Hell’s Kitchen Australia – 7pm Sunday on Seven
Desperate for another cooking franchise (because apparently MKR isn’t enough), Seven is dusting off Gordon Ramsay’s cooking competition series which started in 2004… but limps onto screen without Gordon Ramsay. Instead, this local version will be hosted by Marco Pierre White, who we are told made Gordon Ramsay cry once, so therefore he must be the perfect replacement.
The “celebrities” (because several of them cannot be classified as cooks) include failed radio star Sam Frost (one show, two timeslots, zero audience), blink or miss Real Housewife of Melbourne Pettifleur Berenger (she “quit” after just one season), out-of-work actor Lincoln Lewis (he last worked on Gallipoli in 2015) and unknown Brit reality star Gaz Beadle (he’s from Geordie Shore and something called Ex On The Beach).
There is also David Oldfield who has been rewarded for his horrendously rude behaviour to all the indigenous people he met on SBS’s First Contact last year. His publicity-mad wife Lisa told the press this week that “a number of production companies” have approached them about a future reality show they could both star in. Sydney Confidential may be desperate enough to fall for such nonsense, but most people don’t talk about such shows before they’ve signed on the dotted line… you know, just in case it doesn’t work out. And given Foxtel boss Brian Walsh publicly slammed Lisa for being “nasty”, one has to wonder what network is left for it to air on because when Walshie slams anyone like that, it’s time to look for a new profession.
Blue Murder: Killer Cop – 8.30pm Sunday on Seven
Blue Murder blew viewers away back in 1995 with its shocking true tale of crooked cops and the underworld figures they mixed with. Now a second series focuses on the most crooked of them all: Roger Rogerson, who is still being brilliantly portrayed by Richard Roxburgh. Other original actors back to reprise their roles (albeit rather briefly) are Peter Phelps and Tony Martin but in the years since this first arrived, the docu-crime genre has been done to death on Australian TV.
Killer Cop has a top notch Aussie cast but many of them are back in familiar territory, given Matt Nable, Dan Wyllie, Aaron Jeffrey, Damian Walshe-Howling, Aaron Pederson, Robert Mammone, Justin Smith, Steve Le Marquand and Emma Booth have all also done various instalments of Underbelly in between. In other words, Blue Murder 2 is good but just not as startlingly original as it once was.
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming – 2pm Monday on SyFy
The tagline for this is “Make America Bait Again”, but the real Trump baiting could be in setting this movie not just in the US but also Rio, Tokyo, Bulgaria, Rome, England and… wait for it… Australia. Before Fox News works itself into another lather about Hollywood not being patriotic anymore (let us not forget they took exception to Wonder Woman not fighting on American soil for her first movie), Olivia Newton-John is in it and her casting makes it all beyond criticism. Daughter Chloe Lattanzi is alongside her playing a “brilliant scientist” even though she looks more like the daughter of UK Page 3 girl Katie Price these days, and yes, Katie gets a cameo in this as well. As does Fabio who plays the Pope but Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic just get to play themselves. Sounds like fun. But seriously, could Karl be any busier on a Monday?
The House With Annabel Crabb – 8pm Tuesday on ABC
As much as we loved Kitchen Cabinet, Annabel Crabb’s latest foray into politics is her best work yet as she explores every nook and cranny of Canberra’s Parliament House. It opens by following some new politicians elected at last year’s election, and then it’s the traditional pomp and pageantry from the Opening of Parliament, which should cause more than a few Republicans to step up their effort. Crabb’s forays into the vast basement area, and learning its secrets from the workers who keep it all running, is just as fascinating. Recommended.
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later – streaming on Netflix
The cult 2001 movie Wet Hot American Summer has already inspired an eight-part prequel (First Day Of Summer) for Netflix and now it’s time for an eight-part sequel. This is very nutty, surreal stuff with all the actors now much older than when they originally played teenage camp counsellors (and were too old back then).
What a cast it is though, with Janeane Garofalo, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Meloni, Chris Pine, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig (to name just a few) although, hilariously, Bradley Cooper gets replaced this time round with Adam Scott who takes over his role after “plastic surgery”. Look out for Aussie Jai Courtney who is new to this ensemble, all of whom look to be having a fab time making it.