ABC2's blog

9:00pm – Tuesday, October 16 on ABC2

When Archer discovers the chemotherapy drugs he’s been taking for his breast cancer are counterfeit – consisting mainly of sucrose and Zima – he sets out to destroy the criminals behind the scheme. Only this time, it’s personal. And also this time, Archer’s wearing a colourful headscarf and dragging around an IV stand.

Archer is an animated half-hour comedy set at ISIS, an international spy agency, where global crises are merely opportunities for its highly trained employees to confuse, undermine, betray and royally screw each other.

2:50pm – Tuesday, October 16 on ABC2

Mike the Knight, the hit 52-part CG-animated series, now delights preschoolers in the afternoons with the series being repeated daily at 2.50pm.

The action-packed series follows young Mike, an energetic, cheeky yet bountiful knight-in-training who is driven by his passion to help others, and along the way, be the best knight he can be. Through comedy and adventure, and with his rallying cry ‘be a knight, do it right’, Mike learns the responsibility of power and how to do things the right way.

With a little help from his Big Book for little Knights in training, the would-be hero rises to each episode’s mission with the help of his closest friends Sparkie and Squirt, a pair of friendly, quirky dragons, and his trusty steed Galahad. Never far from the action and always willing to help out is Mike’s fun and free-spirited sister Evie, a wizard-in-training.

Episode one: Mike the Knight and the Smiley Treasure Mike the Knight is teaching Squirt and Sparky how to be good guards when Mike’s sister Evie shows them a present their father, the King, has sent them. They’re not really sure what the present is but decide that since it is yellow and in a smiley shape, it must be yellow smiley treasures! And there are six of them – three for Mike and three for Evie.

As they are treasures, Mike the Knight decides that he must guard them all by himself and sets off to find the best hiding spot. This doesn’t go down well with Evie who wants her share of the treasure.

9:30pm – Friday, October 19 on ABC2

Now each person is back at home, applying what they’ve learned from each other. Sarah decides to tell her family that she intends to spend the rest of her life as a woman. She’s always lacked the courage to go through with it because she fears they may disown her.

Lewis came out as a man three years ago. Taking the male hormone testosterone has seen him grow a beard, develop a lower voice and more body hair, but he’s still got female breasts and genitals. He wants to find out about the surgery that’s available.

Drew is still stuck at home. Since her male to female transition five years ago, she’s rarely gone out without her mum. Not only does she lack friends, but she also lacks a career and without that she can’t afford the boob job she needs. The trouble is that as a transgender woman, every time she applies for a job she’s turned down.

Will Sarah be able to tell her mum that she’s found true happiness as a woman? What will Lewis be able to find out about surgery, and will Drew be able to convince an employer to give her a job?

8:45pm – Friday, October 19 on ABC2

The biggest West End shows, the most famous pop acts, the world’s most successful dance teachers and the most incredible cast of characters TV will ever see all pass through London’s Pineapple Dance Studios.

Blurring the lines between reality, comedy and drama to create a new genre of ‘performance documentary’, this series gives exclusive access to the world-famous dance space, capturing every bit of drama – from auditions to dance-offs, spray-tans to pop meltdowns.

It features a host of unique and outrageous characters; from millionaire founder Debbie Moore to the hilarious Artistic Director Louie Spence, a truly groundbreaking, must-see television phenomenon that has taken the UK by storm.

This week Tricia says goodbye to her friends at Pineapple Dance Studios, but Louie’s distracted by something foul on the fire escape. Meanwhile, Andrew receives another set-back. Will he ever be a star?

7:30pm – Friday, October 19 on ABC2

The Great Food Truck Race, where eight teams representing the USA’s best food trucks hit the road to cook their way across America.

Across seven weeks of The Great Food Truck Race, the teams that sell the most food will race on to the next episode while the losing team will be eliminated. In the end, only one food truck will remain and will be awarded a huge cash prize of $100,000.

Hosted by chef Tyler Florence and featuring special guest judges, The Great Food Truck Race takes a culinary coast-to-coast road trip through cities including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver and Miami.

Consisting of dynamic challenges that pit the food truck teams against one another, the race is further complicated by tough weather conditions, difficulties with securing locations and food supplies, and everchanging customer tastes across different regions of the USA.

The three remaining food truck teams roll into Atlanta, Georgia, a city famous for its peaches and peanuts. Host Tyler Florence gives the teams a Truck Stop Challenge: create an original dish incorporating both peaches and peanuts but source these ingredients on a complimentary basis from the locals. A guest chef determines the winner and hands out a game changing reward – a guaranteed spot in the finals. But all bets are off as Tyler reveals yet another Speed Bump challenge.

7:30pm – Thursday, October 18 on ABC2

Dangerous Drivers’ School, follows some of Britain’s worst fully licensed drivers as they seek professional help to sort out their problem driving.

Each episode follows three Brits as they examine their behaviour behind the wheel and discover why their driving has become such a pressing issue for themselves and their families and friends. Each driver is then subjected to an intensive two-hour session on the road with an expert driving instructor who tries to turn them from a problem driver into a model motorist. But can they succeed.

Follow John, a delivery driver from Accrington. Despite being 36, John loves driving like a teenage boy. His wife thinks he is setting a terrible example to their two young children and that he is putting them at risk.

Meet 35-year-old single mum Sharada who has an altogether different problem. Following an accident, Sharada has been too scared to get behind the wheel and has now been off the road for almost 20 years.

Finally, there’s 33-year-old journalist Kaisa, originally from Finland and now living in Cardiff. She’s had her licence for over a decade but has never driven on the left hand side of the road. Her awful orientation doesn’t make the prospect of learning how to do so any easier but Kaisa is determined to drive the British way.

All have just one session to become model motorists or forever remain dangerous drivers.

9:30pm – Wednesday, October 17 on ABC2

After cooking up a storm with some of Australia’s most surprising politicians in the first series of Kitchen Cabinet, Annabel Crabb is coming back to ABC2 with a second helping.

Food and politics are never separated for long. The best plots are hatched over lunch, the best stories told over dinner. In Canberra, dinner bookings are an anthropological study in themselves. If you go for a walk around Manuka or Kingston during a sitting week, you see a graphic illustration of the capital’s power shifts. Why is that minister sharing noodles with that factional opponent? What is that disenfranchised bunch of back benchers plotting? The best way to get to know a politician is to break bread with one.

Each week our veteran political journalist invites herself over to the home of a sitting member offering dessert in exchange for dinner.

Senior Liberal figure and once-touted future Prime Minister Bronwyn Bishop breaks out the good silver to host Annabel over a mushroom lasagne with a roma tomato, bocconcini and basil leaf salad. During lunch we learn what really happened during some of the Liberal Party’s most famous leadership tussles, the influence of Margaret Thatcher, her thoughts on feminism, and the G-Force joy Bishop experienced when as Minister for Defence Procurement she flew a jet fighter. In a potentially Walkley Award-winning moment Annabel ventures where no journalist has gone before, exposing the mystery behind the famous Bronnie-do.

8:30pm – Wednesday, October 17 on ABC2

Mishak from Wembley doesn’t believe his staffie-cross dogs should be on a lead and breeds them for money while glamour model Amy doesn’t believe in training her pet Jack Russell, Milo. Could the fact that she never got over the death of her previous pet dog have something to do with her lack of effort.

They leave their dogs behind and travel to Melbourne, Australia to spend a week in one of the biggest lost dogs’ homes in the world. Here they’ll be responsible for training unruly dogs in under a week in order to find them a home. Mishak takes to the tasks of training, cleaning and feeding the dogs well, meanwhile Amy struggles and like at home, isn’t motivated to train the dogs.

Mishak and Amy will be confronted by what happens when people breed dogs irresponsibly and don’t look after them. Will they learn any new skills and turn their own lives around by becoming better pet owners?

7:30pm – Monday, October 15 on ABC2

In South Korea, engineers are fighting against the forces of the wild West Sea to build the mammoth Incheon Grand Bridge. It is part of a visionary plan to link the biggest airport in the nation with a new international investment zone called New Songdo City. This bridge will change the fortunes of South Korea.

The unique structure combines three methods of bridge construction to create a single highway 12.3 kilometres long and 238.5 metres high.

Construction Manager, Han Kwangmo is responsible for the tallest sections – the Cable Stayed Bridge and the Approach Bridge. Jeon Yongjae is the Construction Manager overseeing the construction of the Viaduct – the longest section of the bridge. Their allies include planning mastermind Kim Don Wan, globetrotting engineer Deputy Project Director Alan Platt, and a host of expert bridge builders.

As the construction leaders and their respective teams fight the elements to build Incheon Grand Bridge they prove the strength of human determination.

9:30pm – Tuesday, October 16 on ABC2

Coolum Beach. An ordinary Australian town … until the sun goes down.

Meet Gregor (Barry Crocker), the town’s wild-eyed gatekeeper who has an encyclopedic knowledge of Coolum and its residents, and a love of vintage board games and 90s TV.

His unwitting partner is Constable Toby Banks (Toby Truslove), a recently disgraced city cop, who arrives in town to begin his new role on the night duty desk situated in a derelict old caravan, on the outskirts of Coolum.

Banks is a rational sceptic while Gregor is a ‘Believer’. Weird things happen in this slice of paradise and the locals keep calling late into the night. This odd couple set out to investigate ‘the strange calls’, moments of midnight madness that reveal the bizarre truth of the town – a place where mermaids date policemen and a mysterious radio jingle will possess your soul.

In episode one, there’s a break-in at Frequent Fryers Chicken Shop. No money has been taken, only chicken. Banks meets Gregor who has his own theory: it was the work of a Chicken Man. A trail of clues lead them to Nick, who has been eating so much fried chicken that he believes he may be transforming into a chicken.

Gregor suggests he’s seen this before. Banks thinks they’re crazy and takes Nick to Sergeant Lloyd (Patrick Brammall) to be arrested for the break-in. While Banks is distracted, Nick mysteriously escapes from his handcuffs, and the only thing left is the feather of a chicken.