Press release time and geez there’s been a lot to announce this last week.
Urzila Carlson Unleashes New Sketch Comedy Series on ABC
Get ready to dive headfirst into the brilliantly chaotic mind of comedy powerhouse Urzila Carlson when her brand-new sketch comedy series Urzila premieres on Wednesday 29 April at 9.25pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available on ABC iview.
Urzilais gleefully outrageous, capturing Carlson’s fearless, no-filter approach to comedy in full flight. Each episode mashes up razor‑sharp stand‑up with cheeky, fast‑firing sketches, many of them plucked straight from the wildly funny stories she riffs on during her live shows. The whole thing crackles with mischief. It’s a TV series powered by two decades of stand-up comedy chaos: bold, boisterous, and unmistakably Urzila.
Joining her on this energetic ride is her handpicked ensemble of rising comedy talent: Bron Lewis, Carlo Ritchie, Andy Saunders and Anisa Nandaula. Together, they bring a fresh, contemporary edge to the series, showcasing a dynamic mix of character work, cultural commentary and laugh out loud moments.
Original and unapologetically funny, Urzila is a vibrant new showcase for one of the world’s biggest comedy stars and an exciting spotlight on the next wave of performers already shaking up the comedy scene.
Sketch comedy? In 2026? On the ABC? There’s an entire generation of television viewers acting like the ABC just announced Pot Black was returning to prime time. Good thing it’s unapologetically funny, they wouldn’t have much room for the comedy if each sketch was followed by an apology.
There’s even a trailer of sorts – you know it’ll be hilarious because it’s filmed in portrait ratio:
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Gruen. Back. 29 April. ABC. End of Ad.
Our society no longer has the attention span necessary for a full press release so let’s keep this short: Gruen is backWednesday 29 April at 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Wait, that’s still too long. How about we say Gruen’s back! Or maybe we just go with Gruen!
Please read the following message one word at a time between scrolls on your phone.
Gruen.
Back.
ABC.
Wednesday 29 April at 8pm.
Ads. TV. Online. Everywhere.
Wil. Panel. Everyone.
Pitch. Ads. Everything.
Gruen.
Australia’s favourite multi-award winning, multi-award losing, longest running (probably now that Neighbours has bitten the dust again), and most importantly, the only show about advertising is coming back for an 18th season.
But wait, there’s more. The show is new and improved. Zero calories. Full of protein. Contains collagen. Active ingredients. No artificial colours, flavour, or intelligence. And is guaranteed to be on free-to-air or your money back.
Host Wil Anderson said: “We were really hoping that the end of the world would stop advertisers, but it turns out that we live in hell, and they’re selling us snowballs.
“It’s heartwarming to think that all the children that were conceived during the pilot episode of The Gruen Transfer are now old enough to serve in World War Three. Can’t wait to see the recruitment advertisements.”
Unfortunately, as a modern media consumer you have already forgotten the core message at the start of this release so to reiterate: Gruen. Back. Wednesday 29 April at 8pm.
Ugh. Who would have thought a Gruen press release would be as smug and unfunny and disconnected from reality (what do drones have to do with advertising?) as the show itself. Way to stay on-brand guys.
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And this one contains some actual news!
Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee returns for a triumphant third season, with Sam Campbell as new Assistant
Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee returns for a joyfully chaotic third season on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 8:35pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Following two breakout seasons and host Guy Montgomery taking home the Logie for Most Popular New Talent, Australia’s favourite spelling competition is back for round three.
The 10-episode season delivers new games and a brand new assistant. Comedian and gloriously self-effacing oddball Sam Campbell steps into the role of TV’s most unserious sidekick, bringing a disconcerting presence that baffles contestants and audiences even more than the wordplay itself.
Each Wednesday, Montgomery and Campbell will test four of the nation’s sharpest comedians as they battle it out across five high stakes spelling rounds.
Vying for the most prestigious prize on television – a one-way ticket to defend their title on the next episode – this season’s all-star lineup includes Hamish Blake, Melanie Bracewell, Myf Warhurst, Charlie Pickering, Andrew Denton, Urzila Carlson, Anne Edmonds, Matt Okine, and Nazeem Hussain.
New challenges this season include “Noah Thing or Two”, where comedians must spell pairs of animals boarding Noah’s ark (some may exist only in Campbell’s imagination); “Mixologist”, which sees an extremely uncoordinated Campbell attempt bartending while contestants guess and spell his mystery cocktail; and “Do Feed The Birds”, where competitors attempt spelling whilst dressed as ducks and pigeons.
Transforming everyone’s least favourite high school activity into a fast-paced, offbeat and extremely wholesome panel show, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee continues to prove there’s a whole lot of fun to be had with the alphabet.
Aaron Chen was a big part of the funny part of this particular game show. No doubt the format leaves plenty of room for Campbell to put his own stamp on things. We’re still looking at what TV insiders like to call “a major shake-up”.
But at least we’ll have Andrew Denton appearing on a word-based game show for the first time since Randling destroyed his presenting career! Seriously, this alone should be receiving stand-alone news coverage across all media outlets.
Denton seen in public with words for the first time since their career-ending break-up! Someone get the Daily Mail on the blower.
If you like your murder mysteries with a side order of comedy, then good news, Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan’s Deadloch is back for a new series on Amazon. And in this second series, Detectives Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) are in Darwin, trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Eddie’s partner, Bushy. Except, inevitably, they find themselves drawn into a case in the town of Barra Creek – Eddie’s hometown – where the body parts of local crocodile tour entrepreneur Don Darrell keep turning up in the water.
And if the idea of dead men turning up in waterways reminds you of the first series of Deadloch, then there’s more where that came from… Gender politics, and woke versus absolutely-not-woke, are key themes of the show once again, alongside a subplot about relations between the area’s indigenous people and local landowners. Plus, series one regulars Cath, wife of Dulcie (Alicia Gardiner) and Constable Abby Matsuda (Nina Oyama), are here too, both as anxious as ever, although at least Abby has a purpose in life: she’s joined the NT Police as a trainee forensics officer.
New to the series are nerdy local journalist Leo Lee (Jean Tong), aspiring true crime podcaster and source of a surprising number of new leads, Jason Wade (Luke Hemsworth), a sort of Steve Irwin-type, croc-themed visitor attraction owner and TV star, and Frank McCallister (Steve Bisley), a growly old guy in a scooter, who turns out to be Eddie’s dad.
Which, give or take a few sovereign citizen conspiracy nuts and assorted other bogans and boofheads, sets the stage for a complicated storyline where Dulcie and Eddie try to deal with the latest parts of Don Darrell to pop up out of the creek, surprise evidence about Bushy’s death, and, oh yeah, there are some missing Swedish backpackers as well.
If you struggle to follow the plot at any point, you’re not alone! But we imagine it’ll all become clear, or at least semi-clear, by episode six. Meanwhile, there are a decent number of laughs to be had, especially in the first couple of episodes.
Of particular note is the way in which the character of Eddie, whose non-stop shouty, aggro behaviour in the first series seemed so out of place compared to all the other characters, finally makes sense. Because just about the entire population of Barra Creek speaks and acts just like her, permanently turned up to 11. And while Eddie’s shouty, sweary anger felt a bit exhausting to watch in series one, it seems to work better in this series. Being turned up to 11 is the default setting for Barra Creek. In fact, we’re pretty sure some of the locals are turned up to 12, or even 13.
McCartney and McLennan also have some of their trademark fun picking apart the idiocy of groups of men. Jason Wade and his boys, resplendent in their too-short shorts, are quite a thing to behold, only to be outdone by the needlessly aggressive all-male squad of detectives trying to find the backpackers. Not that the women characters are in any way measured and thoughtful… Shout out to Nikki Britton as Don Darrell’s daughter, Amber, who assumes that anything another person says to her is a grave insult. You know the type. And let’s not forget the woman who pisses on the floor of the pub during episode four, which, while gross, kinda makes you want to shout “Straya!”.
So, while you might struggle to follow who’s currently in the frame for the murder and dismemberment of Don Darrell, you can at least laugh at some of the most relentless, accurate and all-Aussie characters out there.
Get ready for good times, great laughs and Bad Company — airing this April on the ABC
The ABC is delighted to unveil brand‑new six‑part comedy series Bad Company – a riotous clash of egos, ambition and backstage drama. Starring two of Australia’s powerhouse comedians, Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flanagan, the series will premiere on Sunday 26 April at 8:15pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Created and written by Edmonds, Bad Company brings together a dream comedy pairing in a story about two fierce rivals who test each other to the limits.
At the centre of the chaos is Margie Argyle (Anne Edmonds), the Argyle Theatre’s wildly confident artistic director who is determined to stage her most experimental, critic‑wowing masterpiece yet. There’s just one small problem: Margie’s bold creative vision might also send the already‑fragile theatre hurtling towards financial ruin.
Standing between Margie and catastrophe is Julia McNamara (Kitty Flanagan), a corporate high‑flyer with a flawless track record and the steely resolve to match. Tasked with rescuing the crumbling Argyle Theatre, Julia is determined to whip the place into shape, even if that means going head‑to‑head with Margie’s chaotic genius at every turn.
Joining Edmonds and Flanagan is a sharp and hilarious ensemble cast including Will Gibb, Cameron James, Angella Dravid, Kira Puru and Ben Pfeiffer.
As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, Bad Company promises a fresh, sharp and chaotic take on life behind the curtain.
Not a whole lot to go on there, but good news: there’s a trailer!
Now all we have to do is remember to tune in at the memorable time of 8.15pm on a Sunday. No doubt that’s all about keeping viewers sticking around after the high-powered lead in that is… season three of autistic interview program The Assembly?
Guess the programming boffins at the ABC know something we don’t (which wouldn’t be hard – ed)
The Weekly‘s weak-as-piss approach to just about everything hardly even registers with us these days. Still, there’s always room for one more at the party:
It’s hardly new news, but as far as The Weekly‘s punch-pulling goes here’s our take:
On one side there is somebody at The Weekly who wants to tap into the growing number of online electoral commentators. The market for snark is wide open: Antony Green has retired and the ABC’s replacement currently has no cred. Getting popular and / or edgy commentators on board might spark conversation and grab headlines, which The Weekly definitely isn’t doing at the moment.
On the other there is ABC management, who won’t let anybody say anything and presumably won’t let anyone from the news dept go near The Weekly. Why throw away your credibility on a show that’s neither funny nor informative?
Having Punters Politics on but not letting him say anything is The Weekly‘s attempt to protest the situation. Only The Weekly is so shit, nobody is going to take their side. C’mon, it’s been a decade of pissweak apolitical “comedy” that hasn’t put a toe out of line and now it’s time for tough talk?
As for why now with their (so-called) protest? Well, you’d think the frustration at The Weekly is mostly the realisation that the ABC is stifling their future career prospects. They must have (finally) realised that The Weekly as it stands is a career dead end for everyone but Charlie Pickering, and Pickering will never have it this good again.
If the staff (which can’t be more than a handful of people) at The Weekly want to improve their lot, they need leverage. The only way to get that is by making a show that has fans and some kind of mainstream interest, which they ain’t getting at the moment.
Partly they’re a victim of their own… let’s say “success”. The Weekly stays on air because it makes no interesting points and causes no disturbances. It’s also cheap – guests provide much of the content, the rest is news footage gags. But you can do edgy, pointed, provocative comedy on a budget. In fact, it usually helps.
The Weekly has chosen for much of its run to be bland shit, sucking up to the boss every chance it gets. Mad as Hell wasn’t a ratings smash, but it did a good job, it had fans, and people were sad to see it go. Will anyone care when The Weekly vanishes?
That’s a better joke than anything out of Pickering’s mouth.
Dog Park, the ABC’s post-Muster Dogs, canine-focused dramedy, about people who’ve become friends because they take their dogs to the same park, has ended. We will not miss it. Because while there’s worse TV out there, it’s hard to like a show which spends more time trying to tug at your heartstrings than it does making you give a damn about any of the characters.
The main character, Roland (Leon Ford, who also co-created the series), is a fed-up, middle-aged father and misanthrope, although rarely in a funny or interesting way. He can occasionally liven up the show when he blurts out a genuinely funny observation about some aspect of contemporary life, which makes you laugh hard with recognition. Maybe he’s the next Basil Fawlty, you think. Or Bernard Black. Or Victor Meldrew. Don’t be fooled. This is a dramedy in 2026; Roland won’t be funny again until the next episode. If that!
In fact, there are more scenes of Roland sitting, looking sad in his house, drinking booze, than there are of him being funny or interesting. And when you consider that, say, Fisk is capable of getting its characters to be funny, and interesting, and make astute observations about contemporary life multiple times per scene, then what are we doing watching Dog Park?
There were some other characters in the show, too, like Samantha (Celia Pacquola), who’s a potential love interest for Roland, except she’s about to get married, and he’s already married. And there’s Penny (Elizabeth Alexander), who is an older woman with a dog that farts a lot and then dies. And Pamelia (Grace Chow), who doesn’t have a dog, wears bonnets and is sad about something we never quite learn about. And Jonah (Ras-Samuel), who doesn’t want to work for his father anymore. But these characters get so little development that they’re basically background colour. In fact, if you drift off a bit whilst watching Dog Park – something that’s incredibly easy to do – you find yourself wondering who they all are and why the makers even bothered to put them in the show.
Who even are these characters?
As for the plot, beyond the trouble with Roland’s marriage to Emma (Brooke Satchwell) and his potential affair with Samantha, it’s business as usual for this kind of dramedy, i.e. someone dies in the fifth episode (aaawww), and there’s some kind of wedding in episode six (aaawww again). Like we’ve said before, these shows are very much written to a formula.
Although, unlike every other show of this type, the possibility of a second series, which of course the show teases in the final episode, might not happen, because Matchbox Productions, which made the show, is being shut down by its owner, Universal International Studios.
“The sudden departure by the Hollywood heavyweight casts doubt on the possibility of a second season” says The Guardian. Which is great news as far as anyone who likes decent comedy is concerned, although rather less good news when you read The Guardian’s article further and discover the closure of Matchbox Pictures means that 30 people have lost their jobs.
So what have we learnt from Dog Park? That the slavish adherence to “a death in episode five, a wedding in episode six” doesn’t guarantee longevity? Don’t be ridiculous. The Australian television industry has plenty more shows like Dog Park in it before it finally gives up on that. The best we can hope for is that maybe someone out there spots that an unfunny middle-aged moaner drinking wine isn’t exactly great entertainment. Unless it’s Bernard Black, of course.
Tonight at the Museum is yet another ABC panel show where a host and four guests – is there a contractual reason why these shows always have five people? – sit around trying to be entertaining. The twist? In this one, they succeed! Well, sometimes. Mostly due to the props.
Filmed inside Tasmania’s main museum and art gallery, it is, unsurprisingly, a game show about the kind of things found inside a museum. Which means they’re playing around with a whole lot of exhibits, artworks, items and knowledgeable staff members. Well, not literally – they tend to keep the comedians away from the breakables. But they do constantly bring out things verging on the interesting, which instantly puts this ahead of, say, Gruen.
Unlike the recent (and visually extremely similar) Crime Night!, here the comedians are actively encouraged to make jokes about the subject being discussed. It shouldn’t be surprising that this results in occasional comedy, but this is the ABC we’re talking about.
Sure, the first game (where an object is given two competing descriptions and the panel has to decide which one they believe in) is not exactly new to the world of panel shows. But it’s commonplace because it works, and if you want fresh TV what are you doing watching a panel show?
Other segments involve old stuff, looking for cool old stuff, and answering questions about old stuff. So it does help if you’re a fan of old stuff. Or wildlife, as there’s a bit of that thrown in as well. It’s educational but not in a useful way – this could almost be a kids show, if not for all the clitoris jokes.
The more this degenerates into a bunch of comedians making jokes about weird stuff the better it gets. Fortunately most of the games are pretty loose so pissfarting about is what’s on offer here. It really does stand or fall on the strength of the panel, especially when it starts to verge on Taskmaster territory. As for those panels…
Look, we have a rough scale for whether these shows are any good. A good version is one where it’s worth watching unless there’s comedians on who we actively hate. An average version is one where it’s worth watching if there’s the usual “oh it’s them” line-up. And a shit one is one where we’d only watch it if a legitimate comedy great was on board.
(this never really happens and even then it’s usually a disappointment because they’re not used to this kind of thing, remember when Hannah Gadsby was on the Guy Mont Spelling Bee?)
On this scale, Tonight at the Museum is average verging on good, which is better than we expected. Guess you can’t go wrong with a guest expert on animal vaginas.
Comedy besties Nazeem Hussain and Urzila Carlson join forces in new ABC comedy Separated at Birth
The ABC, Screen Australia and VicScreen are pleased to announce that filming has commenced in Melbourne on Separated At Birth, a new six-part comedy series created by, written by and starring one of Australia’s most distinctive comedic voices, Nazeem Hussain (Legally Brown, Orange is the New Brown). Joining Hussain is powerhouse funny woman Urzila Carlson (Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You’re Here, Urzila).
Produced by Princess Pictures, Separated At Birth follows happy-go-lucky paramedic Sameer (Hussain), whose world is thrown into a spiral when his wife asks for a divorce in the delivery room, moments after their first child is born. With the help of his “work wife”, the outspoken and fiercely independent Donna (Carlson), Sameer has to try and navigate co‑parenting, reinvent his sense of self, and manage the chaos of a big, fat, complicated family.
Creator and star Nazeem Hussain said, “This is a story I’ve wanted to tell for a long time – about family, identity and the chaos of loving people even when life doesn’t look the way you imagined. And getting to make it with Urzila, one of my favourite people on the planet, feels like we’ve tricked the ABC into funding a very elaborate hang.”
Founder of Princess Pictures Laura Waters said: “Nazeem is hilarious, navigating families is universally timeless, and no one fights with their best friend on screen quite like Urzila and Nazeem. We’re proud to support a story so deeply contemporary that illuminates what it’s like to be Australian from so many different angles.”
ABC Head of Scripted, Rachel Okine said, “We’re thrilled to bring this fresh, laugh‑out‑loud original comedy to ABC audiences, starring two of Australia’s favourite comedians. Separated At Birth follows a man suddenly launched into the messy reality of becoming a parent and the collision of two big, complicated families. Add a delightfully chaotic colleague and housemate, and audiences are guaranteed to be in stitches.”
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said: “Comedian and creator Nazeem Hussain is funny and fearless, add in Urzila Carlson, and Separated at Birth delivers comedy gold. Powered by the global pedigree of Princess Pictures, the series guarantees giggles for viewers here in Australia and around the world.”
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said: “VicScreen is delighted to support Princess Pictures, one of our most dynamic production companies, as they join forces with Victorian funnyman Nazeem Hussain to deliver Separated at Birth, a refreshing new comedy series about chosen family, friendship and identity. This hilarious and heartfelt series is yet another VicScreen‑supported production that will showcase our local screen industry to global audiences.”
Separated At Birth will air on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2026.
Oooh, tricky one. Hussain can be funny, and Carlson is definitely funny, but “the messy reality of becoming a parent and the collision of two big, complicated families”? Sounds heart-warming rather than side-splitting. And “chosen family”? That’s always death.
Still, all the usual bigwigs are dropping words like “hilarious” and “giggles” and “laugh-out-loud” and “hilarious” oh wait we already had that one. So they definitely want people to go in expecting to laugh at some point, which is promising.
But then again, it’s also a “deeply contemporary [story] that illuminates what it’s like to be Australian from so many different angles”. Which is what you say in a press release for a low budget Australian feature film set in a small coastal town with a dark past where zzzzzz sorry where were we?
Cameras roll on Austin season three asbeloved ABC comedy returns
The ABC, Screen Australia, ITV Studios, and South Australian Film Corporation are delighted to announce that production is underway on a third season of the much-loved narrative comedy series, Austin in South Australia.
Produced by Northern Pictures with Lincoln Pictures and Hardy White Pictures, the six-part series has commenced filming across the UK and Australia, with Michael Theo returning as the straight-talking and big-hearted Austin. He is joined once again by UK performers Ben Miller (Bridgerton, Death in Paradise), Sally Phillips (Veep, Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Ellie McKay (Hijack, Miss Austen). Alongside Australian actors Gia Carides (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Big Little Lies), Roy Billing (Jack Irish, Underbelly) and Natalie Abbott (Aftertaste, Return to Paradise).
In the new season, Austin prepares for his wedding to Haley while navigating the unfamiliar world of in-laws and rising expectations. Julian and Ingrid are enjoying a friendly divorce – complicated by Ingrid’s relationship with a new man and the pressure to develop a new book series alongside the Big Bear TV show.
When the wedding takes everyone to Haley’s parents’ farm in rural Australia, tensions rise and as the big day approaches, doubts creep in. Austin and Haley begin to question their future, while Julian and Ingrid rethink their divorce – prompting the season’s central question: what makes a good marriage?
Rachel Okine, ABC Head of Scripted said: “Austin has become a deeply loved series for ABC audiences, thanks to its warmth, humour and beautifully drawn characters. As the show moves into its third season, we’re thrilled to bring even more laughter, heart and humanity to screens across Australia.”
Darren Ashton, Co-creator said: “Austin has been a joy to create from day one, and we’re thrilled to return for season three. When Ben and I first cast Michael Theo, we never imagined the series would become such a defining part of our creative lives – coming back to the same exceptional cast and crew genuinely feels like coming home. This season takes Austin into new, heartfelt territory, and we’re delighted to bring it back to the ABC and share it with global audiences once again.”
Louise Gough, Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content said: “Austin has cemented itself as a heartfelt celebration of family and diversity. This wonderful creative team continues to champion inclusivity with warmth, honesty and humour, connecting with audiences here at home and around the world. We can’t wait to welcome the series, and its much-loved characters, back to our screens.”
Kate Croser, South Australian Film Corporation CEO said: “The SAFC is pleased to welcome Austin to South Australia for season 3. Congratulations to SA company Hardy White Pictures, co-producer Michelle Hardy and director Erin White for joining the team of this ground-breaking, and heartwarming and inclusive series. The SAFC ABC Pipeline initiative continues to strengthen our industry, showcasing the capability of our world-class crews and stunning locations.”
You’d have to say “beloved” is a bit of a stretch when describing Austin. “Tolerated” maybe? “Ignored”? And that whole “we’re thrilled to bring even more laughter, heart and humanity to screens across Australia”? Considering the cast are largely compromised of humans, that’s one out of three at best.
We could go on… and we will. Last season was just stumbling around in search of an idea and this season seems to be WEDDING THE SITCOM. Because we don’t see enough weddings in every other sitcom made in this country.
As for “what makes a good marriage”, unless they can figure out a way for the answer to be “comedy” – or “jokes”, or “entertainment” – we couldn’t give a shit. It’s a sitcom! And going by two seasons and this press release, not a very good one.
Hey, do you like unlikable characters? We don’t mean grumpy types with a heart of gold, or downbeat loners who just need to be brought out of their shell. We’re talking a real shithead here. Someone who actively goes around making other people’s lives worse. A bitter little turd of a man you’d run into oncoming traffic to avoid. Yes? Then Dog Park is the show for you.
It’s not like we can’t see what they were trying to do. Despite what the promotional material says, this isn’t a comedy, and not just because it contains absolutely no laughs. This is a character-based drama. The whole point is that a man at his lowest ebb finds his way back to friendship, shared humanity – and maybe even love – through the power of hanging out with dog owners.
Problem is, the man – that’d be Roland (Leon Ford, who co-created the series) – is such an unlikable fuckwit from word one that nobody in their right might is going to give two shits whether he finds love or finds himself waking up with his dick stuck in a blender. In every single scene he’s in (which is every single scene in the first episode) he is a dour, unpleasant presence that – rightly – nobody seems to like. Because he sucks!
Again, we can see where they were going with this. Start with him at rock bottom, he’s got a whole six episodes to claw his way back up. But who cares? This isn’t a movie where we’ve paid money and gone to a cinema so we might as well see where it’s going. It’s a slice of entertainment on the ABC on a Sunday night. Only they forgot the “entertainment” part and created a device to spray acid directly into your eyes.
Did we forget to mention that the whole thing looks fucking grim? Filmed in Melbourne in the middle of winter, it stifles any laughs with a deliberately dank and gloomy vibe. Which is weird because some of our favourite Australian comedy was filmed in Melbourne in winter. Guess those shows fucked up by not being a half hour drama about a shithead who everyone hates.
Seriously, we’re not projecting onto a character who doesn’t work for us: everyone in the episode hates him too. Every scene with his wife is an awkward loveless fumble. Which he then doubles down on because seemingly he doesn’t know how to apologise let alone change the subject. We thought their daughter was her daughter from a previous relationship because she treats Roland (deservedly) like shit. When he finally makes his way to the dog park, even the relentlessly cheerful chumps there don’t exactly warm to him basically telling them to fuck off over and over again.
(also, what kind of dog park is surrounded by busy roads with no fences? Earlier in the episode Roland is told that the park is a leashed area. Why is a tiny corner of it open to letting dogs run free?)
We will nod approvingly at one aspect of episode one. Samantha (Celia Pacquola) does do a decent job playing a character who seemingly finds Roland attractive. Unfortunately this makes her character seem demented, because Roland is shit, but she’s got a job to do and she does it well.
We’re not big fans of Colin From Accounts here. But even that show – which this is totally not ripping off, can’t Australian television handle more than one inner city rom-com where two mismatched and unlikable characters are brought together by a cute dog? – knew enough to focus on wacky hijinx for the first few episodes before digging into the ways the leads were a bit rough around the edges.
They weren’t funny hijinx, unless you find scooping a turd out of a toilet and tossing it out a window comedy gold. But at least they weren’t someone getting drunk on their own in a dark house after writing a text to their wife that said “I love you” and then deleting it. Comedy!
Possibly the most frustrating element of this whole thing is the way that nobody seems to have realised that what they were making was deliberately hostile to the concept of entertainment. Being intentionally unfunny is what we expect from an ABC dramedy. This is nothing but scene after scene of the central character being a dick to everyone he meets.
Who could possibly give a single solitary fuck about this kind of person? Who would think that audiences would want to spend time with such an unflushable turd? Who would look at this utter fucking open grave of a show and go “yeah, seems good”?
While we were still working on the 2025 Australian Tumbleweeds Awards, the ABC aired the new one-off, satirical, First Nations-led tonight show Always Was Tonight. And new episodes of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. The contrast between these two structurally similar, topical comedy shows could not be more stark.
The Weekly…, as we’ve long documented, continues to be a toothless affair, with little to say about the major issues facing our nation and the world. Parliament gets recalled early as the government tries to rush through new national security legislation, which may affect our freedom of speech? The Weekly… takes the piss out of what Members are turning up to Parliament wearing. Later in the show, a segment on President Trump’s Board of Peace was about as hard-hitting. But let’s face it, almost anyone looking at that dodgy, $US1 billion-a-seat, United Nations alternative, can see right through it. Even The Weekly… team.
But forget about that, it’s the 10th anniversary of that time Anthony Albanese appeared on Tom Gleeson’s old Hard Chat segment! So, let’s get Tom and Albo on again so Tom can ask the softest-ball questions ever.
Always Was Tonight took a rather different approach. And they didn’t need to make big claims that they were going in “hard” on the big issues. They were too busy presenting the hardest satire the ABC has aired since it axed Tonightly. This was comedy that was a mix of funny, such as the sketch in which an Indigenous academic is talked over by a white ally, and genuinely uncomfortable. In particular, the final song, a re-working of Peter Allen’s I Still Call Australia Home, in which a First Nations children’s choir sang about Indigenous kids being imprisoned and forced to wear spit hoods.
Airing it directly after The Weekly only invited comparisons (like we needed an excuse – ed). While it’s possible to imagine defending Pickering’s show by saying, for example, that with only a week between episodes, you can’t expect it to be as polished or as pointed as Always Was Tonight, those excuses don’t really stand up.
The Weekly almost never makes actual jokes about the news it covers. It makes comments; often they’re nothing more than re-stating part of the story in an incredulous voice. The idea of using humour to highlight what’s going on with an issue or event doesn’t get a look in. Even when a sketch is looking at morning television segments, the underlying assumptions of those segments are never questioned beyond “can you believe this crap?”
And while some of the sketches in Always Was Tonight were pretty obvious – what’s that you say, white voices are privileged over those of Indigenous people in Australia? – they had two things going for them. Firstly, they were actual observations about reality. You know, that thing comedy is based on but that The Weekly hardly ever bothers with because they’re too busy getting Margaret Pomeranz to review reality television?
Secondly, they were the result of funny people sitting down and thinking “what would be a funny way to express this insight into how Australian society operates?” Here’s a tip: the answer to that question is never “get Charlie Pickering to pretend his mother sent in some random news story about it”.
Airing the two shows back-to-back was yet another reminder that The Weekly is a show with no opinions, no views, and no desire to rock the boat. It’s a satirical news show that’s only fit to report on weirdly shaped vegetables and outsized novelty hats: on a good night it’s an insult to the word pathetic and it hasn’t had a good night for a long time.
Aside from being well thought-out, well-made, well-performed, and the work of people who actually know how to be funny, what else did Always Was Tonight have going for it? It was angry, and rightly so. And naturally, it upset someone in the Liberal party who presumably thinks locking up kids is totally fine:
The shadow communications minister, Melissa McIntosh, has sent a letter of complaint to the ABC managing director, Hugh Marks, demanding a full investigation into Always Was Tonight, a satirical news program that aired on the broadcaster on 21 January.
The complaint claims the content of the show may have breached the ABC’s content, broadcasting and editorial responsibilities.
“[The ABC] has an important duty as a trusted public institution to protect our multiculturalism, promote social cohesion, and not seek to broadcast content that divides our nation,” the letter says.
“In the light of the horrors that have confronted Australians over the last month from the Bondi terrorist attack, now more than ever we cannot tolerate offensive content which stokes further division.”
Under the public broadcaster’s charter, the ABC must inform and entertain the community, reflect cultural diversity and contribute to a sense of national identity.
There is nothing in the charter that requires the broadcaster to promote social cohesion.
…
McIntosh’s complaint said the knowledge that the child actors used in the segment would have been encouraged and coached to depict such scenes was “grotesque and a clear contravention of the ABC’s Code of Practice”.
The Liberal party, as anyone following the news knows, has plenty of its own problems, and McIntosh is presumably trying to distract from these, whilst appealing to the party’s base of old whiteys who don’t like First Nations people.
But more generally, this is something those on the right have form on. Ever wonder why the ABC makes almost no satirical comedy these days? It’s because every time they do, some right-winger complains. Does the Liberal Party actually care about social cohesion or child exploitation? Of course not! Have you seen their policies? But if it’s politically expedient for them to claim they do care, they will, killing off our right to enjoy proper satire in the process.
