30 04 2020 - Media release

ABC & Screen Australia announce At Home Alone Together

Adele Vuko and Christiaan Van Vuuren

ABC has partnered with Screen Australia on a joint initiative in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic which will culminate in a new eight-part comedy series At Home Alone Together, starting on ABC and ABC iview on Wednesday 13 May at 9pm.

It's the survival series we all need right now: a lifestyle show for a world in which nobody has a life. A comedic take on the lifestyle magazine genre, At Home Alone Together will gather Australia's best comedians and revered actors to give audiences advice on how they can live their best life in the time of COVID-19.

Hosted by beloved 'national treasure' Ray Martin, each half-hour episode will feature regular contributors, including comedians Anne Edmonds, Ryan Shelton, Becky Lucas, Christiaan Van Vuuren and Adele Vuko, who will share their knowledge, inspirations and advice on how to achieve self-improvement during the corona crisis, covering a range of topics, including D.I.Y, wellness, parenting and personal finances. Each week they'll be joined by a variety of Australia's funniest comedians and favourite actors who will assist them by providing handy hints, clever hacks and entrepreneurial know-how to help everyday Australians optimise their time in isolation. At Home Alone Together will show us how the Coronavirus isn't just a pandemic - it's an opportunity.

Host Ray Martin said, "I've worked in journalism for over 50 years, but it's always been my dream to front a lifestyle show. 60 Minutes was all well and good, but it never gave me an opportunity to build a pergola. Australians are experiencing a difficult time and I believe I'm the right person to step up to hold the country's hand through it - just so long as that hand has been thoroughly sanitised."

ABC's Head of Entertainment and Factual, Josie Mason-Campbell, said, "We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the comedy industry into crisis, so as well as making a great show that will encourage Australians to do what they do best in a crisis - laugh - the ABC also wants to support the writers, performers, producers and technicians who are the life blood our of industry. We'll commission ideas from teams across the country who will write, produce, edit and deliver sketches and bring them to a mass audience. It's no mean feat to go from concept to screen so quickly - At Home Alone Together is an extraordinary project for this unprecedented time."

Online Investment Manager at Screen Australia, Lee Naimo, said, "The entire comedy industry has been impacted by COVID-19, but it's emerging writers and performers who have been the hardest hit. This project presents an opportunity to give these creatives experience with a broadcaster and help them develop their careers during this time. At Home Alone Together will entertain a nation hungry for relevant content while employing a sector of the industry hungry to flex their comedy muscles. I can't wait to see what these teams bring together in these unique circumstances."

At Home Alone Together will be produced following strict COVID-19 OHS guidelines, using modern production techniques requiring minimal crew for broadcast standard results. Much of the series will be recorded in the contributor's homes, either using their own equipment or a single person crew.

So, Australia, come and meet your new best friends who are here to help you through the crisis!

This initiative is being produced by the ABC with production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia.

Ray Martin