This Is Your Life; Crown Casino Style

James Packer owned Crown Casino is to be the host of the return of the Australian version of smash hit television show, 'This Is Your Life', in a move that is bound to add spark and cash into both Crown Limited and Network Nine Australia. Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com and Gambling911 take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce about both the good times and the bad, as we jump the cue with this special report on the return of 'This Is Your Life' and what it all means to you and the powers that be...

This Is Your Life is an Aussie television documentary show based on the American show of the same name, in which the host surprises guests with a show documenting their lives, with audience participation from their friends and family.

Down Under in Australia, the show was aired on the Nine Network on Thursday nights for a relatively short annual season. It began in 1975 on the Seven Network, hosted by Andrew Barbeler. Subsequent seasons were compered by Digby Wolfe (1976), Roger Climpson (1977), and Geordi Hunt (1977 - 1980). The program was re-launched on the Nine Network in 1995, hosted by Mike Munro until 2008.

Now we learn that Australian media legend Eddie McGuire will be hosting the show as we draw closer to the last month of the year 2010, and what a year it has been for Crown Casino, James Packer, and mates in the super inner circle like Shane Warne and David Gyngell.

Ok, its one of the most loved tv shows of all time, but its undergoing a face lift (so to speak), and hopefully for the better. Our spies tell us that will be a more contemporary format and done in a way that is basically more "now" and current for the times.  Time will tell what exactly translates into ones the show kicks off.

A new set and big name musical acts - performances and a live theatre-style setting will help make This Is Your Life appeal to a whole new generation of couch potatoes, while long-term audiences will likely welcome back its somewhat familiar format with a fresh as a daisy lineup of A-list stars and other entertaining surprise guests.

This Is Your Life will delight viewers to a series of special event shows filmed at The Palms at Crown Casino in Melbourne in front of a live audience, with performances by Australia’s leading music acts and appearances by local and international celebrities.

"The brand new series of This is Your Life will be an entertaining show filled with laughter, tears and surprises," the show’s Executive Producer, Adrian Dellevergin, said.

"We will adopt a whole new look as we celebrate the lives of our most treasured and admired Australians. We’re taking a much loved format out of its studio setting and turning it into major event television."

This Is Your Life honours Australians who have forged brilliant careers and have had extraordinary life journeys.

The new series will include legends and heroes from the fields of entertainment, music, sport and the media.

Host Eddie 'Everywhere' McGuire will surprise the guest of honour with heartfelt reunions, spontaneous revelations and stories from friends and family from around the globe.

Since 1975 almost 400 of Australia’s greatest achievers have been honoured on This Is Your Life, including Peter Allen, Greg Norman, Steve Irwin, Olivia Newton-John and country music legend Slim Dusty.

Media Man has heard the exciting news that there's a reasonable possibility that some of the names on the list include James Packer, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown, John Singleton, Alan Jones, Bert Newtwon or Rupert Murdoch will be appearing. Just quietly, we hope its Warnie, Murdoch, Brown, Singo or Thompson. Packer would be the jackpot, but it might look funny, since he's still young and he owns the venue!

Host McGuire said "This Is Your Life is one of the all-time great television shows. There are so many wonderful stories to be told. I fell victim myself one time, so I know what it is like from both sides. I can't wait to be involved in the stings for which the show is so well known. Every time I walk into someones house, they're going to look to see if I have a big red book under my arm."

Crown Casino is also host venue of the Australian Logie Awards, and home to the Twitter Gate scandal, that a saw an Aussie comedian - writer loose her job from 'The Age' newspaper more than a year ago, after inappropriate remarks were Tweaked towards guests at Crown Casino on 'Australian entertainment's night of nights', as its known in the biz.

This Is Your Life will go to air on the Nine Network in 2011.

Return Of 'This Is Your Life' At Crown Casino Comes At The Same Time As Warnie TV...

Shane Warne Talk Show 'Warne's World'; May Mention Poker, Gambling...

It's going to be called Warne’s World, the chat show is scheduled to air on Thursdays at 9.30pm once the Ashes series kicks off next month. "We’ve secured two or three big-name guests at this stage so things are going well," Warne said. The hunt is on for potential co-hosts. It will also feature a slew of international mates. A production source said, "Warnie knows so many people – there are many closet cricket fans out there – so we’re expecting anyone who’s in town, whether it be a superstar singer or a Hollywood actor, to be called on by Shane." Maybe it will possibly work as a summer cricketing counterpart to The Footy Show? Warne also recently appeared Top Gear Australia, the show he was heavily rumoured to be hosting, but the host gig didn't come off, of course. Warne's World sounds like a better fit for the former spinner.

Australian TV and entertainment fans rejoice. We're in for a treat, and of course, for the ones feeling really positive and lucky, don't forget to take a good look around Crown Casino, with lots of world class entertainment offerings (and casino games).

Wrap Up...

Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Did it bring back memories for you? Who would you like to see on the Australian version of the show? Is Crown Casino a good, bad or great venue for it, and why? Tell us in the forum. 

If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.