ABC panel show may be gone, but the biggest loss is what it did for new performers and writers.
ABC panel show Question Everything is officially not returning, after 4 seasons on air.
CJZ Executive Producer Nick Murray, told Mumbrella, “The ABC has been wonderful in supporting locally developed and produced programs like Gruen and Question Everything. Australian shows and ideas are an endangered species now, so we appreciate the support of the ABC for original Australian programs.”
The show hosted by Wil Anderson and Jan Fran sought to unravel fake stories, false claims, scams, frauds and outright lies.
Perhaps its biggest contribution was in employing emerging comedians behind the scenes.
The CJZ production brought comedians into rehearsals to audition for a seat on the panel. The writers’ room also welcomed interns.
Tom Cashman didn’t have any agent when he first appeared on Question Everything. Now he co-hosts Taskmaster for 10.
“We did an enormous amount of work training both on-air talent and new writers through our various training initiatives,” said Murray. “We put 43 new performers and 27 new writers through the training and intern schemes on Question Everything. It’s great to see them popping up on other shows now. There aren’t many opportunities anymore for writers and performers to cut their teeth on entertainment programs, so I hope that will be an enduring legacy of Question Everything ….”
You’d hope that’s a strategy which can be adopted elsewhere, not just at ABC….
The ABC declined to comment.