Foxtel has announced its 2016 highlights including new local commissions in LifeStyle and Factual plus high-profile HBO and Showtime dramas.
Leading the local drama slate are political thriller Secret City starring Anna Torv, Dan Wylie, Alex Dimitriades and Jacki Weaver plus The Kettering Incident featuring Elizabeth Debicki and Matt Le Nevez, originally announced for 2015. They are joined by returning dramas Wentworth, with original Prisoner star Sigrid Thornton in a new role, and A Place to Call Home.
In new Lifestyle titles are I Own Australia’s Best Home, Donna Hay: Basics to Brilliance and Deadline Design which join returning titles such as Grand Designs Australia, The Great Australian Bake Off, River Cottage Australia and Selling Houses Australia.
AFL reality show The Recruit returns joined by Australia’s Next Top Model, The Real Housewives of Melbourne, Crimes That Shook Australia, Coast and Gogglebox Australia.
New docos include Only The Dead featuring Australian journalist Michael Ware and Women He’s Undressed a celebration of Aussie designer to Hollywood Orry-Kelly.
CI Network’s Crimes That Shook Australia will feature profile cases on Melbourne’s Jill Meagher and Brisbane’s Allison Baden-Clay.
New US titles include HBO’s Westworld, Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl, BBC’s War and Peace, The Night Manager based on the novel by John Le Carré, Lucifer, Outcast based on the comic by creator Robert Kirkman, Queen Of The South, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
Returning US titles include Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Luther, Ray Donovan, VEEP, Vera, Outlander, The Flash and Call The Midwife.
Absent from the list was a return for Open Slather or any new Comedy Channel titles.
Foxtel Executive Director of Television Brian Walsh said: “We are proud to announce the re- commission of such an impressive line-up of our returning Australian series, which is a testament to our production partners, creative teams and on air talent. In 2016, our subscribers will see all of their favourite Australian shows return to Foxtel, as well as new series we are sure will become hits with our viewers.
“Our growing commitment to producing exclusive home-made signature programming for our subscribers will continue in 2016, with more Australian original series than ever before. Our significant investment in acquisitions will also continue, giving Foxtel viewers the biggest array of overseas series available in Australia.
“In 2016 we will make it even easier for our subscribers to enjoy Foxtel. Our on demand Foxtel Anytime offering will continue to be the driving force behind the most comprehensive nationwide streaming service available to all customers as part of their package. Over the next year, Foxtel will provide its subscribers with more than 16,000 hours of programming, available anytime.”
“To complement our outstanding on demand offering, our Box Sets channel is designed for our binge- watching viewers who want to watch or record full series of their favourite shows from Australia and around the world. It’s the only channel of its kind in our market and content on Box Sets will also increase next year, giving our subscribers even more freedom to watch what they want, when they want.
“Foxtel also continues to be the best movies destination in Australia. We now have over 1000 movies available to watch anytime, featuring all the latest Hollywood blockbusters and timeless classics. Our movie offering is unrivalled, with films from every major Hollywood studio, and available to stream at a time that suits you.”
New Australian Productions
Secret City showcase
Anna Torv, Dan Wyllie, Damon Herriman and two-time Academy Award® nominee Jacki Weaver lead an outstanding Australian and international cast in the political thriller mini-series special event Secret City. Inspired by the best-selling novels The Marmalade Files and The Mandarin Code, written by Canberra journalists Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis, Secret City is a six-part drama set in a world of secrets, lies, murder and betrayal – beneath the placid facade of Canberra. Amidst rising tension between China and America, journalist Harriet Dunkley (Torv) will uncover a secret city of interlocked conspiracies, putting innocent lives in danger – including her own. Secret City is a Matchbox Pictures production for Foxtel. Also stars Alex Dimitriades, Alan Dale, Mekhi Phifer, Sacha Horler, Marcus Graham, Miranda Tapsell, Eugenia Yuan, Benedict Samuel and Brenna Harding.
The Kettering Incident showcase
Shot entirely in Tasmania, The Kettering Incident is a gripping eight-episode mystery thriller with otherworldly overtones starring Elizabeth Debicki and Matthew Le Nevez. Tasmanian writer Victoria Madden (Lynda La Plante’s Trial and Retribution, The Bill, Halifax FP) is co-creator of The Kettering Incident with Vincent Sheehan (Animal Kingdom, The Hunter, The Rover). Anna Macy (Debicki) left Kettering when she was just 14, shortly after her best friend disappeared when they were playing in the forest. When Anna returns 15 years later the town is struggling to survive. The community is being torn apart by clashes between environmentalists and loggers. Anna’s reappearance causes a stir. Theories and rumours persist about what really happened to the girls that night – from Anna killing her best friend to alien abduction. Then another girl disappears. Anna is drawn to discover what really happened, uncovering secrets buried deep in her mind and the heart of Kettering and its people. The impressive cast includes Henry Nixon, Anthony Phelan, Damon Gameau, Damien Garvey, Sacha Horler, Brad Kannegiesser, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Ben Oxenbould, Suzi Dougherty, Alison Whyte, Tilda Cobham- Hervey and Kris McQuade. The Kettering Incident is produced by Porchlight Films in association with Sweet Potato Films for Foxtel.
Deadline Design LifeStyle HOME
Shaynna Blaze, the popular and engaging Selling Houses Australia interiors whiz, steps out on her own to host this new series that isn’t about doing up a house for sale. It’s about designing for people, their lifestyles, tastes and budgets. And it’s about doing it in a set deadline. In this extension to LifeStyle HOME for 2016, Shaynna takes on a new client in each episode and guides their imagination to a spectacular destination – a multi-room renovation. Some clients have a lot of money, some don’t. As we’ll see, price has little to do with delivering creative genius. From a million dollar rebirth to a $20,000 renovation, Deadline Design covers all budgets yet each client has something in common – a milestone to celebrate and that means a concrete deadline. Here Shaynna is not just the commander of space and style. She is also a ‘design whisperer’, and as she walks her clients along an emotional and financial tightrope, she is equal parts therapist and artist. In an interior career spanning over 20 years and with a vast portfolio of work, Shaynna is highly sought after across the media in areas including design, colour and trends. Deadline Design is produced by Beyond Productions.
Donna Hay – Basics to Brilliance LifeStyle FOOD
With her trademark simple yet style-driven approach, Australia’s leading food editor and best-selling cookbook author, Donna Hay, returns to Foxtel with her new series Basics to Brilliance. Donna’s food, recipes and styling focus on basic ingredients that are simply prepared and beautifully photographed – hallmarks of her work, which have set the benchmark for food publishing worldwide and inspired a whole new generation of cooks. In 2011, Donna’s first television series – fast, fresh, simple – premiered on LifeStyle, garnering her a 2012 Astra award for Best New Female Personality and went on to air in more than 17 countries worldwide. In December 2013, the one-hour special, A Donna Hay Christmas, was created exclusively for Foxtel in Australia, bringing to life Donna’s no-fuss, chic approach to Christmas entertaining.
I Own Australia’s Best Home LifeStyle HOME
You don’t truly know a home until you live in it and in this new series celebrating Australia’s best homes, three experts travel the country, putting dream houses through their paces as live-in guests. Taking a look inside the breathtaking homes of Australia’s most stylish, this isn’t just about great design, exclusive houses or luxury living, it’s about owners who have toiled over the build, design or décor of their houses, people who have stamped their personality on a property and people who feel proud enough to stand up and announce ‘I Own Australia’s Best Home!’. In each episode, three spectacular Australian homes will star as an architect, an interior designer, and a property expert take to them with a magnifying glass. Each expert has been tasked to find an exceptional property to explore and spends 24 hours in their discoveries, experiencing and extolling all the great features that make the houses so outstanding. They get to know the owners and their families, and discover what drove them to design and build their houses and truly experience living in some of Australia’s most beautiful homes. I Own Australia’s Best Home is from the team behind Grand Designs Australia produced by FremantleMedia Australia and follows two seasons of I Own Britain’s Best Home from the UK.
Tiny House World: Australia LifeStyle HOME
It’s a movement that’s sweeping the world – ‘going tiny’ as people trade in space for simplicity. And now Australians are embracing small too as Andrew Winter discovers in this intriguing local series, Tiny House World: Australia. In a country like Australia where homes are among the largest in the world, with an average house coming in at 243 square metres, tiny houses – with some measuring just 10 square metres – are proving that size doesn’t matter, it’s creativity that counts. Starting with de-cluttering your life and ending with the simplicity of living in a smart, creative space, the tiny house trend started more as an environmental one before people started realising its other benefits like huge economic and time freedom. Tiny House World: Australia is an eight-part series that follows real prospective homebuyers on a quest to find their mini dream home. But even though these homes are small in stature, the challenges of finding the perfect mini-home are as big as any real estate hunt. With three homes to choose from in each 30 minute episode, our buyers will have a tough choice deciding which small space to go for because picking the right one is the their next big decision.
Bride of Jaws Discovery Channel Shark Week
Foxtel’s longest running and most anticipated summer event, Shark Week, returns to Discovery Channel with more premiere programming than ever before. This fin-tastic 24/7 marathon launches with the Australian local production, Bride of Jaws, narrated by Andrew ‘ET’ Ettingshausen. At nearly 18 feet (5.5 metres) and over 3,000 pounds (1360kg), a record-breaking female Great White shark nicknamed “Joan of Shark” roams the waters off Western Australia. This documentary sees researcher Andy Casagrande, along with shark attack survivors Elyse Frankcom and Paul de Gelder (an ex-Navy diver who was attacked by a Bull shark in Sydney Harbour in 2009), attempt to locate and tag Joan of Shark with a tracking device so they can uncover more information about this magnificent species. As they journey along her migratory pattern, spanning over 6,000 km, the trio engage in a variety of unusual and high risk techniques in order to attract the massive Great White.
From Broadway to La Scala Foxtel Arts
Soaring with the exuberance of the great stage musicals and enriched with the passion of grand opera, From Broadway to La Scala will hit a new high note for all lovers of fine entertainment. From Puccini to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bizet to Gershwin and Verdi to Cole Porter, this unique concert experience will feature many of the greatest songs, arias and duets of the last two centuries, performed by four of Australia’s most highly acclaimed contemporary singers and recorded at the famed Sydney Opera House. Renowned for their charisma, stagecraft and musical versatility, tenor David Hobson and bass baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes will join musical theatre star Lisa McCune and the breathtaking soprano Greta Bradman to thrill audiences on this musical journey with a seamless blend of classical elegance and theatrical glamour. Accompanied by Australia’s leading orchestras under the musical direction of Vanessa Scammell, From Broadway to La Scala will transport audiences with a richly entwined repertoire of all time classics, drawn from two of the world’s most enduringly popular musical genres.
Only The Dead showcase
The year is 2003. The invasion of Iraq has ended, and the Americans are celebrating victory. The international press corps revels in a crowded Baghdad with pool parties, restaurant outings, and dinner-party circuits. Reporters of all nationalities scramble for stories; of the abuses of Saddam’s fallen regime; of Weapons of Mass Destruction; of reconstruction, of liberation. Occasionally, Coalition forces are attacked but always elsewhere, somewhere in the background. All the while however, alone and in secret one man, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the most vicious al Qaeda leader the world has ever seen, is planning the real war. Step-by-step he lays out his plan in a letter to Osama bin Laden: the suicide truck bombings; the bloody horrors of the civil war; the televised beheadings. He carries out his grand design to perfection, bringing the country to its knees, almost single-handedly transforming the invasion into one of the most brutal conflicts of our time – and he does it all on camera. When he’s finally ready to reveal himself and “go public” Zarqawi gives the film that will shock the world to Michael Ware, a hard-drinking, hard-running, maverick Australian journalist reporting for American news outlets from the Middle East. The tape sets our correspondent off on an epic voyage as he seeks answers and ultimately the truth. Theatrical feature documentary Only The Dead is an Australian production released in cinemas around the world in 2016 followed by its television premiere first on Foxtel.
Women He’s Undressed showcase
Women He’s Undressed is the extraordinary Hollywood story of Australia’s Orry-Kelly – the designer whose costumes created some of the most magical moments in cinema history. Acclaimed director Gillian Armstrong celebrates the life of this amazing talent who remained largely unknown in his home country while his costumes were adored by cinema’s greatest leading ladies. During the boom years of Hollywood Orry was costume designer on an astonishing 282 motion pictures. He was the first Australian to win three Academy Awards. He designed for Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Rosalind Russell, Errol Flynn and many more of the immortals in films such as Some Like It Hot, Casablanca, An American in Paris and Now, Voyager. Orry was talented, daring, brash, bold, the toast of Hollywood yet the thorn in the side of many a studio head. From Damien Parer Productions, this feature length documentary featuring a fusion of interviews and dramatised elements brings the Orry-Kelly story home with its Australian television premiere on Foxtel in 2016.
New International Productions
Vinyl showcase
From Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter, this new HBO drama series for showcase is set in 1970s New York. A ride through the sex and drug addled music business at the dawn of punk, disco, and hip-hop, the show is seen through the eyes of a record label president, Richie Finestra, played by Bobby Cannavale, who is trying to save his company and his soul without destroying everyone in his path. Additional series regulars include Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano, Ato Essandoh, Max Casella, P.J. Byrne, J.C. MacKenzie, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Juno Temple, Jack Quaid, James Jagger and Paul Ben-Victor.Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, Terence Winter, Rick Yorn, Victoria Pearman, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, John Melfi and Allen Coulter.
Westworld showcase
Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.
Produced for HBO, the series is inspired by the 1974 film of the same name, written and directed by Michael Crichton. The much-anticipated drama features Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Jimmi Simpson, Clifton Collins Jr., Simon Quarterman and Angela Sarafyan. Jonathan Nolan serves as executive producer/writer/ director; Lisa Joy as executive producer/writer; executive producers are J.J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, and Bryan Burk; co-executive producer Kathy Lingg; producer Athena Wickham; and co-producer Susie Ekins. The series is produced by Bad Robot Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions and Kilter Films in association with Warner Bros. Television.
War and Peace BBC FIRST
Andrew Davies’ landmark adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace starring Lily James (Cinderella, Downtown Abbey)
Paul Dano (Love and Mercy) and James Norton comes to BBC First in 2016. This ambitious six-part series brings the literary masterpiece to life on a truly epic scale and has been filmed on location in Russia, Latvia and Lithuania with a cast which also includes Jim Broadbent, Gillian Anderson, Greta Scacchi, Stephen Rea, Ken Stott and Ade Edmondson. War and Peace is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of all time with over 36 million copies sold worldwide and Andrew Davies is recognised as one of the world’s greatest adapters of classic literature for his acclaimed productions of Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House. War and Peace is a bold, refreshing and modern take on a thrilling, funny and heartbreaking story of love, war and family life.
The Night Manager BBC FIRST
Based on the novel by John Le Carré this six part series follows a night manager of a European hotel who is recruited by intelligence agents to infiltrate an international arms dealer’s network. The series stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and The Kettering Incident’s Elizabeth Debicki. The Night Manager will bring together love, loss and revenge in a complex story of modern criminality. The eagerly anticipated drama follows former British soldier Jonathan Pine (Hiddleston) as he navigates the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper (Laurie), Pine must himself become a criminal.
Supergirl FOX8
Foxtel has landed the exclusive Australian rights to Supergirl, one of the buzziest new US shows and spearhead of
leading broadcaster CBS’s new season line-up. Based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El, the cousin of “Superman”, Supergirl comes to FOX8 in December 2015. Plus, in early 2016 Legends of Tomorrow – the spin-off series of Arrow and The Flash – will also join its forerunners and add to FOX8’s offering of DC Comics shows. An unassuming office worker by day, Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was destined to be. At 12, Kara escaped doomed Krypton with her parents’ help at the same time as her infant cousin, Kal-El (Superman). Protected and raised on Earth by her foster family, Kara kept secret the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin. Now 24, Kara works for media mogul Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) before finally embracing her true identity with the help of IT technician and friend (Jeremy Jordan) and famous photographer James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks). Kara must find a balance between her newfound empowerment with her very human relationships, though her heart truly soars as she takes to the skies to fight crime as “Supergirl”.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow FOX8
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow, a spin-off of the highly successful series Arrow and The Flash and focussing on time-
travelling rogue Rip Hunter, will debut on FOX8 and US network, the CW, in early 2016. DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow is the third show set within the world of Arrow and The Flash. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat – one in which not only is the planet at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known? DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow will feature a mix of actors that viewers of The Flash and Arrow are already familiar with and new faces, including Victor Garber, Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz, Ciarra Renee, Franz Drameh, Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller.
Outcast FX
Outcast, based on the comic title by creator Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and artist Paul Azaceta, follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Now, with the help of the Reverend Anderson, a preacher with personal demons of his own, Kyle embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost. But what Kyle discovers could change his fate – and the fate of the world – forever. Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl) stars as Barnes, a man searching for answers, and for redemption, who sequesters himself from those he loves for fear of causing greater hurt. Also starring Philip Glenister, Gabriel Bateman, David Denman, Melinda McGraw, Wrenn Schmidt and Reg.E. Cathey. Premiering on FX Express from the US in 2016.
Lucifer FX
The Devil has come to Los Angeles – Lucifer is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer has abandoned his throne and retired to L.A., where he owns Lux, an upscale nightclub. Charming, charismatic and devilishly handsome, Lucifer is enjoying his retirement, indulging in a few of his favourite things – wine, women and song – when a beautiful pop star is brutally murdered outside of Lux. For the first time in roughly 10 billion years, he feels something awaken deep within him as a result of this murder. Compassion? Sympathy? The murder attracts the attention of LAPD homicide detective Chloe who initially is dismissive of Lucifer. But she becomes intrigued by his talent for drawing out people’s secrets and his desire to dispense justice, doling out punishment to those who deserve it. At the same time, God’s emissary, the angel Amendiel has been sent to Los Angeles to convince Lucifer to return to the underworld. Can the Devil incarnate be tempted toward the side of Good, or will his original calling pull him back toward Evil? Stars Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Lesley-Ann Brandt, and DB Woodside.
Queen Of The South SoHo
Queen Of The South tells the powerful story of Teresa Mendoza (Braga). When her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico, Teresa is forced to go on the run and seek refuge in America, where she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. In the process, she learns the tools of the trade and strategically positions herself to become the leader of the Cartel. Queen Of The South is executive produced by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller (The Final Girls), along with David Friendly (Little Miss Sunshine, Big Mommas House) and Pancho Mansfield (Damien). The pilot is written by Fortin and Miller and directed by Charlotte Sieling. Fox 21 Television Studios developed and produced the pilot and will run lead on the co-production with Universal Cable Productions.
Returning Australian Productions
Wentworth Season 4 SoHo
Honoured as Australia’s Most Outstanding Drama Series at the 2015 TV WEEK Logie Awards, acclaimed by critics and adored by audiences around the world, Wentworth is Foxtel’s longest running Australian drama. As the story resumes for season four, Bea Smith and her cell-block mates are returning to Wentworth after the fire and rebuilding of H Block to find a new dynamic in play with Kaz Proctor a new contender for Top Dog. On the outside, Franky is trying hard to be a productive member of society. As always, no-one should underestimate “the Freak”. The cast includes 2015 ASTRA and Logie winner for Most Outstanding Actress Danielle Cormack (Bea Smith), Pamela Rabe (Joan Ferguson), Kate Atkinson (Vera Bennett), Nicole da Silva (Franky Doyle), Celia Ireland (Liz Birdsworth), Shareena Clanton (Doreen Anderson), Katrina Milosevic (Sue “Boomer” Jenkins), Robbie Magasiva (Will Jackson), Socratis Otto (Maxine Conway), Tammy MacIntosh (Kaz Proctor), Libby Tanner (Bridget Westfall) and, in the course of the 12 episode season, new characters will be introduced Kate Jenkinson (Allie Novak), Bernard Curry (Jake Stewart) and Sigrid Thornton (Sonia Stevens). Wentworth is a FremantleMedia Australia production for Foxtel and has been sold to more than 87 countries.
A Place to Call Home Season 4 SoHo
A Place to Call Home continues to make television history – first was the news of the series’ rebirth as a premium subscription drama and then the season three premiere on Foxtel this year became the most watched SoHo program in 2015. Created by Bevan Lee (Packed to the Rafters, Winners and Losers, Always Greener) the sweeping romantic drama is set in 1950s rural Australia and follows the lives of the Blighs, a wealthy and complicated pastoralist family, who live in Inverness, New South Wales. Sex, death and secrets are never far below the surface. The cast features AACTA Award winner Marta Dusseldorp (Sarah Adams), Noni Hazlehurst (Elizabeth Bligh), Brett Climo (George Bligh), Craig Hall (Dr. Jack Duncan), Sara Wiseman (Carolyn Bligh), David Berry (James Bligh), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Olivia Bligh), Abby Earl (Anna Bligh), Aldo Mignone (Gino Poletti), Jenni Baird (Regina Standish), Frankie J. Holden (Roy Briggs), Deborah Kennedy (Doris Collins) and Heather Mitchell (Prudence Swanson). A Place to Call Home is produced for Foxtel by Seven Productions and a fourth season will start shooting in 2016.
Australia’s Next Top Model Season 10 FOX8
The FOX8 mega hit turns 10 in 2016 and host and judge Jennifer Hawkins and judge Alex Perry, welcome Australian twin modelling sensations, Jordan and Zac Stenmark, as mentors alongside returning model mentor Cheyenne Tozzi. With each season, Australia’s Next Top Model brings its skilful mix of unknown hopefuls, testing challenges, demanding photo-shoots and priceless insight and advice from top industry names, and the bar will be stylishly nudged a little higher as the show chalks up double digits. Critics and passionate viewers hailed season nine to be one of the finest on record thanks to a rotating panel of high profile celebrity judges from around the world. Australia’s Next Top Model boasts a roll call of graduates who’ve walked for famed fashion houses Chanel and Louis Vuitton, graced international fashion magazines and become brand ambassadors around the world. Models like Montana Cox, Amanda Ware, Simone Hotlznagel, Cassi Van Den Dungen, Tahnee Atkinson, Alice Burdeu and Gemma Sanderson all laid the fashionable foundations of their successful careers with the reality series. Australia’s Next Top Model is produced by Shine Australia, exclusively for FOX8 on Foxtel.
The Recruit Season 2 FOX8
Produced in conjunction with the AFL, The Recruit is a reality football entertainment series that follows 12 ‘Recruits’ who live and play together as a team, while at the same time competing in order to win a life-changing prize – a guaranteed place on an AFL list. The first season kicked massive goals with the 2014 premiere on FOX8 one of the highest series launches ever on Foxtel. The Recruit season one was FOX8’s most watched series for 2014 and Foxtel’s number one non-sports program every Wednesday night. The Recruit saw coach Michael Voss targeted by Port Adelaide to become its new midfield manager in 2015; winner Johann Wagner was drafted by Port Adelaide Power; and the Irish miracle Padraig Lucey was recruited by Geelong. Gary Buckenara – one of the most respected scouts in the country, Hawthorn team of the century member and who drafted superstar players like Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin, and Jordan Lewis to the Hawks – has done a national tour across local and country leagues and regional Australia in search of players for a second series of the hit program. The Recruit is produced by McGuire Media exclusively for Foxtel.
The Real Housewives of Melbourne Season 3 Arena
With its dynamic cast and engaging story lines, The Real Housewives of Melbourne makes a sparkling return for a third season in 2016. With newcomer country girl turned Toorak housewife, Susie McLean, joining Chyka Keebaugh, Gamble Breaux, Gina Liano, Jackie Gillies, Janet Roach, Lydia Schiavello and Pettifleur Berenger, the fun and fireworks are sure to continue. Not only a ratings hit at home, the Melbourne housewives have gone on to dazzle internationally, screening in the UK and in primetime on Bravo in the US. An entertaining soap-doc, this is an insider view of the glittering lifestyles of these wealthy and extravagant women with a revealing insight into their world. More high-end drama and classic one-liners are assured as these forthright women navigate the treacherous waters of once solid friendships and test the limits of loyalty. Originating with The Real Housewives of Orange County, there are now series in the cities of Miami, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Washington DC and Vancouver, which screen on Foxtel’s Arena, the home of Housewives. Other Housewives series include Israel, Athens and France. The Real Housewives of Melbourne is produced by Matchbox Pictures for Foxtel.
Gogglebox Australia Season 2 LifeStyle
Gogglebox Australia, the television show about people watching television, and the breakout hit that had everyone talking when it premiered in early 2015, continues to impress with its return season securing the most-watched spot for subscription television on Wednesdays. Each week this innovative and entertaining program takes the nation’s temperature via 10 ordinary Australian households and captures their reactions as they watch the nightly news, argue over politics, cheer their favourite sporting teams, catch up on popular shows and digest current affairs and documentaries. The colourful, opinionated – and often wildly different – ‘Goggleboxers’ include Indigenous Art Dealers, Mick & Di; vivacious friends and housemates, Angie & Yvie; best mates and larrikins with a thirst for life, Adam & Symon; bubbly Greek best friends, Anastasia & Faye; the close-knit Dalton Family; the fun-loving Delpechitra Family; the sports-crazy Jackson Family; the quirky, fun and intelligent Kidd Family; the couple happily married for 30 years, Lee & Keith and newly-engaged cocktail-loving Wayne & Tom. Jointly commissioned by Foxtel and Network Ten, and produced by Shine Australia, Gogglebox airs first on LifeStyle and then on Ten the next night. In the UK where Gogglebox launched on Channel 4 in 2013, this BAFTA winner has been a runaway hit and is now in its sixth series and – as in Australia – has made accidental stars of the families featured.
Great Australian Bake Off Season 2 LifeStyle FOOD
On your marks, get set… bake! Judged by culinary legend Maggie Beer and acclaimed chef Matt Moran, and hosted by comedians Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle, The Great Australian Bake Off follows 12 home baking enthusiasts as they are put through a series of intricate challenges to find Australia’s Best Amateur Baker. Mouth-watering tasks will leave viewers in food heaven with the alchemy of flour, butter, sugar, eggs and more – beaten, whipped, folded, kneaded and baked into delectable delights as contestants navigate their way through the Signature Bake, Technical Bake, then finishing with the astonishing Showstopper Bake to prove their skills and artistry. After the Showstopper, the judges and hosts discuss that week’s Star Baker and who will be eliminated. The baker who successfully completes all 30 challenges and wins over the judges’ discerning taste buds will be crowned Australia’s Best Amateur Baker. The Bake Off franchise from BBC Worldwide began in 2010 with The Great British Bake Off where it remains a ratings phenomenon after five seasons. The format has been produced throughout the world, from Denmark to Turkey, and for Foxtel is produced by FremantleMedia Australia based on a format created by Love Productions and broadcast by the BBC in the United Kingdom.
Grand Designs Australia Season 6 LifeStyle
The top-rating Grand Designs Australia, hosted by leading Australian architect Peter Maddison, again brings the characters, the houses and the stories together in an insightful season of inspiration and appreciation when it returns for its sixth season and with a seventh in production for 2016. This all-Australian version of the highly respected global format showcases Australia’s most elaborate home designs and follows homeowners as they embark on building ambitious properties. The series captures the tremendous diversity of the house, its construction, and the way we live. From the concept, design, materials, technology to logistics, timelines, budgets and personalities, multiple factors come into play as ideas and visions take form and come to life. This beautifully produced series creates a highly watchable narrative of homeowners and their universal dream of making a concept house their home. Grand Designs Australia is produced by FremantleMedia Australia, exclusively for Foxtel’s The LifeStyle Channel.
Selling Houses Australia Season 9 LifeStyle
In 2014 Selling Houses Australia entered the record books when it became the highest rating series in subscription television history. And it’s no wonder this is prime television property – with its much-loved trio of host Andrew Winter, interior designer Shaynna Blaze and landscape designer Charlie Albone, plus the sure-fire combination of real estate and renovation. Now entering its ninth season, this ASTRA winner has been a favourite since its premiere in 2008 with its makeover magicians notching up over 80 transformations on houses that no one can sell and no one wants to buy into saleable properties, with spectacular results. Across the country, whether the housing market is growing or slowing, real estate dominates the headlines and Australians have a keen interest in property, whether they’re first home buyers or investors, upsizing or downsizing. With Selling Houses Australia there’s the chance to learn from this A-team’s expertise and experience with the added bonus of absorbing viewing, the guaranteed outcome of renovating and selling a home – at the same time. Selling Houses Australia is produced by Beyond Productions exclusively for Foxtel’s The LifeStyle Channel.
River Cottage Australia Season 4 LifeStyle FOOD
Three years on with chef-turned-farmer Paul West – and of course his faithful dog Digger – at the helm, the transformation of ‘River Cottage Australia’ in picturesque Central Tilba from abandoned dairy farm to serious sustainable small holding continues to delight and inspire. Now entering its fourth series, River Cottage Australia is home to Paul’s growing brood of pigs, goats, chooks, ducks and cattle, together with a now established vegetable garden, which he has cultivated into a small business to supply local restaurants and cafes. Despite the idyllic surrounds, sometimes nature has other plans and Paul faces challenges that test his farming skills and push him to decide how to best manage his limited resources and minimal infrastructure. To do that, he relies on mentors, friends and other local experts and together they seek solutions and share knowledge – those vital ingredients that are so much a part of living in a rural community. Among it all, Paul continues his journey in the NSW South Coast haven, discovering the best seasonal produce – from the land to the rivers and the sea – and shares cooking tips and delicious meals with friends, neighbours and viewers alike. Following the success of the series a River Cottage Australia cooking school and cookbook was launched based on the show. River Cottage Australia is a Foxtel original series produced by KEO Films Australia.
Outback Wrangler Season 2 National Geographic Channel
Back for a second season, local production Outback Wrangler follows Matt Wright in his chopper as he rescues and relocates saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory. Australia’s far north is a place where danger and beauty collide. It’s also where Matt Wright, a helicopter pilot turned animal wrangler, goes to work, risking life and limb to ensure that wildlife and locals are safe. Over eight brand-new episodes, Matt is joined by his canine companion Nash and long-time mates John ‘Jono’ Brown and Chris ‘Willo’ Wilson. Together they relocate dozens of crocs, including some of the biggest Matt has ever caught. With big machinery, airboats, helicopters and a new croccatching tool, the harpoon, the action never stops in this breath-taking rumble in the jungle.
Crimes That Shook Australia Season 2 CI Network
This powerful true crime series is only on the CI Network and looks at some of the biggest cases that shook Australia told through the eyes of the people placed right at the heart of the tragedies. True crime is both fascinating and horrifying and there are standout cases that capture the public’s attention. We mentally wrestle to understand why and how. Collectively we grapple to make sense of something so baffling and shocking. Through gripping interviews, dramatic reconstructions and archival footage, Crimes That Shook Australia details the events leading up to the crime, the crime itself and the aftermath. Two recent tragic cases explored in this second series include Melbourne’s Jill Meagher and Brisbane’s Allison Baden-Clay, with exclusive access to those closest to the cases. Crimes that Shook Australia is presented by award- winning journalist, SKY NEWS International Editor and anchor Stan Grant. It is a Foxtel commission produced by Title Role Productions, which produces Crimes That Shook Britain, and will premiere in 2016.
Coast New Zealand History
Hosted by internationally renowned Scottish archaeologist and historian Neil Oliver, the History Channel’s most
successful series of all time crosses the Tasman to say “kia ora” to the land of the long white cloud. Oliver leads a team of local presenters as they gather stories about New Zealand’s spectacular coastline: the history, the people, the archaeology, the geography and the marine life. Shot with the trademark Coast award-winning cinematography, Coast New Zealand transports viewers to a picturesque paradise and captures the magnificence and diversity of these remote Pacific islands’ coastlines. Travelling from Milford Sound to the Bay of Islands, and from the West Coast to the East Coast, the series profiles compelling characters and unearths fascinating facts. Meet New Zealand’s kamikaze surfers, discover one of the world’s oldest surviving wooden vessels, and find out how New Zealand could have ended up as part of the South of France. Four New Zealanders are Oliver’s co-hosts, all experts in their field: Matt Carter is one of the leading diving maritime archaeologists in Australasia, renowned geologist and palaeontologist Dr Hamish Campbell, marine biologist Jacky Guerts, and New Zealand’s arts and culture specialist Riria Hotere. Coast New Zealand follows two celebrated seasons of Coast Australia and is based on the hugely successful British series Coast, which has been broadcast in the UK and internationally for the last decade. It is produced by Great Southern Film and Television, with the format licensed from BBC Worldwide ANZ.
B430: Live Like A Local Channel [V]
Live the dream with Danny Clayton in Channel [V]’s new series B430: Live Like A Local. The definitive guide to all the things you must do before you hit the big 3-0 returns, with which music festivals are worth flying across the world for, the bucket list adventures you probably shouldn’t post online in case your mum finds out, and the working holidays that are less ‘work’ and more ‘holiday’. The new series of B430 is here to unlock the local knowledge tourists just aren’t meant to know and show you how to “Live Like A Local”. In this six-part series, Danny travels to Tokyo, Rio, Paris, Barcelona, New York and Reykjavik and receives a crash course in native knowledge, thanks to a cluey local who lets him – and you – in on the hidden spots the locals don’t want tourists to find out about.
Returning International Series
Game of Thrones Season 6 showcase
HBO’s worldwide TV phenomenon and multiple Emmy® Award-winning drama series returns to Foxtel in April 2016. The all-new season six of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honour, conquest and triumph with a plethora of compelling storylines will play out to their inevitable and often bloody conclusions. Game of Thrones is set in the fantasy, medieval continents of Westeros and Essos, where summers and winters can last years. Within Westeros many noble and influential family Houses rule across its seven kingdoms all vying for control of the Iron Throne as whoever sits on the Iron Throne rules everything and everyone. While the many Houses are busy with their petty fights and gruesome battles, north of The Wall the undead icy ‘white walkers’ are swelling in ranks to descend on Westeros and attack mankind during the long winter ahead. Over the sea in Essos, an exiled Princess from the overthrown ruling House of Targaryen is learning to control her feared dragons, the only three left in the world and preparing for an invasion to take back the Iron Throne. Based on the bestselling book series by George R.R. Martin, the television series is written and produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Starring Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster- Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Gwendoline Christie, Natalie Dormer, Alfie Allen, and many more.
The Walking Dead Season 7 FX
More than a cult classic, this AMC series has secured a huge mainstream following – the season five finale drew an estimated 20 million viewers in the US – and is known as much for its blood-spattered shuffling zombies, gore and violence as it is for its emotional, character-driven and dramatic story-telling. Based on the lauded comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. Season six of this Emmy® Award winning series airs Express from the US, with the group learning that if you are among the living, you have a responsibility to do more than just survive. Rick wars within himself and his journey will take him from a man who trusts no one and believes that he should kill before being killed, to a man that realises the importance of holding onto the traits of what it means to be human.
Call The Midwife Season 5 BBC FIRST
The hugely popular Call the Midwife returns to BBC First with a Christmas special and a fifth series in 2016 taking the nuns and midwives into 1961. Starring Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Helen George and Linda Bassett, this touching and compelling series follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House convent, who visit the expectant mothers of Poplar, providing the poorest women with the best possible care. In the latest series Sister Monica Joan goes missing at Christmas time leaving the nuns and nurses distraught. Shelagh rushes to put together a children’s choir in time for a broadcast from the church. Elsewhere Trixie, having battled through her issues with alcohol, finds a new purpose in her keep fit classes, and could friendship blossom into something more for vicar Tom Hereward.
Murdoch Mysteries Season 9 13th Street
Set in early twentieth century Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a handsome young detective using radical forensic techniques, like fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. With his unorthodox approach to investigation and innovative use of technology, far ahead of its time, Murdoch and his team continue to challenge the boundaries of science in an ever-changing world and solve the unsolvable. The hugely popular and adored show will release its ninth season in 2016 on Foxtel where Murdoch’s latest investigations explore the new worlds and mystifying cases of 1903. Season nine will uphold the series’ tradition of bringing historical figures to Toronto, including the likes of Mark Twain (special guest star William Shatner), Lucy Maud Montgomery and Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier.
American Idol Season 15 FOX8
American Idol, the original juggernaut reality singing series sparking a flood of copycat shows around the globe, will return to Foxtel for its final ‘farewell’ 15th season Express from the US in January 2016 only on FOX8. The 15th season will feature returning judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr, as well as host Ryan Seacrest. Some of the biggest superstars in the music industry today received their break on the iconic series, including seven-time Grammy® winner Carrie Underwood, three-time Grammy® winner Kelly Clarkson, and the youngest Idol winner, 17-year-old Grammy® winner Jordin Sparks. Season three American Idol runner up Jennifer Hudson is the only contestant who received both Grammy® and Academy Awards® for her role in the movie Dreamgirls. The show boasts a superstar judging panel throughout its lifespan originally helmed by series creator Simon Cowell, choreographer Paula Abdul and record producer Randy Jackson. During the series the controversial judging line-up has also included comedian Ellen DeGeneres, Aerosmith lead singer Steve Tyler, and duelling divas Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.
Live From The Red Carpet E!
E! is the ultimate destination for Red Carpet coverage, bringing pop culture fans around the world the most comprehensive look at all of the fashion from Hollywood A-listers throughout the Awards season. E!’s cameras will be front-and-centre to capture all the arrivals, celebrity interviews and spontaneity of the most popular awards shows of the year delivering the latest trends and hottest gossip from these must-see Red Carpet moments straight to Foxtel viewers and Express from the US. Hosted by Giuliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 3 The Comedy Channel
One of the funniest and most refreshing personalities to hit the TV scene, British-born John Oliver is an Emmy®- winning television presenter who the New York Observer called, “the best thing to happen to late night since Colbert.” Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is a satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events, providing its likeable host with a unique platform to offer up his singular perspective and distinct voice to any number of social, political or existential issues. Each episode draws upon an array of topical clips from recent news reports and other video sources, and an extended main story in which Oliver “rants” about a specific issue – particularly ones that may be under-covered in mainstream news. An immensely likeable, self-deprecating British writer/ comedian/actor, John Oliver spent over seven years as one of Jon Stewart’s most popular and controversial Daily Show correspondents before leaving in late 2013 to work on Last Week Tonight.
Other returning series include:
Outlander S2, Shameless S6, Nashville S4 on SoHo, VEEP S5, Girls S5, Black Sails S3, Ray Donovan S4 and Ballers S2 on showcase, Broad City S3 and Inside Amy Schumer S4 on The Comedy Channel, Pretty Little Liars S6B, Arrow S5 and The Flash S3 on FOX8, Fear the Walking Dead S2 and Kingdom S3 on FX, Suits S6 and Chicago PD S3 on Universal, Vera S6 on 13th Street and Luther S4 on BBC First – many of the series broadcast with the rest of the world, Express from the US and UK.
KIDS
Slimefest Nickelodeon
2016 will be the fifth year of Nickelodeon’s SLIMEFEST, a family-friendly music festival, featuring stars, DJs, live performances by local and international artists and tonnes of Nickelodeon’s trademark green slime. Taking place in the September school holidays, the event is held for two shows in both Sydney and Melbourne, attracting thousands of kids and families to have the SLIME of their LIFE! Nickelodeon gives kids a front-row seat to all the action with a 90-minute television special, airing exclusively on Nickelodeon the Monday following the event. The special features exclusive behind the scenes content, interviews with the stars, amazing performances and all the best slime stunts. SLIMEFEST also has a dedicated website, which includes interviews, games and details on the event. Each year, SLIMEFEST gets bigger and better! Previous performers have included: Cody Simpson, Big Time Rush, Guy Sebastian, The Veronicas, Justice Crew, Samantha Jade, Jessica Mauboy, Cosentino, Savage and Timmy Trumpet.
We Bare Bears Cartoon Network
We Bare Bears is a new Cartoon Network comedy series about three brothers trying to fit in and make friends, which can be kind of hard when you’re a bear! Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear are masters of the selfie, fans of the food truck, and are the next big internet stars – or at least they think they are! Grizzly leads Panda and Ice Bear with endless optimism in everyday misadventures of finding food, goofing around, and dealing with each other and the world around them. Through it all, these bears stick together and are very, very close, in fact their favourite way to get around town is by “bearstack,” a unique formation that features Grizzly atop Panda atop Ice Bear, who does all of the heavy lifting (as only the highly talented Ice Bear can do). Created by Annie Award-winner Daniel Chong, We Bare Bears was conceived as part of Cartoon Network Studios’ thriving and prolific shorts development program which also created the network’s hit animated series Steven Universe, Uncle Grandpa, Clarence and the double Emmy®-winning Regular Show.
FOX SPORTS
2016 NRL Telstra Premiership Season
FOX SPORTS will again be the only destination to catch every game, every week with a guaranteed five matches each full round including exclusive coverage of Super Saturday and Monday Night Football LIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION with NO AD-BREAKS during play.
2016 Toyota AFL Premiership Season
FOX FOOTY remains the only place to watch every AFL match of every round, LIVE in HIGH DEFINITION, with NO AD-BREAKS siren-to-siren in the 2016 Toyota AFL Premiership Season plus FOX FOOTY will broadcast the 2016 NAB Challenge competition from regional venues across Australia beginning Thursday, February 18.
Motorsport
Motorsport fans will continue to receive the most comprehensive coverage with FOX SPORTS being the only place to see every race, qualifying and practice session of the 2016 V8 Supercars Championship, the 2016 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM and the 2016 MotoGPTM World Championship LIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION.
2016 Rugby
FOX SPORTS will once again deliver LIVE and HIGH DEFINITION coverage of every match of the 2016 Asteron Life Super Rugby season with NO AD-BREAKS during play along with LIVE coverage of England’s three-Test tour of Australia and the annual Rugby Championship. 2015/16 Football As the home of football in Australia, FOX SPORTS will continue its unrivalled offering in 2016 with every game of the Hyundai A-League and all Socceroos World Cup Qualifiers LIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION with NO ADBREAKS during play. FOX SPORTS will also deliver every remaining game of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League.
SKY NEWS
In 2016, as SKY NEWS marks its 20th year, the channel will unveil its biggest roll-out of new and exclusive programs. When news breaks Australia turns to SKY NEWS LIVE for the best commentary and analysis including PVO NewsDay, Richo & Jones, PM Agenda, The Last Word, and SportsNight with James Bracey. Among a stellar line-up of opinion and debate is the Astra award-winning Paul Murray LIVE. Each weeknight Paul Murray anchors a fast-paced discussion on politics, social issues and everything in between, offering an alternative look at the day’s news. Setting the benchmark in political and national affairs, the award-winning SKY NEWS political team led by David Speers delivers Australia’s most comprehensive and in-depth political news coverage. When Australia gets down to business, it’s with SKY NEWS BUSINESS, featuring the best line-up of business and finance experts. Weeknights at 6.30pm, SKY NEWS MONEY’s program line-up is dedicated to helping all Australians make the most of their money. New to the weekends, SKY NEWS REAL ESTATE is transforming the Australian property market. Featuring live auctions and expert advice for home buyers, sellers and investors, Australians have never been better informed about the property market. SKY NEWS WEATHER is Australia’s only 24-hour weather channel. Featuring a new on-air look, the expert team of meteorologists and weather reporters deliver Australia’s most comprehensive weather news, on-the-scene reports and detailed forecasts to plan your day and week ahead.