Female Filmmaker Team Drives Helium’s ‘Paper Dolls’ Scripted Series Riding Premium Australian Content Wave at MipCom (EXCLUSIVE)

The Wiggles have responded to reports than an Australian city played their song ‘Hot Potato’ on loop near a homeless shelter.The ABC reported that the city of Bunbury had been blasting their song nonstop near the Graham Bricknell Music Shell, where a regular makeshift shelter had been established.Bunbury Mayor Jayson Miguel said that this use of ‘Hot Potato’ was intended to discourage “people to congregate permanently in an area and to deter antisocial behaviour”. Miguel further claimed that music had been playing near the shelter “for more than six months without incident”, saying it was a standard practise across the state.However, it was reported that the music was switched off on Thursday (November 2) following public outcry and an intervention from The Wiggles.“The Wiggles’ music is created to bring joy and happiness to children and families around the world,” a spokesperson for the band said.

There’s a major development in the case of the Australian woman Erin Patterson, who fatally poisoned her former in-laws earlier this year!

Production expenditure on scripted screen production in Australia in 2022/23 was the second highest on record at $1.49BN (A$2.34BN) across 213 titles, according to Screen Australia’s annual drama report, but spend on Australian theatrical features declined by 54% from last year. 

Here’s a snippet of Perez’s much longer longer chat about Matthew Perry on @TheProjectTV.

EXCLUSIVE: Hugo Weaving is leading Australian streamer Binge‘s first original film, How to Make Gravy.

UK Love Island star Lucinda Strafford has revealed she has joined the Australian version of the show. Taking to Instagram to announce the news, the influencer shared a picture of her posing in a black swimsuit, with the caption: "Lucinda is looking for love in the @LoveIslandAU Villa! Stream the new season of #LoveIslandAU from Monday, October 30 on @9now." Lucinda, 23, failed to find love when she first entered the UK villa in 2021, despite forming romantic relationships with Brad McClelland and Aaron Francis.

Paramount+ said Monday that it will roll out its Premium tier subscriptions in Australia, Canada, Brazil and Mexico on November 16, with more international markets to follow.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Aiming to grow its global direct-to-consumer distribution, Paramount+ has set the international rollout plans for its premium and ad tier subscriptions following a launch across more than 45 markets last year. The premium plan will launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico on Nov.

The B-52s will perform at the White House State Dinner on Wednesday for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon.

Studiocanal has boarded the big screen adaptation of Australian author’s Craig Silvey’s award-winning 2002 bestseller Runt, about the friendship between a young girl and a stray dog she takes under her wing.

Blu DeTiger has joined forces with Australian musician Mallrat on her new single ‘Cut Me Down’ – Listen to it below.The track sees DeTiger and Mallrat – real name Grace Shaw – trade off on vocals to a bumping beat. “Everytime you cut me down / I know that you get off / Thinking that you got / Me all out of whack right now / It’s sad but it’s funny / You keep on trying,” the two sing in the chorus as they confront those who enjoy cutting others down.‘Cut Me Down’ is produced by DeTiger, John Hill (Foals, Oliver Tree) and Same Homaee (Selena Gomez, Dominic Fike).

Sløtface have collaborated with The Buoys for a new song – listen to ‘Fight Back Time’ below.The Norwegian act – as of last year now a solo project under Haley Shea – and the Australian indie rockers The Buoys linked up digitally to make the song, which is about the nagging feeling of always having to be switched-on.Sløtface’s Shea said in a statement: “‘Fight Back Time’ for me is about feeling way too caught up in everything you’re doing when you have too much going on, and desperately trying to grab some pieces of your life back so that you feel in control.“It’s about staying up late when you should get a good night’s sleep just to feel like you have some free time and feeling like there must be a fix to how you’re feeling out there somewhere. I love how the chorus has stacks of vocals egging me on to indulge in my bad habits, it feels very much like the voices in my head.”The Buoys vocalist and guitarist Zoe Catterall added: “Words started pouring out of me when I sat down to write my parts.

‘Marie Antoinette‘ Back On The BBCThe BBC has announced that it has acquired the second season of Canal+ Creation Originale Marie Antoinette. Sue Deeks, head of acquisitions for the BBC, said the first season of Deborah Davis’ drama had been a “great success” for the corporation. Marie Antoinette is produced by Claude Chelli and Margaux Balsan for Capa Drama, Stéphanie Chartreux for Banijay Studios France, as well as Bedside Productions. Season 2 is currently in production.

Bring Me The Horizon have announced a 2024 Australian tour with Sleep Token as support next spring.Oli Sykes and Co. will be heading down under in April 2024 for four dates.

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s your first look at Stan’s upcoming mega-church drama Prosper.

Channel 4 Takes Another JFK Doc

Bassem Youssef Helming Health Reality Series With Propagate Selling

Studiocanal, part of Vivendi’s Canal+ Group, has rolled out robust sales on Xavier Dolan’s Sundance-selected psychological thriller “The Night Logan Woke Up,” Spanish period drama “The Vow” and a bevy of first documentaries. The deals underscore the continuing upside for Studiocanal of illustrious cinema talent exploring premium TV direction, as well as the company’s beneficial diversification into documentary sales and daily series.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The second season of the tropical noir crime drama “Troppo” has completed production in Queensland, Australia, with Thomas Jane (“Boogie Nights”) and Nicole Chamoun (“Safe Harbour,” “On the Ropes”) reprising their roles as private investigators Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell. A director known for “The Expanse” and “Dark Country,” Jane also serves as a director for two episodes of Season 2.

EXCLUSIVE: Ocsar-nominated Shine director Scott Hicks‘ projects aboout musician Ben Folds have been taken on for distribution by Banijay Rights.