★★★★★ 0/5

Leaner, meaner Hungry Beast.

Nick Hayden, Monique Schafter, Dan Ilic and Kirsten Drysdale will take the hosting seat on the second season of Hungry Beast.

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The ABC has announced Nick Hayden (pictured), Monique Schafter, Dan Ilic and Kirsten Drysdale will take the hosting seat on the second season of Hungry Beast.

The changes follow the show’s debut season last year, in which 7 hosts fronted the show. Others amongst the 19 young recruits also appeared on screen.

Now amongst its fine-tuning, the show will see a slimmed down presenting team, but all 19 will continue to create stories for the show and website as well as reporting in stories.

Last year’s fake story about a ‘gullibility report’ from the fictitious ‘Levitt Institute‘ caught a number of media offguard, in print, radio and television. The report on Australian cities even managed to make it onto The 7PM Project before being exposed on Media Watch. An equally phony sketch about a man describing how he had been ‘assaulted’ by netballers also copped criticism (except the problem was, there was no sketch).

But the show also sought to include serious talking points including the family of a fallen Australian soldier speaking about life without a son, brother and husband, the human cost of James Hardie’s asbestos scandal and a frank interview by a man who has paedophilic tendencies but has not offended.

Executive Producer Andrew Denton said, “The Hungry Beast team were on L-plates last year and yet they still managed to deliver some original and highly memorable television. This year, they’re on their P’s and we’re going to chuck them the keys to see where they take us. God knows where we’ll end up, but I doubt we’ll forget the ride.”

Returning segments this year will include “Things We Think Might Be Bullshit,” “Stuff Said This Week,” “Follow The Money,” and “The Other News.” ‘Walkley-Refusing’ Reporter ‘Victoria Dynamite’ (played by Veronica Milsom) will also have an increased role this season.

The show is also promising to do more stories outside of the ABC studios, step up its online content and embrace more audience input.

Amanda Duthie, ABC TV Head of Arts and Entertainment, said, “It is brilliant to have the Beast team back on ABC TV – their energy and passion for making TV with a sideways view is a refreshing contribution to the Australian television landscape.”

The show returns 9pm Wednesday February 10th on ABC1.

24 Responses

  1. They need to lose Victoria Dynamite and the smarmy, smug attitudes some of the presenters have. I find the serious bits refreshingly honest, and the vox populi segments are particularly soul bearing. That is what they should be focussing on.

  2. That’s true. But with cuts to the ABC and a bigger population it might actually be less than eight cents now, right? Either way, I want my Wednesday cents back.

  4. The ABC is bringing it back because Denton got a 2 season deal from the outset. God knows what it would have cost with so many people on air. It was a good idea to give a lot of new people a chance, I don’t think they pulled it off though.

  6. Let me guess. More shows about how the West is evil, how the USA is evil and how “insert religion of your choice / 3rd world country of your choice / small nation of your choice)” are shining beacons of all that is good.

    Get off your high horse and stop preaching your leftist manifest.

    Huge Fail.

  8. Sometimes when lots of people agree it’s not blind conformity but consensus. The Victoria Dynamite pieces were the only bits trying to be deliberately funny. So they stuck out compared to the rest of it that was trying to tackle topics in a light hearted way, with the occasional gag. After Frontline showed up current affairs reporting, I think it’s been a little hard to see anything new or interesting in ridiculing current affairs shows. They are so ridiculous already that they are almost beyond parody. They do their own sketches on those shows and bring their own props along. The satire is too similar to the actuality.

  9. Victoria Dynamite was one of the only bits I liked actually…It was a nice break from all the self righteous outrage at everything. It was good satire too.

  10. Monique Schafter is the best thing about this show…. otherwise it’s a real bore…
    It’s very pretentious and wastes the opportunity it has to present a new way to look at news and current affairs. This could have been a masterpiece but is a real let down.

    Looking forward to seeing Mon Schafter tho! Who proved herself to be very clever in series 1.

  12. Well, isn’t this the love-in we’re having on TV Tonight? Unlike you sheep below all agreeing with each other about Victoria Dynamite, I can think for myself. Can’t wait ’til Hungry Beast is back on my screen, “roadblocking” ABC1’s so-called great comedy line-up… If that’s what you call Spicks & Specks.

  13. I thought the Victoria Dynamite character was the weakest bit as well but it suffered from being sketch stuffed between serious stories so it always seemed out of place. Seems the message has changed from “these guys are the future” to “they are only learning”. It was ridiculous to have so many of them fighting it out for screen time. Why did they even have a set? They hardly ever used it. Hopefully we can just have some stories now instead of the baffling “web producer” supers coming up in front of hosts and the style over substance motion graphics. The facts might be moving on screen but it’s still just listing facts. Sorry for the rant I found this show so baffling. I don’t think it was the talents fault, I think it was poorly conceived and produced and suffered from the same problem 7pm project does. Is it comedy or not? Hope they figure it out.

  14. @ABCKid: No, it’s 120.

    Completely agree with Beckala, Victoria Dynamite was my least favourite part of the show each week. Well, along with the “tee hee wacky sketch” to “War in Afghanistan” sudden mood changes. And “Elmo”‘s voice. And name.

  17. It’s an okay show even if I think it does have a left-wing bias. I agree with mikeys though, it would be great along with Hack half-hour. ABC has always had trouble filling the 9PM slot after Spicks & Specks, with the exception of The Gruen Transfer, most other shows made ratings plummet after S&S finished.

  18. “Walkley-Refusing’ Reporter ‘Victoria Dynamite’ (played by Veronica Milsom) will also have an increased role this season”

    Why, dear god why? She is the weakest part of the show – if her role is increased too much, it will be the reason I turn off.

  19. Hungry Beast is not comedy, not news, not anywhere in between, and it should be buried late on Monday nights on ABC2 where it can suffer from the picture quality, not right in the middle of ABC1’s most watched night where it’ll act as a roadblock in the line-up. Didn’t they learn anything from the first season?

    How many episodes are there in the season so I know what date to look forward to. I hope it’s no more than eight.

  20. This show should run on ABC2 side-by-side with the Hack Half hour (which believe they are not returning to screens?)…

    As @Nathan Marks said – this is not a comedy program, and really shouldn’t be slated in there with Spicks etc…

    I’ll give it one more go, but last year it was uninspiring viewing, to say the least.

  21. I think the Wedneday 9pm timeslot is completely wrong for this program. Why is it slated as part of the ABC’s comedy line-up?

    Sure it piggy backs off the Spicks and Specs audience, but it’s not comedy and I don’t think it gives the show a fair chance to find its feet. Maybe on a Tuesday or Thursday night??

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