Foxtel Group has announced a significant line-up of premium entertainment and sport over the next 12 months, featuring a slate of Australian Original content alongside international scripted and unscripted television shows and movies.
Speaking at the Upfront event at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, Amanda Laing, Foxtel Group chief content and commercial officer, said: “Foxtel Group is the partner of choice for many major overseas studios and content distributors, unlocking the world’s best shows to be made exclusively available for our customers here in Australia.
“The diversity of quality content across drama, comedy, unscripted reality, factual, and movies is what sets the Foxtel Group apart, and is a critical factor in our ongoing success in an increasingly competitive entertainment market.”
Foxtel in 2023: Australian originals
A new Australian original commission is Strife from Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories production house, starring Asher Keddie, being slated for production in 2023.
Other local scripted originals coming soon include the second season of award-winning comedy drama series Upright starring Tim Minchin and House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock, comedy series Colin From Accounts, created and written by and starring Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall; and the second season of acclaimed drama Love Me.
Foxtel Group’s Upright
Foxtel in 2023: International dramas
Coming soon is post-apocalyptic video game series The Last Of Us, starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsay and Australian Anna Torv; and the much-anticipated series The Idol, created by Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and starring Lily-Rose Depp. Other exclusive shows include period drama Marie Antoinette created and written by Deborah Davis (The Favourite); British comedy-drama Chivalry written by and starring Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani; and Love And Death, a new crime drama starring Elizabeth Olsen and written by David E. Kelley.
Returning international favourites are new seasons of The White Lotus, the award-winning anthology series created by Mike White; dark comedy Succession starring Australian Sarah Snook; second season of the wildly popular And Just Like That starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis; as well as new seasons of Young Rock, Devils, Outlander and the addictive Below Deck, Real Housewives, and Bake Off franchises from around the world.
Selling Houses Australia will return for season 15 with hosts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore and Dennis Scott. The Great Australian Bake Off will also return in 2023 with new judges Rachel Khoo and Darren Purchese and hosts Natalie Tran and Cal Wilson. Grand Designs Australia will premiere its final season with the Foxtel Group and award-winning host Peter Maddison on January 25, 2023.
Gogglebox Australia will return next year as well as a reboot of Australia’s music trivia show Rockwiz.
Peter Madison will host final season of Grand Designs Australia in 2023
New commissions
New to Foxtel Group in 2023 is Fboy Island, an original production based on the popular US format. Soon to head into production, the series will follow three modern women who in their attempt to find love must uncover which suitor is there for love, and who is just a player.
Factual content to debut over the next 12 months includes docu-series Icons Unearthed exploring the television and film franchises that have shaped the industry, kicking off with Star Wars in December; and thought-provoking human-interest pieces like Master Of Light, the story of an imprisoned artist and the power of redemption and identity. Hit survival competition series Alone returns as well as widely popular series’ Aussie Gold Hunters and 60 Days In. Also returning will be long-running US titles Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and American Pickers.
Top photo: Binge’s Alison Hurbert-Burns and Foxtel Media’s Mark Frain