Blokesworld

Blokesworld

Company type	Television program
Industry	Television broadcasting
Founded	2003
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia, New Zealand
Products	Lifestyle television content

Blokesworld is a lifestyle television program from Australia that first appeared on Channel 31 in 2003. It currently broadcasts during late-night hours on 7mate and Aurora Community Television, accessible via the pay TV provider Foxtel. The series also maintains a longstanding broadcast presence in New Zealand through Triangle TV and Face TV.

Show

The series was developed and is mainly hosted by "Ado" and "Ben Wah," though Ben Wah's involvement has lessened in recent seasons. Blokesworld regularly includes features on topics such as motorsport, live music events, exotic dance performances, sports shooting, and unique aspects of Australian lifestyle. Each episode generally centers around a central theme that ties the various segments together.

History

Beginning as a modestly budgeted Saturday night program on community station Channel 31 in 2003, Blokesworld was born from Ado and Ben Wah’s mutual enthusiasm for dirt biking, combined with their backgrounds in music and journalism. The show sought to address a lack of programming targeted at a male audience. Early episodes mixed content like dirt biking with pole dancing, trucks, automobiles, and other subjects appealing to men. After Channel 31 requested six additional episodes to complete a season, production relocated to Queensland with financial support from sponsors including Globe and 1-800 Reverse.

Despite several rejections from commercial television networks, producer Steve Dundon of Cornerbox eventually secured a Friday night broadcasting slot on Network Ten. To support production demands, Ado and Ben Wah moved to Whittlesea, Victoria in 2004. The second season premiered on 1 September 2004, featuring enhanced editing quality and sponsorship from prominent companies such as Ford Motor Company, complementing the program’s emphasis on Ford V8 utility vehicles. The show consistently achieved top ratings in its time slot.

Network Ten aired the final season in November 2005. The following installment, titled Spin The Globe, was filmed across locations in Europe and Japan during 2006 and broadcast on the community cable channel Aurora via Foxtel/Austar. A DVD collection compiling the first three seasons has been made available.

Blokesworld became embedded in Australian popular culture when Senate candidate Wayne Dropulich attracted criticism for sharing an image of a topless woman during his campaign, leading to comments that "Parliament House is not Blokes World."

Controversy

On 16 September 2005, the live event "Blokesworld Live," planned to be held at Brisbane's RNA Showgrounds, was prohibited by Brisbane City Council just fifteen hours before its scheduled start. Although event organizers had guaranteed adherence to public liability insurance requirements, security protocols, and occupational health and safety standards, pressure from political groups including the Young Women's Christian Association resulted in its cancellation. The event was subsequently relocated to Ipswich, Queensland for early October.