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ABC: Summer highlights

Dr Who, Maggie Beer, Misfits, Hell on Wheels & Next Stop Hollywood are all coming to ABC's Summer.

ABC1 will fast-track the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas Special on Boxing Day night.

Amongst its Christmas highlights are Maggie Beer’s Christmas Feast, Rick Stein’s Spanish Christmas, Last Night Of The Proms and Carols From Saint Peters Cathedral.

Other highlights include Young James Herriot, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Next Stop Hollywood, new seasons of Upstairs Downstairs and The Hour.

There will be replays of Jack Irish, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Midsomer Murders, Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey and New Tricks.

ABC2 features new seasons of Peep Show and Misfits and the Free to Air premiere of Hell on Wheels.

ABC3 turns 3 with local quiz show Steam Punks and new episodes of Prank Patrol. ABC News 24 has the doco series Who Makes the News?

ABC1 
YOUNG JAMES HERRIOT AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Saturday 1st December at 8.20pm, ABC1
It’s 1930s Glasgow and James Herriot arrives to study at the city’s Vet College. He will go on to become Britain’s best‐known and best‐loved vet. This is the story of a young man with hope in his heart, not much money in his pocket and the desire to do good. 3 x 60min

RICK STEIN’S SPANISH CHRISTMAS AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Tuesday 4th December at 8.30pm, ABC1
Rick Stein believes that no one celebrates Christmas in greater style than the Spanish, where the celebrations last for over a fortnight and the dishes they prepare are very different to the usual Christmas fare. Rick cooks up a spectacular Christmas feast with a difference. 1 x 60min

10 AUSSIE BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Tuesday 4th December at 9.30pm, ABC1
To celebrate The National Year of Reading, ABC TV’s First Tuesday Book Club presents the top 10 Aussie books to read before you die. It’s the great Australian reading list – as voted for by readers from all over the country. abc.net.au/aussiebooks 1 x 60min

THE MANOR REBORN AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Sunday 9th December at 7.30pm, ABC1
Hosted by Penelope Keith, this series sees a team of historians, experts and volunteers reinterpreting 500‐year‐old Avebury Manor in Wiltshire and restoring it as an immersive experience. 4 x 60min

PILLARS OF THE EARTH ABC1 PREMIERE
Starts Sunday 9th December at 8.30pm, ABC1
Based on the best‐selling novel by Ken Follet, this is an epic story of good and evil, treachery and intrigue, violence and beauty, set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart. Stars Donald Sutherland. 4 x 90min

NIGELLISSIMA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Tuesday 11th December at 8.30pm, ABC1
Get ready for a mouth‐watering Christmas as Nigella brings a truly Italian festive feast to the table, with big fresh flavours and a sumptuous spread. She shows us how easy it is to bring the spirit of Italy into the kitchen using ingredients available in any supermarket. 1 x 60min

SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR 2012 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Sunday 16th December at 6pm, ABC1
Join 3000 talented singers, dancers, and musicians aged five to 18, from NSW public schools, as they take over the Sydney’s Entertainment Centre to present a school musical extravaganza of epic proportions ‐ An annual event not to be missed.

MAGGIE BEER’S CHRISTMAS FEAST AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Tuesday 18th December at 8.30pm, ABC1
Join Maggie Beer as she invites some special guests to the ultimate Australian Christmas feast, a feast which is made from the food the guests grow and the food Maggie herself grows, plus some special extra treats and tips for or a very abundant Christmas. 1 x 30min

CAROLS FROM SAINT PETERS CATHEDRAL 2012 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Monday 24th December at 6pm, ABC1
Join one of Australia’s finest choirs with the stunning backdrop of St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide for an evening of festive celebration, readings and song. 1 x 60min

NATIVITY! ABC1 PREMIERE
Screening date/time TBC
Martin Freeman stars as primary school teacher Paul Maddens who is charged with producing the school’s nativity play. Competing against the posh rival school for the honour of ‘best show in town’, the stakes are raised when a ‘little white lie’ spirals out of control. 1 x 105min

LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 2012 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Monday 24th December at 10.05pm, ABC1
Nicola Benedetti, one of Britain’s most innovative and creative young violinists, and Joseph Calleja, the Maltese tenor who sings with the grace and elegance of voices of a bygone era, star in one of the most popular classical music concerts in the world. 2 x 90min

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2012 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Wednesday 26th December at 7.30pm, ABC1
The Doctor (Matt Smith) returns with his time‐travelling companions for the highly‐anticipated Doctor Who Christmas Special, which is bound to be a clever twist on a much loved Christmas classic tale. 1 x 60min

EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO 2012 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Monday 31st December at 8.30pm, ABC1
Against the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, performers from four continents provide an action‐packed evening of entertainment, featuring the Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, a Dutch Mounted Bicycle Band, South Africa’s Navy Band, and many more. 1 x 90min

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Tuesday 1st January at 8.30pm, ABC1
The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the last story Charles Dickens started to tell. He tragically died before its completion. In this bold and refreshing take on the novel, acclaimed screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes imagines how the story might have ended. 1 x 120min

NIGELLISSIMA AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Thursday 3rd January at 8.30pm, ABC1
The essence of Italian food, like Nigella Lawson’s style of cooking, is simplicity and informality. In her new series, Nigella shows how easy it is to bring the spirit of Italy into the kitchen and onto the plate using ingredients available in any supermarket. 6 x 30min

THE HOUR – SERIES 2 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Thursday 3rd January at 9pm, ABC1
Go behind the scenes of a broadcast news room in London during the mid‐1950s, with a highly competitive, sharp‐witted and passionate love triangle at its heart. This genre‐defining drama is revealing, intriguing, always entertaining, and crackling with sexual tension. 6 x 60min

RESTORATION HOME – SERIES 2 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Sunday 6th January at 7.30pm, ABC1
Grand Designs meets Who Do You Think You Are? Presented by Caroline Quentin, this series follows private owners of crumbling historic buildings, as they save their properties from ruin and restore them into wonderful 21st Century homes. 6 x 60min

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS – SERIES 2 ABC1 PREMIERE
Starts Sunday 6th January at 8.30pm, ABC1
Set in the year preceding World War II, the inhabitants of 165 Eaton Place, both upstairs and downstairs, harbour life‐changing secrets. With the menace of war creeping ever closer, the smooth running of Eaton Place threatens to come crashing to shattering halt. 6 x 60min

REV. ABC1 PREMIERE
Starts Sunday 6th January at 9.30pm ABC1
Rev. Adam Smallbone is a Church of England vicar, newly promoted from a sleepy rural parish to the busy, world of East London. Rev. is an authentic and very funny portrait of the life of a modern, inner‐city vicar that shows what life is really like in a dog collar. 6 x 30min

NEXT STOP HOLLYWOOD AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Stars Tuesday 8th January at 9.30pm, ABC1
Follow six aspiring young Australian actors during pilot season in Los Angeles: the frenzied period when US television pilots get the go‐ahead and casting begins. Will any of them become a star? 6 x 30min

FAKE OR FORTUNE – SERIES 2 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Monday 14th January at 8.30pm
Journalist Fiona Bruce teams up with art expert Philip Mould to investigate mysteries behind paintings. From art history to some of the latest forensic testing, this is the only series where artistic and detective skills go hand in hand. 3 x 60min

CASE SENSITIVE – SERIES 2 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Friday 18th January at 8.30pm, ABC1
When Ruth Blacksmith’s new partner, Aidan, reveals that he once hurt a woman called Mary Trelease, Ruth is deeply worried. She raises her concerns with Detective Sergeant Charlie Zailer who is intrigued, but when he calls in at Ruth’s house, they find a disturbing scene. 1 x 90min

Noteworthy repeats over summer:
JACK IRISH
MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES – SERIES 1
FAMILY CONFIDENTIAL – SERIES 2
MIDSOMER MURDERS – SERIES 8
JOANNA LUMLEY’S GREEK ODYSSEY
NEW TRICKS – SERIES 9

ABC2

12 DAYS OF LOUIS
Starts Tuesday 18th December at 8.30pm & 9.30pm, ABC2
For twelve days over Christmas, ABC2 will screen a selection of new and repeat LOUIS THEROUX episodes at 8.30pm, followed by the free‐to‐air premiere of LOUIE‐SERIES 2 by comedian Louis C.K. at 9.30pm.

ALONE IN THE WILD AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Tuesday 1st January, ABC2
How long could you survive alone in the wilderness? Join some well‐known faces from the worlds of sport and TV as they find out. They will do battle with the elements, and their fears, when they are dropped into the bush of Botswana, Guyana and Belize. 6 x 60min

THE BEST OF SUNDAY BEST
Starts Sunday 6th January, ABC2
Sunday Best presents encore screenings of the top‐ten films from Sunday Best over the past two years, as voted for by our viewers. The top ten list will be gathered by an online viewer poll which will run from 3rd‐14th December on the ABC2 Facebook page.

HELL ON WHEELS ABC2 PREMIERE
Starts Monday 7th January, ABC2
The epic story of post‐Civil War America, through the eyes of Mount, a Confederate soldier who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. It shows a turning point in America’s history, and how uncivilized the business of civilization can be. 10 x 60min

MISFITS ‐ SERIES 4 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Tuesday 8th January, ABC2
Following the departure of Kelly, Simon and Alisha, this new series introduces three new characters to accompany Curtis and Rudy, and don the show’s trademark ‐ and infamous – community service orange jumpsuits… 8 x 50min + 2 x webisodes

MY BIG FAT OPERATION AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Wednesday 9th January, ABC2
This compelling series follows the lives of 12 obesity sufferers as they undergo weight‐loss surgery – charting their journey prior to their operation, into the operating theatre and through the dramatic months post operation as they strive to reach their weight targets. 6 x 60min

FREDDIE MERCURY: THE GREAT PRETENDER AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Sunday 9th December, ABC2
This documentary presents a compelling insight into the life of Freddie Mercury, and from it, emerges a portrait of a man who was very different to his flamboyant onstage public persona. Also includes unseen footage of Freddie performing with Rod Stewart and Michael Jackson. 1 x 90min

GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Sunday 16th December, ABC2
This is the true story of heavy metal rock star Ozzy Osbourne. It reveals his working class English background, and charts his extraordinary musical success, and the decades‐long struggle with substance abuse that made him a cultural icon and reality television superstar. 1 x 90min

PEEP SHOW – SERIES 8 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Thursday 17th January, ABC2
The multi‐award‐winning and critically acclaimed hit comedy returns, to follow the private worlds of Mark (David Mitchell) and Jeremy (Robert Webb), two dysfunctional twentysomething flat‐mates living in South London. 6 x 30min

LADYBOYS AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Friday 18th January, ABC2
Thailand is famous for having some of the world’s most beautiful girls – who just happen to be men. In this dazzling fly‐on‐the‐wall series, we step into the intimate world of ‘ladyboys’ to explore the complicated, glamorous lives of the country’s revered third gender. 6 x 60min

THE SET LIST AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Thursday 24th January, ABC2
This unpredictable, fully improvised stand‐up show takes some of the biggest names in comedy and presents them with the ultimate challenge: to come up with a brand new comedy routine on the spot, based on topics presented to them right there and then while they’re on stage. 14 x 30min

ABC4KIDS
PETER RABBIT’S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Peter, Flopsy, Mospy and Cottontail have been charming the children of the world for 110 years and will star in a new half‐hour Christmas Special. This will screen as part of two full days of Christmas programming including THE GRUFFALO, THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD, LOST & FOUND, THE OCTONAUTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL and THE GIGGLE & HOOT CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.

JOE & JACK AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Follow Joe and Jack, two best friends, as their wild imaginations lead to comic adventures. Joe, a little boy, and Jack, a big fluffy tomcat, are able to understand each other and nothing stops their fun adventures….unless it’s lunchtime, that is! 39 x 7min

LAZYTOWN – SERIES 3 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
The LazyTown team are back in a new series, as Bumbling Mayor Milford Meanswell again enlists the help of “slightly above average hero” Sportacus to inspire the his niece Stephanie and her friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy and Pixel to play outside instead of staying inside and playing video games all day. 13 x 30min

ABC3
ABC3’S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Saturday 1st December at 4.45pm, ABC3
ABC3 is turning 3! This year’s party is going to be the biggest birthday bash ever. Nine hosts (Kayne, Amberley, James, Liv, Scott, Hex, Bajo, Joel, and Nicole) all come together to record and perform ABC3’s first ever music video. 1 x 15min

CHRISTMAS ON ABC3
Starts Thursday 13th December at 3pm, ABC3
Get ready to jingle your bells and celebrate Christmas ABC3 style! We’re counting down the 12 Days of Christmas with 30 minutes of our best Yuletide Toons every day from 3pm. Starts Thursday 13th December right up until Christmas Day.

MY FRIEND BERNARD AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Monday December 24 at 7pm, ABC3
Sam is a shy boy who’s ridiculously afraid of almost everything. One day a mysterious man gives him a magical pendant as a solution to his problem: and Sam ends up with a polar bear called Bernard! Facing up to the worst monsters ever, Bernard and Sam are in for the most epic adventure ever! 1 x 70min

ABC3’S AUSTRALIA DAY BEACH SOCCER SMACKDOWN AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Australia Day on ABC3, and that can only mean one thing – it’s Smackdown time! This year, Kayne’s invited all his friends to celebrate with a BBQ at the beach! Bring on Beach Soccer Smackdown – boys against girls! Will Kayne ever get his revenge on Bajo? Will Amberley finally get a date with Scott? Can an explosion be avoided? 1 x 30min

PRANK PATROL – NEW EPISODES AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts Monday 31st December at 6.30pm, ABC3
Australia’s favourite prankster, Scotty Tweedie, and the prank‐loving ninjas are back with never before seen episodes of the explosive series, Prank Patrol Road Trip. They’ve kitted out the Spyvan and are on a mission to prank as many Aussie kids in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth as possible! 13 x 30min

STEAM PUNKS AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Starts February, ABC3
Steam Punks is a fast paced, gooey, irreverent game show where four kids find themselves trapped in a subterranean world controlled by a malevolent machine and her minion played by Paul Verhoeven (Triple J). To win their freedom, the two teams must battle it out as their problem solving abilities, scientific knowledge, ability to interact with technology and get messy are put to the test. 40 x 30min

ABC News 24
ABC News 24 will keep you informed and engaged over the holiday period with continuous live news, plus a look back at some of the best ABC News and Current Affairs coverage of the year.

Other highlights include the documentary WHO MAKES THE NEWS? – narrated by Geraldine Doogue. Who Makes the News features interviews with some of the heavyweights of ABC political journalism of the past 5 decades, dissecting the evolution of politics, television news and how the 24 hour news cycle is shaping the behavior of journalists, politicians and the audience.

In THE HUNTER Scott Bevan presents the story of one of Australia’s great rivers, The Hunter River in NSW – the site of defining moments in Australian history and a place of great beauty, wealth and bitter controversy.

John Barron takes a look at the life and times of former US President Ronald Reagan in REAGAN; and Jack Thompson narrates MAWSON ‐ a documentary about Antarctic explorer Douglas Mawson. Angela Pulvirenti presents INSIDE EDGE – a series of intimate and revealing interviews with leading Australian sports men and women, in collaboration with ABC Radio.

17 Responses

  1. Doctor Who, Louie (and Louis), Peep Show, Misfits, Hell on Wheels, Rick Stein in Spain again, and two Nigella shows?
    This is all great stuff!

    I’m at a loss to comprehend how and why so many people still prefer to watch the commercial networks!

  2. Wow, Lots to look forward to!
    Dr Who, Pillars of Earth, Hell on Wheels, Misfits, Upstairs Downstairs, The Hours, Freddie Mercury doco all on my to-watch list.

  3. The ABC3 looks even bleaker than normal, not much new content for summer.

    My Friends Bernard doesn’t even look Christmas related, and I don’t see stretching out such a short series to 1 hour special going well either.

    I was hoping the ABC would get the Santa’s Apprentice movie for Christmas, but maybe another TV network got it.

  4. Thank you to the ABC for this information. As well as David for the ridiculously long cut an pasting involved including the sensible plus much needed summary!

    I’m especially thankful for Doctor Who on Boxing Day. I hope there is a repeat like last year in case of power outage or the like. I noticed you’ve included the photo of the new outfit for Children In Need.

    I’m also interested in the Freddy Mercury documentary. Also surprisingly the ABC News 24 programming. But I fear silly timeslot syndrome plaguing the channel will mean I won’t be able to see them. I’m glad they are trying however.

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