The television programm here in Perth reminds us of the time Austria had only two national TV channels: ORF1 and ORF2. With the difference that here are 5 or 5 1/2 TV channels available. It’s 5 1/2 because there is a regional Perth channel, but the reception is pretty bad.

The channels are called ABC, SBS, 7, 9 and Ten, the local channel is called Access31.

ABC shows a lot of politics and if they show movies they are old, boring and sort of educational.

SBS is comparable with Arte on the Austrian and German television. They show a lot of international movies in the original language. So we watched a lot of German and Austrian(!) films in German with English subtitles. Especially funny is “Inspector Rex” (an Austrian police show with a dog as main act), since the subtitles tell you what’s going on, but they can’t of course reflect the weirdness of Viennese slang.

7, 9 and Ten show the rather “normal” TV programms. That means you’ ll get to see the 6th season of Big Brogher, the 5th season of Australian Idol, the xth season of American Idol, X-Factor and more of these shows.

Good is that shows are much quicker shown on the Australian television than in Austria or Germany. I guess that’s because of the translation, since all films and movies shown on German television are dubbed into German.

Popular shows are CSI in Las Vegas, Miami and New York, Cold Case, Criminal Intent, NCIS, Law and Order and other crime stories with lots of pathology.

We successfully finished watching “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” here in Australia. In case you didn’t watch Lost yet, don’t start! After 26 long episodes there is still no clue what’s all about and the next season will start not earlier than in February 2006! Hmpf!

At the moment they broadcast the 4th season of “24″. Bad terrorists threaten America. Because that’s a difficult subject at the current time, Kiefer Sutherland has to tell the people before each show that this story is fictional and that muslim citizens have no part in terrorism.

Mike as old “Stargate” fan likes to watch “Atlantis” every Thursday evening, a spin off show of Stargate without Colonel, pardon General Jack O’Neil.

Access31 is, if you manage to receive something, barely watchable. There are often so-called talent shows, where kids and teens believe they can sing and dance.