A MASSIVE WEEK OF ENTERTAINMENT

FROM SUNDAY, APRIL 11, THE PREMIERE OF UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE,
HEY HEY IT’S SATURDAY, AND SEA PATROL

UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE – SUNDAY, APRIL 11 AT 8.30PM (2-HOUR TELEMOVIE PREMIERE)

HEY HEY IT’S SATURDAY – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 AT 7.30PM (2-HOUR SPECIAL EVENT)

SEA PATROL – THURSDAY, APRIL 15 AT 8.30PM

Three of the Nine Network’s most popular marquee programs launch in April: Underbelly, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, and Sea Patrol.

“I’m proud of the network’s commitment to top quality Australian production across all genres. These three shows are great programs which our audiences love and we are excited to have them all back on the schedule,” Mr Michael Healy, Nine Network Programming Director, said today.

The biggest Australian drama series ever, UNDERBELLY: The Golden Mile features a cast of over 220 characters, 1125 extras, and 127 locations providing the backdrop for 245 sets.

UNDERBELLY: The Golden Mile is set in King Cross and covers a notorious decade in Australia’s recent history. It goes behind the scenes to look at the police corruption that was rife in NSW in the late 1980s, set amid the framework of the Golden Mile – Kings Cross – home to some of Sydney’s most colourful characters.

“We’re all fascinated as to why people break the rules,” said Executive Producer, Des Monaghan. “UNDERBELLY differs greatly to the normal staple of television drama, because we are dealing with real life and real people, with all the chaos and unpredictability this entails. We operate outside the square, so our audience never knows what’s going to happen from one week to the next.”

UNDERBELLY: The Golden Mile stars a powerful ensemble cast including Emma Booth as Kim Hollingsworth, Firass Dirani as teenage Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, Sigrid Thornton as Inspector Gerry Lloyd, Wil Traval as cop Joe Dooley, Diarmid Heidenreich as cop Eddie Gould, Damian Garvey as Detective Graham “Chook” Fowler, Cheree Cassidy as Debbie Webb, and Salvatore Coco as Hammer.

The third instalment of the UNDERBELLY series also features a number of returning characters, including police played by Paul Tassone, Daniel Roberts and Dieter Brummer as Trevor Haken, plus Peter O’Brien as the notorious George Freeman and John McNeil as crime kingpin Lennie McPherson, who all reprise their roles from UNDERBELLY series two, A TALE OF TWO CITIES.

UNDERBELLY, the AFI and TV Week Logie Award winner, returns to Nine on Sunday, April 11, at 8.30pm.

After a 10-year absence from TV, the first HEY HEY IT’S SATURDAY reunion show attracted a peak audience of nearly four million viewers across Australia, with an average audience of 3,158,000 (5 City Metro and Regional cities).

The second reunion show attracted a peak audience of 3,937,000 viewers and an average of 3,213,000 (5 City Metro and Regional cities).

So HEY HEY IT’S SATURDAY host Daryl Somers is understandably thrilled to bring his unique brand of Aussie entertainment back into the nation’s households once again – launching with a special two-hour event.

“Assembling the whole gang for the reunion shows was truly a labour of love for me,” said Somers.

“I was humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response to the shows and delighted to be able to present to Australia the sort of entertainment that people so clearly want. We look forward to offering the best in local and international music and laughter in 2010.”

HEY HEY IT’S SATURDAY, the new series, premieres on Wednesday, April 14, at 7.30pm with a two-hour blockbuster.


Take 24 sailors from all walks of life, with different ages and temperaments, living cheek by jowl, away from family and friends for months at a time, in seas of all conditions and temperatures to make them boil.

This is navy life in SEA PATROL, the third new program inNine’s massive week of April entertainment.

The fourth season of SEA PATROL stars Logie Award winner Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake, Kristian Schmid, Kirsty Lee Allan, John Batchelor, Matthew Holmes and Nikolai Nikolaeff, and introduces Danielle Horvat and Conrad Colby, with Tammy McIntosh guest starring as the new Commander.

“This series is by far the most exciting to date, with new characters, more action, and more of what our fans love about the show,” said Stenlake, who plays CO Mike Flynn.

The adventures on SEA PATROL forge deep and lasting friendships while the crew of HMAS Hammersley confront explosive situations and mysterious events with deadly consequences.

SEA PATROL returns with 16 action-packed episodes on Thursday, April 15, at 8.30pm.


Get ready for NINE’S MASSIVE WEEK OF ENTERTAINMENT: Starting Sunday, April 11