The Nine Network has commissioned a six part half-hour comedy which centres on a Lebanese family from Western Sydney who win the lottery and move to the Eastern Suburbs.
Here Come the Habibs is the first narrative comedy originated by a commercial-free-to-air broadcaster in more than two decades.
Among the last was Acropolis Now, which starred Nick Giannopoulos and Mary Costas and aired on the Seven Network from 1989 to 1992. (Seven commissioned one season of Kath & Kim in 2007 after the first three series screened on the ABC).
Rob Shehadie, Tahir Bilgic and Matt Ryan-Garnsey created the concept and brought it to executive producer Ben Davies.
Davies worked with Shehadie and Bilgic to develop the idea, the characters and their world, before partnering with Jungleboys’ Phil Lloyd, Trent O'Donnell and Jason Burrows.
Chloe Rickard is set to produce the series with Darren Ashton (Wonderland, Offspring, Rush, Bed of Roses) as the director.
Rickard produced the improvised comedy No Activity for Stan, the streaming service co-owned by Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media, which premieres on October 22.
Screen Australia agreed to invest in the project at its last board meeting and Screen NSW is an investor.