You’re 11-years-old. School was hard today—the person in front of you in the canteen line bought the last pink Sunnyboy, plus you left your hat at home so you couldn’t go on the play equipment. It’s a really hot day, so mum picks you up from school. You get home, chuck your bag on the ground (with your sandwich sitting uneaten in your lunchbox), and go straight for the freezer. Mum yells at you to get changed (ugh), so you kick your shoes off at the heels and get changed into whatever clothes are closest. Finally, you make it back to the freezer. With a cola Zooper Dooper in one hand and the TV remote in the other, you lay on the floor in front of the TV with the aircon shooting cool air down on you. You turn on the TV and flick it to ABC3. There’s Scotty! And Kayne! And Lobo!
Life is good.
ABC3 is an essential part of growing up in Australia. I mean, where else could you get some of the best shows without paying for Foxtel? I remember when I first saw the ads for ABC3 back in 2009—it seemed like the coolest thing ever. And you know what? It was.
ABC3 was the best part of my childhood and here’s why.
Good Game Spawn Point
Sorry, but this was one of the coolest shows on TV. Seriously. I wanted to be Hex.
Hex and Bajo seemed like the coolest people out there (and they were having so much fun). There was no other place where you could learn about video games for people my age. To be fair, I don’t think I ever ended up playing any of them, but they still seemed like so. Much. Fun. Now, there are millions of gaming YouTubers out there who do this kind of stuff, but at the time there was nothing like it. GG:SP will always have a special place in my heart.
Prank Patrol
Prank Patrol is my #1 show on ABC3. It might even be my #1 show of all time, now that I think about it.
Seriously, how could this show not be fun? Scotty and the ninjas would find children (a weird start, I know) and help them pull an elaborate prank on their friends. It was awesome every single time. The “prank experts” always put so much effort into the costumes and designs, and Scotty always seemed so excited to help someone go through with their prank. Looking back, it’s a really sweet concept—help children pull a harmless prank on their best friend. Love it.
Studio 3
This show was wild. Seriously. The hosts were fantastic (obviously) and it always seemed like they were having loads of fun. They had heaps of games, competitions, and interviews with relevant celebrities at the time (hey there, Timomatic). It was loads of fun to watch, and to be honest, I kind of just wanted to be a part of it. Surely I’m not too old to audition now, am I?
Dance Academy
Come on, who doesn’t love Dance Academy?
It’s impossible to not be invested in the Dance Academy world. I mean, the characters seemed realistic and relatable, and boy, they could dance. There was love, heartbreak, drama, bitchy characters, school pressure, and way more — and it was based in Sydney too! This show really hit me in the feels. It was the first show (aside from Neighbours) that I remember watching that was realistic, dealt with issues that I had actually experienced, and was based in Australia. If you never watched Dance Academy on ABC3 then you were missing out (and you should absolutely go watch it on Netflix).
Oh, and apparently there’s a more recent Dance Academy movie out too? I can’t say I heard anything good about it. Actually, I can’t say I’ve heard anything about it at all…
ABC3 was loads of fun, and just researching for this article brought back so many great memories. What are your favourite parts of ABC3? Let us know in the comments!
