You Can't Ask That

Last updated

You Can't Ask That
YCAT S1.jpg
Screenshot from the first episode
Directed by
  • Kirk Docker
  • Aaron Smith
[1]
Opening themeSoul Searching by Amourouge [1]
Country of origin Australia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes54
Production
Executive producer
Lou Porter (2016-18) [1]

Frances O'Riordan (2018-present)

Producers
  • Kirk Docker
  • Aaron Smith
[1]
Production locationAustralia
CinematographyAaron Smith [1]
EditorNick McDougall [1]
Running time15-28 minutes
Production company ABC
Original release
Network ABC iview
Release3 August 2016 (2016-08-03) 
present

You Can't Ask That is an Australian TV series created by ABC Television that first went to air in August 2016. As of June 2022 its seventh season is on air in Australia.

Contents

The series took a rest in 2023, but is expected to return beyond that. [2]

History

The series was created by Kirk Docker, Aaron Smith and Jon Casimir in 2015, as a spin-off from Hungry Beast . [3] The first episode of the first season aired on ABC TV on 3 August 2016, as well as on iview. [4] [5]

Its seventh season started airing in May 2022 in Australia. [3]

Description

The show aims to offer insight into the lives of marginalised communities and break down stereotypes while answering the questions people are afraid to ask, [4] reportedly inspired by Ask Me Anything (AMA) threads on Reddit. [6] Each episode asks controversial questions sourced from the public [7] to a minority Australian population, with the first series including indigenous people, people of short stature, Muslims, sex workers, transgender people and more. [4] Several representative organisations were credited in the series including Short Statured People of Australia, Scarlet Alliance, Alzheimer's Australia and Exit International, as well as The Karuna Hospice Service and Palliative Care NSW. [1]

Season overview

On 28 September 2016, the ABC announced the series had been renewed for a second season. [8] On 25 October 2017, the ABC announced the series had been renewed for a third season. [9]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
Season premiereSeason finale
1 103 August 2016 [5] 5 October 2016
2 126 April 2017 [10] [11] 21 July 2017
3 811 July 201829 August 2018
4 83 April 201922 May 2019
5 818 March 2020 [12] 6 May 2020
6 828 April 202116 June 2021
7 825 May 2022 [13] 6 July 2022

Episodes

Season 1 (2016)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
11"Short Statured"3 August 2016
22"Wheelchair Users"10 August 2016
33"Transgender"17 August 2016
44"Muslims"24 August 2016
55"Polyamorous"31 August 2016
66"Ex-prisoners"7 September 2016
77"Fat"14 September 2016
88"Indigenous"21 September 2016
99"Sex Workers"27 September 2016
1010"Terminally Ill"5 October 2016

Season 2 (2017)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
111"Blind People"6 April 2017
122"Down Syndrome"12 April 2017
133"Suicide Attempt Survivors"19 April 2017
144"Recent War Veterans"26 April 2017
155"Facial Difference"3 May 2017
166"Refugees"10 May 2017
177"Ice Users"17 May 2017
188"Children of Same-Sex Parents"24 May 2017
199"Centenarians"31 May 2017
2010"S&M"7 July 2017
2111"Gambling Addicts"14 July 2017
2212"Homeless"21 July 2017

Season 3 (2018)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
231"Survivors of Sexual Assault"11 July 2018
242"Ex-Reality TV Stars"18 July 2018
253"Former Cult Members"25 July 2018
264"Eating Disorders"1 August 2018
275"Swingers"8 August 2018
286"Schizophrenia"15 August 2018
297"Drag"22 August 2018
308"Priests"29 August 2018

Season 4 (2019)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
311"Domestic and Family Violence"3 April 2019
322"African Australians"10 April 2019
333"Intersex"17 April 2019
344"Carnies and Show People"24 April 2019
355"Ex-Politicians"1 May 2019
366"Alcoholics"8 May 2019
377"Deaf"15 May 2019
388"Disaster Survivors"22 May 2019

Season 5 (2020)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
391"Firefighters"18 March 2020
402"Nudists"25 March 2020
413"Killed Someone"1 April 2020
424"Autism Spectrum"8 April 2020
435"HIV-positive people"15 April 2020
446"Olympic & Paralympic Gold Medallists"22 April 2020
457"Public Housing"29 April 2020
468"Kids"6 May 2020

Season 6 (2021)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
471"Cheaters"28 April 2021
482"Ex-Football players"5 May 2021
493"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder"12 May 2021
504"Amputees"19 May 2021
515"Families of Missing Persons"26 May 2021
526"Lesbians"2 June 2021
537"Chinese Australians"9 June 2021
548"Adult Virgins"16 June 2021

Season 7 (2022)

No. in seriesNo. in seasonTitleOriginal airdate
551"Bogans"25 May 2022
562"Postnatal Depression"1 June 2022
573"Gay Men"8 June 2022
584"Models"15 June 2022
595"Prescription Drug Addiction"22 June 2022
606"Porn Stars"29 June 2022
617"Dementia"6 July 2022

Awards and recognition

You Can't Ask That won the Rose d'Or for Best Reality or Factual Entertainment in 2017. [14] It also won 3 UN Media Awards for Promotion of Disability Rights and Issues, Promotion of Social Cohesion and Promotion of Empowerment of Older People. [15] In 2018 it was nominated for a Logie for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program. [16]

International versions

In July 2017, Kan 11 in Israel began broadcasting a local version of the series under the name "סליחה על השאלה" (Slicha Al HaShe'ela, Excuse me for asking), with total of 98 episodes in 8 seasons (2 of which are in Arabic, and 3 are for kids). [17]

In February 2019, Dutch broadcaster BNNVARA started broadcasting a local version on public broadcasting channel NPO 3 under the title "Ik durf het bijna niet te vragen" (I hardly dare to ask).

In June 2019, CBC Television in Canada released a local version of the series titled You Can't Ask That with eight episodes. [18]

An Arabic language version called "بلا مؤاخذة" (bila muakhadha, No Blame) began airing on 21 September 2019 on the Kan 11's sister channel Makan 33. [19]

In April 2020, Kan Educational in Israel began broadcasting a local version of the series for kids under the name " סליחה על השאלה ילדים" (Slicha Al HaShe'ela Yeladim,Excuse me for asking kids).

In October 2020, a U.S. version of the series was picked up by Current Flow Entertainment. Remake rights were acquired for both English and Spanish language versions. [20] [ needs update ]

Related Research Articles

Marg Downey is an Australian comedian and actress best known for her roles in The D Generation, Fast Forward and Full Frontal

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Purcell</span> Indigenous Australian actress, film director and writer

Leah Maree Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist. She made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech's Somewhere in the Darkness, which led to roles in films, such as Lantana (2001), Somersault (2004), The Proposition (2005) and Jindabyne (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacha Horler</span> Australian actress

Sacha Horler is an Australian actress. Her parents were lawyers, but co-founded Sydney's Nimrod Theatre Company in the early 1970s.

Nicholas Bell is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC Entertains</span> Australian television channel

ABC Entertains is an Australian English language general entertainment free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was launched on 4 December 2009 as a children's channel called ABC3. It was rebranded on 19 September 2016 to ABC Me. It rebranded once more on 3 June 2024 to ABC Entertains, now focusing on general entertainment programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Carlton</span> Australian actor and writer

Rob Carlton is a Logie Award winning Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series Chandon Pictures. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire The Hollowmen and Netflix's television adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe. His father was Jim Carlton, Australian businessman, politician, and humanitarian.

ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and accounts for around half of the total time streamed by Australian TV video services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Demetriades</span> Australian actress

Andrea Demetriades is an Australian actress known for her television, theatre and film roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest nine times since its debut in 2015. The Australian participant broadcaster in the contest is the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) who received special approval from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to participate. Australia is the only country outside the European Broadcasting Area to have ever competed in Eurovision.

<i>Utopia</i> (Australian TV series) Australian comedy television series

Utopia, internationally titled Dreamland, is an Australian television comedy series by Working Dog Productions that premiered on the ABC on 13 August 2014. The series follows the working lives of a team in the fictional Nation Building Authority, a newly created government organisation. The Authority is responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, from announcement to unveiling. The series explores the collision between bureaucracy and grand ambitions. The second series aired in 2015, beginning with the first episode on 19 August 2015. The third series aired in 2017, beginning with the first episode on 19 July 2017. The fourth series aired in 2019, beginning on 21 August 2019. A fifth series aired from 7 June 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Okine</span> Australian comedian

Matthew Okine is a stand-up comedian, author and radio presenter from Brisbane, Australia. Okine is of Ghanaian and European descent, born to his father, Mack Okine, and his mother Roslyn, who died of breast cancer when he was 12. Okine attended Brisbane State High School. He was a co-host on the Triple J breakfast show with Alex Dyson from 2014 to 2016.

<i>The Chase Australia</i> Australian television quiz show

The Chase Australia is an Australian television quiz show based on the British program of the same name. It is broadcast on the Seven Network and premiered on 14 September 2015. Four contestants play against an opponent, known as the "chaser", who plays for the bank. The show was originally hosted by Andrew O'Keefe until July 2021, when he was replaced by Larry Emdur. The series began with Brydon Coverdale, Anne Hegerty, Matt Parkinson and Issa Schultz as chasers, with Mark Labbett joining in 2016. Shaun Wallace appeared as a guest chaser in 2018, and Cheryl Toh has appeared as a chaser since 2019. Mara Lejins joined as a chaser in 2022, and David Poltorak joined in 2024. Brandon Blackwell also appeared as a guest in 2024.

Kate Maree Mulvany is an Australian actress, playwright and screenwriter. She works in theatre, television and film, with roles in Hunters (2020–2023), The Great Gatsby (2013), Griff the Invisible (2010) and The Final Winter (2007). She has played lead roles with Australian theatre companies as well as appearing on television and in film.

Planet America and its sister program Planet America's Fireside Chat are Australian television news and current affairs programs on ABC Television. The program, which launched in February 2012 ahead of the 2012 United States presidential election, is focused on United States politics, and is co-hosted by John Barron and Chas Licciardello. As of November 2024 one episode each of Planet America and Planet America's Fireside Chat are aired on ABC TV, ABC News channel, and ABC iview.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Dyer</span> Australian actress (born 1988)

Harriet Dyer is an Australian actress. She is best known for starring in the television series Love Child (2014–2017) and No Activity (2015–2018). She has also appeared in films, most notably The Invisible Man (2020). Alongside her husband Patrick Brammall, she is the co-creator, co-writer, and co-star of the comedy series Colin from Accounts (2022).

<i>Superwog</i> Australian comedy duo

Superwog1 or just simply Superwog, is a YouTube duo consisting of two Australian brothers, Theodore and Nathan Saidden. The channel consists of various videos including comedies and skits. They have gained over 3 million subscribers and 483 million video views. They have produced a television comedy series based on their YouTube sketch comedies. The series follows Theo, aka "Superwog", his family, and his friend Johnny, getting into all kinds of trouble throughout the Australian suburbia.

Eurovision – Australia Decides was an annual song competition organised by Australian public broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and production partner Blink TV. It determined the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest between 2019 and 2022.

<i>Love on the Spectrum</i> (Australian TV series) Australian reality television show

Love on the Spectrum is an Australian reality television show that follows people on the autism spectrum as they explore the dating world. The show is produced by Northern Pictures for ABC TV, and was made available to stream on ABC iview and Netflix.

I Was Actually There is an Australian TV documentary series created by ABC Television which first premiered on 9 July 2024.

Plum is a 2024 Australian television drama for ABC Television, released on 20 October 2024. Created and written by Brendan Cowell, the series follows Peter Lum, a retired former rugby league player who is diagnosed with a brain disorder following years of concussions he suffered on the field.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "You Can't Ask That - Credits" (PDF). ABC TV. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  2. Knox, David (30 November 2022). "You Can't Ask That, Spicks & Specks resting in 2023". tvtonight.com.au. TV Tonight . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 Docker, Kirk (1 June 2022). "You Can't Ask That co-creator Kirk Docker on what happens behind the scenes and the most brutal question he's had to ask". ABC News (Interview). ABC Backstory. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "You Can't Ask That: Aug 3". TV Tonight. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  5. 1 2 Kentera, Yasmin (8 July 2016). "Why are you so fat? You Can't Ask That premieres on ABC" (Press release). Australia: ABC . Retrieved 11 August 2016.[ dead link ]
  6. Fenton, Andrew (2 August 2016). "Is dwarf tossing OK? Your offensive questions get answered on the ABC's new show You Can't Ask That". Australia: News Corp Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  7. Choueifaty, Elie (28 July 2016). "ABC series You Can't Ask That strikes a chord with its surprising humour". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  8. "Renewed: You Can't Ask That". tvtonight.com.au. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  9. "Renewed: You Can't Ask That S3". TV Tonight. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. Graeme Blundell (1 April 2017). "ABC's You Can't Ask That returns with more awkward questions". The Australian. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  11. "You Can't Ask That : ABC TV". Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. Knox, David (23 February 2020). "Returning: You Can't Ask That S5". TV Tonight . Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  13. Knox, David (27 April 2022). "Returning: You Can't Ask That S7". TV Tonight . Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  14. (EBU), European Broadcasting Union (19 September 2017). "EBU - World's best entertainment shows honoured at 56th Rose d'Or Awards". www.ebu.ch. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  15. "2017 UN Day Media Award Winners - UNAA Victoria". UNAA Victoria. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  16. "Logie Awards 2018: nominees". TV Tonight. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  17. סליחה על השאלה Kan 11 (in Hebrew)
  18. Melissa Hank, "You Can't Ask That lets people with disabilities speak out". Canada.com , October 23, 2020.
  19. بلا مؤاخذة Archived 14 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine Makan 33 (in Arabic)
  20. "Hit Australian Format 'You Can't Ask That' In Line For U.S. Remake". Deadline Hollywood . 29 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.