Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Screen Australia and ABC announce new comedy series Optics

12/07/2024

12 07 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce new comedy series Optics

Optics. Photo credit: Joel Pratley

ABC and Screen Australia have announced that filming has commenced in Sydney on Optics, a new 6-part comedy series from the brilliant creative minds of Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst (The Feed, Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story) and The Chaser's Charles Firth.

Written by and starring this dynamic trio, Optics is an Easy Tiger and Chaser Digital production, directed by the award-winning Max Miller (Aunty Donna's Coffee Caf , Australian Epic), executive produced by Firth, Easy Tiger's Rob Gibson and Ian Collie (Colin from Accounts), Owen and Zerbst, and produced by Paige Wharehinga.

Optics follows two whip-smart 20-something women (Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst) who are unexpectedly promoted to run crisis management PR firm Fritz & Randell, after the death of office patriarch Frank Fritz. As they battle weekly public relations crises from celebrities, sports stars and corporate titans, and power challenges from veteran PR flack Ian Randell (Charles Firth), they slowly come to realise that their firm might have a scandal brewing of its own, and start to wonder: have they been set up to fail?

It's a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud workplace comedy that lifts the veil on everyday office politics and on the corporate spin that inflects all the news we consume.

Screen Australia COO Grainne Brunsdon said, Optics is clever, high-energy and perfectly poised to elevate Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst's careers. With their unique style and Charles' hilarious touch, it's an exhilarating ride that highlights the absurdities of our digital age. I can't wait to watch it on the ABC.

ABC Head of Scripted Rachel Okine said, We're thrilled to be working with such an incredibly talented team to bring this fast-paced and bitingly funny comedy to ABC. As well as being dazzled by their sharp comic minds, we know audiences will also be gobsmacked to learn what goes on behind the scenes in the often murky world of PR.

Rob Gibson and Ian Collie said, Jenna and Vic are among our brightest new comedy talents, and their intergenerational sparring with the always-hilarious Charles Firth the middle-aged man's middle-aged man is comedy gold. We can't wait for Australia to see them all practising the dark arts of PR in the halls of Fritz and Randell.

Owen, Zerbst and Firth said, When we started, we were worried that there weren t enough PR crises in Australia to sustain 30 minutes of television each week. As it turns out, there's enough material for about 30 years of television each week.

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, Jenna and Vic are two of the most exciting and refreshing voices in comedy and I can't wait to see them join forces with Charles Firth to put their own unique spin on the world of crisis PR. Screen NSW are thrilled to support the entire team, including Easy Tiger and Chaser Digital, in bringing this hilarious series to ABC next year.

Optics will premiere on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2025.

Production credit: Optics is an Easy Tiger and Chaser Digital production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Optics is produced in association with and distributed by ITV Studios. Created and written by Jenna Owen, Vic Zerbst and Charles Firth. Executive Producers: Charles Firth, Easy Tiger's Rob Gibson and Ian Collie, Jenna Owen and Vic Zerbst, and ABC's Rachel Okine and Todd Abbott. Produced by Paige Wharehinga.

ABC MEDIA ENQUIRIES Amy Reiha, ABC Publicist

[email protected]

0404 026 039

Media enquiries Maddie Walsh | Publicist

61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]

Jessica Parry | Senior Publicist (Mon, Tue, Thu)

61 428 767 836 | [email protected]

All other general/non-media enquiries

Sydney 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2024/07-12-new...
See more stories from screenaustralia

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

24/01/2026

Merata Mita and Graton Fellows Celebrated at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival

Masami Kawai Selected as the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow; Isabella Madrigal and Tsanavi Spoonhunter Named 2026 Graton Fellows During Native Forum Celebration in Par...

24/01/2026

L3Harris Delivers Multi-Intelligence Aircraft to US Air Force

The MC-55A Peregrine aircraft will give the Royal Australian Air Force information superiority and serve as strategic assets for future Australian Defence Force...

24/01/2026

Pay TV Groups Rebut NABs ATSC 3.0 Transition Plans

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

24/01/2026

APTS, PBS Tell FCC Not to Set a Firm Date for ATSC Sunset

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

24/01/2026

Baron Weather Promotes Senior Executives Steve Bray, Cherie Smyly

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

24/01/2026

RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of the 2026 Six Nations Championship

RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of t...

23/01/2026

UEFA Women's EURO 2025 drives surge in ad-funded streaming as Yospace powers 6 billion one-to-one advertisements

Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 29 July, 2025 - Yospace, the global leader in Dynamic A...

23/01/2026

WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Power Built Creative Flexibility in the Studio

WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Powe...

23/01/2026

Tight Set Up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions Into Grand Central Station for the Annual Squash Extravaganza

Tight set up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions into Grand Central...

23/01/2026

AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim Rikhoff and Director Mike Arnold

AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim R...

23/01/2026

NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Storytelling Heading Into Season Finale

NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Story...

23/01/2026

Introducing the Best New Artist 2026 Nominees

Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration honors the rising stars whose talent, creativity, and dedication have propelled them to the music industry'...

23/01/2026

L3Harris Data Links: Resilient, Mission-Proven C5ISR Solutions

Coalition military forces operating across the vast geography of the Indo-Pacific rely on interoperable, secure data links to share intelligence, surveillance a...

23/01/2026

Why Air Forces Are Choosing L3Harris Airborne Early Warning and Control

Artist rendering of L3Harris Technologies' AERIS next generation airborne early warning and control solution....

23/01/2026

The C-130 Cockpit Advantage

The U.S. Air Force AMP Increment II aircraft at L3Harris' facility in Waco, Texas. L3Harris has modernized C-130 avionics since 1985, delivering digital coc...

23/01/2026

A Game-Changer for Caption & Subtitle QC - Now Integrated!

Paramount is transforming its operations by unifying the media supply chains of their top brands into a scalable global pipeline. This transformation enhances ...

23/01/2026

Should we automate or augment with AI?

Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...

23/01/2026

Nielsen Renews Partnership With Gray Media for Local TV Measurement Across All of Its 113 DMAs

Multi-year deal utilizes Nielsen's full suite of local audience marketing in...

23/01/2026

Nielsen Announces Pricing of Upsized $1.5 Billion Offering of Senior Secured Notes by its Affiliate

New York, NY January 21, 2026 - Neptune BidCo US Inc. (the Issuer or the Co...

23/01/2026

ALT Systems Launches PixSpan Data - Making PixMover Platf...

ALT Systems, Inc., a leading system integrator and technology solutions provider for the media and entertainment industry, today announced the launch of PixSpan...

23/01/2026

AIMS to Officially Launch IPMX as a Fully Developed Stand...

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) will mark a major milestone for Pro AV-over-IP at ISE 2026 with the official launch of Internet Protocol Media Experi...

23/01/2026

KRK to Premiere New Flagship V Series Five Monitors for P...

KRK, a leader in professional studio monitoring for nearly four decades, will unveil the all new V Series Five at the 2026 NAMM Show, offering attendees an excl...

23/01/2026

SMPTE Announces Steve LLamb as ISO-TC 36 Cinematography C...

SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced Steve LLamb, Vice President of Technology Standards and Solutions for Cin...

23/01/2026

IBC announces call for Technical Papers for IBC2026 Confe...

IBC today announces that the call for Technical Papers is now open for the IBC2026 Conference, inviting innovators from across the global media, entertainment, ...

23/01/2026

Asharq News AMPPs up its Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

Grass Valley has announced that Asharq News, the leading multi-platform Arabic news service owned by the Saudi Research & Media Group (SRMG), has expanded its c...

23/01/2026

Rohde & Schwarz, Qualcomm, and Motorola demonstrate succe...

At the SET Expo 2025, a consortium including Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Motorola, and Rohde & Schwarz successfully demonstrated a real-world proof-of-concept ...

23/01/2026

Dalet Appoints Gwen Braygreen as Executive Vice President...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the appointment of Gwen Braygreen as Executive Vice President and...

23/01/2026

Industry Leaders Unite to Create First-Ever End-to-End Cr...

Alfalite, Brainstorm, Dejero, Domo Broadcast Systems, FOR-A, KitPlus, Ontario Soluciones and RGB Spectrum partner to demonstrate revolutionary integrated soluti...

23/01/2026

Vizrt Powers a New Era of Corporate Viewer Engagement wit...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer experience and engagement, expands its team to ignite a new era of professional-grade pro...

23/01/2026

LOGIC media solutions becomes launch partner of the AWS E...

LOGIC media solutions, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Partner specialising in AWS-based media workflows, is one of the official launch partners of the ne...

23/01/2026

Chyron Promotes Owen Seaton to VP, Venue Solutions

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

MPA Backs ATSC 3.0 Content Security Protections in FCC Comments

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

NDI 6.3 Core Tech Update to Be Demoed at ISE

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

ISE: Sony Electronics Announces Crystal LED S Series

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

SMPTE Announces Steve LLamb as ISO/TC 36 Cinematography Chair

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

RTDNA Foundation Announces 2026 First Amendment Award Honorees

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

Paramount+ Launches Programmatic Access to Marquee Live Sports

Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Pinterest Bluesky Email...

23/01/2026

Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK

Friday 23 January 2026 Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK Lisa Clark headshot PNG (468KB) Lisa Clark joins Sky as Commissioning E...

23/01/2026

Pavane' Drops Teaser Ahead of February 20 Debut - A Tender Story of Three Hearts Finding Their Way

Back to All News Pavane' Drops Teaser Ahead of February 20 Debut - A Tende...

23/01/2026

FY2025 Full Year Results

FY2025 Full Year Results...

23/01/2026

Oscar nomination for RT supported film Retirement Plan

RT is delighted to announce that the RT and F s ireann / Screen Ireland supported short film Retirement Plan has been nominated for Best Animated Short at th...

22/01/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Chuck Luarasi, Curry College

SVG Students To Watch: Chuck Luarasi, Curry CollegeThe Massachusetts native is cutting his teeth with Harvard Athletics, Cape Cod Baseball LeagueBy Brandon Cost...

22/01/2026

Follow the Money, Episode 4: Talking Tech, Sports, and Private Capital With Sam McCleery and Alysse Soll

Follow the Money, Episode 4: Talking Tech, Sports, and Private Capital With Sam ...

22/01/2026

Fever Pitch: WRC is Back for the Start of the 2026 Season With Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1080p For the First Time

Fever pitch: WRC is back for the start of the 2026 season with Rallye Monte-Carl...

22/01/2026

FloSports Prepares To Broadcast Outdoor Hockey Game Amidst Brutally Cold Temperatures in Southern Minnesota

FloSports Prepares To Broadcast Outdoor Hockey Game Amidst Brutally Cold Tempera...