Public Address | Monitor | City Life - oh the lipstick horror!

Andre Dromgool

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:14:11 +1300

In 1996 I used to do a bit of work with Creative Profile postcards – the free cards on stands in cafes that advertisers paid for. One of our clients was TVNZ. They printed individual postcards for each character on City Life and I kept the set. I spent a…

Joanna

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:06:05 +1300

Thank god my Beverly Hills 90210 box set has finally arrived from Amazon then although I am terrified to see that some of their hideous clothes from 1990 can be spotted on the streets these days...

James Griffin

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:56:49 +1300

I don't know, I was asleep at that hour of the morning. Yes, most definitely. I have no idea – if they invested in inner-city real estate I guess they'll be okay (and it's Kellett, by the way). Probably not. Undoubtedly. Yes, but a lousy partner. Yes, but not on…

Joanna

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:32:07 +1300

Oh no, was last night the final? Has all the lipstick come to its end? What's going to happen to the Callet fortunes, James? Will they be safe? Is Bron going to get her heart broken? Will Aaron make a good father? Will Stephanie ever find love?

Damian Christie

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:28:53 +1300

When she was Angela the lawyer on City Life, I might've had a chance... but as some mega famous sci-fi goddess, I fear she may have slipped a little out of this wannabe's league...

Joanna

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:17:34 +1300

So if you're that much of a fan boy, Damian, will you be lining up at the next Armageddon to get her signature?

Damian Christie

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:19:54 +1300

I should really let my fingers do the walking before opening my mouth... turns out she went on to do quite a lot including SG-1:

http://imdb.com/name/nm0085227/

Damian Christie

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:15:59 +1300

Enough about why City Life got the axe... whatever happened to the hot actress... mmm... I had such a crush... her name escapes me... I think she was a lawyer? Angela? Possibly an Australian.

She came into the cafe I was working at in Devonport once for lunch. She gave…

Robyn Gallagher

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:00:05 +1300

I was figuring this out when I was drifting off to sleep last night.

I've decided that the entire Redfern empire has gone broke, which of course leaves room for a massive comeback.

Maxine has become a Paula Ryan-type business woman, but worse, running dress for success workshops, i.e. giving…

Joanna

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:27:31 +1300

I certainly want to know where my Gloss bitches at.

Hells yes! Did Gemma float back to the beach and decide to live? Did the Redferns really live forever as Maxine toasted? Why did Magda decide to go into infomercials?

And I can't remember the other cliffhangers, since I would…

Robyn Gallagher

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:50:42 +1300

Hands up all those who would like to find out what the Redfern family and nefarious associates are up to these days?

I certainly want to know where my Gloss bitches at.

James Griffin

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:09:04 +1300

I don't think they give 10th anniversary specials to shows that were flogged to death in front of the viewing public.

Of much more intrigue is the fact that 2007 (somewhere round October, I think) is the 20th anniversary of Gloss going to air.

Hands up all those who would…

Peter Cox

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:06:52 +1300

I agree. James, get to work.

Robyn Gallagher

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 03:17:30 +1300

This Life very recently had a special 10th anniversary reunion special, so I have decided that City Life should do a similar thing. I'm not sure if anyone will watch it, but it will be awesome nonetheless.

Robyn Gallagher

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:39:57 +1300

Just for the record, City Life was already in production (or pre-production or very close to production) when This Life started screening so there was no influence whatsoever – just coincidence.

After I wrote that bit about This Life, I checked out the dates on IMDB and noted they both…

Joanna

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:25:52 +1300

Hurrah, thanks for the inside story. This is what makes internet forums so great, the opportunity to hear things straight from the people involved.

James Griffin

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:01:03 +1300

It's ancient history, so what the hell...

It started life with the working title Twenty-odd; then it morphed into 96 Oriental Parade when it was going to be set in Wellington; then it came back to Auckland and became City Life. It was, originally, much more about the day-to-day life…

Russell Brown

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:43:08 +1300

You might not feel able to comment James, but I seem to recall tell of it getting pushed around a bit before production by TV executives who thought it should be more ... conventional.

James Griffin

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:26:43 +1300

It got caned (rather than canned) for being too everything. Then it got shifted to a later time slot where it saw out its final days. Then it sold all over the world. Go figure.

Joanna

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:20:49 +1300

Am I right in vaguely remembering it got canned for being "too Auckland" ?

James Griffin

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:42:13 +1300

Just for the record, City Life was already in production (or pre-production or very close to production) when This Life started screening so there was no influence whatsoever – just coincidence.

Funny old world, eh?

Joanna

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:16:49 +1300

I spoke too soon! Today the Guardian reports that blow-drying is coming back in a big, curly, bouncy way.

And high waists are coming back in too! So probably I'd say in two years everyone will look like a cast member of City Life. Eeek. Let's hope there will be…

Robyn Gallagher

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:07:02 +1300

Then I realised – ceramic hair straighteners hadn't been invented then. Blow drying was as good as it got, resulting in flyaway ends.

I spoke too soon! Today the Guardian reports that blow-drying is coming back in a big, curly, bouncy way.

Robyn Gallagher

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:45:30 +1300

I'm surprised at just how much The Secret Life of Us totally lifted most of its characters straight from the show

I believe both City Life and The Secret Life of Us took inspiration from This Life, a BBC series about 20-somethings in the city, where the drama in their…

Joanna

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:37:09 +1300

I've often wished that TVNZ would rescreen Gloss, but the next best thing is now showing around 2.30am on weekdays – ahh City Life, how dated you look! Did we really wear that much lipstick and eyeshadow together ten years ago?

I'm surprised at just how much __The Secret Life…