Australian animation ‘Finally a show about men!’ Sets up YouTube Bow
“Finally a show about men!”, an Australian short animated sketch comedy satirizing modern masculinity, premieres Sunday on Aunty Donna’s Grouse House YouTube channel from Gold Coast’s Sad Man Studio.
The series is produced by husband and wife team Samuel Leighton-Dore, who also serves as writer, and Bradley Tennant, with support from Screen Queensland’s Online Production Grants. The pair co-direct the studio.
“With ‘Finally a show about men!’ we wanted to create something emotionally honest, globally relatable and genuinely funny, while exploring masculinity as deeply human and slightly absurd,” said Leighton-Dore. “The series comes from a fascination with the contradictions of modern masculinity – how performative, vulnerable, lonely and theatrical it can all be at the same time. Animation gave us a way to approach those ideas through satire, surrealism and heightened worlds that still feel emotionally truthful.”
The debut episode, “A Scrum Is A Safe Space”, has a rugby theme. Leighton-Dore and Tennant previously produced the animated short film ‘Sensitive Gym Bros’ and co-created the animated sitcom ‘Willy’, now in development at Ludo Studio – the production company behind ‘Bluey’ – and slated for a graphic novel release via Penguin Random House.
“Screen Queensland is proud to support ‘Finally a show about men!’ through our Online Production Grants, which promote emerging talent across the state,” said Julie Eckersley, Executive Director of Screen Content at Screen Queensland. “This bold animated series shows how online platforms create space for voices to experiment with personal themes and meaningfully connect with audiences. We congratulate Sad Man Studio and the entire team for their commitment to unique storytelling and their exploration of big emotions.”
Leighton-Dore added: “As the show shows, being a man is complex, serious and often misunderstood – but occasionally, against all odds, a bit sweet and funny. We’re glad not all men like what we’ve created.”
