australian television information archive

Series 2

The Sunday Sun's star entertainment reporter Alex Burchill is back. Spurred on by their editor, Alex and his photographer mate, Bob, continue to risk life, limb and karmic payback to expose the private peccadilloes of celebrities, in the hope of selling more newspapers.

From uncovering political sex scandals and violent actors to outing gay sportsmen and setting up cheating TV chefs, Alex may not be contributing to a better society, but he's certainly making it a more entertaining one. Besides, the Sunday Sun's circulation is in free-fall and the only thing that will save it is a story about a woman marrying her cat.

On the home front, Alex is left in limbo when Bob rekindles his relationship with Sam and they kick him out of the apartment. With his relationship with Rita all but over and Rita's spare room occupied by her mother, Alex finds himself at the mercy of his old mate Dr James. Meanwhile, Alex's broadsheet nemesis Stuart King is ready to scoop Alex at every turn.

Pretty Pollie

Episode 2.01 (9)
Thursday, September 06, 2012 (ABC1, 9:30)
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

Alex hits pay dirt when a disgruntled boyfriend of a now, high-ranking government minister slips the scoop of the year under Alex's door — sexually explicit photos of the minister in her younger years.

Starring: Adam Zwar as Alex, Paul Denny as Bob, Beth Buchanan as Rita, Dailan Evans as Dr James, Kim Gyngell as Howard Evans, Geoffrey Rush as Narrator

With: Kate Jenkinson as Samantha, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Raj Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Anna Jennings-Edquist as Sharna, Clayton Jacobson as Frank Burton, Nicholas Bell as Jeremy Bristol, Natalie O'Donnell as Marion Jackson, Tammy McCarthy as Minister for Families, Frances Wong as Georgina

Hack In Business

Episode 2.02 (10)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Story by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Written by Amanda Brotchie, Trudy Hellier & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

Newly reinstated editor Howard Evans sends Alex to interview big time director Gordon Lynch about his new Ned Kelly film. While he's with Gordon, the editor would also like Alex to expose Gordon's rumoured unsavoury auditioning practices.

But Gordon refuses to be interviewed by Alex after the two are embroiled in a road rage incident. Following several unsuccessful attempts to gain access to Gordon, including sending Rita in as his proxy, Alex does the unthinkable and hooks up with a phone hacker to try and get the dirt on Gordon.

Meanwhile, Bob rekindles his romance with Sam and she quickly moves in. It doesn't take long before three becomes a crowd.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Kate Jenkinson as Samantha, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Raj Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Mike McLeish as Gordon Lynch, Chris Wallace as Brian Godstein, Damien Richardson as Ryan Hamilton, Carolyn Bock as PR Woman, Chloe Reid as Princess, Fantine Banulski as Taylor, Siros Niaros as Road Rage Guy, Lawrie Zion as Himself, Paul Harris as Himself, Leigh Paatsch as Himself, Bert LaBonté as Cheating Famous Person and Angry Famous Person

One Fine Gay

Episode 2.03 (11)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Story by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Written by Amanda Brotchie, Trudy Hellier & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

When high-profile footballer Kade Thompson decides to announce his homosexuality in the Sunday Sun, his only request is that a gay writer does the interview. With no gay writers at the Sunday Sun, the editor calls upon Alex to write the story, telling Kade — and Alex — that Alex is gay. But will the editor's ruse affect Alex's chances with the hot new sandwich girl, Jane? And will Kade really be the first AFL player to go through with outing himself?

Meanwhile Sam and Bob's relationship is heating up and Sam is pressuring Alex to move out. With Rita's mum Gay staying with Rita, Alex's options are limited and he finds himself on Dr James' doorstep.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Kate Jenkinson as Samantha, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Raj Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Rebecca Massey as Trudy March, Brett Tucker as Kade Thompson, Luke Arnold as Leon, Jess Harris as Jane, Rebecca Fortuna as Ginger, Frank Rye as Taxi Driver, Angus Smallwood as Radio Announcer, Bert LaBonté as Shane McKay (Macca)

Rex, Lies & Videotape

Episode 2.04 (12)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

Publicist Hope Van Der Boom organises for Alex to do a puff piece on highly volatile actor Lachlan Reid after an audio of Reid berating the sound recordist was secretly leaked online. Visiting him on the set of his latest show, Alex goes out of his way to antagonise Reid in the hope of provoking a rise that's worth reporting. But Alex gets more than he bargained for from Reid's long-suffering co-star Brent Morrison. While on set, Hope talks through her latest baby plans with Rita. And Bob is given a small role in the show, but his incessant questions about his one line finally help to tip Lachlan over the edge.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Julia Zemiro as Hope Van Der Boom, Matt Dyktynski as Lachlan Reid, Toby Truslove as Brent Morrison, Kevin Dee as Jeffrey (Director), Daniela Farinacci as Kara (1st AD), Tim Potter as Andy (Sound Guy), Alethea Jones as Heather (Make Up), Liam Sutherland as DOP, Mark Benedicto as Camera Assistant, Pauline Gorrie as Nurse, Nato as Himself, Janene Leslie as Standby Make Up

A Bollywood Ending

Episode 2.05 (13)
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

When the editor buys salacious text messages between married Australian cricket captain Mark Hardy and Indian national Chandrika Patel, he puts Alex on the case to find Chandrika and get an exclusive for the paper.

With his broadsheet rival Stuart King breathing down his neck, Alex manages to find Chandrika and convinces her to sell her story to the Sunday Sun for $10,000 and a first class ticket back to Mumbai. It all seems too good to be true until Alex discovers that he has the wrong Chandrika. Will he be able to salvage the situation?

Meanwhile, Rita has spent an evening with the handsome Tyson Burchill, and invites him to stay for a family dinner.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Ray Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Matt Day as Tyson, Josh Lawson as Mark Hardy, Madeleine West as Mark Hardy's Wife [Jess], Sonya Suares as Chandrika, Charlotte Gregg as Selina, Tim Constantine as Kyle Butler

Bubble Trouble

Episode 2.06 (14)
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

To promote the new season of the television reality show 'Life in a Bubble', publicist Trudy March has invited Alex along with four other journalists to spend the night in the Bubble House — a secure compound with cameras everywhere.

The journalists are stuck in the house together, with no access to phones or computers, while a pair of cameramen talk cinema history and set up cameras on the other side of the walls. When one of the journalists, Andrew Meakin, tragically ends up dead, Inspector Thornbury is called in to investigate, and all evidence points to Alex.

Not about to miss out on a potential ratings bonanza, the Life in a Bubble producers decide to broadcast the police interrogations of the house occupants by Inspector Thornbury. With his friends and colleagues watching on, things aren't looking good for Alex. But is he really capable of murder?

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Ray Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Anna Jennings-Edquist as Sharna, Rebecca Massey as Trudy March, Matt Preston as Inspector Thornbury, Natalie O'Donnell as Marion Jackson, Colin Lane as Andrew Meakin, Laura Gordon as Claire Day, Greg Stone as Steve Mott, Scott Brennan as Scott McGregor, Christopher Brown as John (Cameraman #1), Peter Houghton as Andrew (Cameraman #2), Kyrie Capri as Producer's Assistant, Bryce Hardy as Stunt Ninja, Reg Gorman as Himself, Judith Roberts as Herself

The Naked Chef

Episode 2.07 (15)
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

When hot-tempered celebrity chef Brad Gordon publicly humiliates Alex's new girlfriend, fellow journalist Marion Jackson, Alex wants to take him down. Gordon, a married man, is rumoured to be a serial philanderer. With that in mind, the editor agrees to fund an undercover surveillance operation so Alex can catch Brad being intimate with his former mistress, Imogen McMahon. Even though her affair with Gordon is over, Alex manages to convince Imogen that a sex scandal is just what her failing acting career needs. And together they work to frame Brad.

But before Alex can get the sting underway, the editor insists he and Bob cover the marriage between local woman, Claudia Fischer, and her cat, Sampson. Timing is everything as they divide their time between the wedding and the sting at a nearby hotel. But when nemesis Stuart King picks up the scent of a story, the whole sting operation is thrown into jeopardy.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Antony Starr as Stuart King, Ray Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Anna Jennings-Edquist as Sharna, Natalie O'Donnell as Marion Jackson, Steve Bastoni as Brad Gordon, Kimberley Davies as Imogen McMahon, Leah Vandenberg as Claudia Fischer, Wayne Comley as Celebrant, Joan Sydney as Concierge, Rees Cornwall as Floor Manager, Janene Leslie as Standby Make-Up, Lana as 'Sampson' the Cat

Ben Behaving Badly

Episode 2.08 (16)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Written by Amanda Brotchie & Adam Zwar
Directed by Amanda Brotchie

Alex and Bob have a reconciliation lunch with Ben Hollander — the actor-singer the Sunday Sun exposed taking drugs and having sex with a prostitute in a public toilet [episode 1.01]. But Ben has now turned his back on a life of philandering and is getting re-married on the weekend.

Alex is furious when he realises that Ben has ordered an outrageously expensive bottle of champagne has left Alex to pick up the tab. Encouraged by the editor, Alex and Bob manipulate an innocent photo of Ben kissing a female friend into a full-blown story about Ben returning to his womanising ways. Alex approaches Ben's manager for comment. Ben's manager agrees to meet Alex and Bob, and then turns the tables on them both.

Meanwhile, Rita decides it's time to get a paying job and applies for work at a bank managed by swaggering CEO Clive McGann, while Dr James and Gary ask Alex to move out so they can use his room for their new hair transplant clinic. And a wholly transformed Bob asks Sam to marry him.

With: Joy Mitchell as Gay, Kate Jenkinson as Samantha, Ray Sidhu as Satish, Cindy Waddington as Andrea, Amanda Brotchie as Susan, Paul Lum as Gary Duffy, Craig McLachlan as Ben Hollander, Colin Hay as Miles (Ben's Manager), Patrick Brammall as Clive McGann, Dave Lawson as Dave (Fan), Kristie Jandric as Bikini Girl, Kris Bidenko as Bank Teller, David Campbell as Ray, Mark Lowrie as Rental Guy, Chris Timewell as Rental Guy, Marissa Frew as Woman with Ben, Natlie Sady as Other Bikini GIrl, Raquel Rodriguez as Other Bikini GIrl, Rod Mullinar as Additional Voice, Craig Conway as Additional Voice