ABC leans into Aussie comedy for 2024: Micallef, Flanagan, and more
This is part of Mumbrella’s coverage of the 2024 upfront season. Click here to see other articles in the series.
Considering that you won’t find any commercial advertising on the ABC, it’s not surprising that the national broadcaster didn’t host its own splashy upfront presentation this year.
It has, however, revealed its 2024 programming slate, which features a raft of comedy programs among the offerings.
The most high-profile announcement was the return of Shaun Micallef to the ABC, with ‘Shaun Micallef’s Unnamed Project’.
This could be a placeholder title, but is equally as likely to be the actual name of the show, given his ABC series that aired in the 1990s was called The Micallef Program in its first series, The Micallef Programme in its second, and The Micallef Pogram in its third. When the box set was released on DVD, it was titled The Micallef P(r)ogram(me). So, we’ll see.
“I can’t tell you too much about what we’ll be doing” Micallef said of his new show.
“Suffice to say, it will not feature cooking, home renovations, marriage, singing, sport, RBT units, dogs, wilderness survival, quiz questions, news clips, stock footage, wearing masks, border security, amazing races, Lego, sitting on a panel or being marooned on an island in your underwear.”
White Fever will also premiere in 2024. Ra Chapman is a “cocky Korean-Australian adoptee with a love of hairy white guys – the hairier and whiter the better. When her friends call her out for having a white man fetish she sets out to try and reprogram her libido.”
Michael Theo, the breakout character from the charming and sweet Love on the Spectrum will star in a comedy, Austin, alongside UK actors Ben Miller and Sally Phillips.
Kitty Flanagan will also return for a new season of Fisk, which enjoyed an international boost this year, when it was added to US Netflix in August. Within a fortnight, Fisk was one of the top 10 shows on Netflix, globally.
Flanagan’s character is now a name partner at Gruber & Fisk – “which means new responsibilities and pressures.”
Elsewhere, Spicks and Specks, Hard Quiz, The Weekly, and Gruen will also be part of ABC’s 2024 lineup. And, if you’re like me, you probably find Grand Designs pretty funny, too. That’ll also be back.
Chief content office Chris Oliver-Taylor says, “We’re delighted to share our world-class 2024 slate,” calling it “the largest slate of comedy commissions in Australia.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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