By TANIA PHILLIPS
THE Logies,
Channel 9, Sunday night
AS a kid I enjoyed watching the Logies – I turned down my first-ever sleepover because it fell on Logie night.
As a young journo I loved that we would (back then) get an embargoed list of winners and I could impress my flatmate with my knowledge of television, predicting all the winners.
So when did that enthusiasm for the Logies wane and watching them start becoming a chore?
Maybe it’s that what could be a showcase of Australian talent turned out to be more of a calvalcade of who could be brought in from overseas to entertain the studio and TV audience. Why is it now more important to crowd the show with one-hit wonders from other countries performing numerous musical numbers and not show all the awards? For many viewers the Logies are probably the only chance they get to see what great television shows we produce particularly for children (and sport) in this country but now you don’t see the nominees just a short highlight package of “awards presented earlier”.
I could argue about who won what but that has always been the nature of the Logies, they are, for the most part a popularity contest. Was I surprised that Scott Cam won the gold – well, no actually. The Block is a very, very high rating piece of television and Channel Nine spends a lot on campaigning for the Logies. Was I disappointed – yes, but that’s why there are the industry-voted awards for best actress and actor, and shows that are so well scripted – intelligent shows like Redfern Now on the ABC and Better Man from Foxtel – that can be recognised (and why we have the AFIs later in the year).
And once again the Hall Of Fame left me scratching my head. While it was great and fitting to see Peter Harvey honoured postumously, his “tribute package” felt like a massive advert for Channel Nine rather than honouring a great man (although I may have been just been jaded by the amount of ads for new Nine shows I was bombarded with in the breaks). And of course Harvey’s elevation to the Hall of Fame, although warranted, meant yet another male recipient. In the 30-year history of the Hall of Fame, just one woman has been honoured! Surely Ruth Cracknell is not the only woman to contribute to Australian television and does this mean that as Harvey was honoured a year after his passing (like Brian Naylor) will Wendy Hughes finally be added? It was lovely to see Asher Keddie pay tribute to Hughes during one of her speeches and it was great to see Noni Hazlehurst, who surely has to be elevated to the Hall of Fame one day, bringing some dignity to the stage with the in memoriam package.
Am I longing for the days of a host (or three) – yes, maybe? There seems to be something rudderless about the current format although this year Hamish and Andy seemed to almost, but not quite, be hosting the event. Why not just let them do it! As a piece of television, the Logies no longer meander on for hours, is slickly produced and fast-paced but maybe that has taken the soul out of the broadcast and the fun out of watching it.
-Tania Phillips
