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Foxtel commissions local comedy and adult animation

Foxtel has unveiled a 20-part comedy series from Rick McKenna and Laura Waters, an adult animation series from Working Dog and its first ever co-commission with Network Ten.

Among other new offerings flagged in Foxtel’s upfronts presentation are a local version of the international hit Pawn Stars, the second series of  The Real Housewives of Melbourne (Matchbox Pictures) and season 9 of Australia’s Next Top Model (Shine Australia) .

The drama slate includes the previously announced Deadline Gallipoli starring Sam Worthington (Matchbox Pictures/Full Clip Productions); The Kettering Incident (Porchlight Films/Sweet Potato Films); A Place to Call Home (Seven Productions); and season 3 of FremantleMedia’s Wentworth.

Returning to The LifeStyle Channel next year will be series 8 of Selling Houses Australia (Beyond Productions), Grand Designs Australia series 5 (FremantleMedia) and River Cottage Australia series 3 (Keo Films/LifeStyle).

The untitled Waters/McKenna series for The Comedy Channel will feature some of the biggest names in Australian comedy alongside emerging talents, filmed live in front of a studio audience. The producers promise a “no holds barred send-up of Australian culture, identities, celebrities and politicians.“

Also commissioned by The Comedy Channel, Pacific Heat is billed as Australia’s first prime-time adult animation series from Working Dog, the producers of Utopia, Thank God You're Here and The Panel. 

Shine Australia will produce Gogglebox, based on Studio Lambert's UK format, for Foxtel and Ten. Casting is underway for the show which captures the reactions of Aussies from 12 households as they watch the nightly news, argue over politics, cheer their favourite sporting teams and digest current affairs and documentaries. Each household will be rigged with special locked-off cameras. Gogglebox will premiere on The LifeStyle Channel, broadcast the following night on Ten.

Commissioned by A&E, Leftfield Pictures' Pawn Stars Australia will follow the daily lives of Happy Hockers, a chain of pawn shops based in Sydney, as the owners buy and sell collectible, unusual and historically significant items,

Fox8’s summer line-up includes two new US shows, action series The Flash and comedy drama Jane the Virgin.