News

The field for this year’s Aacta Reg Grundy Award has been announced, bringing together new concepts across gameshows, competition reality, and quizzes.

Australian Graffiti, Boomerang, Pass it On!, Real Teams, and The Second Best Game Show will battle it out for the $50,000 prize, which is designed to grow Australia’s unscripted entertainment through helping fund new formats.

In addition to the $20,000 in cash and $30,000 in development funding offered in 2020, $10,000 will be given to someone under 25 with a TV show pitch that impresses the judges.

Launched in partnership with Grundy’s wife, Rg Capital chairman Joy Chambers-Grundy, the award honours the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the late media icon, whose legacy includes the local production of formats such as Sale of the Century, Blankety Blanks, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Perfect Match, as well as the creation of drama series Sons & Daughters, Prisoner and Neighbours.

The hit comedy show Reservation Dogs has all ready been renewed for a second season. The show premiered in early August on FX and Hulu. The show was created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi and revolves around four indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma, as they commit crimes and fight it out all in effort to get to California. The cast of young actors do a great job. The cast includes Devery Jacobs as Elora, D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai as Bear Smallhill, Lane Factor as Cheese, and Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack. Each character on the show has a story to tell and the casting is great. Comedy heavyweights Bobby Lee and Bill Burr make special cameos. The show deals with a lot of things from growing up in a rural town, poverty, racial inequality, and even suicide. And the comedy in the show helps balance out the sometimes dark subject matter.

When US-based producer Eden Gaha meets Australians working in unscripted that have made their way over to Los Angeles, he usually tries to hire them.

The former TV host and now president of unscripted at Shine USA told If his two decades of experience across both countries had shown him the value of skills from Down Under.

“There is a lot more reality in mainstream broadcast reality TV here than there is in the US on a ratio basis,” he said.

“Otherwise, the landscapes are relatively similar but I would say Australians do a lot more with a lot less; they’re very talented and very good.

“Whenever I meet Australians who have made their way to the US, I make the point of trying to buy them lunch because to have come up in the ranks in this business in that territory, you’ve pretty much done it all...

The Monaco Streaming Film Festival is the latest event to honour Australian television mogul Reg Grundy, announcing the establishment of an innovation award in his name.

Created in partnership with Grundy Media, the Reg Grundy Innovation Award is designed to recognise ground-breaking media and technological industry leaders that embody the spirit of the late media icon.

Entrants can be individuals or teams who have made historic contributions to both expand and elevate worldwide entertainment.

It comes after the inaugural Aacta Reg Grundy TV Award was created and presented in Australia last year.

The inaugural Monaco Streaming Film Festival is billed as a hybrid “festival-meets-summit” experience that celebrates the streaming industry’s content, makers, creators, and talent while providing insider knowledge on the film and content production industries.

Taking place from July 3-6, the festival will extend well beyond Monaco’s borders via its own live streaming platform.

Grundy’s widow...

Aacta has announced the five finalists in contention for the inaugural Reg Grundy Award, with the winner to receive a $50,000 prize for their idea for a new unscripted TV format.

The pitches are:

Next Slide Please – Zach Mander

Comedians take to the stage to deliver a Ted Talk on a subject they have no idea about, prompted only by a power point presentation they are seeing for the first time. A slide presentation projected behind them gives them the title of their talk and cycles through graphs, pictures, and notes as their only stimulus. They have five minutes to convince the audience they are an expert; leading to hilarious situations.

The Marriage Pitch – Samantha Davies

There have been thousands of dating and wedding shows over the years, but never has a series focused on the single most emotionally jolting and dramatic ritual in our culture: the act of bending down...

Reg Grundy hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in 1959.

Aacta has launched the Reg Grundy Award: an annual $50,000 prize open to anyone with the best new idea for an unscripted TV format.

Established in partnership with Reg Grundy’s wife, Rg Capital chairman Joy Chambers-Grundy, the award is designed to honour Reg’s entrepreneurial spirit, while also fostering a new generation of ideas.

Grundy’s legacy includes the local production of formats such as Sale of the Century, Blankety Blanks, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right and Perfect Match, as well as the creation of drama series Sons & Daughters, Prisoner and Neighbours.

The prize is open to anyone of any level of experience, who can demonstrate they have an idea that is original, viable and entertaining. Pitches can include genres such as quiz, variety, reality, competition, lifestyle, panel, and interview.

The judging panel will include Eureka Productions CEO Chris Culvenor,...

Cinedigm and Quincy Newell’s TwentyOne14 Media are partnering to launch an urban multicultural entertainment and lifestyle network yet to be named that will launch in the first quarter of next year.

Focusing on a 21-45 adult multicultural audience and content “that is authentic, diverse and inclusive,” it will be available for linear and AVOD platforms on connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media-streaming devices and web-based and online Ott services.

“The network will aspire to be a platform where African American, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American artists, who are passionate about urban culture, can be their most authentic selves,” the partners said in a release.

“I’m excited to join forces with Cinedigm to create a network where diverse voices are supported and filmmakers of color are encouraged to continue telling stories that offer a rich and more complete portrayal of the world around us,” Newell said “My ultimate mission...

Draya Michele (Perfect Match) is set for a recurring role on Star, Fox’s music-themed drama co-created and executive produced by Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy. Star follows three talented singers – running from their pasts and desperate for a new start – with ambitions of stardom, as they navigate the cutthroat music business. Michele plays the sexy, savvy Chloe David, a successful social media strategist who is not afraid to chase the big stories or abandon the boring ones. Blunt and pragmatic, Chloe has a sixth sense for what will catch the public consciousness. Her character will be introduced in the November 7 episode. Michele’s credits include the Bet original movie We Belong Together, All In, Perfect Match, True to the Game and Will to Love. She’s repped by Teall Management and Innovative Artists.

Candice Coke (La La Land) has booked a recurring role opposite Rachelle Lefevre and Kelsey Grammer...

It's finally the time we've all been waiting for, because Are You The One? is back for Season 7. You know that our favorite part of the show is trying to guess the matches. Just like we did last season with Season 6, we'll be watching, recapping, and keeping track on our spreadsheet so we can figure out who's right for each other — and who's seriously wrong. With genuine love connections being made and $1,000,000 at stake for the 22 singles on the reality show, everyone is playing for keeps, so you know this ish is about to get real. Who will hook up, break up, make up, and join the ranks of all the past Are You The One couples who are still together? If you're tuning in this season, watch along with us as we rack up the laughs and hunt down the answers. Now let's get started. Are You The One...

If you're not immediately familiar with the name Paul Greene, don't be alarmed. You soon will be, and his face is unforgettable.

We've already shared the preview for Campfire Kiss, airing tonight at 9/8c on Hallmark Channel, Paul stars along with Danica McKellar, and it's sure to be fantastic. Follow the link to revisit the details and rewatch the adorable trailer.

Paul stars as Steve, a devoted single father who loves the outdoors. Would you believe Paul, too, is a devoted single father who loves the outdoors? Find out in our interview why he's a perfect candidate for this role and many other romantic leads.

When I received the pitch for an interview, it arrived with a couple of sexy photos that weren't face-focused, and I had to look up Paul on IMDb. Embarrassing, right?

Then I thought to myself, "He's one of my Hallmark boyfriends! Of course, I want to interview him.

After a week of solving murders, digging deep into sordid mysteries and other mayhem, it's nice to fall in love.

That's where the beauty of Hallmark Channel comes in, whether with their original series or sweet made for TV movies.

Do you dream of being swept off your feet romantically? Even if you don't want to admit it out loud, we're here to allow you to admit it to yourself. We all want love. 

Stepping outside your comfort zone might make all the difference. Doesn't that tent look romantic? Well, except for the bear.

If you're lucky, you'll meet someone outdoorsy to help you out with those matters.

Campfire Kiss airs Saturday, March 18 at 9/8c, starring Danica McKellar and Paul Greene.

As a Hallmark fan, you'll recognize the couple because this isn't their first rodeo.

They starred in another Hallmark movie back in 2015 called Perfect Match.

Titles don't lie, as...

With the March 11 release date getting closer and closer for Sony Pictures' comedy The Brothers Grimsby, the studio has released the second red band trailer for this upcoming comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen. This new footage features some bizarre situations and some R-rated language, which shouldn't be watched by viewers under the age of 18. In related news, Sacha Baron Cohen also stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, where he debuted possibly one of the strangest clips in late-night TV history.

Before the clip aired Jimmy Kimmel revealed that they couldn't show the whole clip on the air, since it is "extremely graphic," so what they did was show a portion of this scene that was safe for TV, and then cut away to show TV viewers the audiences reaction to the scene. Even Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo Rodriguez went into the audience to watch this apparently outrageous scene unfold.