Law unordered
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A series idea: take a Melbourne lawyer, give her some kids, throw in some difficult personal circumstances, and hey presto, you've got a recipe for audience and critical acclaim. That's the template adopted by Newton's Law, a drama filming later this year for the ABC, which from the synopsis seems to offer a nod to two TV classics: SeaChange (Sigrid Thornton: lawyer, kids, life in flux) and the early-80s Carson's Law (Lorraine Bayly: lawyer, kids, life in flux). Newton's Law comes from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries creators Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger and revolves around Josephine Newton, a solicitor and mum whose office is burnt down, prompting a move to a top-end-of-town city law firm. No word yet on cast, but cameos from Thornton and Bayly would be fitting.
Our very own bridal frock stars
We're going to hear a lot this year about preserving the sacred institution of marriage, and if you want to get your pre-plebiscite dander up just turn on the telly, where shows such as The Farmer Wants a Wife, The Bachelor and Married at First Sight imbue the institution with the sacred quality of a Shane Warne text message. Now Foxtel's The Lifestyle Channel is promising a sort-of-new addition to the genre – an Australian version of its existing American import Say Yes to the Dress. In which we will "go behind the scenes at one of the country's premier bridal salons where a team of specialists will help brides-to-be find their perfect wedding dress". Tally ho, then. The local take on the format will be hosted by designer Adam Dixon and called Say Yes to the Dress: Australia. Apparently "Say G'Day to the Frock, Darl" didn't pass muster.
Gate crashing
Veep has a loyal band of fans on Foxtel's Showcase, where new episodes hit the air pretty fresh on Tuesdays at 8.30pm. This expletive-laden triumph for Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer delights in pushing boundaries – one recent throwaway line about Queen Elizabeth has to be seen to be believed – but the most recent episode took the cake. Not only did it feature a hurricane of "c---"s, it named the episode in honour of every -gate scandal we've known: "C---gate". Or, as a prim New York Times referred to it in its recap, ——gate.
Another serve of O.J.
It's likely no US import will arrive with the critical hype surrounding ESPN's O.J. Simpson: Made in America – an eight-hour epic so good it's getting a brief cinema release to secure Oscar consideration, and hitting US TV screens on June 11 (no local air date yet). "Staggering" and "a master opus" are among the descriptions of the five-part documentary tracing the football legend's life from childhood poverty to his trial for the murder of his ex-wife. It comes on the heels of the acclaimed mini-series The People v. O.J. Simpson, shown on Ten this year and tipped to clean up at the Emmy Awards in September.