the spice is perceptibly omitted.

As wholesome as Cherry Pie and as innocent as its headline act, Voice is essentially a vehicle to showcase young blonde moppet Hilary's singing voice.

Whilst fellow actress/singer Mandy Moore has slotted herself into fitting features, Duff seems content to skip into anything that's on offer. Granted, you can see why she wanted to do Raise your Voice - it not only lets her sing, but it's all about 'her' - yet her reps might've been better advised to tell her to hold out for something a little more beefy.

One for the under sixteen brigade only.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
The F Word, 9:30pm. Mondays.

Another day, another Gordon Ramsay show!

It seems Australians can't get enough of the crater faced chef with an attitude to rival Naomi Campbells. This latest vehicle for the mouthy chef isn't as enthralling or addictive as the superb Kitchen Nightmares series - but that doesn't make it any less more enjoyable.

Well worth checking out, as there is little by way of decent competition on Monday nights.

Channel 10

Programmed for a younger audience, US chat shows, lifestyle shows, popularist news and current affairs, reality TV. Commercials.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
Big Brother : Finale, 7:00pm. Monday.

We all saw it coming, but there is something satisfying about the death of Big Brother being caused by the inclusion of the personality-free Jackie O.

It's been a long, and despite what many say, a fun ride. I'm the first to admit that for most years of it's eight year life span - a good deal of my life was spent watching people doing less than what I was doing when watching it.

But, whether you thought it was good or bad - it is finally coming to an end. And sadly, it's an end that no one really cares about. The BB08 cast were nothing short of the worst representation of Australian society possible.

Stuck up blondes and moronic boys - and not in the way "snobby" critics usually mean. They literally are the sort of people most normal folk (for example, Ben) would avoid in the real world because they are... for the lack of a better word... douchebags.

Goodbye and Good Riddance!

- David Lennox.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
So You Think You Can Dance, 7:30pm. Wednesday.

The Australian version was amazingly successful, prompting Channel 10 to quickly milk it for all it's worth while the Big Brother machine slowly sucks viewers away from the network quicker than a new Bert Newton show.

On offer here is the original and the best, the American Version which really started the buzz here in Australia. In this monster 2 hour show - we get to see the best.... and worst... from Auditions 1 & 2.

From ballroom to ballet to salsa, jive and hop, some dancers are set to "wow" the judges which others leave them speechless.

Yep - it's back. And there is nothing better than sitting back on the couch and watching fools with a deluded sense of self confidence destroy themselves.

- David Lennox.

SBS

Excellent range of non-English speaking programmers, strong coverage of soccer, terrific overseas news, documentaries and foreign movies. Limited commercials.
Click here for TV Guide

Wombat TV Hit Picks
The German Pope: Benedict XVI, 8:35pm. Sunday.

Joseph Ratzinger (who, I still believe sounds like a villain in a Cold-War-Era Disney cartoon) was born in Marktl am Inn in Upper Bavaria in 1927 into a deeply devout family.

He and his brother, Georg, became priests in 1951 but Joseph was drawn towards scholarship, and became one of Germany's youngest professors of dogmatic theology at the University of Regensburg.

In the early 60's he became involved in Pope John XXII's Second Vatican Council, during which his clear theological thinking was noticed. In 1967 Pope Paul VI appointed him Bishop of Munich and Freising, and soon afterwards he was ordained cardinal. In 1978, after the unexpected death of John Paul I, he met Karol Woytyla, who was surprisingly elected pope, taking the name of John Paul II.

There was an immediate affinity between the Polish Pope and Ratzinger and they would discuss ideas and prepare decisions together for 23 years.

This is his story - and if you haven't been overwhelmed by all the Youth Day festivities, then this is the show for you.

- David Lennox.

Wombat TV Hit Picks
Parent Rescue, 3:00pm. Wednesday.

It's an odd time to air such a great series - but hey, it's SBS, so even in prime time people still wouldn't watch it!

Parent Rescue is a fascinating series that looks at contemporary solutions to age-old parenting problems by exploring the work undertaken by Karitane; an innovative service that offers practical help to families overwhelmed by the challenges of raising young children.

Parent Rescue mixes just the right amount of drama and humour to show a diverse group of families, from a mix of different cultures, who are all touched by Karitane's unique approach to supporting, nurturing and promoting family.

If I had a family, I know I'd watch

- David Lennox.

The Joker is Wild :
Batmans Greatest Villain

It's been near impossible to ignore the hype surrounding the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight. Even before the tragic death of Australia's Heath Ledger, the momentum behind the film was simply phenomenal.

But what is it that makes The Joker, arguably the only reason for such hype, such an unstoppable force within comic book folk lore? Is it his seemingly random thirst for blood? Or is it because each heinous act is done with a jovial smile?

Whatever the reason - the guy is pretty damn cool, and often rated as the #1 Super Villain of all time. Which, when you think about it when you consider the ridiculous number of literary villains which have been churned out since the creation of the printing press.

But who is the best? It really is a matter of choice. From camp and crazy to sinister and downright creepy, the various live-action adaptions of the character are as different to each other as oil and water. So to help you work out the mystery, we're giving you a glimpse at just four variations of the character known to the world as simply... The Joker.

THE DARK KNIGHT - Exlcusive Review - Read It Now

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