SBS has announced three new locally produced series which will hit our screens in May.
The first is Dave in the Life, a 10 x 30 min series where Dave Zwolenski (“Embedded with Sheik Hilaly”) experiences the life of someone else….a gang member; a sports hero, a bikie, a politician, a pensioner, a radio shock jock. He will live with them, eat with them, go to work with them and genuinely attempt to walk several kilometres in their shoes. The series is described as a comic journey into some great “Aussie divides” while exploring the serious social issues, myths, themes and topical stories of modern Australia while along the way, contradictions arise and entrenched public views are exposed. It screens Monday nights at 8.30pm from May 11th.
Food Investigators is a 13 x 30 min series hosted by Dr Renee Lim with stand-up comedian and former food scientist Joe Avati. Food Investigators promises to investigate “what’s on our plates, revealing the facts behind food that will surprise, shock, and empower you to make the right decisions about what you eat.” It begins 7.30pm from Wednesday May 20th.
Finally The Squiz is a 13 x 30 min studio-based quiz show about sport, featuring ‘a clever format, quirky questions, stunts and lots of humour.’ Hosted by comedian Anh Do, the show sees a panel of big name sports stars, celebrities and top comedians go head to head as they test their sports quiz knowledge. It airs Saturday nights 8.30pm from May 23rd.
SBS Production and Development Manager Denise Eriksen, said “We are very excited about these new long-run series to lead us into our telecast of The Ashes.
“They illustrate our whole-hearted commitment to offering credible yet entertaining programming, made by our talented, creative Australian production community. SBS is innovative, takes risks with original content and is committed to quality broadcasting – but, above all, we take our audiences into parts of lively, vibrant, multicultural Australia they don’t normally see.”
That cool Peter Green is writing for The Squiz, it’s sure to be a hit!
Looking forward to The Squiz. Anh is quality. Funnier thanmost of the other hosts you see on these things. Should be a cracker. Good work SBS.
HHHmmmm. SBS has really tried lately, unsuccessfully, to try and get mainstreem success with its own productions. Not many alternative ideas. Since Top Gear and Southpark they have realised the potentual of a bigger ratings share. The problem is much of there new ideas are shoddy like Nerd FC or Aussie Top Gear. Rockwiz stands up as a still entertaining program because it has a herd edge. Rockwiz is like Spicks and Specks but with alcohol. I am skeptical but i wont judge too early on these three new ideas. We havent really seen something new and excelent since safrans last shows. the problem is they are now so ratings driven but have a charter so you can see the boxes they are trying to tick with a lot of their new ideas.
“Dave in the Life” seems a bit like Louis Theroux documentaries where he would hang out with a wierd American subculture which screened on Seven. They were one of my favourite series from last year.
Is Dr Renee Lim the actress from East West? if so she is versatile if she is also a doctor and a host.
The Squiz seems like an attempt to emulate the Rockwiz/Spicks and Specks type of show. I am not really in them.
I remember the ABC did a little-publicised sports quiz show a couple of years ago called ‘Head2Head’, which was absolutely excruciating. Hopefully Squiz will be a bit better. With the celebrity panel it sounds like it’ll be more towards the Spicks and Specks/Good News Week mould than a traditional game show format, which is probably wise.
Anh seems like a really nice guy – but really, a panel show SBS? No one is going to watch this, especially if it’s on Saturday night. THere’s also sooo many ‘panel’ shows floating around at the moment. What about some more edge comedy like Bogan Pride? At least that was original.
I’ll definitely give all 3 shows a look.
All 3 shows sound very interesting! Nice going SBS.
Dave in the Life sounds interesting. And can’t resist a bit of Anh.
Hmm, don’t about the Anh Do one. He’s endearing, but very amateurish as a host.
It’s good to see more local productions on SBS.