Programmer’s Wrap 2025: ABC

• The Newsreader, Bay of Fires, Mystery Rd: Origin, Return to Paradise return
• The Family Next Door, The Piano, The Role of a Lifetime, Portrait Artist of the Year
• Spelling Bee, Weekly, Gruen, Eve of Destruction, Austin, Mother & Son return
• Bluey’s Big Play, Do Not Watch this Show, Knee High Spies
• The Kimberley, The Assembly, Walking with Dinosaurs, Mardi Gras.

EXCLUSIVE:

It’s another big year of Australian made content this year on ABC, filming from Tasmania to Western Australia.

Sunday marks the beginning of appointment viewing with Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies, drama hit The Newsreader. and Season 2 of Love Me.

ABC Director of Content, Jennifer Collins said, “The Newsreader Season Three is extraordinary. I never thought that show would get better. But seriously, S3 is next level. The characters, the compelling storyline, this time the real life events are the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square, and, of course, the 1989 Logies. This series will not disappoint.”

This season is heralded as “the end of an era” with Anna Torv and Sam Reid concluding. Does that mean final season?

“This was always designed as in three acts… the beauty of the news reader is that this series, absolutely, is a full stop on the character arc of Helen (Torv) and Dale (Reid). There have been discussions around spin offs or something else in the vein of Newsreader, and given the calibre of the team we’re going to be open to those conversations. So never say, never but at this stage, we’re seeing S3 very much as a very satisfying conclusion to a wonderful world class series.”

For those who can’t wait for Muster Dogs it will hit iview as a series drop at 7am Sunday.

“This is -again- capturing the beauty of and the love of working dogs: three collies, three kelpies, and a diverse cast, from a 17 year old to more elderly Australians. The training captures the essence of regional life and Muster Dogs is something that I know that everyone’s been very much looking forward to. We tempted them with the ‘Where Are They Now?’ and this will be a really popular series for us again,” she continues.

This week ABC also lauched new comedy series Optics, set in a chaotic PR firm, created by and starring Vic Zerbst & Jenna Owen (Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story).

“We’re going to see a lot more of Vic and Jenna in our industry,” Collins suggests. “They’re a super talented, great satire, teaming up with Charles Firth on screen, so it’s an excellent marriage. It’s a different crisis each week, whether it’s a scandal in the sporting world or in the business world etc, but those two are wonderful comedians and writers, and we’re really looking forward to putting Optics out to audiences.”

It will be the only local scripted comedy given a Wednesday slot this year, with others to screen on Sunday nights.

Next Monday News & Current Affairs titles Australian Story, Four Corners and Media Watch with new host Linton Besser. Foreign Correspondent returns to Tuesday nights in February while Q+A will again screen in conjunction with Parliamentary sitting weeks.

In February The Role of a Lifetime sees Amanda Keller and an ensemble of comedians explore parenting dilemmas alongside sketches featuring Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain.

“It’s a great example of how the ABC supports companies to come up with original formats. This one is one of the most innovative shows I’ve seen in a long, long time in terms of those hybrid formats. There’s a bit of scripted comedy, a bit of factual entertainment, there’s pure documentary, a bit of interview. It really is a great example of that innovation of form. The brains behind this one is Debbie Cuell who produced Old People’s Home as the show runner,” Collins explains.

“It has some really tough conversations about parenting, and how tough it can be, but also some really relatable facts and some useful information for parents as they go on that journey.”

ABC again screens the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in March, with hosts Courtney Act, Mon Schafter, and Charlie Pickering returns with The Weekly and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is back. A Bite to Eat with Alice and Compass also resume.

S2 of Darby & Joan, a surprise hit with ABC’s second window after Acorn TV, returns with Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown and there are the final two instalments of Vera.

One of ABC’s biggest new shows for 2025 is The Piano hosted by Amanda Keller, in which cameras capture everyday Australians tinkling the ivories in public stations -all without knowing they are being watched by celebrity judges, with a concert at Sydney Recital Hall at the end.

“We’re thrilled that we were offered this format,” she declares. “We think it’s right in the sweet spot of public broadcasting. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the diversity of Australians on screen and their connection to music .The emotion that comes from this show is incredible. I think there’ll be tears every episode. Participants show up to play on a street piano and have no idea that they’re being watched by none other than Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam, who we’re really thrilled to have on board this show. It’s showing how music can enrich lives and give so much joy to people in their ordinary lives. You’re hearing about their backgrounds and what music has done for them, supporting them through really tough times, or bringing families together, groups of people together in a community – it’s just joyful and beautiful.”

Collins says the range of participants is a big part of the show’s attraction.

“You see the younger children who are just learning the joy of the piano. But then you’re seeing an elder Australian who is in his 80s, who lost his wife recently, and reminisces on the piano ….playing sort of held them together as a couple,” she explains.

“There’s four women called The Evergreens sitting at the piano at any one time, and they’ve learned their particular pieces to an arrangement and that’s part of their coming together as older women.

“You see the joy on people’s faces, as they’re walking through the train station. They hear this music, and they just stop, and they’re captivated.”

The Classic 100 gala will screen in tandem with The Piano.

Quarter two will see Spicks & Specks and a recording of the live show, Bluey’s Big Play. Bluey Minisodes are also expected later this year.

Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee “our biggest entertainment show of last year” returns in late Q2 and there are hopes to screen BBC’s new Walking with Dinosaurs, 25 years since the original was broadcast.

Bay of Fires returns around Q3 with more from Marta Dusseldorp as Stella in Mystery Bay, a returning ensemble, plus new faces.

“It is wonderful, it is quirky, the characters are well-rounded,” says Collins. “This series, you get a lot more of the back story of how those characters ended up in that weird, misfit town. The writers have been able to drill into certain characters and it’s really great and a very satisfying ending.”

Kid’s animations Fizzy & Suds plus Do Not Watch This Show based on Andy Lee’s Do Not Open This Book screen in Q3.

“We think kids are going to love it. With the success of his books, we know there’s an audience there. This show is one that can play in multiple places, on ABC as well as ABC Family and the big Kids space. We do feel like it’s one that traverses age, so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of viewership we get on iview.”

Hard Quiz Kids and Teenage Boss, filmed in Tasmania, will also be back.

Flagship natural history series The Kimberley, presented by Mark Coles Smith, is coming to Tuesdays showcasing sprawling savannas, towering gorges, rivers, coastlines, desert and wildlife.

“I’ve seen two episodes of that so far, and it is visually stunning, layered with storytelling,” she maintains. “The Wild Pacific team have done an extraordinary job and they are just such great producers for us to work within that natural history space. We’re thrilled with the results….the plan is that we’ll be doing a series like the Kimberley every year on a Tuesday night.”

Dr Anne’s Secret Lives gets up close and personal with reclusive creatures such as Sharks, Turtles and Crocodiles, while 2025 also sees Orca: Australia’s Megapod filmed in WA.

New local drama The Family Next Door based on Sally Hepworth’s novel is expected around August. The six part drama tells the story of 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.

“I love it It is intrinsically Australian,” insists Collins. “It’s set in a seaside suburb. It’s a premise that I think hasn’t been mined, that extensively with Australian stories. But I think there are a gold mine of stories there. It’s got very clever mystery storytelling elements to it. It’s directed by Emma Freeman who has brought us The Newsreader previously, and created by Sarah Scheller. The female talent on this show is quite extraordinary, from Sally Hepworth, who wrote the original novel, to Sarah who’s adapted it, to Emma,who’s directed it, and then the extraordinary ensemble led by Therese Palmer. I really feel like this is going to be something very special.”

Collins describes the tone as ‘mysterious, gripping, compelling.’

“There’s 4 families in a cul de sac in a seaside suburb, and there’s, you know, four families that are in this cul de sac… you see how they parent, how they relate to each other, the issues they’re facing, it’s very contemporary. But there’s a really clever mystery that is going through it and from what I’ve seen,it’s chaptered into character point of views in the same way as The Slap,” she reveals.

“And the direction is excellent, as one would expect, with Emma at the helm, beautifully shot with very high production values.”

Season Two of Mystery Road: Origin will also screen later this year now directed by Jub Clerc and Wayne Blair.

“This picks up with Tuuli Narkle and Mark Coles Smith with their characters having moved into a new town, thehome of Mary. It’s set in the southwest of Western Australia, so it’s a completely different landscape, full of trees and lakes,” she continues.

“Robyn Malcolm from After the Party is also part of the ensemble cast in this one, which is really great, because that was such a success for our audience last year.”

Mother & Son returns with Denise Scott and Matt Okine and there is more of Austin which began shooting in Canberra this week. Jennifer Collins reveals what’s to come this season.

“In S2 there are some tensions around Austin‘s (Michael Theo) work (in London) and there is an offer to make an adaptation of Big Bear in Australia, but when they land here, Ben Miller’s character is very disappointed to hear that his role has been cut out of the adaptation. So there are tensions all around.”

Tony Armstrong will also tackle racism in sport in End Game, seeking insights and solutions from athletes, coaches, fans, sporting bodies and authorities.

Q4 sees Rachel Griffiths presenting arts documentary When the War is Over (working title) to deep dive into how art has helped shape our attitude to wars.

“She’s so passionate about military art, and has been wanting to develop this show for some time. So yeah, we’re really excited that she’s come on board to lead this one with Mint Pictues who deliver wonderful series for us,” she says.

Portrait Artist of the Year sees artist competing with portraits of celebrities with one artist awarded a commission for a permanent collection of a national art gallery.

Reasonably, ABC has opted not to drop all the episodes on iview, given a winner will be declared at the end (The Piano will also be weekly on iview for the same reason).

Returning Arts shows are Take Five with Zan Rowe, The Art Of and Creative Types with Virginia Trioli, this year meeting George Miller, Kate Ceberano, Richard Tognetti.

“We’ve also got a beautiful documentary called Songs on the Inside, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival. It’s about a musical program inside a South Australian female prison.”

I Was Actually There returns along with The Assembly. Leigh Sales and her class of interns are expecting more big names in 2025.

“We had no issue with getting guests on that show,” she recalls. “People were lining up to be in series one, and I expect the same for series two. It’s got such a beautiful heart and again, connects Australians from all backgrounds. The ability to offer internships at the end of that series was very special for us.”

TV Tonight can confirm a second season for Return to Paradise, following its broadcast in the UK.

“Obviously our intention is for Return to Paradise to be an ongoing franchise…..I’m very happy to say that it did extraordinarily well for the BBC, just as it did for us. We’re very proud that it’s a new franchise and female lead,” says Collins.

Also confirmed are Grand Designs Australia, Restoration Australia, Gardening Australia, Landline, News Breakfast, 7:30, Fresh Blood comedy intiatives.

There is more of Play School, Good Game: Spawn Point, Space Nova plus a new kid’s title Knee High Spies, “which looks extraordinary. It’s another hybrid show with puppet suited characters, but underpinned by this really cute humorous spy format, where the kids have to solve puzzles every episode.”

Jennifer Collins, ABC Director of Content

Gruen is back in 2025, but could pivot to Gruen Nation subject to the timing of the Federal Election. There is no decision yet for Question Everything.

Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction is also returning, potentially with some tweaks to the format, but there is no word on more for drama series Ladies in Black.

“Ladies in Black is on hold. The international financing of our dramas is what often holds up our productions. So that’s one’s taking a bit longer to finance than some of the others,” she concedes.

Stuff the British Stole is likely for 2026 and possibly more for comedy series In Limbo.

And what about ABC’s biggest comedy series Fisk?

Collins and her team are dead keen for more.

“We are in discussion with Kitty about S4, and we are ready whenever Kitty is ready!”