ABC embrace fake news in new show to debate invented stories
THE Tonightly show has been dumped by the ABC in favour of a weekly panel which will discuss news stories that never actually happened.
Confidential
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THE Tonightly show has been dumped by the ABC in favour of a weekly panel which will discuss news stories that never actually happened.
The public broadcaster has moved to embrace fake news by enlisting pretend journalist Charlie Pickering and ABC political journalist Annabel Crabb to debate stories they invent themselves.
At the very least the fresh format, to be known as Tomorrow Tonight, will provide Australians with comic relief from the sassy and often crass Tonightly segment which was hosted by alleged comedian Tom Ballard.
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Mr Pickering said he could not wait to start flooding the airwaves with fake news stories.
“I’m excited to take a break from making fun of the news to have a go at making up some news of our own, which could all turn out to be true any day now,” he said.
Ms Crabb issued a warning to viewers that the world was about to become much stranger.
“The escalating lunacy of domestic and global events in recent years is a sombre reminder to us all that we should be prepared for things to get even weirder.”
ABC’s head of entertainment and fake news Josie Mason-Campbell said there was no better way to discuss controversial topics than through fabricated news stories.
“We are thrilled to work with Charlie Pickering and Annabel Crabb and the team at Thinkative Television on this original production. Tomorrow Tonight will unpack some of the most burning issues of our time and ask: ‘What if?”
Tomorrow tonight will air later this year and will be produced by Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte and Nick Hayden.