Lowdown

4.5

2010•30m

Lowdown shines a torch on the life of a man whose job it is to feed the public's insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip. Alex Burchill, the author of the Lowdown column which appears in the once great but now ailing tabloid newspaper – the Sunday Sun. Each week Alex interviews celebrities for his column, and each week at least one of those celebrities ruins his week. Sometimes the celebrity gets drunk and punches Alex out. Sometimes the celebrity gets him arrested. Usually the celebrity sleeps with his girlfriend, Rita. It may not sound like much of a life, but it invariably leads to great copy and the readers love it. In fact, it's the only thing standing between the Sunday Sun and oblivion.

Production

Available For Free On

Trailers & Videos

Teaser | Lowdown Series 1 | ABC1

Seasons

8 Episodes • Premiered 2010

Alex Burchill is the top reporter at the once mighty tabloid shock-sheet, the Sunday Sun. But with circulation in decline, Alex has to stop the rot by producing a scandalous, circulation-boosting story on a misbehaving celebrity every week. And every week, the universe punishes him for his intrusions into the private lives of the rich and famous by somehow ruining his life.

1. Wasp in Translation

Celebrity tabloid journalist and Lowdown columnist Alex Burchill scores a highly coveted interview with the environmentalist, Tantra-loving, Buddhist rock God, Wasp Warneke on one condition... he doesn't ask about Tantra.

2. Bonk Bonk, Who's There?

Publicist to the stars Hope van der Boom, briefs Alex before he interviews actor, sex-symbol and family man Oliver Barry. The interview is awkward and uncomfortable, despite the fact that Alex and Oliver share a birthday.

3. Zirco Goes Berko

Temperamental tennis star Mitch "Zirco" Zicopoulos has pulled out from a warm-up tournament citing a sore finger, leaving 20,000 fans out of pocket. Alex's editor is convinced Zirco is faking his injury and sends Alex and Bob to find the truth.

4. Hart of Darkness

When plagiarising popstar Sofia Corelli is assaulted on the eve of her Melbourne tour, Alex suspects that the renowned torch singer Abi Hart has something to do with it. After all, Sofia has totally ripped-off Abi's sound and look.

5. Cooper Scooper

It's late Saturday night, and the editor is thrilled to hear via the police scanner that prominent businessman Jack Cooper has been busted drink driving. A reluctant Alex, with Bob and Rita in tow, heads to Cooper's Toorak home for a foot-in-door interview.

6. Lavish Swinger

Australia's number one golfer Mike Lavish arrives in town to promote his new golf DVD game. Armed with video evidence of Lavish taking an alleged air-swing at the Australian Masters, Alex confronts Lavish at a press conference and is quickly ejected by a "hormonal" Hope Van der Boom.

7. Who's Your Baddy?

Alex is heavied into writing a puff piece on underworld crime boss Tony Marino and drags Bob along to take the pics. Blindfolded, they are taken to meet Tony at a seedy hotel.

8. Project Runaway

Project Starsearch finalist Joss Miller has absconded from the show's compound, jeopardising the multi-million dollar TV final. The editor offers $10,000 of his own money to the first journalist able to locate Joss and get the story – the Sunday Sun's future depends on it.