It’s a new year and do you know what that means? A whole heap of new shows, seasons and special moments unfolding on our screens.
Here at TV WEEK, we’re lucky enough to get a cheeky rundown about what to expect this year. Below, we’ve compiled some of the shows and moments that we’re most excited about so far.
Keep on reading to find out!
Brax and Ricky’s return, Home and Away
Get ready for a cross-country adventure like we’ve never seen before as two of Home and Away’s biggest stars return to bring more drama – and a bit of River Boy flair!
After it was announced last year that Stephen Peacocke and Bonnie Sveen – who play Brax and Ricky – were coming back, fans have been speculating over just what it is that will bring them home. Viewers will recall the couple left Summer Bay in 2016 to start a new life with baby Casey.
In an exclusive interview with TV WEEK Bonnie, 36, tells us she was thrilled to get the call to come back after 10 years.
“It’s as if I’ve stepped back in time – nothing has changed and everything has changed. I love Ricky and I’m so happy to bring her back, and to be maturing with her, growing with her. Plus, the storyline was irresistible.”
Stephen, 44, echoes the sentiment, adding, “I genuinely thought the audience would get a kick out of seeing Brax again, so, I thought, ‘Yeah, it will be fun’. I love playing the character.”
We do know that the storyline takes Brax and Ricky to Western Australia for filming. Eagle-eyed viewers were excited to see the growth of their son, Casey, who briefly appeared in the trailer.
And, as we all know, drama tends to follow a River Boy, so perhaps Brax has some unfinished business…
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Channel Seven
Bad Company
Two comedy powerhouses, Anne Edmonds (Get Krack!n; Have You Been Paying Attention? ) and Kitty Flanagan (Fisk, Utopia) join forces for this new six-part comedy series.
Bad Company follows Margie (Anne), the volatile artistic director of the Argyle, a once well-respected iconic theatre company that’s now crumbling into dilapidation and on the brink of bankruptcy. Margie is to blame – her unchecked whims were the catalyst for the company’s demise. But it might not be over.
High-flying corporate executive Julia (Kitty) is brought in to try to fix Margie’s mess. Can she save the day and restore the Argyle to its former glory?
Anne, 46, who created and wrote the series, couldn’t be more excited to share her latest project with viewers.
“I’m thrilled to be making an ABC comedy about something so close to my heart – the drama behind the scenes,” she says.
“And getting to make it with Kitty Flanagan? Well, that’s just a dream come true.”
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to ABC.
The F Ward
Doctors aren’t supposed to make mistakes, but, if they do, they get sent to F Ward at the underfunded and understaffed Pines Hospital for one last chance to prove them-selves.
The F Ward was created by the team that brought us Bump and has an ensemble cast that includes Anna Friel, Ioane Sa’ula and Dan Wyllie.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Stan.
The Walsh Sisters
Inspired by the best-selling novels of Marian Keyes, this six-episode comedy drama follows a loving but deeply dysfunctional Irish family of five sisters and their long-suffering parents.
And, while the Walsh family might be very obviously Irish, the themes here are universal as they navigate love, loss and life.
“Australian readers have always been huge supporters of my novels,” Keyes said, when news of the Australian release was confirmed.
“In particular, those about the Walsh Sisters. There’s such a treat in store for you!”
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Stan.
The Piano
One of the feelgood hits of last year, The Piano is back for another season, but without American music legend Harry Connick Jr. Taking Harry’s place as mentor, alongside pianist Andrea Lam, will be Aussie favourite Guy Sebastian, while Amanda Keller will host again.
The real stars will be the people who sit down at street pianos and reveal their musical genius.
In posting the news on Instagram, Guy described Andrea and Amanda as “incredibly talented and kind”, and said the show’s second season would “tell the beautiful stories of everyday Australians from all walks of life as they step up to the beautiful instrument that is the piano”.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to ABC.
Travel Guides, ft. some familiar faces
It’s the Travel Guides/MAFS crossover you never knew you needed!
Married at First Sight 2024 brides Lucinda Light and Andrea Thompson join the holiday show this year, along with The Block sisters Eliza and Liberty, Love Island buddies Mitch and Callum, and country music duo Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, plus (non- celeb!) additions – besties Tash and Meryl, and mums Nicky and Connie. Happily, the Fren family and other faves will be sticking around.
“Every episode will see your regulars joined by a rotating cast of new Guides who’ll pop in and out to join in the fun,” Nine Network tells TV WEEK.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Nine or 9Now.
Deadloch, Prime Video
From Tassie to the Top End, quirky black comedy Deadloch is back and bursting with its trademark mystery, mayhem and rising body counts.
Created by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the hit show now heads to the red-dirt town of Barra Creek, Northern Territory, where Detective Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) are investigating the murder of Eddie’s former policing partner, Bushy.
Get ready for big twists, big laughs and big crocs as the pair swelter through the tropics to find the truth. And, even if this unlikely duo manage to avoid the killer’s wrath, they may just end up killing each other along the way – after all, the heat makes people do crazy things!
Joining the cast for this six-part season are Nina Oyama, Steve Bisley and Hollywood superstar Luke Hemsworth.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Prime Video.
Married At First Sight
Mismatched brides and grooms? Undoubtedly. Shouty drama? Almost certainly. Dinner party friction? Pretty much assured. Couples who find true love and stay together? Hmm… although rumour has it that just might happen this year.
Relationship experts John Aiken and Mel Schilling, together with sexologist Alessandra Rampolla, are getting back together on the sofa to offer guidance in another season of what has become Australia’s most popular reality show. Expect the usual shocks, but it seems the network has been listening to fans – so love and kindness might have more of a chance this time around.
And, if you feel the need to see more of the couples as they try to navigate their new lives together, make sure Stan’s debrief show MAFS After The Dinner Party is on your viewing radar.
With behind-the-scenes footage, expert analysis and fan input, it all adds up to another utterly chaotic and irresistible treat.
WHERE TO WATCH: Season premiere February, 2 on Nine or 9Now.
Australian Survivor: Redemption
Titled Australian Survivor: Redemption, this season marks the end of an era, with former winner David Genat – aka The Golden God – stepping in as host to replace long-serving frontman Jonathan LaPaglia. It’s one of the show’s boldest shake-ups yet.
A three-time player who claimed victory in 2020, David knows the game inside out, but this time he’s on the other side of the rope – a move guaranteed to keep fans watching closely. Still, he’s quick to remind viewers that Survivor has never been about the host.
“I love Australian Survivor,” David said in a statement. “It truly is the greatest game on earth. But Survivor is not about me – it’s about the incredible players who put everything on the line to outwit, outplay and outlast.”
This season brings back familiar faces Harry Hills, Brooke Jowett, Simon Mee and Mark Warnock, alongside a new crop of castaways eager to fight for redemption – and the title of Sole Survivor.
Reno Rules
This new home reno show might sound a teensy bit like The Block, with four teams of Aussie battlers renovating two neighbouring Melbourne houses.
And it might even feature former Block favourite Neale Whitaker as a judge, alongside Luxe Listing Sydney’s Simon Cohen and interiors expert Julia Green… but there’s a twist.
The two renovated houses will be given away to viewers, thanks to former Block bulk-buyer Adrian Portelli. “
I’m thrilled to be joining a show that will truly redefine renovation TV,” says Neale.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to Seven and 7Plus.
Traitors
Two years after it was axed, and with original Big Brother host Gretel Killeen at the helm, one of television’s biggest guessing games, Traitors, is back!
The mission remains the same – the ‘Traitors’ have to vote out as many other contestants as possible to claim the prize money, while the ‘Faithful’ have to figure out who the bad guys are and get rid of them just as fast.
The hard part is to decide just who is in which camp. This year the contestants have a reality TV past, including former Australian Idol judge Ian Dicko Dickson, Real Housewife of Sydney Krissy, Big Brother’s Tully Smyth, Rhys Nicholson from Drag Race Down Under and more.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to 10 and 10Play.
The Hospital: In The Deep End
This hit series first launched in 2024, when celebrities joined the frontline at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, once considered the worst hospital in the state due to understaffing, financial pressures and a myriad of other issues. In the process, the celebs learnt how the public health system was coping, or not, with the trials of modern life.
The first season featured former MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis, and actors Mark Coles Smith and Samuel Johnson.
Season two’s line-up looks to be just as exciting, with former MasterChef judge Matt Preston, tennis champion Jelena Dokic and actress Ruby Rose slated to join.
WHERE TO WATCH: Coming soon to SBS.
Truthfully, there’s a whole lot more impeccable content coming to screens in 2026.
If you want the full rundown of all the exciting new shows coming to Australian television this year, don’t forget to pick up a physical copy of TV WEEK Magazine at a newsagent or supermarket near you.
