ABC launches raft of local series

Australian public broadcaster ABC has unveiled its latest programming schedule with a raft of locally produced dramas, documentaries and comedy series.

The broadcaster has increased the number of hours of locally produced drama to 30 hours, compared to only 6 hours in 2006. New commissions include sports agency drama The Cut, mining thriller Dirt Game and crime series Three Acts of Murder.

Local comedian and political satirist John Safran returns to ABC following his successful SBS religious documentary series John Safran vs. God. He will front 8x1hour factual series John Safran’s Race Relations, which will be produced by ABC and Ghost of Your Ex-Boyrfriend Productions, and follow him on a globe trotting adventure.

The broadcaster has also commissioned ten more episodes of political comedy The Chaser’s War on Everything, while Prison Sings is the follow up to hit reality series Choir of Hard Knocks and follows a choir master as he works with female prisoners.  

Zapruder Other Films, Andrew Denton’s independent producer behind hit panel show Gruen Transfer, has also been commissioned to produce a ten part reality series looking for new television talent. Project NEXT will search for a group of original thinkers and troublemakers rather than karaoke stars and dancers.

Other documentary series including drug doc Death, Drugs and Betrayal and history series The Making of Modern Australia. 

ABC director of television Kim Dalton added that the broadcaster is still looking to launch two new television channels – a kids net with 50% Australian content and a news and current affairs channels.