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ABC partners with YouTube for Superwog

Upcoming 6 part comedy marks a collaboration first for ABC.

https://youtu.be/Y5qWIM65gOQ

Warning: language adult themes

6 part comedy series Superwog, featuring Theodore & Nathan Saidden, is getting a joint ABC / YouTube broadcast.

Superwog‘s pilot was funded by Screen Australia and YouTube as part of the Skip Ahead initiative, becoming the highest trending YouTube video in Australia last year, with over 3.4 million views -90% of which were Australian-based. Their Superwog YouTube channel has a staggering 180+ million views.

Produced by Princess Pictures, Superwog becomes is the first original scripted commision to air on ABC Comedy and the first ever full series collaboration between the ABC and YouTube.

ABC Head of Comedy Rick Kalowski said: “We’re so happy to bring Superwog to ABC, to be in first time business with YouTube, and for this to be our first scripted original for ABC Comedy. Superwog’s Screen Australia/YouTube Skip Ahead Pilot was one of the funniest half hours I’d ever seen, and the full series is a cracking addition to our unrivalled comedy offering. ABC is serious about comedy, and about working with incredible Australian online comedy talents like Theo and Nathan Saidden to bring them to new audiences here and around the world.”

It will screen later this year.

Created by and starring YouTube sensations Theodore and Nathan Saidden, Superwog – the inspired-by-real-life tale of a flawed teenager and his crazed family in heartland suburbia – is also the first original scripted series to air on ABC COMEDY. This commission reaffirms ABC’s commitment to investing both in Australia’s emerging and culturally diverse comedic talents and in original scripted programming. The series also sees the ABC and YouTube embark on a new collaborative partnership.

Developed over eight years by the comedy duo, the Superwog YouTube channel has garnered an extraordinary 180+ million YouTube views and almost 900k subscribers, cementing their spot amongst Australia’s most watched YouTube comedy creators.

The Superwog series follows the often misunderstood, dysfunctional Superwog family as they struggle to navigate life in the Australian suburbs. Superwog is a girls/fast food-obsessed teenager enrolled in a prestigious private school. His misadventures with best friend Johnny often cause Superwog’s primitive, highly-strung father extreme stress as he battles to keep his delusional but fiercely loyal wife happy.

Sally Caplan, Head of Production at Screen Australia said: “The viral success of Superwog across their YouTube channel, boosted recently by their Skip Ahead pilot is simply staggering. To see them forge forward into this half hour series with YouTube and ABC Comedy is an incredible opportunity for the Saidden brothers, as well as for both platforms exploring this innovative collaboration and release strategy.”

Head of YouTube Partnerships, Australia and New Zealand, Ed Miles, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Superwog in partnership with Screen Australia and the ABC, as they take this exciting step into creating narrative content. The Australian YouTube creator ecosystem is incredibly strong and it’s fantastic to see the ABC collaborate with creators to tell unique, local stories and embrace a multi-platform strategy to reach and engage audiences on YouTube as well as broadcast TV.”

Film Victoria CEO, Caroline Pitcher said “Edgy, irreverent and hilarious, Superwog has been a game changer in the online space and Melbourne’s Princess Pictures team have read this consumer popularity superbly. Congratulations to the Superwog and Princess Pictures team who will produce the entire long form series in Victoria.”

Production Credits: Superwog is a Princess Pictures production for YouTube and the ABC. Principal production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Financed with support from Film Victoria and YouTube. Created and written by Theodore Saidden and Nathan Saidden. Produced by Paul Walton. Directed by Theodore Saidden. ABC Executive Producer Rick Kalowski (with Lauren Merolli).

5 Responses

  1. It is a shame this groups name doesn’t translate internationally. I feel it’s constantly going to get in the way of them being bigger and the brand grows.

    The lad with short hair in the group is a great actor. Remind me of a young Eric Bana

  2. I just watched the pilot. It confirms my theory that all Australian TV comedy is now just people swearing in lieu of coming up with something funny. Or maybe I’m just a grumpy old geezer.

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