Upfronts 2025: ABC: New drama, comedy, factual and The Piano.
Loads of returning shows include Mystery Road, Bay of Fires, The Newsreader, plus a new thriller, comedy and Media Watch host in 2025.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News, Top Stories, Upfronts
- Linton Besser to host Media Watch
- New drama The Family Next Door. New comedy Optics.
- New: The Piano, Miriam Margolyes: Made in NZ, Portrait Artist Of The Year, The Role of a Lifetime
- Returning: Mystery Road: Origin, The Newsreader, Bay of Fires, Austin, Mother & Son.
- Returning: Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee, Muster Dogs, The Assembly, Gruen.
- Kids: Do Not Watch This Show, Knee-High Spies, Bluey’s Big Play.
ABC has unveiled its 2025 content slate to media and partners this afternoon at its Ultimo headquarters.
The presentation confirms the announcement of Linton Besser, who won a Walkley Award this week, as the new Media Watch host.
There are plenty of returning ABC shows across Drama, Entertainment, Factual, News and Kids.
Amongst the new shows are drama thriller The Family Next Door; comedy series Optics; new entertainment show The Piano with Amanda Keller, Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam; Rachel Griffiths presenting When the War is Over; UK format Portrait Artist Of The Year; Dr Karl’s How Things Work, Miriam Margolyes: Made in NZ and a recording of live show Bluey’s Big Play.
The ABC claims ABC iview was #1 BVOD choice for on-demand programming in 2024 and ABC News as Australia’s #1 digital news brand in September.
Chief Content Officer Chris Oliver-Taylor (pictured below): “As the largest commissioner of Australian content we’re thrilled to share our 2025 slate, including 23 new titles across all genres. Audiences will see original premium homegrown drama, a comedy slate that delivers some of our country’s biggest hits, children’s content that connects with kids not only in Australia but all over the world, impactful factual programming and documentaries that resonate with Australians in the city and country. Our unrivalled arts coverage includes six primetime series in 2025 complementing live music events, Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve celebrations that bring Australians together. The ABC is the home of Australian content in 2025.”
Not expected to return is Monday’s Experts, while decisions are yet to be made on shows such as Question Everything with its season currently underway.
Below are 2025 highlights (includes some titles still to screen in 2024) with further comments from Oliver-Taylor.
Media Watch:
Investigative journalist Linton Besser will be the next presenter of the ABC’s Media Watch program from 2025.
Besser is a former foreign correspondent who has reported from around the world for Four Corners, Foreign Correspondent and 7.30. His work has also appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Bulletin.
Besser has won four Walkley Awards, two Kennedy Awards and a George Munster Award. His work has prompted public inquiries, including a Royal Commission, corruption findings and criminal prosecutions against business figures, politicians and other public officials.
Linton Besser said, “Tm thrilled and sobered to be given the opportunity to host this important television program and hope to continue its great tradition. The media is big business and hugely influential. Its mission may be to hold others to account – but it too deserves the blowtorch. For years, members of the public have described to me a fundamental distrust of the media. They lump us together, the good and the bad. Rather than despairing at this uncomfortable reality I’m going to try in my own small way to do something about it. Media Watch remains Australia’s best public guardrail against bad behaviour by the press.”
His first show as host is on Monday 3 February.
New:
The Family Next Door
Based on bestselling Australian author Sally Hepworth’s novel of the same name, The Family Next Door tells the story of enigmatic Isabelle (Teresa Palmer), who moves into a small seaside cul-de-sac where her obsessive drive to solve a mystery casts suspicion on four neighbouring families.
COT: “The Family Next Door is a new compulsive thriller, Therese Palmer, shot in Victoria it’s going to be amazing. I think it’s just one of those shows that ABC audiences will love. A really twisty, thrilling, dramatic story directed by the wonderful Emma Freeman, who also directs The Newsreader.”
Optics
Jenna Owen, Vic Zerbst and Charles Firth are the masters of spin in new six-part comedy series Optics which premieres Wednesday 29 January on ABC TV and ABC iview.
COT: “It’s set in the world of PR and the disasters that can occur to many organisations, and then how you deal with it. It’s very much in the in the vein of Utopia, a workplace comedy, but different.”
Fresh Blood
ABC is proud to support emerging voices through the Fresh Blood initiative with Screen Australia which will see three debut projects hit screens in 2025- Going Under, Urvi Went to an All Girls School and Westerners. Our joint initiative with Screen Australia continues.
The Piano
Exciting new series The Piano sees everyday pianists take on the opportunity of a lifetime, guided by renowned expert musicians Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam.
COT: “The Piano is headlining the middle of the year. We’re going to do a celebration of The Piano over six weeks, which also includes the Classic 100 countdown. The voting for that will run exactly the same time as The Piano TV series, and then we’re going to culminate in two big events…we’re also going to have The Piano concert, so for almost six weeks, the ABC is going to be, hopefully enthralled with classical music.”
The Role of a Lifetime
Groundbreaking series The Role of a Lifetime sees Amanda Keller and an ensemble of comedians explore parenting dilemmas alongside sketches featuring Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain.
Dr Ann Secret Lives.
Dr Ann Jones gets up close and personal with some of the most reclusive creatures on the planet in Dr Ann Secret Lives.
Orca: Australia’s Megapod / The Kimberley.
Explore Western Australia’s natural history in new documentaries Orca: Australia’s Megapod and The Kimberley.
Miriam Margolyes: Made in NZ.
Dr Karl’s How Things Work.
Dr Karl steps behind factory doors to see how products are made in Dr Karl’s How Things Work.
Eat the Invaders
Curious minds will delight on Tuesday 7 January on ABC TV and ABC iview when Tony Armstrong explores a radical culinary solution to the invasive plants and animals attacking Australia’s unique biodiversity in Eat The Invaders.
End Game
Tony Armstrong is on a mission to find global solutions to the rising tide of racism in Australian sport and inspire lasting change in End Game.
Hear Me Out
And new ABC Indigenous original format, Hear Me Out will tackle the often contentious discussion surrounding Australia Day from a First Nations point of view.
When the War is Over
Acclaimed art lover and actor Rachel Griffiths will return to the ABC with When the War is Over to deep dive into how art has helped shape our attitude to wars.
COT: “What do we learn from poetry, from pictures, from artists, from music through the war from the battlefields direct. So Rachel is going to leave us on that journey towards the end of next year.”
Portrait Artist Of The Year
In Portrait Artist Of The Year, artists from across Australia will compete in a battle of creative skill, as they complete portraits of famous sitters.
COT: “We really think that having Australians paint famous Australians with a chance to win a commission to have your work forever hung in one of Australia’s national galleries, I think is, is a remarkable opportunity…. we’ve not got a cast yet or host yet, but working that through now.”
A (very) Musical Christmas
Spend an enchanting Christmas with Australia’s finest musical theatre talent as they grace the stage with the sounds of the festive season for A (very) Musical Christmas on Friday 20 December on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Returning:
Mystery Road: Origin
The critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning Mystery Road: Origin returns for a second season continuing to delve into the early years of Detective Jay Swan (Mark Coles Smith).
Bay of Fires
The Newsreader
Austin
Mother & Son
Muster Dogs
On Sunday 2 February on ABC TV and ABC iview, audiences will fall in love with a new litter of puppies as Muster Dogs returns for season three. There will be a twist on the experiment to see who will be crowned Champion. This time both Kelpies and Collies put to the test.
Spicks & Specks
Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee
Hard Quiz
Gardening Australia
Offsiders
Gruen
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
I Was Actually There
The Assembly
Grand Designs Australia
Restoration Australia
Back Roads
Landline
Compass
Creative Types with Virginia Trioli
The Art Of with Namila Benson
Take 5 with Zan Rowe
Rage
Australian of the Year
Australia Day Live Concert
ANZAC Day
New Year’s Eve
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
NAIDOC
Classic 100 Concert
News:
Australia’s most trusted news organisation, ABC News continues to bring viewers agenda setting journalism and analysis, in-depth investigations, compelling storytelling and essential information across our digital and broadcast platforms. Returning flagship TV programs in 2025 include ABC News Breakfast, Insiders, 7.30, Australian Story – next year with six more episodes, Four Corners, Q+A, Foreign Correspondent – in a new timeslot of 8.00pm Tuesday, Planet America and BTN.
International:
We will farewell hit crime drama Vera as the series concludes with two epic films combining murderous intrigue with heart and soul.
Titles Walking with Dinosaurs, Bergerac, Douglas is Cancelled, Until I Kill you, The One That Got Away and Darby and Joan will also hit screens.
Kids:
Multi-talented Andy Lee brings his best-selling book series to life in the new animated series Do Not Watch This Show.
New preschool series, Knee High Spies combines live-action and puppetry and get ready to see our trusted Heeler family like you’ve never seen them before, as they’re brought to real life in a recording of their live show Bluey’s Big Play.
Summer holiday viewing kicks off with new Kangaroo Beach splashing onto screens on Boxing Day and Gardening Australia Junior on New Years Day. Beautiful and soothing animation Piki Lullaby with Christine Anu will be available from 13 January on ABC Family and ABC iview.
Returning favourites include Space Nova, Fizzy & Suds, Good Game Spawn Point and Good Game Spawn Squad, Hard Quiz Kids and Play School.
In Development:
Return to Paradise S2
Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction S2
A Bite To Eat With Alice S2
Teenage Boss: Next Level S2
And Annabel Crabb and the team that brought you Kitchen Cabinet and Ms Represented are in development, with a new series investigating the barely-believable true story of how Australia’s globally unique voting system came to be.
Absent:
Monday Night Experts
Question Everything
Fisk
Ladies in Black
House of Gods
White Fever
Troppo
Total Control
Maggie Beer’s Big Mission,
Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things,
Grand Designs Transformations
Stuff the British Stole,
Better Date than Never
This Is Going To Be Big
Australia’s Open
That Pacific Sports Show
Planet Lulin
Tales from Outer Suburbia
Little J And Big Cuz
Ginger And The Vegesaurs
After the Party
31 Responses
No mention of Old People’s Home…. again.
Is Coúntdown coming back
It was a special.
David has season 2 of The Assembly been filmed if so do you know who will be interviewed or have there been any rumours?
I don’t think so.
A casting call for Season 2 of The Assembly (which I’d probably expect to see come out early next year) would surely be the first sign that production is underway?
That depends if the interns are changing or remaining.
Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction hasn’t been renewed? I much prefered that over Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee.
ABC quite often airs things every other year.
So happy Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee is coming back for another season. Great show. I hope there is another season of Fisk.
Excellent and detailed report on the ABC for 2025. However, I am disappointed the ABC still only have one channel screening in high definition. Not good enough.
A (Very) Musical Christmas will be held at Sydney’s The Star Lyric Theatre on Monday, December 2, and will be shown on ABC TV on Friday, December 20. The concert is now sold out.
Really hoping Fisk will be renewed for another season, as the current season has been brilliant.
Maybe 2026, it would all depend on Kitty & co.
I’m in 2 minds about Fisk, don’t get me wrong I like the show but am afraid if it does continue will the quality drop
So is it best to go “out on top” or continue until people just get sick if it
Based on the developments in this week’s episode, To me, it seeks like they are building towards this being a final season.
Return to Paradise is returning in 2025 according to their media release.
Not quite. “Return to Paradise also in development and planned to return in 2025”.. the other word they used today was “hopefully.”
Yes. It probably won’t be back until 2026.
No doubt it will return…. it only starts to screen tomorrow night on the BBC…
Optics sounds lot like Absolute Power, but less brilliant.
Spelling Bee had to get another series. Return to Paradise likely had 2 season commissioned with international distribution, even though it was badly written. There’s been talk of a Bergerac remake for over a decade, with a couple of failed attempts and it’s been repeat often in the UK. It was a fairly mediocre 80s procedural about a broken down cop trying to get his job back, with some way out stories. Early eps made extensive use of Jersey they ran out of locations so a lot of it ended up being filmed in Normandy and London. UKTV has made a new 6 episode season filmed in St Helier and Plymouth.
Do we really need an Australian version of the shows like The Piano and Portrait Artist which the British have been doing. I’m surprised that a version of the late deceased and very dead Bob Ross hasn’t been resurrected with “a twist” by now when it comes “The Arts” which begs the questions…where are all these so called “creatives” we keep hearing about when it comes to innovation on tv shows when a lot of the same reality shows get an Australian version churned out year after year on every FTA channel. I feel I’m witnessing the beginning of a slow demise of FTA TV because I was born a long time from yesterday and have seen so many shows come and go.
We of course need shows like The Piano and Portrait Artis have you seen either of the shows. The last season of The Piano was breath taking. These are the types of shows that we need to see more off than less. So much better than MAFS and Love ISland
Glad Hard Quiz Kids has been renewed.
Will not watch anything that has Amanda Keller in it.
I can’t say I’m a fan of Keller but she was interesting with her interview on The Assembly this year?
The only thing mare boring than NYE is ABC’s NYE broadcast. It’s like watching paint dry.
“Watching Paint Dry” – SBS Slow TV wants a word with you….
If I’m not mistaken, Amanda Keller made cryptic comments on radio which hinted towards her being involved in “The Piano” a few months back – the publicity image would seem to confirm what I heard.
The Assembly being renewed was inevitable IMO – would’ve been a bit off if it wasn’t, especially with the lesser rating Austin already confirmed for a 2nd season.
One also wonders if the animated adaptation of “Do Not Watch This Show” could be the program Michael Theo recently did a voice acting role for? Either way, it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if he and/or Andy Lee (well, we *did* have Hamish Blake on Season 1…) happened to be an interview subject on Season 2 of The Assembly.
Better Date Than Never on the “Absent” list is no surprise though – both seasons’ ratings were poor and despite Northern Pictures’ best attempts with the publicity particularly this year, didn’t have the spark content wise that Love On The Spectrum (or even Love Me As I Am, if anyone still remembers it) had.
Where would FTA drama be without the ABC
its time for the ABC need to go get some sport back like lets say Shield Cricket
Unfortunately sports rights cost money (and lots of it). Shield cricket is on Fox Cricket / Kayo. State AFL is on Seven/7plus, State rugby on Stan. ABC are better spending their money on things that commercial networks can’t/won’t provide.
I’m disappointed that Monday Experts isn’t coming back. I thought it was a great show. If it did come back, it should get a longer run, and be in a more convenient time slot on a secondary channel (Aus Story/4 corners/media watch are on the primary).