INXS: Never Tear Us Apart - Cast Announced

In a joint statement today, Shine Australia and Seven announced the cast for INXS: Never Tear Us Apart.

Luke Arnold (Winners & Losers, City Homicide) will star as Michael Hutchence, newcomer Nicholas Masters is Tim Farriss, Ido Drent (Offspring, Shortland Street) is Jon Farriss, Andy Ryan (Underbelly: Squizzy Taylor, Reef Doctors) is Andrew Farriss, Alex Williams (Underground: The Julian Assange Story) is Kirk Pengilly and Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters) is Garry Gary Beers, while Damon Herriman (The Sullivans, Love My Way) is the band’s manager, CM Murphy.
 
This major, two part television event is being Executive Produced by Mark Fennessy and Rory Callaghan, with CM Murphy as Co-Executive Producer. Promising an authentic behind the scenes look beyond the music, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart will tell the band's extraordinary and uncensored story – with full access to their archive of music, photography and stories.
 
Mark Fennessy, CEO Shine Australia said: “It's a true privilege to be working with such a stellar cast of young acting talent. Together with a powerful script and brilliant production team we will bring to life the extraordinary, untold story of INXS.”
 
Brad Lyons, Seven’s Director of Network Production said: “We’ve secured a sensational group of actors to tell the story of three brothers and their best mates who took the world by storm. Seven can’t wait to share this incredible part of Australian rock history with our audience.”
 
CM Murphy said: “These guys are the new sensation, they already look like rock stars. This is going to be one hell of a TV series that not a single Australian will want to miss.”
 
Tim Farriss said: “I've been spending a lot of time with the cast and I'm amazed! At times I actually thought Michael was there! It has been all forms of emotions for me – I'm very excited.”
 
INXS: Never Tear Us Apart  commences production in Melbourne next week.
 
Other production credits include:
Producers: Kerrie Mainwaring and Andrew Prowse
Director: Daina Reid
Writers: Justin Monjo and Dave Warner

Shine Australia announces management restructure

Shine Australia announced a restructure within senior management.

Current Chief Operating Officer, Shine Australia Tim Robinson has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, Shine Group and will relocate to London in early 2013.
 
Sara Horn, currently Director of Production, has been promoted to Executive Director, Production.
 
Scott Howard, Head of Business and Legal Affairs has been promoted to Commercial Director.
 
Chris Fry will join Shine Australia from Shine Group as Head of Business and Finance Strategy, Shine Australia and Asia-Pacific in early 2013.
 
Mark Fennessy, CEO, Shine Australia said: "These promotions are much deserved and I remain proud of the incredible team we have at Shine. This restructure ensures our business is correctly positioned for continued growth while enhancing our ability to deliver premium content."
 
Rory Callaghan joined the business this month as Executive Director and will be responsible for growing the sales of Shine Group formats in Australia and New Zealand in addition to those of Talpa and Zodiak. He will also focus on moving the company into scripted.
 
As a result of the restructure and the planned return of Carl Fennessy to the Australian business in 2013, Managing Director Matt Campbell has departed the company.
 
Mark added, "We sincerely thank Matt Campbell and wish him the best. He is a talented executive and has contributed greatly to Shine during his time with us"

Shine Appoints Peter Newman as Creative Director

Shine Australia today announced an exciting new appointment;  Peter Newman joins as Creative Director.

With a career spanning over fourteen years in television, Peter Newman has defined himself as one of Australia’s leading television visionaries. Appointed as Creative Director, Newman will be responsible for the editorial stewardship of all unscripted content including MasterChef and The Biggest Loser.

Prior to joining Shine, Newman has established himself as a globally renowned producer having produced for the Australian, UK and US markets in a number of high profile executive production roles. His career has seen him deliver everything in the entertainment world from large scale live sport events, ambitious reality series and acclaimed documentaries. He has also garnered accolades for his work on award winning factual series and documentaries.

Highly regarded in the entertainment industry, Peter joins Shine Australia from WTFN where he developed Ten’s new lifestyle and entertainment show The Living Room. Prior to that Peter was Head of Production and Development at SBS, where he was responsible for the critically acclaimed and multi award winning series Go Back To Where You Came From. He also oversaw a range of domestic and international award winning factual programs such as SAS: The Search For Warriors and Living The End.

Before his move to Australia four years ago, Newman was Head of Development at the prominent UK production house Outline Productions. Whilst there, the company delivered ambitious reality series such as Dumped (Channel 4) and The House of Tiny Tearaways (BBC). His experience in TV also includes working for BBC Sport on broadcast events such as The Olympics, Wimbledon and Sport Relief, as well as working across a variety of BBC departments for the duration of eight years.

In welcoming Peter Newman to the team, President Shine Network & CEO Shine Australia Mark Fennessy said: “Peter is universally respected as a gifted content creator and program maker. He's an exceptional talent and we're excited to welcome him to Shine.”

Peter Newman said: “I am thrilled to be joining Shine and their outstanding team of people.  I look forward to getting stuck in delivering some of the most dynamic and exciting television in Australia”

Newman will commence in the coming months and report directly to Shine MD, Matt Campbell

Paul Franklin Joins Shine America as EVP, Programming

Shine USA continues to bolster its creative ranks with the hire of Paul Franklin to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Programming, Shine USA.

Franklin, who is considered one of the most successful producers of unscripted programming in Australia, will relocate later this year from Shine Australia to Shine USA’s headquarters in Los Angeles, CA, to assume responsibility for the creative vision of Shine USA’s unscripted slate of series that include The Biggest Loser, MasterChef and Tabatha Takes Over. Franklin will report to Company President Eden Gaha. Franklin began his television career in the UK producing shows for all British networks before relocating to Sydney to oversee the first Australian season of The Biggest Loser and Jamie’s Kitchen Australia.

Upon joining FremantleMedia Australia as Head of Factual Entertainment, Franklin was the production partner and the creative architect behind transforming Shine’s UK based series MasterChef to a successful international format with MasterChef Australia, which became Australia’s highest-rated television series. After departing FremantleMedia Australia, Franklin consulted with Shine Group and travelled as an ambassador for MasterChef to establish the show in the United States with Gordon Ramsay and to manage additional launches of the format in France and India. Franklin is credited for the global success of Shine Group’s MasterChef format, which currently airs in 30 countries.

Franklin most recently oversaw unscripted series for Shine Australia including The Biggest Loser, Junior MasterChef, The Renovators, In Their Footsteps and the much-anticipated fourth season of MasterChef Australia. Shine USA CEO Carl Fennessy, who previously worked with Franklin at Shine Australia, said, "Paul is simply one of the finest program makers in the world and we're thrilled to welcome him to Shine USA. He has an extraordinary creative vision and a track record of producing exceptional television and delivering super hits. As we continue to build out Shine USA as the destination of choice for creative program making talent, Paul will add a whole new dimension to our team".  Gaha added, “I’m ecstatic to add Paul to our team. His established knowledge of our existing slate of unscripted programs will be invaluable as we focus on the continued growth of those shows and the development of new projects.”

Shine USA is part of the Shine Group, one of the world's foremost multinational entertainment and drama companies. Focused on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights in scripted and unscripted television and digital entertainment, the Company is also a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers and known for popular and award-winning hit series including “MasterChef,” “The Biggest Loser,” “The Office,” “Tabatha Takes Over,” “Shear Genius” and “One Born Every Minute.” Additionally, the Company has partnerships with Break Media, Microsoft and Yahoo! to develop original online series for brands. Through its distribution arm, Shine International, the Company distributes its extensive library of programming to more than 150 countries.

Nick Love to Join Shine 360º Australia as MD

Shine Australia today announced the appointment of Nick Love to the role of Managing Director, Shine 360°Australia.

The appointment comes after Shine Group recently announced that Ben Liebmann - who has held the role for the last eleven months – will re-locate to London with a new, extended global brief, as CEO, Shine 360°, a new group-wide division responsible for the management and commercialisation of non-broadcast rights for Shine Group properties on an international basis.

Nick will be responsible for Shine Australia's non-broadcast business including brand partnerships, sponsorship, retail, consumer products, digital, live events and home entertainment. He will also work closely with Shine Australia to develop brand funded content.

Reporting to Mark and Carl Fennessy, Nick will oversee the Shine 360° Australia team of Lisa Coren (Director of Brand Partnerships) and Petrina Frost (Director of Consumer and Retail Strategy), and will work closely with the Shine 360° Group division in further developing global franchises including MasterChef and The Biggest Loser.

Mark Fennessy said: "I am thrilled to welcome Nick into the Shine family.  His expertise across business development, multiplatform and brands will be a great asset and his leadership will be invaluable in what is a key part of the Shine Australia business."

Nick Love said:  "I am delighted to be joining Shine Australia at such an exciting time. Combining such a talented team with Shine’s brands and content the potential for the Shine 360° business is enormous."

Prior to joining Shine 360° Nick was Managing Director at Fox Interactive Media where he drove significant organisational change, repositioned Myspace’s offering to advertisers and consumers and drove the local elements of a global rebrand and product relaunch ahead of News Corporation’s sale of the business.  As one of Fox Interactive Media’s first employees he was responsible for online and mobile business development and commercial strategy across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia for the Myspace, IGN and AskMen properties.

He has also held a range of commercial roles at Soundbuzz, ARIA, ICE Interactive and Electronic Arts after beginning his career in the legal profession. Nick holds a Bachelor of Laws, MBA and Master of International Management from Bond University, and has been admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.