Things have been a bit quiet on the news front over the past few days, but perhaps that's a good thing rather than hearing about 5 new slots on Ten in Australia or something like that.
Anyway, here's a new fan-made trailer for you to enjoy. This one shows off the action-packed and unique nature of Out of the Blue and will hopefully work well if any of you have friends who are still wondering just why you keep going on about the show. The clips used are a wide range from over the whole series, so if you're spoiler-phobic, beware!
Friday 27 February 2009
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Kate Ritchie praises Charlie-Rose MacLennan
Charlie-Rose MacLennan, who played Zoe O'Donnell in Out of the Blue, has received praise from an Aussie soap legend this week.
Kate Ritchie - who played Home and Away's Sally Fletcher for 20 years - worked with Charlie-Rose on the new series of Underbelly, playing her mother.
In an interview with Australia's TV Week magazine, Kate said: "The young actors who play my character's kids, Charlie-Rose MacLennan and little Harry Ikimis Healy, are so sweet and they were incredible, considering the stories we were filming."
Charlie-Rose spoke about her role in a recent interview with The Soap Show website. You can read it here.
The ratings for Underbelly, which also stars Diane Craig (Deborah McManus) are still well over the elusive 2 million mark in Australia.
Kate Ritchie - who played Home and Away's Sally Fletcher for 20 years - worked with Charlie-Rose on the new series of Underbelly, playing her mother.
In an interview with Australia's TV Week magazine, Kate said: "The young actors who play my character's kids, Charlie-Rose MacLennan and little Harry Ikimis Healy, are so sweet and they were incredible, considering the stories we were filming."
Charlie-Rose spoke about her role in a recent interview with The Soap Show website. You can read it here.
The ratings for Underbelly, which also stars Diane Craig (Deborah McManus) are still well over the elusive 2 million mark in Australia.
Sunday 22 February 2009
Aussie ratings: February 22
Yep, it's that time of the week again!
The latest episode of Out of the Blue on Ten attracted 307,000 viewers, a rise of 30,000 from last week. It's still not a great figure for 5.30pm, especially as it used to do better at 10.30pm, but at least it's going in the right direction despite the abysmal way the show is treated.
The show has been going up against The Rich List on Seven over the past few weeks, but that's finished after this week, which means that Out of the Blue's timeslot rivals next week will be Antiques Roadshow and Fawlty Towers! Maybe if we're lucky it will get a bit of a boost as a result.
Another interesting thing in the ratings for Sunday is seeing a massive US show like 24 getting 317,000 viewers at 10.30pm. Out of the Blue often did better than that in the same timeslot from November to January. Food for thought eh...
The latest episode of Out of the Blue on Ten attracted 307,000 viewers, a rise of 30,000 from last week. It's still not a great figure for 5.30pm, especially as it used to do better at 10.30pm, but at least it's going in the right direction despite the abysmal way the show is treated.
The show has been going up against The Rich List on Seven over the past few weeks, but that's finished after this week, which means that Out of the Blue's timeslot rivals next week will be Antiques Roadshow and Fawlty Towers! Maybe if we're lucky it will get a bit of a boost as a result.
Another interesting thing in the ratings for Sunday is seeing a massive US show like 24 getting 317,000 viewers at 10.30pm. Out of the Blue often did better than that in the same timeslot from November to January. Food for thought eh...
Zoe Carides update
Zoe Carides is certainly keeping busy lately. Following her contribution to the Short & Sweet theatre festival in Sydney, the woman known best to us as Pia Jones is now doing some directing.
She's in charge of a production of the Pulitzer-nominated play Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, currently on at the Factory Theatre in Sydney. The show's run is raising money and awareness for the Hope for Cambodian Children charity.
The Australian Stage Online website has more info and they're very complimentary about Zoe's work:
"Director Zoe Carides hasn't tampered: she's had the courage, intelligence and discernment to adopt a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach. If only more directors knew when to take a step back, rather than make an indelible stamp."
Click the link above for more.
She's in charge of a production of the Pulitzer-nominated play Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, currently on at the Factory Theatre in Sydney. The show's run is raising money and awareness for the Hope for Cambodian Children charity.
The Australian Stage Online website has more info and they're very complimentary about Zoe's work:
"Director Zoe Carides hasn't tampered: she's had the courage, intelligence and discernment to adopt a 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach. If only more directors knew when to take a step back, rather than make an indelible stamp."
Click the link above for more.
Thursday 19 February 2009
Five's Out of the Blue ads
By request we've added Five's excellent promo ads for Out of the Blue onto the site. Three versions of the ad have aired over the past few weeks - a short one, a medium one and a longer one. Since the show launched, it's mainly been the shorter version which has been seen.
Click below to play the long version of the ad. The links to the other two ads can be found on the right hand side of the page, under the heading Out of the Blue Videos.
Click below to play the long version of the ad. The links to the other two ads can be found on the right hand side of the page, under the heading Out of the Blue Videos.
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Another media mention for Out of the Blue
The Out of the Blue Second Series Petition gets a mention in the UK's top soap magazine Inside Soap this week. Check out the mention on Page 95 of the current issue (it's in the Request Spot section of the letters page).
The number of signatures on the petition has been boosted thanks to the mention, rising from 89 to 123 in just two days. The original Save Out of the Blue petition currently has 234.
In other news, the new series of Underbelly, featuring Diane Craig, is continuing to be a smash-hit in Australia. An impressive 2,465,000 people tuned in for episode three on Monday night.
The number of signatures on the petition has been boosted thanks to the mention, rising from 89 to 123 in just two days. The original Save Out of the Blue petition currently has 234.
In other news, the new series of Underbelly, featuring Diane Craig, is continuing to be a smash-hit in Australia. An impressive 2,465,000 people tuned in for episode three on Monday night.
Monday 16 February 2009
Latest Aussie update
There were more Ten shenanigans at the weekend: An episode of Out of the Blue aired on Saturday night after 11pm! It didn't appear to be in any of the online TV guides so it seemed to be a last-minute decision. Perhaps, like the first Blade/Bec episode, it was considered to be unsuitable for an early evening slot. It's quite an unsatisfactory situation though if episodes are going to be aired all over the place due to content restrictions. How anyone can follow the storylines this way is a mystery.
In other news, the show's first outing in a 30-minute 5.30pm slot attracted 278,000 viewers on Sunday night, a fall from the previous week. This was the kind of figure that it was getting on a bad night when it aired at 10.30pm, so it would seem that this kind of number reflects the show's core fanbase and no new viewers are tuning in.
Only time will tell whether a soap that's supposed to air 5 nights a week can build up its audience in a once-weekly Sunday 5.30pm slot with no promotion, no network support and with decisions being made that seem to make no sense...
In other news, the show's first outing in a 30-minute 5.30pm slot attracted 278,000 viewers on Sunday night, a fall from the previous week. This was the kind of figure that it was getting on a bad night when it aired at 10.30pm, so it would seem that this kind of number reflects the show's core fanbase and no new viewers are tuning in.
Only time will tell whether a soap that's supposed to air 5 nights a week can build up its audience in a once-weekly Sunday 5.30pm slot with no promotion, no network support and with decisions being made that seem to make no sense...
Saturday 14 February 2009
Charlotte Gregg gossip
It's not often that you see the Out of the Blue cast in the gossip pages, but ever since her partner Wes Carr won Australian Idol last year, Charlotte Gregg (Tracy O'Donnell) has been the exception.
Yesterday, the Courier Mail newspaper found time to tell its readers that Charlotte and Wes are hunting for a new home. Apparently they were spotted looking at a one-bedroom flat worth $450,000. Sadly, the newspaper forgot to put a plug for Out of the Blue alongside its gossip.
Meanwhile, the newspaper is also reporting that the ratings success of Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities (which has Diane Craig among its cast) and Packed To The Rafters shows that Aussies are turning back to home-produced drama rather than reality TV.
With its talented cast and compelling scripts, it's a shame that Out of the Blue hasn't yet been given a proper chance to be one of the success stories...
Yesterday, the Courier Mail newspaper found time to tell its readers that Charlotte and Wes are hunting for a new home. Apparently they were spotted looking at a one-bedroom flat worth $450,000. Sadly, the newspaper forgot to put a plug for Out of the Blue alongside its gossip.
Meanwhile, the newspaper is also reporting that the ratings success of Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities (which has Diane Craig among its cast) and Packed To The Rafters shows that Aussies are turning back to home-produced drama rather than reality TV.
With its talented cast and compelling scripts, it's a shame that Out of the Blue hasn't yet been given a proper chance to be one of the success stories...
Friday 13 February 2009
'All My Friends...' airing at Canadian film festival
Sounds like Charlotte Gregg (Tracy O'Donnell) and Ryan Johnson's (Stavva Jones) movie All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane is getting some attention in Canada.
The 2007 rom-com will be airing at the OzFlix Film Festival in Toronto this weekend.
For more info, see this news report (which names the film as one of the festival's gems), as well as this general info page.
Also see the film's Wikipedia page for details of the movie itself.
Out of the Blue fans have found the movie difficult to get hold of, but it is possible to buy the DVD online. UK buyers should make sure that their DVD players can play other regions first and also bear in mind that it'll cost around £18 when you include postage. Finally, when buying DVDs from other countries, there's always the possibility of being hit by extra customs charges.
Thankfully, watching Aidan Gillett (Daniel McManus) in Home and Away later this month won't be so complicated!
The 2007 rom-com will be airing at the OzFlix Film Festival in Toronto this weekend.
For more info, see this news report (which names the film as one of the festival's gems), as well as this general info page.
Also see the film's Wikipedia page for details of the movie itself.
Out of the Blue fans have found the movie difficult to get hold of, but it is possible to buy the DVD online. UK buyers should make sure that their DVD players can play other regions first and also bear in mind that it'll cost around £18 when you include postage. Finally, when buying DVDs from other countries, there's always the possibility of being hit by extra customs charges.
Thankfully, watching Aidan Gillett (Daniel McManus) in Home and Away later this month won't be so complicated!
Out of the Blue messed around by Ten again
Is Out of the Blue about to set the record for the most timeslots given to a show in living history?
We only ask because news has just come out that the timeslot on Ten in Australia is changing yet again.
Last week, the show moved to a new 1-hour 5.30pm to 6.30pm slot, but that's proved to be short-lived. From this Sunday, the show is back to 30 minutes only, but it's still starting at 5.30pm. Repeats of The Simpsons are back at 6.00pm.
The TV Tonight blog, which is reporting the news, is pretty much saying that the only reason the show is still on air in Australia is because of the local content credit it gives to Ten, rather than them having any loyalty towards it.
The bright side is that 5.30pm is a less competitive slot, so perhaps the show can build up an audience without having to contend with major news competition on the other channels. However, you have to wonder whether viewers will simply get bored of wondering when on earth the show's going to be on and give up completely.
It's a shame because the show is now getting to a really good point. Sunday's episode will see the return of Blade as he tries to get his revenge on Bec. Unfortunately since their last encounter aired after midnight on Ten, many fans will probably be wondering what the hell is going on.
We only ask because news has just come out that the timeslot on Ten in Australia is changing yet again.
Last week, the show moved to a new 1-hour 5.30pm to 6.30pm slot, but that's proved to be short-lived. From this Sunday, the show is back to 30 minutes only, but it's still starting at 5.30pm. Repeats of The Simpsons are back at 6.00pm.
The TV Tonight blog, which is reporting the news, is pretty much saying that the only reason the show is still on air in Australia is because of the local content credit it gives to Ten, rather than them having any loyalty towards it.
The bright side is that 5.30pm is a less competitive slot, so perhaps the show can build up an audience without having to contend with major news competition on the other channels. However, you have to wonder whether viewers will simply get bored of wondering when on earth the show's going to be on and give up completely.
It's a shame because the show is now getting to a really good point. Sunday's episode will see the return of Blade as he tries to get his revenge on Bec. Unfortunately since their last encounter aired after midnight on Ten, many fans will probably be wondering what the hell is going on.
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Aidan Gillett and Diane Craig news
Attention all fans of Aidan Gillett!
The man known best to us as Daniel McManus will be seen in Home and Away on Five from Friday, 27th February. His storyline involves the characters of Aden and Joey, played by Todd Lasance and Kate Bell respectively.
Thanks to Sarah on the Facebook group for the info.
Speaking of the McManuses, it seems that Diane Craig (Deborah McManus) is currently appearing in Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities on Nine in Australia. She's playing the character of Barbara Mackay (who almost sounds like Deborah living under a half-hearted pseudonym). The show is a massive hit over there, debuting with a massive 2,584,000 viewers last night (Monday) and easily becoming the most watched programme of the day.
Charlie Rose MacLennan, who played Zoe O'Donnell on Out of the Blue, also has a role in Underbelly, but as we can't watch the new series here in the UK yet we're not sure when she'll pop up - if she hasn't already!
We'll keep you posted with any other news we find on Out of the Blue's talented cast members.
The man known best to us as Daniel McManus will be seen in Home and Away on Five from Friday, 27th February. His storyline involves the characters of Aden and Joey, played by Todd Lasance and Kate Bell respectively.
Thanks to Sarah on the Facebook group for the info.
Speaking of the McManuses, it seems that Diane Craig (Deborah McManus) is currently appearing in Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities on Nine in Australia. She's playing the character of Barbara Mackay (who almost sounds like Deborah living under a half-hearted pseudonym). The show is a massive hit over there, debuting with a massive 2,584,000 viewers last night (Monday) and easily becoming the most watched programme of the day.
Charlie Rose MacLennan, who played Zoe O'Donnell on Out of the Blue, also has a role in Underbelly, but as we can't watch the new series here in the UK yet we're not sure when she'll pop up - if she hasn't already!
We'll keep you posted with any other news we find on Out of the Blue's talented cast members.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Aussie ratings update
Out of the Blue debuted in its new 5.30pm-6.30pm slot on Ten in Australia today and ratings increased slightly as a result. As previously discussed on here, the show has pulled in figures like 170,000 and 266,000 viewers since being moved to 6.00pm on Sundays a few weeks ago.
In its latest outing, the show attracted an average of 307,000 viewers over the hour. It's not a fantastic figure given the timeslot, but not a total disaster like some previous weeks. Repeats of The Simpsons (which still seem to be quite a popular choice on Ten) used to air in the same slot and one episode got 385,000 in the week before the show was replaced by Out of the Blue.
Some positives are that the show did well to increase its audience this week given that the last 30 minutes still went against news shows, and with the Australian bushfires, people would understandably be even more interested in those broadcasts than usual. The show seems to be in the process of building up its audience again - but whether Ten gives it the chance to continue doing so remains to be seen.
Weirdly, the catch-up episodes on Ten's official site are ahead of the TV broadcasts, with some already up on there that have yet to air! Perhaps that shows just how little attention they are paying to the show!
In its latest outing, the show attracted an average of 307,000 viewers over the hour. It's not a fantastic figure given the timeslot, but not a total disaster like some previous weeks. Repeats of The Simpsons (which still seem to be quite a popular choice on Ten) used to air in the same slot and one episode got 385,000 in the week before the show was replaced by Out of the Blue.
Some positives are that the show did well to increase its audience this week given that the last 30 minutes still went against news shows, and with the Australian bushfires, people would understandably be even more interested in those broadcasts than usual. The show seems to be in the process of building up its audience again - but whether Ten gives it the chance to continue doing so remains to be seen.
Weirdly, the catch-up episodes on Ten's official site are ahead of the TV broadcasts, with some already up on there that have yet to air! Perhaps that shows just how little attention they are paying to the show!
Saturday 7 February 2009
Five releases Out of the Blue statement & campaign update
As discovered by Alaina on the Facebook group, Five have released a statement about Out of the Blue after being bombarded with emails from the show's loyal fans (not bad for a programme which, according to the BBC, didn't have a following).
Anyway, their official response to the emails isn't the greatest. They say: "Lots of people seem to think that we are carrying on from where the BBC left off. Unfortunately, we are not doing this. We've bought up all the episodes originally commissioned by the Beeb and there are no plans to produce any more. Sorry about that."
Not as sorry as us...
Interestingly, just above their statement they discuss the mixed response to their remake of Minder, explaining: "All we would say is that when we get a lot of reaction from a TV show on Five, good or bad, we're happy."
If that's not an incentive to keep up the campaign, we don't know what is.
Speaking of those efforts, on the Facebook group we've also been alerted to a leaflet which has been produced by a fan. See it here. If anyone does decide to use it we'd obviously recommend doing so sensibly - ie, don't cover your nearest postbox with 500 of them or hire a helicopter to drop them over your closest town centre.
Yet another new start for the show tomorrow as it changes to its new 5.30pm-6.30pm slot on Ten in Australia. Whether fans over there have any idea that it's moving again is anyone's guess. Judging by Ten's forums, a lot of viewers are now only watching online because they can't keep up with the channel's crazy scheduling.
Anyway, their official response to the emails isn't the greatest. They say: "Lots of people seem to think that we are carrying on from where the BBC left off. Unfortunately, we are not doing this. We've bought up all the episodes originally commissioned by the Beeb and there are no plans to produce any more. Sorry about that."
Not as sorry as us...
Interestingly, just above their statement they discuss the mixed response to their remake of Minder, explaining: "All we would say is that when we get a lot of reaction from a TV show on Five, good or bad, we're happy."
If that's not an incentive to keep up the campaign, we don't know what is.
Speaking of those efforts, on the Facebook group we've also been alerted to a leaflet which has been produced by a fan. See it here. If anyone does decide to use it we'd obviously recommend doing so sensibly - ie, don't cover your nearest postbox with 500 of them or hire a helicopter to drop them over your closest town centre.
Yet another new start for the show tomorrow as it changes to its new 5.30pm-6.30pm slot on Ten in Australia. Whether fans over there have any idea that it's moving again is anyone's guess. Judging by Ten's forums, a lot of viewers are now only watching online because they can't keep up with the channel's crazy scheduling.
Friday 6 February 2009
New petition
The Save Out of the Blue petition is still going strong, however a new petition has now also been set up with the specific aim of encouraging Five to commission another series. New visitors are encouraged to sign both if they have not already.
Meanwhile, the Five homepage is currently asking readers to vote on whether Neighbours, Home and Away or Out of the Blue is the best Aussie soap, so don't forget to take advantage of this extra opportunity to show support for the show!
Meanwhile, the Five homepage is currently asking readers to vote on whether Neighbours, Home and Away or Out of the Blue is the best Aussie soap, so don't forget to take advantage of this extra opportunity to show support for the show!
Thursday 5 February 2009
Mention on Mirror blog & more Five promotion
Out of the Blue was given a rare mention in the UK media yesterday after a fan emailed The Mirror's We Love Telly blog to express their dismay at the show being dropped by the BBC.
In response, the site said: "Well there might be some good news for you [...] Out of the Blue is getting a second shot on Fiver, and if it performs well on the ratings it might be the boost it needs to get new episodes produced."
Bear in mind that, as previously discussed on here, Five are currently ruling out commissioning any more of our favourite soap. Who knows what could happen in the future, though: there's certainly no harm in trying to create a buzz around the show by talking to friends about it, as well as emailing or writing to Five to express your interest.
Meanwhile, Five have also put a promotional article about the show up on its Official Neighbours Website.
The repeats continue on Fiver tonight with the immediate fall-out of Philby's murder.
In response, the site said: "Well there might be some good news for you [...] Out of the Blue is getting a second shot on Fiver, and if it performs well on the ratings it might be the boost it needs to get new episodes produced."
Bear in mind that, as previously discussed on here, Five are currently ruling out commissioning any more of our favourite soap. Who knows what could happen in the future, though: there's certainly no harm in trying to create a buzz around the show by talking to friends about it, as well as emailing or writing to Five to express your interest.
Meanwhile, Five have also put a promotional article about the show up on its Official Neighbours Website.
The repeats continue on Fiver tonight with the immediate fall-out of Philby's murder.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Mystery begins & Petition update
The show's big mystery has now started on Fiver, with the murder having occurred (off-screen of course) in tonight's episode. Pretty much every episode from this point onwards is excellent, so let's hope the show starts getting some great ratings.
The only other news today is that the Save Out of the Blue petition has now been signed by over 200 people. Here's a selection of the latest comments on there, which once again illustrate the passion that fans have for the show.
David: "Out of the Blue is the best soap with the best storylines I have seen in YEARS! Please, please save this magnificent show!"
Sarah: "Loved the show, can't believe the BBC messed it up so badly!"
Jane: "Please save Out of the Blue, I am lost without it!!! And how the hell can it be left on such a cliffhanger!!!"
Anonymous: "What a nightmare!! I've been watching Out of the Blue since the start on BBC Two and it's just keep me hooked but didn't realise that last Thursday's episode was the last one and what a cliffhanger [...] Bring it back BBC Two!"
Jaonne: "It's the only programme I watch on TV, and now it's been axed... such a shame for a good programme."
L May: "It is simply unfair to introduce a cliffhanger [...] and leave the loyal fans hanging. There is plenty of scope left, and sticking to a schedule will ensure viewers are loyal."
Shabnum: "This is pathetic by the BBC, I switched on today 2 Feb thinking what the hell is going on!!! Why isn't the programme on!!! BBC get a grip and don't show replays of wildlife and I can't stand bloody Loose Women on ITV!"
Margaret: "I was angry but not surprised by the BBC after the way it mucked about with the viewing times of OOTB. They seem to think that all viewers want to watch is their precious DEPRESSING EastEnders which I stopped watching long ago. Good luck with the petition."
Anonymous: "There HAS to be a second series of this programme!!! It is one of the best TV shows out there! I didn't watch every single episode not to find out what happens next!!! So PLEASEEEEEEEEE give us round 2 :)"
Claire: "This drama is brilliant, couldn't believe it when it stopped last Friday especially leaving on a huge cliffhanger like that!!!!!! Don't axe it."
Susan: "I have really enjoyed watching Out of the Blue and can't believe that it is at the end of its run, why can't you see it is sooo goood and if you give it a chance and a sensible timeslot then you would soon see how popular it was."
Janet: "If I was only allowed to watch one programme on TV it would be Out of the Blue. It's brilliant [...] It should have been shown in an evening slot - wasted on daytime TV. Although we've already seen this, mum and I will be watching again on Fiver. Thank God we've got a digibox."
Samantha: "One of the best things produced by the BBC in a long time. Perhaps if BBC spent less of our licence fee on funding untalented and lewd presenters (which are not even name worthy!) then a 2nd series would already be in the bag. I guess this is indicative of today's Britain - a country which I am ashamed of."
Joanne: "I have been engrossed by this drama since it started on BBC Two, despite the ridiculous and erratic viewing schedule it was given. Thank goodness Five have taken it over, but please please please let them continue with it after episode 130. It's a real worthy TV drama with great characters, exciting plotlines and wonderful locations. Please keep it going!"
The only other news today is that the Save Out of the Blue petition has now been signed by over 200 people. Here's a selection of the latest comments on there, which once again illustrate the passion that fans have for the show.
David: "Out of the Blue is the best soap with the best storylines I have seen in YEARS! Please, please save this magnificent show!"
Sarah: "Loved the show, can't believe the BBC messed it up so badly!"
Jane: "Please save Out of the Blue, I am lost without it!!! And how the hell can it be left on such a cliffhanger!!!"
Anonymous: "What a nightmare!! I've been watching Out of the Blue since the start on BBC Two and it's just keep me hooked but didn't realise that last Thursday's episode was the last one and what a cliffhanger [...] Bring it back BBC Two!"
Jaonne: "It's the only programme I watch on TV, and now it's been axed... such a shame for a good programme."
L May: "It is simply unfair to introduce a cliffhanger [...] and leave the loyal fans hanging. There is plenty of scope left, and sticking to a schedule will ensure viewers are loyal."
Shabnum: "This is pathetic by the BBC, I switched on today 2 Feb thinking what the hell is going on!!! Why isn't the programme on!!! BBC get a grip and don't show replays of wildlife and I can't stand bloody Loose Women on ITV!"
Margaret: "I was angry but not surprised by the BBC after the way it mucked about with the viewing times of OOTB. They seem to think that all viewers want to watch is their precious DEPRESSING EastEnders which I stopped watching long ago. Good luck with the petition."
Anonymous: "There HAS to be a second series of this programme!!! It is one of the best TV shows out there! I didn't watch every single episode not to find out what happens next!!! So PLEASEEEEEEEEE give us round 2 :)"
Claire: "This drama is brilliant, couldn't believe it when it stopped last Friday especially leaving on a huge cliffhanger like that!!!!!! Don't axe it."
Susan: "I have really enjoyed watching Out of the Blue and can't believe that it is at the end of its run, why can't you see it is sooo goood and if you give it a chance and a sensible timeslot then you would soon see how popular it was."
Janet: "If I was only allowed to watch one programme on TV it would be Out of the Blue. It's brilliant [...] It should have been shown in an evening slot - wasted on daytime TV. Although we've already seen this, mum and I will be watching again on Fiver. Thank God we've got a digibox."
Samantha: "One of the best things produced by the BBC in a long time. Perhaps if BBC spent less of our licence fee on funding untalented and lewd presenters (which are not even name worthy!) then a 2nd series would already be in the bag. I guess this is indicative of today's Britain - a country which I am ashamed of."
Joanne: "I have been engrossed by this drama since it started on BBC Two, despite the ridiculous and erratic viewing schedule it was given. Thank goodness Five have taken it over, but please please please let them continue with it after episode 130. It's a real worthy TV drama with great characters, exciting plotlines and wonderful locations. Please keep it going!"
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Premiere reaction, Aidan and Aussie ratings
- We've been scouring the web trying to find some reactions to the Fiver premiere of Out of the Blue from new viewers. In the interests of fairness we'll include a selection of good and bad from what we've found:
littlelau, Handbag Forum: "Seems a bit boring so far [...] At the moment it doesn't seem like a soap, more like a drama that will turn into a murder mystery."
Slade, Back to the Bay: "Ok, well I watched the first episode and it seemed a bit anticlimatic but it is early days so I'll give it a chance. During the voiceover it was mentioned that one of them was going to be murdered so I look forward to seeing that."
ukdiva23, Digital Spy: "I recorded it because it clashes with Corrie, I don't think Fiver thought it through putting it on head to head with the major soaps like EastEnders and Corrie [...] I quite enjoyed the first episode though, so will definitely continue watching."
Tyleer, Digital Spy: "I really enjoyed it, so will definitely continue to watch it and hope I can really get into it [...] I also agree that they should put it on at an early time to get more viewers but as I can't stand Corrie it doesn't affect me."
It probably is fair to say that the first episode is the least action-packed of the lot, so it will be interesting to see how reactions change as the series progresses.
- Writing on the Facebook group about his stint on Home and Away, Aidan Gillett (Daniel McManus) has confirmed that he will be on-screen in Australia by February 13. Remember that the UK airings are currently two weeks behind those in Aus.
- It looks like Out of the Blue is starting to struggle a bit in the ratings in Australia. The show performed really well during its two-month stint in a 10.30pm slot on Ten - with an estimated average audience of 335,000, and with figures looking set to soon reach 400,000 before being taken out of the slot. These were respectable figures given the episodes were on so late.
Unfortunately, since moving to 6pm on Sundays, those figures have dropped. Two weeks ago the show debuted in its new slot with 170,000 viewers. At the weekend, it had 266,000 viewers - an increase, but still disappointing. Part of the reason for this is that the 6pm Sunday slot was probably the most competitive one the show could have been put in. In Australia, news programmes are always the highest-rated shows of the day, and Out of the Blue was unlucky enough to be put up against two of them - Seven News and Nine News.
To put things in perspective, on Sunday Seven News had 2,000,000 viewers and Nine News had 1,272,000. That's a massive chunk of the available audience watching news shows! Out of the Blue's move to a 5.30pm-6.30pm slot this weekend could possibly address this problem - it'll have a 30-minute advantage over the news shows and will hopefully keep hold of viewers over the hour.
Another issue is that the show could at least build up some momentum in its 4-nights-a-week 10.30pm slot. Such a low number of episodes each week prevents that a little bit.
Whatever happens, the official ratings season has now started in Australia and so Ten will obviously be watching closely to see how the show performs. Maybe the show just needs time to settle into its new slot - after all, it dropped to just over 200,000 at 10.30pm at the start of January before shooting back up to the high 300,000s the week after. We'll keep passing on any info we can find!
littlelau, Handbag Forum: "Seems a bit boring so far [...] At the moment it doesn't seem like a soap, more like a drama that will turn into a murder mystery."
Slade, Back to the Bay: "Ok, well I watched the first episode and it seemed a bit anticlimatic but it is early days so I'll give it a chance. During the voiceover it was mentioned that one of them was going to be murdered so I look forward to seeing that."
ukdiva23, Digital Spy: "I recorded it because it clashes with Corrie, I don't think Fiver thought it through putting it on head to head with the major soaps like EastEnders and Corrie [...] I quite enjoyed the first episode though, so will definitely continue watching."
Tyleer, Digital Spy: "I really enjoyed it, so will definitely continue to watch it and hope I can really get into it [...] I also agree that they should put it on at an early time to get more viewers but as I can't stand Corrie it doesn't affect me."
It probably is fair to say that the first episode is the least action-packed of the lot, so it will be interesting to see how reactions change as the series progresses.
- Writing on the Facebook group about his stint on Home and Away, Aidan Gillett (Daniel McManus) has confirmed that he will be on-screen in Australia by February 13. Remember that the UK airings are currently two weeks behind those in Aus.
- It looks like Out of the Blue is starting to struggle a bit in the ratings in Australia. The show performed really well during its two-month stint in a 10.30pm slot on Ten - with an estimated average audience of 335,000, and with figures looking set to soon reach 400,000 before being taken out of the slot. These were respectable figures given the episodes were on so late.
Unfortunately, since moving to 6pm on Sundays, those figures have dropped. Two weeks ago the show debuted in its new slot with 170,000 viewers. At the weekend, it had 266,000 viewers - an increase, but still disappointing. Part of the reason for this is that the 6pm Sunday slot was probably the most competitive one the show could have been put in. In Australia, news programmes are always the highest-rated shows of the day, and Out of the Blue was unlucky enough to be put up against two of them - Seven News and Nine News.
To put things in perspective, on Sunday Seven News had 2,000,000 viewers and Nine News had 1,272,000. That's a massive chunk of the available audience watching news shows! Out of the Blue's move to a 5.30pm-6.30pm slot this weekend could possibly address this problem - it'll have a 30-minute advantage over the news shows and will hopefully keep hold of viewers over the hour.
Another issue is that the show could at least build up some momentum in its 4-nights-a-week 10.30pm slot. Such a low number of episodes each week prevents that a little bit.
Whatever happens, the official ratings season has now started in Australia and so Ten will obviously be watching closely to see how the show performs. Maybe the show just needs time to settle into its new slot - after all, it dropped to just over 200,000 at 10.30pm at the start of January before shooting back up to the high 300,000s the week after. We'll keep passing on any info we can find!
Monday 2 February 2009
A few updates
- Out of the Blue has now aired its first episode on Fiver! The advert for it has been put on at pretty much every opportunity over the past two weeks, and anyone who was intrigued by the promotion has now had a glimpse of what the show is like. The Fiver announcer said that it was great to have another Aussie soap on the air, and declared that the first episode was "awesome". If she thought that was awesome, she'll be running out of adjectives in a couple of weeks once the murder mystery has started properly and the really good episodes have started to air!
- The show is available to watch online via Demand Five. Thanks to Alaina for the link.
- In Aussie news, the show has now aired for the final time in its 30-minute 6pm Sunday night slot. As previously discussed on here, it now starts airing double episodes from 5.30pm to 6.30pm each week, starting this Sunday. As well as airing the usual Sunday evening episode yesterday, Ten also put a new episode on after midnight. It was time for the Lucia/Kirsten/Blade storyline, and as the episode had an "M" rating for adult content, they couldn't show it in the early evening - at least not without making cuts. Hopefully this will be the last scheduling mishap and the show now gets some stability in Oz.
- The number of signatures on the Save Out of the Blue petition continues to rise as more fans realise that Thursday's BBC Two episode was the last one. Though they couldn't be bothered to tell fans this after the episode had aired, the BBC have now updated their homepage for the show for the first time in months to include the message: "Out of the Blue is no longer being shown on the BBC."
- Over the next few months we'll try to pass on any information we can find about what the cast are up to. Here's our first nugget of news: Zoe Carides, who played Pia Jones on the show, has been taking part in the Short & Sweet Festival in Sydney. The theatre event sees audiences turning out not just to watch one play, but to watch 10 or 11 - with each being just 10 minutes long.
Zoe's play is called Duals. According to the Australian Stage website, the short production explores "fame, fidelity and family". It seems that the site's reviewer was impressed by Zoe, too: "Brilliantly cast, this piece is clearly theatrically sophisticated: and brilliantly acted. Zoe Carides as the genuine and forgiving makeup artist Susan, is well matched to the diva actor Tessa (Alice Ansara)."
- The show is available to watch online via Demand Five. Thanks to Alaina for the link.
- In Aussie news, the show has now aired for the final time in its 30-minute 6pm Sunday night slot. As previously discussed on here, it now starts airing double episodes from 5.30pm to 6.30pm each week, starting this Sunday. As well as airing the usual Sunday evening episode yesterday, Ten also put a new episode on after midnight. It was time for the Lucia/Kirsten/Blade storyline, and as the episode had an "M" rating for adult content, they couldn't show it in the early evening - at least not without making cuts. Hopefully this will be the last scheduling mishap and the show now gets some stability in Oz.
- The number of signatures on the Save Out of the Blue petition continues to rise as more fans realise that Thursday's BBC Two episode was the last one. Though they couldn't be bothered to tell fans this after the episode had aired, the BBC have now updated their homepage for the show for the first time in months to include the message: "Out of the Blue is no longer being shown on the BBC."
- Over the next few months we'll try to pass on any information we can find about what the cast are up to. Here's our first nugget of news: Zoe Carides, who played Pia Jones on the show, has been taking part in the Short & Sweet Festival in Sydney. The theatre event sees audiences turning out not just to watch one play, but to watch 10 or 11 - with each being just 10 minutes long.
Zoe's play is called Duals. According to the Australian Stage website, the short production explores "fame, fidelity and family". It seems that the site's reviewer was impressed by Zoe, too: "Brilliantly cast, this piece is clearly theatrically sophisticated: and brilliantly acted. Zoe Carides as the genuine and forgiving makeup artist Susan, is well matched to the diva actor Tessa (Alice Ansara)."
A new era for Out of the Blue
Today's the day! After completing its run on BBC Two, Out of the Blue's repeat airings make their debut on Fiver at 7.30pm tonight. It'll seem a little bit weird to go back to the beginning - lots of us are still reeling following the shock cliffhanger ending in the last BBC episode - but it shouldn't take too long for us to start enjoying the early episodes again.
Who knows what these repeats airings will mean for the show. After all the TV promotion, it will at least pull in a few new fans who can experience for themselves just how great the show is, if they decide to stick with it. If it does turn out to be even a moderate success, it would add weight to fans' belief that there is still life in the show and it deserves a chance.
The best we can hope for is that Fiver realises what the BBC didn't - a soap needs time to build up a dedicated fanbase who tune in every day. It's impossible to gauge anything about an audience's reaction to a show like this after just a week. People will tune in out of curiosity for the first episode, the audience may start to drop afterwards, then the dedicated fans who are left will help to maintain interest through word of mouth. Ideally, after that the ratings will build back up again over time.
Out of the Blue wasn't given the chance to do this on the BBC - after a week it got shunted to a rubbish timeslot and all promotion for the show was stopped. Hardly a great way to convince people to watch and build up those viewing numbers. With 130 episodes of the show, there's plenty of time for it to establish itself on its new channel if it is given the chance - let's hope Fiver are prepared to give our favourite soap some stability!
Here's a reminder/first-look (depending on if you're an old or new viewer) of the first episode, courtesy of Alaina who was kind enough to upload the video:
And so the rollercoaster ride begins again...
Who knows what these repeats airings will mean for the show. After all the TV promotion, it will at least pull in a few new fans who can experience for themselves just how great the show is, if they decide to stick with it. If it does turn out to be even a moderate success, it would add weight to fans' belief that there is still life in the show and it deserves a chance.
The best we can hope for is that Fiver realises what the BBC didn't - a soap needs time to build up a dedicated fanbase who tune in every day. It's impossible to gauge anything about an audience's reaction to a show like this after just a week. People will tune in out of curiosity for the first episode, the audience may start to drop afterwards, then the dedicated fans who are left will help to maintain interest through word of mouth. Ideally, after that the ratings will build back up again over time.
Out of the Blue wasn't given the chance to do this on the BBC - after a week it got shunted to a rubbish timeslot and all promotion for the show was stopped. Hardly a great way to convince people to watch and build up those viewing numbers. With 130 episodes of the show, there's plenty of time for it to establish itself on its new channel if it is given the chance - let's hope Fiver are prepared to give our favourite soap some stability!
Here's a reminder/first-look (depending on if you're an old or new viewer) of the first episode, courtesy of Alaina who was kind enough to upload the video:
And so the rollercoaster ride begins again...
Sunday 1 February 2009
Out of the Blue finale: What the fans are saying
Yesterday we wrote about how fans of Out of the Blue have been creating a buzz online after the final episode of the Australian soap's run aired on BBC Two. It seems that there's a lot of excitement about how the show ended, but still a lot of frustration and disappointment over the way that the show has been treated, especially as we may never discover what happens next.
Rather than boring you with our views again, we now present a selection of comments that have been made by viewers on the internet. Don't worry if you haven't watched the finale - there are no spoilers in this post, but bear in mind that some of the links to other sites do mention the ending.
Heather, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "I have only just realised that Out Of The Blue isn't on the BBC anymore, I'm gutted. I'm a big fan of anything Australian including all of the soaps. It was such a cliff hanger the other day. I've been so impressed with the story lines throughout the show, the story lines aren't predictable like other soaps I can never guess what's going to happen next, it's brilliant. I work during the day but record it every time. Please, please continue to show Out of the Blue it's the best soap around."
Rhiannon, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "It's like going through a divorce. I'm so upset!! pleeeeeaaasssseee bring back Out of the Blue!!!!"
Jan, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue is a great soap but it just isn't given any support. If it was advertised in the soap mags I'm sure it would have gone alot higher in the ratings."
Claire, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Brilliant drama and will really miss it. Haven't missed an episode - thanks to sky plus! Didn't even realise it had been axed by the BBC until it wasn't on today and I decided to find out why!"
Carly-Hannah, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "I hope there's a chance that you give Out of the Blue a second go. It really is pretty awesome! I don't think the BBC realise how much fan base it has behind it."
Linda, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue did not stand a chance as it was scheduled at the same time as Loose Women. It is a brilliant soap and could have been shown at a better time, perhaps after Doctors it is much better than Doctors."
Diane, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Please, please do not axe Out of the Blue, it is so good, far better than Neighbours and Home and Away!!! I think that the poor ratings are down to no advertisement that it's on!"
Hannah, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue is one of my favourite programmes of recent years. The storylines are involving, you care about the characters and I've never missed an episode. Please can we keep this fabulous soap!"
DE4DJ, Back to the Bay: "That was the best episode of Out of the Blue ever! I’ve never shouted at the TV so much it was brilliant. Even my dad who’s never watched OOTB before loved it."
Casperfan, Back to the Bay: "A brilliant end to a brilliant series! God this show deserves more recognition! I loved everything about it!!!"
Miranda, Back to the Bay: "These poor actors deserve better. Hopefully they will all go on to bigger and better things and forget the bad treatment they got."
Madamebronchus, Out of the Blue Online: "I just want to be angry and sad at the same time. Angry for the fact that the BBC didn't even bother saying that it is the very last episode! And sad as it might very well have been the last Out of the Blue ever!!"
Sally, Out of the Blue Online: "It was so shabby not even having the courtesy to announce that it was the season finale. It was like some shameful secret being swept under the carpet!"
Clydefrog, Digital Spy: "The BBC are so bitter they didn't mention it was the last episode today. "
Rivercity_rules, Digital Spy: "That is how you end a soap! What a spectacular episode! Seriously just lost for the right words just now, fabulous, amazing, brilliant."
We could go on adding quotes all day, but it is great to see so much support for the show. If any fans have stumbled across our blog as they look for information on their favourite Aussie soap, please do check out our Saving Out of the Blue page for information on how you can contact the relevant broadcasters directly.
We'll continue adding comments from the petition and other sites as they come in.
Rather than boring you with our views again, we now present a selection of comments that have been made by viewers on the internet. Don't worry if you haven't watched the finale - there are no spoilers in this post, but bear in mind that some of the links to other sites do mention the ending.
Heather, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "I have only just realised that Out Of The Blue isn't on the BBC anymore, I'm gutted. I'm a big fan of anything Australian including all of the soaps. It was such a cliff hanger the other day. I've been so impressed with the story lines throughout the show, the story lines aren't predictable like other soaps I can never guess what's going to happen next, it's brilliant. I work during the day but record it every time. Please, please continue to show Out of the Blue it's the best soap around."
Rhiannon, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "It's like going through a divorce. I'm so upset!! pleeeeeaaasssseee bring back Out of the Blue!!!!"
Jan, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue is a great soap but it just isn't given any support. If it was advertised in the soap mags I'm sure it would have gone alot higher in the ratings."
Claire, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Brilliant drama and will really miss it. Haven't missed an episode - thanks to sky plus! Didn't even realise it had been axed by the BBC until it wasn't on today and I decided to find out why!"
Carly-Hannah, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "I hope there's a chance that you give Out of the Blue a second go. It really is pretty awesome! I don't think the BBC realise how much fan base it has behind it."
Linda, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue did not stand a chance as it was scheduled at the same time as Loose Women. It is a brilliant soap and could have been shown at a better time, perhaps after Doctors it is much better than Doctors."
Diane, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Please, please do not axe Out of the Blue, it is so good, far better than Neighbours and Home and Away!!! I think that the poor ratings are down to no advertisement that it's on!"
Hannah, Save Out of the Blue Petition: "Out of the Blue is one of my favourite programmes of recent years. The storylines are involving, you care about the characters and I've never missed an episode. Please can we keep this fabulous soap!"
DE4DJ, Back to the Bay: "That was the best episode of Out of the Blue ever! I’ve never shouted at the TV so much it was brilliant. Even my dad who’s never watched OOTB before loved it."
Casperfan, Back to the Bay: "A brilliant end to a brilliant series! God this show deserves more recognition! I loved everything about it!!!"
Miranda, Back to the Bay: "These poor actors deserve better. Hopefully they will all go on to bigger and better things and forget the bad treatment they got."
Madamebronchus, Out of the Blue Online: "I just want to be angry and sad at the same time. Angry for the fact that the BBC didn't even bother saying that it is the very last episode! And sad as it might very well have been the last Out of the Blue ever!!"
Sally, Out of the Blue Online: "It was so shabby not even having the courtesy to announce that it was the season finale. It was like some shameful secret being swept under the carpet!"
Clydefrog, Digital Spy: "The BBC are so bitter they didn't mention it was the last episode today. "
Rivercity_rules, Digital Spy: "That is how you end a soap! What a spectacular episode! Seriously just lost for the right words just now, fabulous, amazing, brilliant."
We could go on adding quotes all day, but it is great to see so much support for the show. If any fans have stumbled across our blog as they look for information on their favourite Aussie soap, please do check out our Saving Out of the Blue page for information on how you can contact the relevant broadcasters directly.
We'll continue adding comments from the petition and other sites as they come in.
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