DONT TELL THE BRIDE DIDN'T QUITE CUT IT IN AUSTRALIA

Kate Ritchie become a household name as a child actor starring in the long running australian surfboard soapie HOME AND AWAY in the role of Sally Fletcher, but after becoming the longest serving actor on the show besides the grouchy king occa RAY MEAGHER, who continues to play Alf on the show and has ever since it began way back in 1987, she ventured into Sydney radio and more recently dabbled in real life TV as the host of DONT TELL THE BRIDE, which like so many Channel 10 shows, got the axe with absolutely no announcement or seemingly any interest from even the most voyeuristc of TV critics in the press, but then again i dont read TV WEEK, the quinessential magazine for australian soapie snoops. It only lasted a few weeks, but the premise of the show was original and conceptual, even if somewhat tacky and bunged on by the particpants. The show was based upon a scenario where Channel 10 would give a couple $25000 to spend for their wedding day, that's including wedding dress and suit hire for the bride, groom, best man, bridemaids and the whole wedding party contingent and the wedding reception costs, food, grog, celebrant - pretty much everything. The only catch was that the bride to be was not permitted to have anything to do with how and where the money was spent, she wasn't even able to choose her own wedding dress. Only the groom to be was permitted to spend the $25000 and do all the organizing for the big day.  By no means was DONT TELL THE BRIDE groundbreaking TV but is sure as heck had more potential than what 25 years of surfboard wielding Gen-Y-er's who cant act on HOME AND AWAY has served up. The DONT TELL THE BRIDE franchise is doing better in other countries, well good enough at least to still be on the TV.