ABC Oz unveils 2019 slate

Rachel Griffiths (r) and Deborah Mailman star in Black B*tch

A political drama starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths, a natural history series narrated by Barry Humphries and a docuseries on Australians’ attitudes to the Royal family will screen on Australian pubcaster the ABC next year.

Among other highlights at the 2019 upfronts today is a local version of the UK format Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, a documentary which questions whether the country will ever have a black prime minister, and a second season of Bunya Productions’ outback crime drama Mystery Road.

The launch, held in Melbourne on the eve of Screen Producers Australia’s annual conference, was a chance for the broadcaster to re-state its commitment to local production after MD Michelle Guthrie was fired and chairman Justin Milne resigned.

Griffiths plays the cunning Australian prime minister with Deborah Mailman as a charismatic Indigenous up-and-coming politician in Blackfella Films’ Black B*tch (working title), directed by Rachel Perkins. Keshet International has the rights outside the US, where Endeavor Content is handling.

Humphries is the narrator of Northern Pictures’ Magical Land of Oz, a sweeping journey across Australia with a cast of unique creatures and landscapes, with the backing of the BBC, PBS and ITV Global Sales.

Fredbird Entertainment will explore Australia’s ever-shifting relationship with the British Royal family in The Crown and Us: The Story of the Royals in Australia. Renegade Films will look back at the Black Saturday bushfires in Aftermath: Beyond Black Saturday.

Joined Up Films’ Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? will examine the barriers to having an Indigenous national leader.

Endemol Shine Australia (ESA) will produce Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, a social experiment that brings together retirement home residents and pre-schoolers.

Northern Pictures’ Love on the Spectrum follows the quest by people who have Autism Spectrum Disorder to find a partner. A second season of the same prodco’s Employable Me will look at people with disability in the workforce. Another renewal is the in-house production You Can’t Ask That.

Russel Howcroft will trace the history of advertising agency Mojo in CJZ’s How Australia Found Its Mojo, while Artemis Media will profile one of Australia’s most successful artists and printmakers, Leon Pericles, as his wife Moira grapples with dementia in Storm in a Teacup.

The Cry is adapted from Helen FitzGerald’s novel

Sally Aitken will direct Mint Pictures’ The Pool, which will explore Australian culture and identity through the prism of the pool.

Bunya Productions’ Blue Water Empire will explore the culture and history of the Torres Strait from pre-colonisation to now.

Fremantle’s The Recording Studio will see members of the public record songs with some of Australia’s top music producers, musicians and engineers. The same prodco will make Escape From the City based on the UK format Escape to the Country, which sees hosts guiding a family, couple or individual through their decision to escape the city and move to coastal, country or regional Australia.

The drama slate includes the previously announced second season of Hoodlum Entertainment’s Harrow; the third season of Matchbox Pictures’ Glitch; RevLover Films’ Diary of an Uber Driver; Synchronicity Films’ The Cry; Merman Television and Guesswork TV’s Frayed; and Matchbox Pictures and For Pete’s Sake Productions’ The Heights.

The ABC decided not to renew Screentime’s legal drama Janet King, which starred Marta Dusseldorp, after three series. The broadcaster’s head of drama, comedy and Indigenous Sally Riley told C21: “Since its debut in 2014, Janet King has been celebrated by critics and audiences across 24 episodes. Marta Dusseldorp is a valued and popular actor for our audiences, and we are excited about the prospect of working with her on other projects soon.”

The pubcaster indicated it is too soon to comment on the futures of Easy Tiger Productions’ Jack Irish, Jungle’s comedy Sando and Gristmill’s Back in Very Small Business, adding: “Commissioning conversations are ongoing and we will make further announcements next year.”

The comedy line-up includes the second series of Jungle Entertainment’s Squinters, the fourth of Working Dog Productions’ Utopia and more helpings of What Horse? And Guesswork Television’s Rosehaven, Katering and Guesswork TV’s Get Krack!n and Giant Dwarf’s The Letdown.

The new children’s series include Aquarius Films’ The Unlisted, Northern Pictures’ Hardball, Gristmill’s InBESTigators, Ludo Studio’s The Strange Calls and the second seasons of Ludo Studio’s Bluey and Matchbox Pictures’ Mustangs FC.

Among the imported shows are Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders, Vera, Midsomer Murders, Endeavour, Death in Paradise, Call the Midwife, Wow! That’s Amazing and Food Investigators.