EXCLUSIVE: Stuff the British Stole presenter Marc Fennell is set to explore what it means to be a man in modern Australia in a three-part ABC doc series.
The State of Man is being billed as a “provocative and deeply personal investigation” in which Fennell explore modern masculinity and the rise of the online ‘manosphere’ in Australia.
We understand the series will be announced as part of the ABC‘s up-to-date season slate, which will be unveiled at a showcase today. Mark Fennessy’s Helium Pictures and Melbourne-based New Mac are co-producing for the Australian public broadcaster.
Over three episodes, The State of Man will see Fennell confront men’s underlying beliefs, the social forces shape them, the big tech platforms and associated culture wars that are changing the way they see themselves, and his own blind spots as a man and father.
Helium delivered one of the ABC’s biggest recent unscripted launches, in the shape of The Assembly, its remake of the French journalism format Les Rencontres du Papotin. Meanwhile, The State of Man marks the first TV commission for New Mac, which is behind the YouTube architecture and compact living channel Never Too Small and special doc series Small Footprint and Wonderful Waste.
Development assistance and production funding has come from from Minderoo Pictures, and ABC Commercial will distribute the series. VicScreen also aided the development process. Executive producer and director is Melissa Maclean, with Fennessy, Luke Clark and James McPherson also EPs. Fennell is the producer.
Fennell has emerged as one of Australia’s best TV documentary talents through the likes of School That Tried to End Racism, Framed, The Kingdom, The Mission, Red Flag, Came From Nowhere, Secret DNA of Us and Tell Me What You Really Think.
He also created and hosts the ABC history-mystery podcast No One Saw It Coming and hosts SBS’s game show Mastermind, though his biggest banger comes in the shape of Stuff the British Stole, the Australian-Canadian doc series about the impact of British colonialism that runs on the ABC and CBC. As we reported in June last year, it’s being developed into a crime caper scripted series.
As for The State of Man, Fennell said today: “We’re not coming at this subject with outrage, or wagging fingers. We’re approaching it with curiosity, openness and empathy. We’re talking to men and women from all walks of life, trying to really listen and understand what’s going on underneath it all – and how we can do better, together.”
Fennessy said the series “tackles one of the most urgent cultural shifts of our time,” calling Fennell’s investigation “unflinching and deeply human.”
“At times shocking and darkly funny, this bold series asks difficult questions wit empathy and rigor that will spark a conversation Australia urgently needs,” he added.
Susie Jones, ABC’s Head of Factual, added: “The ABC is proud to be partnering again with Helium after the success of the series The Assembly, and with New Mac as well as the supremely talented Marc Fennell to present this vitally important series, exploring one of the most potent and complex social issues facing Australia today. We are inspired by the curiosity, integrity and exactitude that Marc and the team are bringing to the series, which we believe will resonate deeply with our audiences.
About the Author
