The Games

- Season 1

(1998)

John, Bryan and Gina have been appointed to run the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Naturally, they have to introduce themselves by running a press conference, which doesn't run smoothly. Barrie Cassidy is brought in to improve their performance.

They have changed the times for the athletics events, which causes problems with the athletes and swimmers. Some members of the public is not happy. Budgetary problems are upsetting Bryan and other scheduling problems crop up.

Tickets sales are slow and the money is getting tight as the budget goes up. The minister authorises a marketing video about Sydney but John is not happy. Bryan gets some controversial tobacco sponsorship. They all just have to smoke.

Jasmine comes in and wants to update the Olympics. Jim, the construction engineer, causes problems when the 100 m straight is only 94 m long. How to solve it! The minister runs a very interesting and insightful press conference.

The Asian financial problems are causing problems with the games. There is an argument about whether the athletes were better in the old days. Gina is put on the games help desk. What will they do with an athlete that has had a sex change?

Gina's voice recognition software is causing difficulties and John is having trouble with technology. The millennium bug looks like it might threaten the games. They then have a live webchat that doesn't quite go as they would have hoped.

The revised swimming program is still causing problems. An IOC delegate dies and it causes some difficulties for the organisation. Entertaining the Olympic VIPs becomes farcical. There is also ambush marketing to deal with.

The swimming program changes are still a problem. There is a very interesting 'rural' proposal for the opening ceremony by two women that finishes with a bang. John goes on Lateline and the subject of the skin cancer arises.

A new drug testing regime going to be introduced but is it a good thing? The lacrosse centre is not going to schedule with some cost over-runs. John is upset with some negative publicity and comes up with an ingenious plan to stop it.

John, Bryan and Gina go to a team-building weekend for some training on how they can use their full potential. John and Gina are not happy. The IOC committee is coming to inspect all the venues, but they're one venue short.

John is concerned about a conflict of interest by a potential SOCOG board member, Joseph Williams. There is a problem when it comes to some American capital being invested in the venues. It's the weekend when the cameras see John at home.

There is no top accommodation for the American 'Dream Team' and it is causing problems. How to make the Americans welcome. What are they going to do when an equestrian rider wants to use a genetically engineered horse?

There are problems with the diving pool at the new aquatic centre - it's in the wrong spot. Bryan is fixing the transport problems but the minister is interfering, pushing a bid by Citytrans World to run the transport system.