Forget The Crown — Aussie TV networks rush to air royal wedding specials

WE’RE all wild about Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Australian TV programmers have started cramming their schedules with as many prime-time specials on the couple ahead of the big day.

AUSSIE television networks have caught an early dose of royal wedding fever, rushing a flush of interview specials on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to air before their May 19 nuptials — starting tonight.

As the appetite for the young couple goes global, viewers are about to be bombarded with tell-all interviews by Meghan’s “fractured” family, as well as pre-packaged docos, retelling their unlikely love story.

Seven’s Sunday Night gets out of the gate tonight, with Melissa Doyle hosting a “royal event” featuring palace secrets from Diana biographer, Andrew Morton and family gossip from Meghan’s brother, Tom.

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Australian TV network’s are all airing specials on Harry and Meghan’s love story in the lead up to the wedding. Picture: Eddie Mulholland/Pool via AP

It will follow up with an ITV special, Invitation To A Royal Wedding, to air in the week of the wedding, which features insights from those who’ve played a role in previous occasions.

On the big day, Doyle and Seven News anchor Michael Usher will lead the network’s live broadcast from a purpose-built studio at Windsor Castle; with a commentating team including acclaimed BBC broadcaster, Angela Rippon, royal expert, Victoria Arbiter, royal historian Hugo Vickers and royal editor, Tim Ewart.

Sunrise will broadcast from various royal locations in the week leading into the ceremony, with Sam Armytage, David Koch, Natalie Barr, Mark Beretta and newlywed, Edwina Bartholomew returning from her honeymoon to join the coverage.

Channel 9 is also blitzing their audience, after early ratings success with its broadcast of the Queen’s 92nd birthday gala last week.

Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardner will lead coverage from London for the TODAY show.

Based on those figures and building up to their extensive coverage in London — featuring Today show hosts Karl Stefanovic, Georgie Gardner and Weekend cohort Allison Langdon — Nine has plans to air four royal wedding specials, starting this week.

Billing their coverage as “Hollywood meets history,” Nine will begin broadcasting their wedding day telecast from 7pm, Saturday May 19, with a team of five reporters and three royal experts: Camilla Tominey, Dickie Arbiter and royal photographer, Arthur Edwards.

The prime-time specials begin this Tuesday (9pm) with Diana To Meghan — Royal Wedding Secrets, which outlines the mechanics of a royal wedding, how it is put together and royal insiders “on the drama the public never see, from engagement to honeymoon.”

Nine has also secured the rights to a Sky News UK’s special Harry & Meghan: A Love Story on the relationship between the couple and how it reflects the changing nature of the Royal family and modern Britain.

Harry & Meghan: In Their Own Words (9pm, Tuesday, May 7) includes their engagement interview, speeches and social media material to tell the bride and groom’s personal stories; while Meghan & Harry: The First 100 Days (9.30pm, Tuesday, May 15) will chart Meghan’s appearances and controversies since the engagement — or as producers put it “all the dirt.”

Channel 10 has relied on its CBS owners for Meghan Markle: A Modern Princess (7.30pm, this Wednesday), with news anchor Gayle King describing the bride as “unlike anyone the Royal family has known.”

“The ultimate modern day couple, their love caught the world off-guard ... everyone except for Harry and Meghan, who knew exactly what they were looking for.”

Wedding fever has hit the UK. Picture: AFP/Carl Court

Meghan’s acting career and bi-racial background has the American networks enthralled and bursting with excitement — and TV specials — with E! channel, which normally covers red carpet events like the Oscars and Grammys, to broadcast wedding coverage and a post-party rundown (6pm, May 20).

Foxtel’s Lifestyle channel will air a one-hour special, When Harry Met Meghan (8.30pm, Thursday, May 17) which picks up two weeks after the engagement announcement, detailing their road to St George’s chapel, “from childhood, courtship and proposal.”

When they finally walk down the aisle, all networks will take the main feed broadcast, with the ABC and Sky able to provide uninterrupted coverage, from 7.30pm.

Aunty’s coverage will be hosted by Annabel Crabb and Jeremy Fernandez; with Sky turning to royal correspondent, Rhiannon Mills to provide colour and comment from London.

Originally published as Forget The Crown — Aussie TV networks rush to air royal wedding specials