Nine In Publicity Bonanza

Could executives at Channel Nine in Melbourne be more excited than through this coverage of a new series about to go to air?

A television series so “gripping” that it is involved in an actual legal wrangle?

“Crime show Underbelly in legal wrangle” screams the headline from the Herald Sun. Talk of banning the show, talk of clouding the judgement of potential jurors.

And the opening paragraph:

A JUDGE has ordered Channel 9 to hand over episodes of the gangland drama Underbelly, casting last-minute uncertainty over the airing of the $13 million series.

Actually, I think the judge has ensured a last-minute extra ratings bonanza on the airing of next week’s first episode. Who doesn’t want to find out about this new series that’s tied up in the drama of the courts? A tv series so potent to capture attention of a real Supreme Court judge?

It’s a cliffhanger-style start without even having been broadcast to the public, overflowing with drama and suspense, and picked up in stories in both metropolitan Melbourne newspapers.

You even have the Prosecutor quoted in the article saying the show is “graphic, powerful and gripping”:

Prosecutor Geoff Horgan, SC, said he could foresee real problems with the program going to air.

“It’s graphic, it’s powerful, it’s gripping and I would be astonished if viewers of the program were not strongly attracted to it . . . can you really expect jurors not to be watching this,” Mr Horgan said.

And then on the defence side:

The accused man’s lawyer, Anthony Brand, supported the subpoena and said he preferred if Nine would pull the series.

“It’s well crafted, and powerful . . . and factually there were some matters I was not aware of,” Mr Brand said.

This would be publicity beyond the wildest dreams of the Channel Nine publicity team. Expect the show to hit the ratings jackpot once it is aired.

8 February 2008 | Filed Under Publicity