Arnold
Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoFrontline - Let the Children Play
April 11th 2007 22:27
Episode: 2.6 ‘Let the Children Play’
What Happens: The success of A Current Affairs’ ‘help the kids’ specials starring Angry Anderson prompts Frontline to adapt the formula for their own charity special starring Jon English.
The Issues/Cliches of Current Affairs television: Ripping off the competition. Companies sponsoring ‘charity’ special all want on-air acknowledgement (making it little more than advertising).
Elliot-Watch: Doesn’t appear.
Celebrities: Jon English appears.
Celebrity mentions: Angry Anderson. John Phelps. John Mills. The Frontline crew also draw up a board of possible charities and hosts before settling on Jon English, a quick freeze-frame shows it as thus…
BOARD OF IDEAS
Story: Cancer kids. AIDs babies. Spas kids. Homeless youths. Schizos. Chernobyl kids.
Hosts: Farnham. Neil Finn. Tim Finn. Glen Shorrock. Daddo. Stevie Wright. Shirl.
Quotes:
KATE: She’s not talking.
MARTIN DI STASIO: Bitch!
KATE: Marty, her husband’s just been shot.
SAM: So it’s the inner city kids, right, what do we provide for them?
EMMA: Drugs?
KATE: Rifle range?
SAM: Brooke, we’re looking for a host for this charity special… muso, some television experience.
EMMA: Drug-free.
BROOKE: Hmmm, that narrows the field a bit.
REBECCA (Mike’s niece): So what’s the story about?
REBECCA: But what’s it about?
MIKE MOORE: Well… cars. Used ones.
SAM: Marty… murdered guy’s wife?
MARTIN DI STASIO: Still not talking, but we did manage to find this little exclusive (pulls photo out of pocket)
EMMA: How’d you get that?
REBECCA: Oh, he tricked the wife into giving it to him using…
MARTIN DI STASIO: Excuse me! (To Sam) And we could have an interview with the cops as well.
EMMA: Don’t forget to wave at everyone around.
JON ENGLISH: (Driving) There’s no one around.
EMMA: Yeah, don’t worry about that. We’ll pick up some shots of people waving back later on.
(Watching Hugh and Brooke edit a story)
REBECCA: So when a story’s boring we add music, and when it’s really boring we put it in fast motion.
(Brooke looks unimpressed, Hugh has a coughing fit)
JON ENGLISH: Who took my wallet?
STU: Cut! (To kids) Ah, for Christ’s sake – we’re trying to help you little shits!
EMMA: Stu!
STU: They’re old enough.
KID: This playground sucks!
KID 2: We wanted a basketball court.
(Some of the girls in the office cry while watching slow-motion montage of Jon English charity story)
EMMA: (Crying) This is manipulative.
SAM: Em, there was a need.
EMMA: Yeah, our ratings were sagging.
SAM: The kid’s wanted a playground.
EMMA: No, the kid’s wanted a basketball court. Our sales department wanted a playground.
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