ABC Upfronts 2026: It Could Be Worse

Press release time!

In fact, multiple press releases! The ABC announced a large chunk of their 2026 line-up a few days ago and it’s taken us this long to wade through it all. Let’s start with the big news:

Number 1 draft pick Sam Pang leads hilarious new ABC footy comedy

Today at the ABC 2026 Showcase, ABC, Screen Australia, VicScreen and Screen Tasmania were thrilled to announce a brand new six-part comedy series Ground Up starring the widely loved Sam Pang.

Produced by Gristmill (Upper Middle Bogan, Summer Love, The Librarians, Little Lunch) and created and written by Gary McCaffrie (Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, Very Small Business), this sharp, satirical series marks the first lead comedy role for one of the country’s most beloved comedians.

Set in Tasmania, the series follows AFL administrator Hugh Shen (Pang), dispatched from Melbourne to establish the island’s first-ever AFL team. But there’s a catch: the locals must build a brand-new stadium and not everyone’s happy about the $1.13 billion taxpayer-funded spend. 

Hugh’s mission? Win over a divided public, meet impossible deadlines, placate feisty protesters, and somehow find a coach, players, and a mascot that won’t offend anyone. Should be a piece of cake.

Comedian/Actor Sam Pang said “I’ve admired the work of Robyn and Wayne from afar for many years and never thought in a million years I’d get the opportunity to work with them. I’m very excited to try something new and coupled with Gary McCaffrie’s wonderful writing – I feel like I’m in good hands for this new challenge.”

ABC Head of Scripted Rachel Okine said, “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect combination of talent that Ground Up will be showcasing to ABC viewers in 2026. Combining the creative powerhouse that is Gristmill, Gary McCaffrie’s superb laugh-out-loud scripts, and the inimitable Sam Pang helming an ABC show for the first time amongst a dream ensemble cast, this is comedy television in its finest incarnation.”

Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said, “Award-winning Gristmill are ready to kick another goal. They have created a series that is a love letter to sports fans all around the world. Blisteringly funny and full of heart, audiences are in for a treat.”

VicScreen CEO, Caroline Pitcher said, “VicScreen is thrilled to support Gristmill, one of our most impressive production companies, as they team up with the hilarious Sam Pang and Gary McCaffrie to deliver a show that’s sure to have audiences roaring with laughter. This is exactly the kind of bold, locally made content that puts Victoria on the global screen map, and we can’t wait to see it kick off.”

Gristmill’s Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope said, “Turns out if you pester people long enough you get to make a show with them. We’re so very excited to be working with the brilliant Gary McCaffrie and promising young newcomer, Sam Pang.”  

All six episodes will be directed by Wayne Hope (Upper Middle Bogan, Summer Love, Colin From Accounts).

Ground Up will air on the ABC in 2026.

Not only did the ABC drop an actual surprise announcement, it was for a show that sounds decent! And the surprises didn’t end there:

Urzila Carlson stars in new ABC comedy series from Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia

For immediate release

Sydney, 20 November 2025 – Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) Australia and ABC have today announced URZILA, a bold new comedy series fronted by one of Australia and New Zealand’s most celebrated comedic voices, Urzila Carlson. 

URZILA invites audiences into the sharp, unpredictable world of a comedy powerhouse. The series fuses bespoke stand-up with finely honed sketches, delivering a format that’s fresh, fearless, and unapologetically funny. Each episode is anchored by Urzila’s trademark deadpan delivery and razor-sharp wit, with sketches inspired by her stand-up stories and starring a hand-picked ensemble of rising stars and comedy heavyweights, including Bron Lewis, Andy Saunders, Carlo Ritchie, Anisa Nandaula, Sam Pang and Julia Morris.  

“I always hoped I would get the call but prayed I wouldn’t…. the call asking me to deliver a sketch show that Australians can watch and not slag off in the comment section. Panic set in but then I calmed down and remembered I know a lot of great comics and some very funny people and we can do this,” said Urzila Carlson

“We sat around a table and spent most of the budget on snacks and coffees to write my standup into sketches. We then proceeded for the next five weeks to record like our lives depended on it and we snot bubble laughed our way through the takes to bring you hopefully one of the funniest sketch shows you’ve seen in the last week or so!”

“URZILA is comedy at its most inventive. It’s smart, cheeky, and full of surprises. Urzila Carlson’s voice is unmistakable, and this series gives her the perfect stage to showcase her brilliance alongside a stellar ensemble,” said Johnny Lowry, Head of Original Content, WBITVP Australia. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with ABC to deliver a show that will keep audiences laughing and talking long after each episode.”

Rachel Millar, ABC Head of Entertainment said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Urzila to the ABC. She’s an absolute star, and her cheeky, laugh-out-loud stand-up has long struck a chord with Australian audiences. We know this clever new format will do the same. It’s fantastic to have WBITVP steering the ship and bringing Urzila’s vision to life.””

Could this really be an actual… sketch show? On Australian television? In 2026? Stone the crows.

From there the news settled down a little – here’s the relevant bits (which we mostly already knew about). Always Was Tonight sounds like it could be a bit of a wild card, but anything that shows The Weekly up for the boring reactionary conservative turd it is gets a thumbs up from us:

Heartwarming new series Dog Park, a feel-good story about finding belonging in a group of dog-owners; and beloved comedians Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flanagan unite for Bad Company, set within the crumbling walls of a theatre company on the brink of bankruptcy.

…

A misfit crew of comedians return to the schoolyard in Class Clowns, where under the watchful eye of Principal Julia Morris, they tackle wildly ridiculous assignments based on classic school subjects.

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Always Was Tonight will decolonise news, one headline at a time. Hosted by Tony Armstrong and featuring a stellar cast of First Nations talent, this satire brings news with a bit more blaklash!

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After premiering at Melbourne International Film Festival, feature documentary But Also John Clarke comes to the ABC, weaving together personal anecdotes, archival gems and tales about the man behind the defining satirical voice.

And also of interest, as Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction is pretty much the only series not scheduled to return in 2026:

Shaun Micallef Takes a Rational Look at Australia’s Gambling Obsession in New Documentary

The ABC and Screen Australia proudly announced today at the ABC 2026 Showcase that Shaun Micallef will front a new 3-part documentary series, Shaun Micallef’s Going For Broke.

Following the success of his acclaimed series Shaun Micallef’s On The Sauce, Micallef returns with a new documentary which tackles one of the country’s most entrenched habits: gambling.

In Shaun Micallef’s Going For Broke, the famous writer, actor and comedian taps back into his curious side and sets out to understand a national obsession he’s never quite grasped.

“Life’s a gamble anyway,” says Shaun. “Why would you go out of your way to risk losing something you already have? Particularly something as important as your money.”

Shaun has never understood gambling. He uses cold, hard logic when making decisions and always plays for certainty. But as viewers saw in On The Sauce, even a teetotaller can be swayed – Shaun spent one episode getting drunk to better understand Australia’s relationship with alcohol.

Now, he turns a sober eye to our love affair with gambling. Travelling across the country, Shaun meets punters, experts, and those affected by the industry to uncover how Australia became the biggest gambling nation in the world. From pokies in suburban pubs to high-stakes sports betting, Going For Broke asks: are we making a risky bet on our future?

Can even Shaun’s rational mind resist the lure of a “sure thing”?

ABC Head Documentary & Specialist Susie Jones says “We’re thrilled Shaun has turned his rapier wit and invitational curiosity to the subject of gambling.  This series shines a light on an issue that effects Australians from all walks of life either directly or indirectly.  Through Shaun’s journey we’ll come to better understand the ramifications of our national obsession and what it’s really costing us as a nation.”

Screen Australia Head of Documentary Richard Huddleston said, “Like it or not, gambling’s part of who we are — it’s in our national identity. Today, it’s increasingly complex with so many ways to have a punt, anytime, anywhere. There is no one better suited than Shaun and the CJZ team to take us through the wins, the losses, the highs, the lows and everything in between.”

Shaun Micallef’s Going For Broke will air on the ABC in 2026.

Especially interesting is the way the fifth paragraph clearly got a re-write between the press kit and the press release – here’s what the press kit says:

Mind you, he said the same thing about alcohol a few years ago in his documentary series Shaun Micallef’s On The Sauce and then this teetotaller spent one episode getting drunk.

Presumably it’s a stealth way to get a bunch of sketches on the air, as there’s no way Micallef is going to need three episodes to figure out that gambling is shit.