Foxtel has revealed its 2016 lineup of Australian series, which includes a raft of new commissions and programming across drama, lifestyle and factual.
Next year will see the return of Wentworth (SoHo), A Place to Call Home (SoHo), Australia’s Next Top Model (FOX8), The Real Housewives of Melbourne (Arena), The Recruit (FOX8), Crimes That Shook Australia (CI Network), Coast (History), The Great Australian Bake Off (LifeStyle FOOD), Gogglebox Australia (The LifeStyle Channel), Selling Houses Australia (The LifeStyle Channel), Grand Designs Australia (The LifeStyle Channel) and River Cottage Australia (LifeStyle FOOD).
Foxtel also confirmed today a broad range of new programming to premiere in 2016 including two new Foxtel Original drama series.
The first is Secret City (showcase), a political thriller starring Anna Torv, Dan Wylie, Damon Herriman and two time Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver.
The second is event series The Kettering Incident (showcase) featuring Elizabeth Debicki and Matt Le Nevez.
Next year will see the return of international series including Game of Thrones (showcase), The Walking Dead (FX), Fear The Walking Dead (FX), Ballers (showcase), Luther (BBC First), Ray Donovan (showcase), Girls (showcase), VEEP (showcase), Vera (13th Street), Outlander (SoHo), Suits (Universal), American Idol (FOX8), Murdoch Mysteries (13th Street), Arrow (FOX8), Pretty Little Liars (FOX8), Inside Amy Schumer (The Comedy Channel), Broad City (The Comedy Channel), The Flash (FOX8), Kingdom (FX) and Call The Midwife (UKTV) – many of the series broadcast with the rest of the world, Express from the US and UK.
Donna Hay will also return to Foxtel with a brand new series for LifeStyle FOOD called Donna Hay – Basics to Brilliance.
The eight part series will begin shooting early in the New Year.
The LifeStyle Channel will debut a new programming franchise to join the line-up of some of Foxtel’s most popular programming.
I Own Australia’s Best Home is a new format, featuring some of the most unique and impressive homes from around the country.
Based on the successful UK series, I Own Australia’s Best Home will premiere in mid-2016.
Also on LifeStyle, Andrew Winter will present Tiny House World: Australia, a six part series that takes a peek inside some the smallest houses people are now living in, and designing creatively to cater for their lives.
Shaynna Blaze will headline a new series for LifeStyle HOME called Deadline Design.
The Selling House Australia will see Blaze guide a new client each week from their dream to a reality with a multi-room renovation – all within a tight deadline.
Resulting from Foxtel’s major agreements with leading studios including HBO, Showtime, BBC Worldwide, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Disney, CBS Sony, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox, 2016 will see the premiere of another incredible line-up of international first-run and exclusive series.
From HBO comes Westworld starring Anthony Hopkins and from producers Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger, Vinyl – both new and buzzworthy series will premiere on showcase in early 2016.
Foxtel will also present two feature length documentaries from HBO on its showcase channel – maverick Australian journalist Michael Ware’s revealing Only The Dead, and the Hollywood story of Australian costume designer Orry-Kelly in The Women He’s Undressed.
BBC First will bring Foxtel viewers the television adaption of literary classic War and Peace with an all-star cast including Lily James, Paul Dano, James Norton, Jim Broadbent, Gillian Anderson, Greta Scacchi, Stephen Rea, Ken Stott and Ade Edmondson.
Also new to BBC First in 2016 will be The Night Manager, based on the novel by John Le Carré.
The 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 and features Tom Hiddleston and The Kettering Incident’s Elizabeth Debicki.
Premiering on FX in 2016, Outcast is based on the comic title by creator Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. SoHo will also premiere drug trafficking and cartel drama, Queen Of The South in 2016.
Factual programming features everything from Discovery’s Shark Week, CI Network’s Crimes That Shook Australia, to History’s spectacular Coast New Zealand and Foxtel Arts’ magnificent From Broadway to La Scala featuring Lisa McCune.
Foxtel executive director of television Brian Walsh said he was proud to announce the re-commission of such an impressive line-up of returning Australian series, "which is a testament to our production partners, creative teams and on air talent."
“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," he said.
"Our significant investment in acquisitions will also continue, giving Foxtel viewers the biggest array of overseas series available in Australia.
Walsh said the on demand Foxtel Anytime offering would 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.”
"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.”
Foxtel Anytime can be accessed via the iQ box or on a range of devices, giving customers the ability to watch anytime, anywhere, at no extra cost.