Hottest On TV?


Hottest On TV?

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Obviously to define what's hot on TV is almost impossible.

It's an utterly subjective concept.

What TV Week or Mr Packer decide, will be motivated by their particular needs and biases.

Don't panic, for here's an opportunity for you - the viewing public to have your say.

Can I describe what's hot for me? (bear in mind I'm a 40-something year old ex "chalky").

Increasingly for me, the aging familiar faces have lost their gloss. I'm no longer turned on by emotionally and spiritually inert sports commentators with toilet brush moustaches and ill fitting dentures. Not because they aren't sexy, but because they don't show any particular warmth or vulnerability. These days I find Richard Glover (ABC TV and Radio) hot - he can laugh at himself, he's not frightened to not know, he's intelligent, interested, engaged in life and his guests (I've never met him but do occasionally read his SMH column).

Maybe surprisingly, Juanita Phillips fits into my "hot" phylum. She reads the ABC news with authority and dispassion, but with enough simpatico to be appropriate. This lady has a benign demeanour, is attractive, measured and warm. Her tone is dulcet. She is the new Australian woman in my book. She doesn't have to impose, display her boobs, or appear in every publication you open. Her job is done superbly and her enjoyment of same is visible. (Yes, I am straight).

The confused hero in the amazing TV hit, "The Sopranos", is hot. He's not typical, cheesy grinned or particular attractive. It's his flawed personality, full of contradictions, that appeals. He's a thug, in therapy, ambivalent about much - sound familiar?

So, move over Ray, Phillip, Derryn, George, Greg, Jamie, Tony, Rex, Ernie, and Larry. We're about to newly define, hot.

Melbourne's TV entrepreneur, Lewis O'Flynn, has recently launched (into cyberspace and beyond), "Hottest On TV" ( www.hottestontv.com ), and both TV viewer's and executives agree, it's one hot website.

So, what is "Hottest On TV" all about?

"Hottest" in an online showcase of the many Australian TV personalities that peer through your TV set, week after week.

In total, there are over 400 recognised and regular TV presenters, newsreader actors on weekly "soapies" and the like.

"Hottest" is about to launch the interactive voting feature, where the public (and insiders) will be able to vote for who is in fact Hottest on TV. Something tells me that Mr Packer and Murdoch won't be asked to participate in the voting, but some other less political types, such as Ros Reines, Brett Clements, Joy Hruby, Teena Tingle, Rebecca Wilson, Essan Laurent and Gary Young, for example; will be. Look out "Fab Five"!

Already, the website is attracting over 1, 200,000 hits per month (57,000 plus page requests per month), and O'Flynn expects this to skyrocket, once he also has gossip column press and collaboration with TV "big wigs" and sponsors. It's easy to envisage the likes of Microsoft, Sony, Coke, News Limited, Qantas, Harvey Norman and others, will be googling and pandering to "Hottest" and friends.

OzTam, will you be watching and / or participating?

With rumoured prize incentives such as TV sets, DVD players etc, "Hottest On TV" could become a staple of Australia's weekly TV diet i.e. "Sale Of The Century" - Noughties style.

It's no secret that websites are an excellent medium to reach the lucrative and influential youth market. Generation X have been setting a trend by turning off the box, and logging on.

Lewis sees a huge win-win (and fun) opportunity for all. He explains, "The viewers get to have a say that will be noted by TV executives, channel sponsors and other "movers and shakers" in the business. The big bonus is that viewers are actually involved, without having to waste money on SMS's". How do you like that Gretel!

As we know, Reality TV is hot, and it's hard to argue that Lewis hasn't added a new, tangible, living element to television. When Lewis conducts his official "Hottest" launch party later this year, with the household TV names you love (and love to hate), it's going to be a hell of a hot night in the city.

As the world decreases in size, thanks to modern technologies like the Internet, SMS and interactive television, the debate will likely heat up as to who and what defines "Hottest On TV"!

Links:

Official websites

Hottest On TV

Articles

Sports and entertainment websites

Profiles

Hottest On TV

Interviews

Lewis O'Flynn - 13th July 2004

Media websites

The Daily Telegraph - Entertainment

The Daily Telegraph - Confidential

The Age - Entertainment

The Sydney Morning Herald - Entertainment

Who Magazine

TV Week

Media Man Australia

Media Personalities

Media News