@ABCtv in 2015

ABC TV IN 2015… IT’S ALL GOOD

ABC TV today announces its 2015 slate featuring an exciting line-up of innovative and bold local content, showcasing the depth, diversity and quality of programming that audiences have come to expect.

“2015 is about cementing ABC TV as the home of Australian stories and national conversations. That’s what will set us apart”, says Richard Finlayson, Director of Television.

“The digital media revolution will step up a gear in 2015, but ABC TV’s commitment to entertain, inform and educate our audiences is a constant. Now, equally important is understanding the user experience on new devices and growing opportunities for audiences to watch our shows where and when they want.”

In an exciting next step for iview, in early 2015 users will have the ability to buy and download current series and ABC classics, without leaving the iview application. ABC will again welcome in 2015 with a four-hour entertainment extravaganza to celebrate NEW YEAR’S EVE when we join with the City of Sydney to bring the world-renowned fireworks to audiences around the country.

The excitement continues throughout January, as the official free-to-air broadcaster for the AFC ASIAN CUP AUSTRALIA 2015 – Asia’s biggest football competition, and the biggest football tournament ever staged in Australia.

Comedian CHARLIE PICKERING returns to ABC to present a news comedy show that promises to be opinionated and outspoken; Shaun Micallef stars as our third longest-serving prime minister in THE EX-PM – a narrative comedy that fixes its beady eye on the world of grounded high-flyers struggling to stay relevant; and Wil Anderson heads home to Australia for a fresh new take on the world of spin, along with regular GRUEN panellists Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft.

In 2015, ABC will premiere diverse new Australian drama including THE SECRET RIVER – the screen adaptation of Kate Grenville’s classic novel about a good man compelled to participate in a crime of inhuman savagery; HIDING – the tale of a Queensland family who are placed into witness protection in Sydney; THE BEAUTIFUL LIE – a contemporary re-imagining of the greatest tragic romance of all time, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina; and the riveting paranormal mystery series GLITCH.

ABC will continue to tap into national conversations, with engaging programs such as MAKING AUSTRALIA GREAT, where writer and Canberra insider George Megalogenis sits down with our last six prime ministers to explore the Australian success story; and award-winning journalist, Sarah Ferguson, immerses herself in a women’s refuge to shine a light on the otherwise hidden world of domestic violence in NO EXCUSES!

2015 marks the CENTENARY OF ANZAC and ABC TV will commemorate with a line-up of dedicated programming. Sam Neill presents THE WAVES OF ANZAC COVE – a uniquely personal account of Gallipoli and all it has come to mean to Australia and New Zealand; THE WALER: AUSTRALIA’S GREAT WARHORSE – the compelling story of the 120,000 horses that served our ANZAC expeditionary forces; and VIETNAM ANZACS – a remarkable portrait of war and its long term consequences.

ABC prides itself on producing real TV – not reality TV – and in 2015 we’ll entertain viewers with programs such as TATTOO TALES – an intriguing insight into contemporary Australia from inside the walls of a tattoo studio; BLOOD & THUNDER – the story of a musical partnership that created the Australian guitar sound, and the most successful rock album of all time, AC/DC’s Back in Black; and STOP LAUGHING: THIS IS SERIOUS tracks Australia’s comedy revolution and our ability to ‘take the piss’, mainly out of ourselves.

OUTBACK ER is a heart-pumping trip to one of our most extraordinary and isolated emergency departments; stylist Sibella Court follows a group of Aussie battlers who are working to restore some amazing Australian heritage buildings in RESTORATION AUSTRALIA; and from the producer of Kakadu comes LIFE ON THE REEF – an epic natural history series on our greatest natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef.

ABC News and Current Affairs will keep Australians informed on the issues that matter, with programs such as ABC NEWS, 7.30, FOUR CORNERS and LATELINE, along with rolling news coverage and programming on ABC NEWS 24.

For younger viewers, Kayne Tremills is back for another exciting series of MY GREAT BIG ADVENTURE; the creators of Upper Middle Bogan bring us LITTLE LUNCH – a comedy about what happens in the primary school playground at snack time; MY LIFE IN 50 WORDS OR LESS sees five Indigenous kids travel a long way from home to explore their dreams in the big city; and sail away to a world of fun and adventure with Sydney the sailboat and Zip the water taxi in BUBBLE BATH BAY.

“As always, it’s great, local TV shows that audiences want and I am so proud of the rich and diverse slate we’ve created for them for next year. On ABC, in 2015, it’s all good!” says Richard Finlayson, Director of Television.

Click here to view the entire release for 2015.