ABC iview is pleased to announce that more exclusive content is on the way, with the second phase of Fresh Blood kicking off in Melbourne and Sydney.
Five talented and creative teams have eagerly started filming their comedy shows for the Fresh Blood Pilot Season to screen on iview later in the year.
Fresh Blood is an ABC TV and Screen Australia initiative created in 2013 to kick-start the careers of young comedy writers, directors and performers. Fresh Blood Pilot Season is the second phase of the three-year initiative on iview.
In the first phase, 24 young creative teams delivered more than 70 sketches for Fresh Blood which screened on ABC iview in June 2014 and attracted more than 900,000 views. Following the success of the sketches, the 24 teams were asked to submit ideas for half-hour comedy pilots. From these submissions, five teams were selected to make their pilots. In the third and final phase of the initiative, the best pilot will be awarded a series commission.
ABC Director of Television, Richard Finlayson, said: “The ABC has always been the home of groundbreaking Australian comedy. Fresh Blood underlines the ABC’s commitment to new talent and to nurturing long-term relationships with our most creative people. With a series commission up for grabs, Fresh Blood gives a bunch of super talented individuals the funds and a platform to take their ideas and skills to the next level, all on Australia’s number one internet TV service.”
Screen Australia’s Interactive and Multi-platform Investment Manager, Mike Cowap, said: “It was a challenge to select the original 24 teams from the overwhelming mountain of 500 submissions. The resulting content packed a hefty comedy punch and helped the talent build their online audience. Their quality and popularity made the job of selecting only five from the 24 even more of a challenge. We’re thrilled as ever to be working with the ABC, who share our passion for fast-tracking careers.”
The pilots in production are:
Fancy Boy is plucked from the depths of the disturbed minds of the winners of the prestigious Golden Gibbo Award at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The team’s sketches are pithy, unapologetic comedy rooted in dark perspectives and uniquely bold premises. Fancy Boy is an oddly enjoyable back-hand to the face from a distinctive new comedy collective.
The Record is a black comedy written by and starring Veronica Milsom and Steen Raskopoulos. Based around couples striving to achieve or maintain world records, the humour flows from the characters’ unrelenting desperation to be recognised and remembered throughout the history books. For some, their record is their greatest achievement. For others, it’s a source of shame.
Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am is a twisted sketch comedy, created from a uniquely female perspective. The show offers a satirical take on the common feminine archetypes we see every day on film and in the media and turns well-known TV genres on their heads. Written, directed and starring Skit Box’s Sarah Bishop, Greta Lee Jackson and Adele Vuko, the show is an eclectic mix of outrageous and thought-provoking comedy.
BedHead is a rom-com about Nick and Sophie, two best friends who sleep together and agree it definitely (probably) doesn’t mean anything. As they take on the scary world of modern dating, they’ll sleep with all the wrong people to prove there’s nothing between them. BedHead takes a cheeky peek under the sheets at the horrendously awkward and embarrassing things we get up to in the pursuit of love and sex.
Aunty Donna is a narrative-to-sketch series following the fantastic and surreal lives of Melbourne sketch troupe Aunty Donna. Rocked by the sudden departure of their most popular member, the three remaining members must prove to their agent, their fans and themselves that they can make it on their own. The pilot merges two different worlds: a day-to-day narrative and a heightened, fantastical world. Logie-nominated ‘Best Newcomer’ Miranda Tapsell guest stars.
For those that missed phase one of Fresh Blood, ABC TV will screen the three-part series Best of Fresh Blood in June. Hosted by Will Anderson the series will showcase some of the best sketches.