ABC in Oz adapts French format ‘The A Talks’ & orders Endemol Shine show ‘Headliners’

The A Talks, France (Source: Can’t Stop Media)

The ABC in Australia has unveiled new shows including a local remake of French format The A Talks and a music competition show aimed at creating a band made up musicians living with disability.

Mark Fennessy’s Helium is producing the 6 x 60-minute Aussie version of The A Talks, which will be known locally as The Assembly.

The format features autistic student journalists as they prepare and interview six of the nation’s biggest names, including the Prime Minister. ABC reporter & host Leigh Sales is attached to help the students ahead of interviews.

The show, which has production funding from Screen NSW, is being executive produced by showrunner Melissa Maclean, with Therese Hegarty, Fennessy and ABC commissioning editor for factual Julie Hanna also attached.

The format, which is sold by Arnaud Renard and Damien Porte’s distribution firm Can’t Stop, is based on the original Les Rencontres Du Papotin, which was created by Quad+Ten and Kiosco TV for France 2. It featured an interview with president Emmanuel Macron.

It has since been remade around the world, including in Spain as revealed by TBI and in the UK, where the BBC aired its version last month.

Hanna said: “Once in a while a ground-breaking idea comes along that encapsulates the importance of diversity in Australian media. We’re incredibly proud to bring this genuine series to audiences as six extraordinary Australians are interviewed by the autistic student journalists.”

The ABC has also commissioned Headliners from Endemol Shine Australia, which will see Elly-May Barnes – daughter of rock dad Jimmy Barnes – leading a quest to create two bands made up entirely of musicians living with disability.

The show tracks the group of strangers as Barnes attempts to turn them into a must-see act on the main stage at a sell-out music event in just seven weeks.

Headliners has been developed and produced in association with the ABC, Screen Australia and Screen NSW. The format is distributed internationally by Banijay.