R.I.P. ROBERT BUTLER

His name is barely known outside the US television industry, but to those on the inside, the loss of Robert Butler represents the passing of one of the great television directors of all time.

Born into the earliest days of the film industry as a Hollywood native, he honed his craft in a booming, fast-moving young sector. His understanding of the art and craft of television directing lead to the gritty, real-life aesthetic of perhaps his finest work, the cop classic Hill Street Blues; he shot the acclaimed pilot (for which he won his only Emmy; pictured, below) and the first four episodes of Season 1.

His credits span the birth of the American television industry, it's 'golden years' and ultimately the new direction it took in the 80s and 90s. They include The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis (1960); Bonanza (1961); The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961); The Rifleman (1962); five eps of The Detectives (1962); seven eps of The Untouchables (1962); Dr Kildare (1963); three eps of Ben Casey; two Season 5 eps of The Twilight Zone; Hogans Heroes (5 eps; 1966); The Fugitive (6 eps; 1965); Batman (6 eps; 1966); the unaired pilot episode of Star Trek, called 'The Cage' (1966); and, I Spy (4 eps; 1966).

Butler detoured occasionally into TV movies and mini-series. Most notable amongst them the acclaimed William Holden cop drama, The Blue Knight; the action thriller Mayday at 40,000 Feet, with David Janssen; the adaptation of the Shirley Maclaine autobiography, Out On A Limb; and the rafting thriller, White Mile with Alan Alda. He also took bigscreen journeyman jobs, many with Disney (Now You See Him Now You Don't; The Barefoot Executive; Scandalous John; Hot Lead Cold Feet). His final theatrical feature was Turbulence (1997), with Ray Liotta.

But it would be his television series CV that remains his enduring legacy. His ongoing episodic work included Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Kung Fu, Columbo, twelve episodes of The Magical World of Disney, five episodes of Remington Steele, and the pilot episodes of two iconic series - Moonlighting (1985; pictured, left) and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1994).

Recipient of the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Acievement Award in 2015, Robert Butler passed away on November 3, aged 95. He is survived by his wife Adrienne Hepburn. 

WARNER BROS. CENTENARY SPECIAL HEADS FROM CANNES TO FOXTEL

Direct from its World Premiere at the 2023 Festival de Cannes, the four-part documentary special 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. will debut from June 11 on Australian fee-vee provider Foxtel. Narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Academy Award® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, the in-depth portrait of the first century of Hollywwod’s most innovative studio explores the impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce and culture.

 
100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS features insights and first-person stories from directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians, as the four specials trace Warner Bros.’ underdog origins – from its founding in the early 1920s by four brothers from an immigrant family, through decades of creative risks and impactful storytelling, to the historic mergers of the 2000s that transformed the company into a global entertainment powerhouse. 

The four episodes cover four key segments in the major's growth:

1. THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: Four brothers (pictured, right) set out to build a movie studio from the ground up–while making a giant leap from silent films to “talkies.” As the Warners stand up to WWII Nazism, personal ambitions lead to family betrayal.

2. CLINT, KUBRICK AND KRYPTONITE: After a historic sale, Warner Bros. navigates the upheavals of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Under a new strategist CEO, the company enters an era of unmatched storytelling with groundbreaking projects.

3. HEROES, VILLAINS AND FRIENDS: In the ‘80s, a new generation helps crown Warner Bros. as a forerunner in Hollywood’s blockbuster age. After a historic merger, the company becomes one of the biggest entertainment giants in the world.

4. WIZARDING WORLD AND THE BIG BANG: As the millennium brings a new era of business partnerships bookended by mergers, Warner Bros. continues to champion authentic voices while harnessing the latest technologies of the digital age.

The four documentary specials feature over 60 interviews with legendary, studio-aligned  stars as Kim Basinger, Candice Bergen, Linda Blair, Orlando Bloom, Quinta Brunson, LeVar Burton, Lynda Carter, George Clooney, Kevin Costner, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gal Gadot, Andy Garcia, Ke Huy Quan, Harvey Keitel, Linda Lavin, Matthew Modine,, Edward James Olmos, Jesse Palmer, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Oprah Winfrey and Constance Wu. (Pictured, left: Director Leslie Iwerks)

Filmmakers and execs who have helped forge the Warners brand who contribute recollections include Tim Burton, Jon M. Chu, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Ernest Dickerson, Toby Emmerich, William Friedkin, Ron Howard, Patty Jenkins, Tony Gilroy, Baz Luhrmann, Todd Phillips, Chuck Lorre, Gregory Nava, Christopher Nolan, Gregory Orr, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and John Wells, with critic/academic Leonard Maltin providing important historical context.

The streamer will further support the movie industry giant’s centenary with programming ‘pop-up’ channels. From June 30 to July 27 on Channels 128 and 402, ‘WB 100 Movies Pop-Up’ will feature more than 200 movies from 1939 to today’s blockbusters, including Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Dumb & Dumber, Caddyshack (pictured, right), The Dark Knight, the Vacation franchise, The Witches of Eastwick and Elvis. And the ‘Cartoon Network WB 100 Classics Pop-Up’ will feature classic cartoons from the Warner Bros. catalogue, amongst them such animated icons as Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Jellystone and many more (June 30 to July 14 on Channel 700).

100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. debuts from Sunday, June 11 at 8.30pm on Fox Docos and available On Demand on FOXTEL

NICHOLAS BRAUN HITS OZ RED CARPET FOR SUCCESSION BIG-SCREEN EVENT

To celebrate the fourth and final season of the Emmy-winning drama series Succession, Nicholas Braun, who  plays 'Cousin Greg' Hirsch, was joined by a mix of local celebrities and members of industry for a big-screen showing of Episode 2, 'Rehearsal' at the Hoyts EQ multiplex in Sydney last night, Monday April 3.

The New York native has risen in prominence in the key part of the somewhat-clueless, easily-manipulated 'Cousin Greg', earning two Emmy nominations and becoming an internet meme phenomenon. Having worked the red carpet for the benefit of the gathered photographers, Braun sat with BINGE executive and co-host of the channel's in-house podcast Skip Intro, Alison Hurbert-Burns, for a brief QA ahead of the screening.

Succession explores themes of power and family dynamics through the eyes of patriarch Logan Roy, played with a fierce intensity by Brian Cox, and the high-stakes corporate and personal conflict he shares with his grown children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin), as well as the stuttering political career of his eldest, Connor (Alan Ruck). (Pictured, below; Braun, right, with co-star Matthew Macfadyen)

In Season 4, the sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) moves ever closer. The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is complete. A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed.

Since its 2018 debut, the series has garnered 48 Emmy nominations and 13 wins, including Outstanding Drama Series, for the second and third season. Season three, which premiered October 2021, earned the SAG Award for drama ensemble and swept at WGA, DGA, and PGA.

Succession Season 4 is available to stream now on BINGE in Australia and HBO in U.S.; new episodes drop every Monday. 

VALE BRIAN WALSH

The Australian entertainment industry and employees at The Foxtel Group have expressed profound sadness at the sudden loss of Brian Walsh, an iconic figure throughout Foxtel’s 28-year history and one of the most admired creative leaders in Australian television. Brian died in Sydney yesterday, Thursday March 16. He was 71.

Interviewed by if.com.au in June 2022 on his appointment as Executive Director of the pay network's scripted drama division, Walsh said, "“I have seen some incredible changes in the business and am excited for what the future holds. I am an entrepreneur at heart and will detail my broader business plans in due course. For now, though, the key focus will continue to be Foxtel and delivering what I believe will be our strongest slate ever, of compelling Australian drama and entertainment.”

Brian began his career with ABC before going into feature film production and distribution at Palm Beach Pictures and promotions and publicity at Sydney Radio Station 2SM. After five years at Radio 2SM, Brian joined Network TEN, where he launched major network events, including the acclaimed Kennedy Miller mini-series Vietnam, The Bangkok Hilton, and The Dirtwater Dynasty. Brian is also credited with responsibility for the global success of the iconic Australian family drama series, Neighbours and launching the careers of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce.

Brian initially established his reputation as a gifted media, entertainment and sports publicist. His CV is a roll-call of iconic moments in television marketing and publicity including the creation of the Simply The Best season launch for the National Rugby League which featured Tina Turner. Brian was also the creative force behind a series of blockbuster Grand Final and State of Origin Entertainment shows and events while also being the much-loved publicist for the largest Australian international concert tours including by Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond, Ricky Martin and Barbra Streisand.

In 1995, Brian was a key member of the management team that established Australian subscription television with the launch of Foxtel. Brian’s talent and his unique ability to engage people saw him become Foxtel’s creative force over the past two decades including overseeing all scripted and unscripted commissions for the Foxtel Group. This includes some of Australia’s best quality, most loved television series including Wentworth, Upright, Deadline Gallipoli, The Kettering Incident, The End and most recently the award-winning and globally distributed series Love Me, Colin from Accounts and The Twelve.

Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany said: “This is a very difficult day for the Foxtel Group family, for Australia’s creative community and the millions of Australians who watched and loved the stories that Brian bought to life through television. Australia’s creative community has lost a much-loved figure in Brian.  For us, the loss is heavily felt.  

“At the Foxtel Group, Brian was a long-time mentor, a confidant, a colleague and an unwavering friend to so many. Today, we are grieving Brian’s passing. Our condolences go to his family and to those closest to him. We have lost an icon of Australian television that will never be replaced. Rest in peace, Brian.”

STAN ORIGINAL SCRUBLANDS BEGINS SHOOTING IN RURAL VICTORIA

Streaming platform Stan and the broadcaster 9Network have announced the commencement of production on the original series Scrublands, a new crime limited series starring Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote and Jay Ryan. Based on the award-winning novel written by Chris Hammer, Scrublands is an Easy Tiger production being brought to life in association with VicScreen.

Set in the isolated country town of Riversend, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners. One year later, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden arrives to write a feature story on the anniversary of the tragedy. But when Martin’s instincts kick in and he digs beneath the surface, the previously accepted narrative begins to fall apart and he finds himself in a life and death race to uncover the truth.

The cast also includes a stellar line-up of Australian talent - Zane Ciarma (Neighbours), Adam Zwar (Squinters), Victoria Thaine (Nowhere Boys), Robert Taylor (The Newsreader), Stacy Clausen (True Spirit), Genevieve Morris (The Stan Original Series No Activity) and newcomer Ella Ferris. Scrublands marks the second co-commission between 9Network and Stan, following last year’s ratings hit, Bali 2002.

Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie (pictured, right) said, “Scrublands promises to be a powerful and compulsive crime thriller. Set in Australia’s unforgiving and harsh landscape, Easy Tiger has secured an outstanding core cast in Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote and Jay Ryan and we look forward to collaborating with them on Scrublands.”

“Joining forces with the teams at Stan and Easy Tiger on Scrublands has realised an ambition we have had since Chris Hammer's novel was published in 2018,” said Nine Director of Television Michael Healy. “We are confident the creative team led by director Greg McLean and lead writer Felicity Packard will adapt Scrublands into television drama for a global audience.” 

International sales of the series are handled by Abacus Media Rights. “Not only does Scrublands have all the ingredients that make for a winning drama – a great script, relatable characters and a strong cast – due to the fact that it’s based on a best-selling crime thriller novel the Scrublands franchise is already well known around the world and we can’t wait to offer this series to our clients,” said Jonathan Ford, Managing Director at Abacus.

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “Victorian locations have been the backdrops to some of the world’s most captivating screen projects, and we are proud to support the highly anticipated adaptation of Chris Hammer’s bestselling novel to shoot in regional Victoria.”