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Bleak outlook for Hungry Beast

Exclusive: The edgy current affairs show has just landed its second Walkley Awards nomination -but the ABC has no plans to return Hungry Beast.

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EXCLUSIVE: Hungry Beast, ABC’s ambitious series which trained journalists, producers, researchers and web producers, is languishing without any sign of a future on the public broadcaster.

After three seasons, the most recent ending mid-year, the show has no guarantee of a return.

TV Tonight understands a fourth series has been raised by Zapruder’s Other Films with ABC without success.

Yesterday an ABC Spokesperson confirmed, “There are no plans for a 4th season at present.”

This is despite the edgy current affairs show landing a Walkley Award nomination this week.

Monique Schafter has been nominated for Television Current Affairs Reporting (less than 20 minutes) alongside more seasoned performers from Dateline and Sunday Night. She even eclipsed 60 Minutes for a nomination.

During the second season reporters Ali Russell and Kirk Docker were also nominated for a Walkley Award for Coverage of Indigenous Affairs.

The show has previously been nominated for an AFI Award as Best Light Entertainment and an ATOM Award in the Best Multimedia category.

Last year Director of Television Kim Dalton, also acknowledged its achievements.

“Hungry Beast has been a big adventure for all concerned – the 19 young people that pulled this show together from scratch are to be congratulated. We’ve had some controversy, hilarity, and some revealing and moving stories,” he said.

While there was room for improvement in its early season, this year the show found form by presenting “themed” shows, with stories linked by a common subject.

But on its official website, the show’s About page is written in the past tense: “Hungry Beast was a weekly, half-hour, TV show on ABC television combining journalism, comedy and the reportage of weird. It asked questions others didn’t, covered stories others wouldn’t and brought them to your screen in ways that only this unique team of broadcasters could do.”

Yesterday an insider source told TV Tonight,  “I understand that it’s an expensive show to produce but it’s also a thoroughly unique one that did resonate with its particular audience. In the last season HB was actually doing relatively well within the demographic that we were told ABC1 was trying to aim for…

“Most of the team would happily do a fourth series. We never had any shortage of ideas.”

But while there is disappointment at the lack of enthusiasm, there was also gratitude for the kickstart the show had provided.

“The team were very, very grateful to have the airtime that we did. And its always gratifying to see new audiences from around the globe discovering the show on YouTube like the 6 million or so that have watched this Avatar 2 sketch or any of the other stories on our channel,” said a source.

Another insider simply added, “Without Hungry Beast who will the ABC rely on for it’s Walkley Nominations?”

27 Responses

  2. Hungry Beast is one of the few original shows the ABC has going for it. Some of the stuff like the investigations into the Vatican and the Koch Brothers has been fantastic TV journalism.

    I’ll be very disappointed if they don’t do another series.

    First Recovery and now Hungry Beast!

  6. Damn, that’s a real shame. By the third season HB had really found its feet, and got the balance of informative stories and humorous sketches right. And while some of the presenters were on the annoying side (Monique Schafter) this was balance by other presenters (Dan Ilic, Kirsten Drysdale). I thought this was a genuinely informative show, doing the types of stories you don’t get elsewhere on FTA TV, and exactly the type of show the ABC should be making.

  8. Awesome show. Absolutely more informative and entertaining a current affairs show than the commercial networks output hands down.

    We need this show. Only the ABC can broadcast something like this (SBS don’t have the budget). What is the point of having non-commercial media if they don’t continue to take risks in the name of quality journalism versus commercial viability?

  9. I agree with Andy on this one – what could have been a decent view at current affairs, highlighting things that you don’t normally see on other CA type shows was ruined by presenters who quickly found themselves falling victim to smugness.

    I appreciate what you were trying to do, Dan (and the others, who I am assuming read the site as well) – but, a lot of the show came across as trying too hard to be hip and edgy and just wound up smug… it’s a problem I have found with a lot of shows over the past decade.

  11. Seems to me that the only network not cutting things is the Seven Network. The ABC should be kicking it self feverently. Once again they pull the plug on a show in its prime, i was really enjoying it. Unforntunetly they will use the cost cutting as an excuse. I think Dan will be fine because presuming Ten renew Can of Worms then he will be fine, not sure about the others. Also i dont want to hear past victories from the ABC when they are asked why they axed this award winning show, they will probably rable on about how they have invested many dollars and doveloped many new shows in their time for the youth, if they say that which they will it will p*ss me off.

  12. I’m all for supporting new talent and new culture, however I tend to think Denton gets too many free kicks when it comes to the ABC. To get as many series out of a show that to be honest delivered poor ratings seem very odd. I don’t think it would be a luxury afforded to anyone else.

  13. Congrats, Dan. It was a good show – and nice to see viewpoints that thinking-people under 40 can resonate with.

    So many of the views expressed on Australian TV are safe, conservative, and out of date. Not in a political sense, but in a ‘think of the children!’ sense. You guys were a solid antidote to that.

  14. I think @Andy has Hungry Beast confused with Country House Rescue?

    HB was a great show to work on, and it took a lot of effort to make. One of the most amazing experiences in my career. I’m so glad I had the opportunity. It was indeed an absolute privilege to work on.

  15. I thought the show was a massive improvement in the third season so it’s disappointing they won’t be able to continue that trend into a fourth. Dan Ilic popped up playing Alan Jones in a sketch on the Hamster Wheel the other night, so it seems like they’re looking for other gigs (or maybe he just did it as a favour, seeing as they’re probably friends).

  18. Oh Puh-leeze.
    “Another insider simply added, “Without Hungry Beast who will the ABC rely on for it’s Walkley Nominations?”
    Well, duh.

    Kirsti Melville, 360 documentaries ABC Radio National
    Eleanor Bell, Ed Giles and Suzanne Smith, ABC News Online
    Matthew Liddy, Andrew Kesper, Jim Whimpey, Gillian Bradford and Katie Franklin, ABC News Online
    Peter Cronau and Matthew Carney, Four Corners, ABC
    Sharon Mascall, ABC News Radio
    Jane Bardon, 7pm News ABC TV
    Gerard Whateley, ABC TV and Radio
    Caro Meldrum-Hanna, The 7.30 Report, ABC TV
    Mark Willacy, ABC Radio
    Ben Knight, ABC Radio
    Katrina Bolton, The World Today, ABC Radio National
    Angelique Johnson and Nick Harmsen, ABC Online, ABC Local Radio and ABC News 24

  21. What a shame this quirky and innovative little show won’t be back.

    I remember ABC’s Fly TV in the early days of digital… Hungry Beast would have been perfect on that channel. If ABC is having trouble with that demograph it’s because they abandoned them when they killed off Fly.

  22. i’m glad it’s going – it was a show so in love with itself that it didnt bother being entertaining. the smugness of the presenters was beyond the pail.

  25. If this is true, it’s a huge shame. Hungry beast is must-watch telly, always interesting and able to raise a laugh or two. Hopefully aunty realises what she’s doing and gives them another go.

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