0/5

What to expect from ABC Upfronts

ABC's programming slate may well be the biggest list of shows announced this season.

If history is anything to go by, ABC’s 2020 programming slate* revealed tomorrow will be the biggest list of shows announced by a network this season.

It will be the first with David Anderson as managing director (last year he was Acting MD), spanning Drama, Comedy, Entertainment, Documentary, News, Lifestyle, Children’s and more.

David Speers, who finished at SKY News on Sunday, is likely to feature prominently. He is already confirmed for Insiders but rumours have swirled for some time about him as one of several hosting roles, in Sydney & Melbourne, on Q&A.

Big drama plays will be refugee drama Stateless including Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Asher Keddie, Fayssal Bazzi, Dominic West & Cate Blanchett plus nuclear testing drama Fallout (working title) with Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw, James Cromwell, and Shaka Cook. Why Are You Like This is a new comedy.

TV Tonight hears whispers there will be more Jack Irish with Guy Pearce.

Already returning are Rosehaven, The Heights, Back Roads, Bluey, Harrow, Mystery Road, You Can’t Ask That, Mustangs FC. Drama series Goodwood in development could also be headed into production.

I would expect a renewal for ABC’s new hit Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds and more of Anh’s Brush with Fame, Hard Quiz, The Weekly, Mad as Hell, Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery,

Will there be news on Total Control, Les Norton, Diary of an Uber Driver, Frayed, Escape from the City, Gruen, The Recording Studio, Employable Me, Squinters, Restoration Australia, Utopia, Black Comedy, The Inbestigators, Hardball, The Unlisted and War on Waste? And is The Checkout returning?

Also on the list should be docos Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian, Gunringer, Dark Emu, Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, kid’s series First Day, Itch, Thalu, Kangaroo Beach, Stripy Sock Club and Space Nova.

Not returning are Glitch, Get Krack!n.

TV Tonight will be Live tweeting announcements tomorrow afternoon.

*ABC doesn’t use the Upfronts term.

10 Responses

  1. I’m very excited for ABC’s “slate”…

    I honestly think they should consider bringing back Good Game. I miss that show so so much. And there is a massive hole in the industry for a show like it.

    1. Given the target audience it would probably only work as an online show, like on iView, rather than TV. Especially for Good Game SP which is targeted at the younger ABC ME audience.

Leave a Reply