The Last Year of Television heads to Binge
"As we’ve been putting this year’s special together, I thought 'well, surely the worst TV is behind us, right?' Hoo boy" says Mitch McTaggart.
- Published by David Knox
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Snarky comedy special The Last Year of Television, which began life on SBS, is now headed to Binge for a new 2022 special.
Created and written, and hosted by Mitch McTaggart, it will premiere on 31st December, while six-part comedy series, The Back Side of Television is coming in 2023.
One again, Mitch takes an look at the good, the bad and the cringe of everything that has happened on Australian television this year. If you’ve seen these in the past you will know it comes with killer jokes at everybody’s expense, and small screen observations usually overlooked by the wider media. A must for true TV fans.
Mitch McTaggart told TV Tonight, “I’m so relieved and excited to be able to talk about this now, it’s been in the works for the last couple of months. Luckily I’ve been writing the show regardless assuming it’ll at least end up somewhere. My minimum expectation was getting all the content up as 3500 short clips on my personal Snapchat.
“I love a New Years Eve special, it’s such an exciting time to watch something. That transitional period in seeing off a shit year, and the likelihood of seeing in an even shittier one. Win win!
“As we’ve been putting this year’s special together, I thought ‘well, surely the worst TV is behind us, right?’ Hoo boy. I think once it’s all distilled into an hour special and you look at it all, it’s overwhelming. So much stuff happens, all the time. Post-COVID has only exacerbated everything – Australian TV has been even more aggressive in demanding a viewer’s attention.
“2023 is going to be fun too – there’s a second series of The Back Side of Television happening. Because we only did 3 eps for series one, there’s so many stories that we inadvertently came across, but didn’t have enough time to explore. There’s literally a wall in my office that’s covered in about 150 post its, each one a potential segment, oddity, or baffling moment. And all lost to time, but not for much longer.
“And I always say this because I worry about it – it’s all done with with love. I’m that guy at a party who bangs on about Australian TV and I can tell they’re just nodding politely at me, but I keep going on about how Neil Armstrong won a Logie, or the impacts of the C classification.
“Plus now that I’m on Binge, I get House Of The Dragon spoilers faxed to me as payment. Can’t complain.”
Saturday 31 December on Binge.
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- Tagged with The Back Side of Television, The Last Year of Television
9 Responses
Enjoyed this, hope that SBS might be able to get this later on…?
To be honest, I’m annoyed that I would have to subscribe to Binge to be able to watch this, and I don’t really want to have to do that. I loved the SBS shows, too. I don’t suppose it would come to free-to-air eventually??
I can understand that. I can also understand the creatives want some certainty and a decent budget for their work. It’s the second show to come across from SBS under former exec Marshall Heald. I guess you’re arguing for better funding of SBS to allow them to keep content.
Yes, fair point, David. Proper financing would be a factor in decisions like these. In any case it’s great that Mitch is returning.
Great news, I have been hoping there would be a new season. Hopefully this will be on Foxtel too, whether OnDemand or on one of their channels as I do not subscribe to Binge.
It will but no info yet. Everything on Binge is on Foxtel, but not always the reverse. There should be some better alerts coming on this from Foxtel Group soon, I’ve raised it a few times.
Loved his take on TV and love it even more when someone can actually say exactly what they think and get away with it. Love anyone really with PMA (positive mental attitude). He can bang away as much as he like about Aussie TV I’m with him on that.
I have no problem subscribing/paying to see this.
I just hope he still gets to say whatever he wants.
Moving to Murdoch’s Binge doesn’t scream “editorial independence”.
It’s better than a cancellation I guess. Glad it’s coming back. I’m sure he is reading this.. Hi Mitch!
Another successful product of community television, as TLYOTV began on C31 in 2019 before two years at SBS. I am a little sorry to see TLYOTV and TBSOTV move from FTA to Binge as they will now be behind a paywall but am still looking forward to both.