Cirrus@Austlit

'When Mrs MacIntyre, the scheming owner of aged care home Elm Grove, decides to cut costs by offering uni students free board in return for them helping out as carers, she does not count on the arrival of Finn Bailey. Lazy and unqualified, Finn soon clashes with over-worked carer Ruby, before setting off a chain of events that lead to romance, rebellion and a residents’ choir.'

Source: Melbourne Theatre Company.

'The Gold Coast. Glamorous, sophisticated, a sun-drenched paradise. But beneath the coconut oil lies a hot-bed of crime. Everyone from drug smugglers and bikie gangs to radical eco-extremists and the person who invented frozen yoghurt. In order to tackle this seedy underbelly police authorities established a special unit. Known as “Pacific Heat”, this covert squad of highly trained operatives technically does not exist (although, for tax purposes, they do have an A.B.N.) but when there’s a crime that simply must be solved the ‘Pac Heat’ team will be there. Unconventional, uncompromising and with an arrest rate second to none, these guys are not afraid to operate outside the law – provided at least one of them is wearing a fluorescent safety vest.'

Source: The Comedy Channel.

'From Working Dog, the iconic team behind classic Australian films such as The Castle and The Dish, as well as TV series Frontline and The Hollowmen, comes a hilarious political satire about global power and the fumbling hands that hold it.

'Air Force One is London-bound for a surprise Christmas meeting between the US President and the British PM. It will be a diplomatic coup, not to mention one hell of a media opportunity – a no-risk vote-winner for the price of a little jet fuel, and the chance for the Leader of the Free World to give the speech of a lifetime.

'Yet with the seatbelt signs barely switched off, what appears to be a major international crisis begins to unfold. As the stakes rise and the clock ticks, the President and his advisors are forced to make some uncomfortable decisions.

'Boasting a stellar ensemble cast featuring Erik Thomson (Packed to the Rafters) as the President, as well as Offspring’s Lachy Hulme and Kat Stewart, The Speechmaker promises to be an exhilarating stage debut from one of this country’s most successful creative groups.' (Production summary)

A comedy series set inside the offices of the Nation Building Authority, a new government office for overseeing major infrastructure projects.

For a list of episodes, see Film Details.

'The Prime Minister is caught out on talk-back radio, promising to tackle the problem of childhood obesity. Now the Unit must come up with a policy that keeps everyone happy.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 11/6/2013)

Mockumentary drawing on Australian nature / exploration programs of the 1970s and 1980s, including Alby Mangels, Harry Butler, and the Leyland Brothers (Mike and Mal).

The Kerrigan family's home is situated right beside one of Melbourne's airports, but they don't mind. In fact, they love living there. When the government and airport authorities announce that they are buying up all the properties in the neighbourhood in order to make way for airport extensions, Darryl decides to defend his right to live in his beloved home. The Castle is the story of how they take on the authorities, all the way to the High Court.

Frontline profiles the unemployed Baxter family, and Mike is revealed as Australia's fourth richest entertainer.

When hostages are held in a farmhouse by a crazed gunman, the Frontline team uses some dirty tricks to gain exclusive access to the siege, endangering the lives of the hostages for the sake of ratings.

The Frontline television series presents a satirical take on the current-affairs format, through the setting of a fictional television station and its flagship show, Frontline. The fictional program is situated as competing directly with Nine's A Current Affair and Seven's Real Life (known as Today Tonight from 1995 onwards). The series further satirises the internal machinations of the producers, the self-obsessed host, and the ambitious, cynical reporters, all of whom resort to any sort of underhanded trick to get ratings and maintain their status. The reporters and host also ingratiate themselves with the all-powerful network bosses, while the real work is, in fact, done by their long-suffering production staff.

Throughout the series, other television shows aired by the 'station' are also referenced: notably the 6pm news program, the three-hour news-review show Sunday Forum, the sketch show The Komedy Bunch, the game show Jackpot, the teen soap opera Sunshine Cove (which later changes its name to Rainbow Island), the football show Ball-to-Ball, and other programs such as Late-Night OZ, Cartoon Crazies, and Vacation. Several real-life television celebrities also made guest appearances, including gardener Don Burke, fisherman/AFL commentator Rex Hunt, AFL commentator Sam Newman, music guru Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, and Media Watch host Stuart Littlemore.