A mix of sketch comedy, celebrity drag reveals and insights into the adult film industry will come together under 10’s Pilot Showcase next month, with six domestically produced concepts set to make their debut.
Originally due at the end of last year, the showcase was pushed back as a result of the pandemic and will now premiere on July 4 on 10 Play.
It’s the third time the network has run the programming initiative, which has previously been responsible for titles, such as Trial By Kyle, Kinne Tonight, Drunk History Australia, Taboo, and Saturday Night Rove.
The production companies involved in this year’s slate include CJZ, Roving Enterprises Big Yellow Taxi Productions, Time to Die Productions, and Media Stockade.
Speaking to IF earlier this year, Paramount senior vice president, content and programming, Daniel Monaghan said the Pilot Showcase was an opportunity for the broadcaster to “work with different partners and different talent”, adding it was “really good to see new ideas genuinely off paper come to life”.
The programs to debut with the Pilot Showcase are:
Courtney’s Closet
Hosted by the Courtney Act, Roving Enterprises’ Courtney’s Closet is a celebrity interview show with a twist. Each episode will see Courtney transform her guest into a drag persona befitting of their personal journey, while teasing out their life story in an intimate interview, culminating in a stunning reveal.
Dinner Guest
Narelda Jacobs, Melissa Leong, and Susan Carland invite guests for a no-holds-barred discussion about the biggest topics of today. Presented around a dinner table, this unconventional panel interview show highlights the value of sharing lived experiences and applying compassion in the face of diverse perspectives and voices. Produced by Network 10.
The Love Experiment
Can 36 questions make you fall in love with a total stranger? Media Stockade’s The Love Experiment is a simple dating experiment that puts this big idea to the test by matching pairs of strangers to share the most intimate conversations of their lives, all hoping that their vulnerable revelations will be able to transform a mere connection into true love.
The Bush Blonde Vs The World
A sketch comedy show featuring Nikki Osborne in her original viral character ‘Bush Barbie’. With ludicrous moments of sheer insanity from the rich comedic traditions of Russell Coight and Borat, this Big Yellow Taxi Productions project promises to be a wild, over-the-top send-up of Australian culture at its funniest.
Time To Die
Hosted by comedians Gen Fricker and Ben Russell, Time To Die Productions’Time To Die is a devious and down-right evil challenge that dares two comedians to write the worst possible stand-up set for each other to perform in front of an unwitting live audience –will they really follow through with the dare? Just how awful will the jokes be? And how on earth will the audience react?
Abbie Chats
Abbie Chatfield is on a mission to explore, understand and reveal worlds not commonly seen or heard from on television. Abbie dives into two opposite ends of a subject, bringing her signature unapologetic brand of curiosity, passion and authenticity along, and asking all the questions the audience would never dare to. Produced by CJZ.