2010 Logies

[niknakz001]

Tessa looks lovely but i cant help notice shes lost alot of weight !

[ter06]

WHEN Home and Away's elder statesman Ray Meagher finally claimed his Gold Logie, he did so as the figurative CEO of a financially succesful soap.

Welcome to Home and Away Inc, a television factory that over two decades has not only produced a string of stars - from Heath Ledger and Julian McMahon to Naomi Watts and Isabel Lucas - but also filled bags of big bucks for Seven's coffers.

Forget Neighbours. This is now the real success story of Australian TV, an in-house Seven production that senior industry sources estimate gives the network a sweet $25-$35 million profit every year.

And while Seven executives won't talk figures, it can be revealed that Home and Away's estimated $21 million annual production cost is almost covered by one overseas deal alone - its lifetime deal with UK network Channel Five.

And Home and Away is good business for the Australian TV industry, a five-nights-a-week soap that employs about 90 full-time staff, actors and crew.

It also hires freelance scriptwriters who earn around $6000 per 30-minute script, written from pre-developed storylines, that is then turned into soapie gold by four permanent directors.

It all puts some substance to Meagher's joking declaration on Sunday night that Home and Away is well and truly "below the salary cap", even with his $400,000 a year for the 42-plus weeks of production.

And with Home and Away winning two Logies on Sunday, when the critically acclaimed Underbelly: Tale Of Two Cities missed out, it only underlines that, in television, it's all in the eye of viewer beholders all around the world .

"The UK deal with Channel Five is a very, very good one for Seven and came about after Five outbid the former UK broadcaster ITV by four to five times," an insider connected to Seven said yesterday.

Serious business

"It has made Home and Away one of Seven's most profitable shows.

"Home and Away basically pays for itself each year before a camera is turned on - and that's a fabulous business."

But it's also a demanding one with a high turnover of young cast members, who are paid between $3000 and $5000 a week, but who are thrust into incredibly long days.

"I hate using the word 'machine'," said Seven's head of drama John Holmes, who has been with the show since its 1988 debut.

"But it's apt because this a highly regimented operation that must be organised and scheduled with an intense focus at all levels. It's no good getting to the end of a week with only four episodes in the can.

"When the newbies come in we have to impress on them how complex it all is - preparing for scripts, scene locations, a mix of different [out of sequence] scenes and studio etiquette."

It's a serious business - also a creative one designed to entertain - but one that's all about money in, ratings scored and substantial profits made.

Seven programmer Tim Worner said Home and Away was a combination of "our best creative and business acumen".

"I don't like to focus on one show. I look at it as one thread in a big tapestry," he said.

But there's no denying it's one of Seven's thickest twines

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/telev...i-1225861809014

[adellejefferiesxox]

Jess has been overseas recently so I guess that's why the dress was a bit basic. Nice dress though. Oh and I noticed that Jess and Todd sat next to each other

[bikinikill]

More to my argument that actors get paid tooooo much.

If a young actor gets paid $3000 a week for say 46 weeks of the year with 6 weeks non paid they earn $138,000. Maybe thats not right, cause it seems an awful amount, and quite frankly no actor is worth that much, not even Ray Meagher. Call me when they save somoene's life and maybe then they should get a pay rise.

[Kelly969]

you would think if the show was so profitable they could afford to make it much better than it currently is-the show certainly needs some better sciptwriters and a better more experienced producer running it-its been a poor last couple of years for the show yet its making all this money for seven? something is going wrong somewhere.

[Mistified]

More to my argument that actors get paid tooooo much.

If a young actor gets paid $3000 a week for say 46 weeks of the year with 6 weeks non paid they earn $138,000. Maybe thats not right, cause it seems an awful amount, and quite frankly no actor is worth that much, not even Ray Meagher. Call me when they save somoene's life and maybe then they should get a pay rise.

Like any "business", employees are rewarded based on the success they bring to the "business". If H&A is such a big money-spinner then that is because of the viewers. It is the cast the viewers are tuning in for. It would be harsh if they were not rewarded commensurate to that success.

[bikinikill]

I disagree. I think that as a society we have it wrong, we pay actors, successful musicians far too much money, but go and ask a nurse how much they are being paid a year. And they help people through the worst periods of their lives, heck they save people's lives. As a society, we should respect and renumerate that dedication. Look at the Qld nurses who haven't been paid for the past few months, but they keep turning up, everyday, because they want to look after people. Do you think the actors would do that? Of course not. They should get paid, sure, but not to the excessive amounts that they are getting paid. Ray Meagher is on allegedly around $300,000 - $400,000 a year, as is Rebecca Gibney. Thats ridiculous. I can't believe that they "earn" that.

[Anaya]

Romance on the Red Carpet

YOUNG love was in the air on the Logies red carpet last night with a number of hot Aussie couples stepping out together for the first time. Cricket legend Glen McGrath and girlfriend Sara Leonardi looked stunning together. "It is a night of firsts," McGrath said. "We went to the races in Randwick together but this is our first big event."

Hot Home and Away couple Luke Mitchell and Rebecca Breeds said it was almost love at first sight when they met. "From the first night we met and I laid eyes on Luke I knew something was happening," Breeds said. She said it was always a little daunting showing your personal life to the public but said she was happy to have Mitchell by her side. "I wasn't sure if we should be holding hands or not, she said. "But I told Luke to just breathe and enjoy himself."

Mitchell, 24, who joined Home and Away last year, said the pair met through a mutual friend before he started work on the long-running Seven soap. "That was about a year ago and then we started working together and everything really started taking off about six months ago."

In a massive switch from her appearance at last year's Logies, Jessica Marais, also debuting her newish romance with Packed To The Rafters co-star James Stewart, (top right) showed off not just her hunky man-bag but her changed image.

The pale complexion and slightly curvy figure has been replaced with a sun-kissed tan and super-skinny waistline, held together by her corsetted J'Aton dress. The couple looked the picture of perfection and said they had spent a relaxing week with family and friends in Melbourne. "I introduced Jessica to some of my sisters and we just tried to keep things as calm as possible before the big storm," Stewart said.

Source

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A bit of a delayed reaction. But a huge congrats to Ray for winning the Gold. Totally deserved it, the reception he received when his name was called out says it all. Really great speech too. And well done to Luke too. Those are the two I wanted to get awards, as well as Jess. Shame she didn't win hers. Still doesn't make her any less of an amazing actress.

[ter06]

Dannii Minogue has infuriated TV chiefs by inadvertently leaking the result of an awards show on Twitter.

The X Factor judge tweeted congratulations to her former Home and Away co-star Ray Meagher – unaware that the TV Week Logie awards had yet to air on Australian TV.

She posted: “Congratulations to Ray Meagher for winning the Gold Logie. I’m so happy for you!”

The awards were given out on Sunday but there was a strict embargo on the results until the ceremony aired.

A source said: “The organisers were livid, even though it was accidental.

“Dannii was in London at the time and honestly didn’t realise she had done anything wrong. She was mortified when she found out.”

Happily, Ray, who has played shopkeeper Alf for 22 years, saw the funny side. “Ray thought it was hilarious and emailed Dannii back, basically calling her a great galah,” the source added.

Last night, a spokesman for Minogue said: “Dannii was simply offering congratulations from London to an old friend. She had no idea the telecast was delayed.”

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old pop star jetted into Melbourne yesterday to promote her new clothing range.

Dannii, who is dating ex-rugby player Kris Smith, is due to give birth to their first child in July before starting work on The X Factor in the autumn.

Source: The Daily Mirror

This actually made quite a few papers here today

[halcyon06]

^The logies arent live!? I didn't know that!

I actually found out about Ray winning from snooping on Dannii's twitter actually!!