Summer Lovin’, Happens So… well, not that fast actually

Press release time!

One holiday house. Eight love stories.
New comedy Summer Love checks in to the ABC in 2022.

ABC, Screen Australia and Film Victoria are pleased to announce the enchanting new eight-part anthology series, Summer Love will air in 2022.

Produced by Gristmill and created by award-winning duo Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, Summer Love sees eight very different sets of people rent the same beachside holiday house, capturing the collision between the dreamy enchantment of the beach and the clumsy reality of humans on holiday. It explores the anonymity, the possibility, and the escape that we all feel on holidays, alongside the ever-present threat of sand in the sheets.

Creators/Producers Butler & Hope said, “Were thrilled to have developed our recipe for post pandemic/lockdown (also works for hangovers, lost cats, breakups): Take 1 holiday house, add 11 stupidly talented writers, line the base with an excellent love story, throw in warmth, hope, jokes, and finish with a sizzling cast. Serve with confetti rice.”

Eight diverse and exciting writing teams will bring eight different stories to life, each connected through the house and through the theme of love. They include Kodie Bedford (Mystery Road, All My Friends are Racist) & Bjorn Stewart (At Home Alone Together); Alison Bell (The Letdown); Patrick Brammall (No Activity) & Harriet Dyer (No Activity); Robyn Butler & Wayne Hope (Upper Middle Bogan, Very Small Business, The Librarians); Nazeem Hussain (Orange is the New Brown); Kate Mulvany (Upright, The Seed); Miranda Tapsell (Top End Wedding, Get Krack!n) & James Colley (Gruen, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering); Nath Valvo (Comedy Next Gen, The Shambles) & Jayden Masciulli (The InBESTigators).  

ABC Head of Comedy Todd Abbott says “When two of Australia’s most revered comedy creators bring you a series with beaches, romance, family squabbles, dirty weekends, fish and chips and a baby kangaroo, how could you say no? Robyn and Wayne have pulled together a brilliant group of writers, each at very different stages of their careers, and helped them fashion stories that are authentic, relatable, moving, insightful and – most importantly – very funny.”

Screen Australia’s Head of Content Sally Caplan said: “We’re thrilled to support the powerhouse creative team of Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler in delivering this irrepressibly Australian series. They have assembled a stellar array of emerging and established diverse writing and acting talent and we look forward to seeing this well written and inclusive drama brought to life.”

CEO of Film Victoria Caroline Pitcher said, “We are excited to support the latest work from Victoria’s own Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope to film in our state. There’s something so relatable about the contrast of our state’s stunning coastal locations mixed with family holiday antics and romantic adventures, and we know this charming anthology series will strike a chord with audiences.”

Melissa Myers, President of Kinetic Content Scripted said “As Kinetic Content launches into scripted programming, we are thrilled that our 1st show will be partnering with Gristmill in Australia as Wayne & Robyn’s track record speaks for itself, always on the forefront of creating enthralling, emotional and hilarious comedy dramas. We are thrilled to be coproducing Summer Love which is exactly the type of romantic and fun escapist series that will resonate with audiences worldwide.”

Filming will commence in Victoria early 2022 and air on ABC TV and ABC iview later in the year.

It’s always fun actually stopping to think for a second about what’s actually being said in these press releases – because, of course, as this is a show that currently doesn’t exist, there’s not a whole lot to say about it.

For one thing, what does “irrepressibly Australian” mean? Will we get loads of scenes where the French national anthem is playing and suddenly there’s a record scratch and it’s replaced by Rose Tattoo singing ‘Bad Boy for Love’?

Then there’s “Robyn and Wayne have pulled together a brilliant group of writers, each at very different stages of their careers” – fingers crossed none of those stages are “washed up” or “burnt out”. Also, the only stage we can currently see aside from Hope & Butler themselves is “up-and-coming”, unless they’ve snuck in Andrew Knight under another name.

But the highlight has to be this:

“Wayne & Robyn’s track record speaks for itself, always on the forefront of creating enthralling, emotional and hilarious comedy dramas. We are thrilled to be coproducing Summer Love which is exactly the type of romantic and fun escapist series”

So it’s enthralling, emotional, hilarious, romantic, fun, and escapist, while being both a comedy and a drama? Something for everyone!

(editors note: considering the ABC only has two new scripted comedies in 2022, and one of them is a musical, this remains our hit pick for the coming year)