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It’s just been reported that the Australian mockumentary Summer Heights High has been sold for international broadcast to BBC Three in the UK, and none other than HBO in the United States.
Chris Lilley won a Rose d’Or for his previous show, We Can Be Heroes, and will no doubt garner even greater attention with these new distribution deals. And while various other Australian productions have made their way onto American television, this will certainly be one of the most high profile.
PRESS RELEASE:
“Top-rating Australian comedy smash-hit, Summer Heights High has been acquired by HBO for North America and the BBC in the UK, in two landmark deals.
HBO, America’s premium pay television channel, plans to add Summer Heights High to its 2008 comedy line up.
In a separate deal, ABC Commercial has licensed the series to BBC 3 for the UK.
Courtney Gibson, ABC TV’s Executive Head Content Creation, “We’re over the moon that HBO and the BBC3 have picked up Summer Heights High.
“Mr G, Ja’mie and Jonah have been welcomed into the home of such immortals as Tony Soprano and Deadwood’s Al Swearingen in the US, and the home of groundbreaking comedy in the UK. In terms of transatlantic TV sales, it just doesn’t get any classier than this.”
Laura Waters, Executive Producer Princess Pictures, said “It’s exciting to be the first Australian program to sell to a major network like HBO. It shows that it doesn’t matter where you live, funny is funny! And everyone’s been to school.”
“Summer Heights High also broke records in the its DVD sales – in less than five months it became the biggest selling TV series DVD in Australian history.”
Summer Heights High was a hit with Australian audiences when it screened on ABC TV in late 2007. Its peak episode captured over 40% of the television audience under 40 years old. (Oz TAM data).”
What?? They’re NOT re-making the show for an American audience?!
Seriously, this is great news, and hopefully it will do well.
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Brilliant News =D
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I really admire HBO for being the only major US network to put foreign shows/performers in primetime
I was thinking earlier it’d be nice to see some new Australian comedy after watching Lano and Woodley clips on YouTube, so I guess now’s my chance!
Although the trailers hardly sold it to me
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Couldn’t think of a better show for export!
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I agree that is an excellent show to export, but I wonder if the American audience will ‘get’ the aussie stereotypes and sense of humour which is probably why it so popular here in Aus??
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I saw the bbc3 advert here in the good ole kingdom of the united, the ja’mie character looks hilarious . . .i see a years worth of quotes and sayings being eschewed into general conversation! lol
plus the fact it looks like some prety good, well-acted humour . . it’ll replace my kath and kim obssession for now
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no they arent remaking it..i love summer heights high..always have
i remember when it first aired in australia and the next day everyone kept talking about it..then after that people would actually use those sayings everywhere..its our slang now lol
its genious and clever and lilley has it so accurate its scary
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Chris Lilley is a comedic genius and he’s been my favourite comedian since extreme darren on ‘Big Bite’.
Wish him the best on his international endeavours because he definitely deserves recognition. The fact that they are not re-making it is testament to his extreme awesomeness!!
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