Bishop returns to Australia for BBC
This summer sees one of the UK’s biggest comedy stars is to return to BBC One. John Bishop’s Australia (w/t) sees John Bishop host his debut international travelogue, retracing the route of a mammoth bike journey he first made as a 25-year-old back in 1992. This three-part series will be an exploration of an incredible country, as it follows John’s adventures down under.
Using his original diary from the 1992 road trip as a guidebook, John will be cycling routes from Sydney up the East Coast of Australia towards far Northern Queensland. Along the way, he will meet an extraordinary range of vivid characters; hear their fascinating stories and experience true natural wonders. All of these Aussie experiences will be framed with John’s astute comedic observations, which have become the hallmark of his hugely successful stand-up shows.
Over three one hour episodes, John will be examining how the country has changed since his first trip 22 years ago, and learning what it means to be an Australian in 2014. The series will combine Australia’s diverse beauty and fascinating history with John’s honest, up-lifting humour to tell the story of a young, dynamic country with an ancient and sometimes controversial past.
Speaking about his return to Australia and the series, John said: “Retracing the steps of a journey which holds such amazing memories has been an incredible experience and a real privilege. I met some amazing people the first time round and I’m delighted to say I did it again, it’s the people and their stories that make Australia great. The scenery isn’t bad either.”
Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One said: “It’s great to have John Bishop, one of the country’s best loved comedians, presenting a wonderfully colourful travelogue on BBC One. Riding off the beaten track, viewers will get to see another side of both him and Australia.”
John Bishop’s Australia (w/t) is produced by Lola Entertainment and commissioned for the BBC by Mark Linsey, Controller of Entertainment Commissioning. Suzanne McManus is the Commissioning Editor for the BBC, with Lisa Thomas, Jonno Richards and Nick Shearman as Executive Producers for Lola Entertainment.