Latest news with #DoNotWatchThisShow
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Channel Ten considered replacing The Project with new version of comedy show The Cheap Seats before settling on 10 News+
Channel Ten was considering replacing The Project with a comedy show called The Cheap Seats before abruptly pivoting and launching a revamped current affairs program instead. The Project's final episode, which ran for 90 minutes, aired on June 27 with panellists Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, and Georgie Tunny signing off for the last time following years of declining ratings. However its replacement 10 News+ debuted last Monday with an underwhelming average national broadcast audience of 291,000 viewers. Promising "extended context and deeper reporting on the day's biggest stories", 10 News+ is anchored by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace from Sunday to Thursday, with Ursula Heger and Hugh Riminton on Friday. Viewership declined rapidly throughout the show's first week before plummeting to a low of 152,000 viewers by Friday. This represents a significant decrease of 139,000 viewers compared to Monday and, perhaps most worryingly for Ten, stands in stark contrast to the 478,000 people who tuned in to The Project's final episode. The network's top executives could well be kicking themselves for launching The Project's successor now after letting go of the alternative option, a trimmed-down, five-nights-a-week version of The Cheap Seats. The Cheap Seats is helmed by Ten's own Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald, who feature selected clips of the week's news and TV show accompanied by humorous commentary reminiscent of The Project. Ten's top brass, who favoured a new version of the comedy show, agreed it would inject some lightheartedness and levity into Ten's programs while still retaining viewers' familiarity with The Project. Yet, the decision flipped the other way, and Ten ultimately launched 10 News+ with a more serious news feel. The show inherited the first half of The Project's 6:30pm–7:30pm slot, but still, not everyone agrees. "They screwed that probably wasn't the right foundation for what was needed to triumph in that time slot," a Ten insider told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. "Everyone felt rushed. "It was clear the format wasn't ready, but they needed something fast to replace and justify the budget cuts." The Project's former panellists, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar, left the show in 2022 amid reported budget cuts, criticism over the show's perceived "woke" left-wing bias, and declining viewership at Network Ten. The series' most well-known lineup was arguably Bickmore, Helliar, Waleed Aly and Hamish McDonald. In the end, the regular presenters included Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, and Georgie Tunny, from Sunday through Friday. Bickmore since reprised her TV career by lending her voice to comedian Andy Lee's new children's series Do Not Watch This Show on ABC. Tunny meanwhile revealed she's staying with Network 10 as part of the new current affairs show.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Andy Lee is happy to admit he's riding on Bluey's coat tails
Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Carrie Bickmore reprises her TV career in a quirky new way as she lends her voice to comedian Andy Lee's children's TV series
Carrie Bickmore is reprising her TV career in a quirky new way fans wouldn't expect. The former The Project panellist, 44, will voice part of Aussie comedian Andy Lee's new children's series Do Not Watch This Show. Do Not Watch This Show is the TV adaptation of Lee's best-selling Do Not Open This Book series and premiered on ABC earlier this month. The beloved member of comedy duo Hamish and Andy lends his voice to the book's main character, a blue monster named Wizz, bringing him to life. In 12 11-minute episodes, Lee takes viewers on an animated journey to keep kids entertained, all while urging them not to watch any further. Bickmore has a cameo on the fun-filled series alongside fellow stars Dave Hughes as Goblin, Denise Scott as Tortoise, Joel Creasey as Lime, Kura Forrester as Kiwi, and appearances from Chrissie Swan and Hamish Blake. It marks the first time the media personality will return to screens since she departed Channel 10's axed current affairs news program in 2022. The role reunites her with longtime friends and former co-hosts in a funky new way, trading news bulletins for animated monster mayhem. On Saturday, Lee said one of his favourite parts of producing the series was casting his celebrity pals for the roles he thought suited them best. And while he's grateful for those involved in his special project, he feels bad for Carrie having an "ugly" character. 'I felt a bit bad when I sent Carrie what her character looked like because she plays a pretty ugly character," he told Yahoo Lifestyle. "I told her, 'With the voice, we chose a different direction for how the character looks. It's not inspired by you!'.' 'Hughesy plays Goblin, and I just love the idea that, hopefully, if we can sell this around the world, that Hughesy's voice will be synonymous with a goblin,' he said. The comedian said there also isn't a flamboyant character in children's television like Joel Creasey's, who owned his role as Lime. It comes after Bickmore made a special appearance for the final episode of The Project, which concluded after six years and 4,500 episodes in June. Appearing in the final 30 minutes of the episode, Bickmore said she had the "worst memory" of her best moments throughout the years. Still, she said one highlight was spending time with Oprah during her visit to Australia. "She took me backstage and spent a couple of minutes for me and it was tough time in my life and she was telling me that she was praying for me," she said. Bickmore encouraged viewers to buy a beanie to support Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer after her late husband Greg Lange died following a 10-year battle with the disease.
Courier-Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Carrie Bickmore's surprise TV role in new ABC children's series
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Carrie Bickmore is set to grace our screens once again in a surprise new role. The former Project host will join the new ABC children's series Do Not Watch This Show created by comedian and author Andy Lee, who is taking his popular book franchise, Do Not Open This Book, to the small screen. Bickmore, 44, will lend her voice to a 'pretty ugly' character in the new animation, which follows a pretentious blue monster named Wizz who has a full meltdown after discovering he's on TV. Voiced by Lee himself, Wizz embarks on a mission to sabotage his TV appearances and stop you from watching. Through a series of silly shenanigans, he enlists the help of his friends Tortoise, Lime and Kiwi, who are all voice by fellow comedians Denise Scott, Joel Creasey and Kura Forrester, respectively. Carrie Bickmore is set to lend her voice to a new children's series created by Andy Lee. The first four episodes dropped on ABC iView on Friday with another eight, 11-minute episodes to come, among those will feature Bickmore and Lee's best mate Hamish Blake. There will also be cameos from Chrissie Swan, Glenn Robbins, Tony Armstrong, Mick Molloy and Ben Fordham. 'We produced this with my company [Radio Karate], which has been awesome, and the casting was great fun,' Lee – who also voices the show's expert scientist Douglas – recently told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'There were a bunch of phone calls and favours, so I'm super grateful for everyone who wanted to be involved.' Andy Lee voices Wizz and expert scientist Douglas in his new series Do Not Watch This Show. Picture: AB Lee revealed that comedian Dave Hughes will also lend his voice to a goblin on the series, but he remained tight-lipped about who Bickmore will voice on the show. 'I felt a bit bad when I sent Carrie what her character looked like, because she plays a pretty ugly character,' Lee recalled. 'I told her, 'With the voice, we chose a different direction for how the character looks. It's not inspired by you!'' Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes also make voice cameos. Picture: ABC This will be Bickmore's second foray into the world of animation. In 2023, she voice provided the voice of the Terrier triplets' mum on the beloved Aussie animation Bluey. In the episode, which aired in Season 3, the terriers complain about being bored in the pharmacy as their mother tested lipstick colours on her arm in the background. 'That's a bit much. Ooh, Scarlett Bombshell!' her character could be heard saying. Bickmore also voiced a character in Season 3 of the Aussie animation Bluey. Picture: ABC It was a short and sweet cameo, but nonetheless it impressed Bickmore's two daughters, Evie, 10, and Adelaide, 7. 'My girls watching my 2 seconds of fame on the latest episode of Bluey!' she wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a video of the pair watching her cameo. 'What a genuine thrill to be a part of such an incredible Aussie show. I think 'Terrier's mum' needs to be a regular character.' With Fifi Box on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia in 2023. Picture: Foxtel In late 2023, one year after she excited The Project, Bickmore also made a heartwarming return to television on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia. The beloved TV and radio personality played couch critic on the show with fellow radio star and best friend, Fifi Box. 'This was so much fun hanging on the couch watching tv with my bestie @bickmorecarrie laughter, tears, it was a lot!' Box captioned Instagram photos of them on the couch at the time. The special episode benefited the mental health charity service, ReachOut Australia. Originally published as Carrie Bickmore's surprise TV role in new children's series
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Carrie Bickmore's surprise TV role in new children's series
Carrie Bickmore is set to grace our screens once again in a surprise new role. The former Project host will join the new ABC children's series Do Not Watch This Show created by comedian and author Andy Lee, who is taking his popular book franchise, Do Not Open This Book, to the small screen. Bickmore, 44, will lend her voice to a 'pretty ugly' character in the new animation, which follows a pretentious blue monster named Wizz who has a full meltdown after discovering he's on TV. Voiced by Lee himself, Wizz embarks on a mission to sabotage his TV appearances and stop you from watching. Through a series of silly shenanigans, he enlists the help of his friends Tortoise, Lime and Kiwi, who are all voice by fellow comedians Denise Scott, Joel Creasey and Kura Forrester, respectively. The first four episodes dropped on ABC iView on Friday with another eight, 11-minute episodes to come, among those will feature Bickmore and Lee's best mate Hamish Blake. There will also be cameos from Chrissie Swan, Glenn Robbins, Tony Armstrong, Mick Molloy and Ben Fordham. 'We produced this with my company [Radio Karate], which has been awesome, and the casting was great fun,' Lee – who also voices the show's expert scientist Douglas – recently told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'There were a bunch of phone calls and favours, so I'm super grateful for everyone who wanted to be involved.' Lee revealed that comedian Dave Hughes will also lend his voice to a goblin on the series, but he remained tight-lipped about who Bickmore will voice on the show. 'I felt a bit bad when I sent Carrie what her character looked like, because she plays a pretty ugly character,' Lee recalled. 'I told her, 'With the voice, we chose a different direction for how the character looks. It's not inspired by you!'' This will be Bickmore's second foray into the world of animation. In 2023, she voice provided the voice of the Terrier triplets' mum on the beloved Aussie animation Bluey. In the episode, which aired in Season 3, the terriers complain about being bored in the pharmacy as their mother tested lipstick colours on her arm in the background. 'That's a bit much. Ooh, Scarlett Bombshell!' her character could be heard saying. It was a short and sweet cameo, but nonetheless it impressed Bickmore's two daughters, Evie, 10, and Adelaide, 7. 'My girls watching my 2 seconds of fame on the latest episode of Bluey!' she wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a video of the pair watching her cameo. 'What a genuine thrill to be a part of such an incredible Aussie show. I think 'Terrier's mum' needs to be a regular character.' In late 2023, one year after she excited The Project, Bickmore also made a heartwarming return to television on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia. The beloved TV and radio personality played couch critic on the show with fellow radio star and best friend, Fifi Box. 'This was so much fun hanging on the couch watching tv with my bestie @bickmorecarrie laughter, tears, it was a lot!' Box captioned Instagram photos of them on the couch at the time. The special episode benefited the mental health charity service, ReachOut Australia.
