Bogan Hunters
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | May 13, 2014 |
| Founder | Paul Fenech |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Television program |
| Website | 7plus |
Bogan Hunters is an Australian comedic reality television series developed by Paul Fenech for the Seven Network's channel 7mate. The program delves into the Australian bogan subculture as the Bogan Hunters journey across the country in search of the ultimate bogan. It debuted on 7mate on 13 May 2014 and subsequently aired on New Zealand's TV2 starting 14 October 2014. The first season concluded with its finale broadcast on 15 July 2014 in Australia and later on 9 December 2014 in New Zealand.
On 8 February 2015, two special episodes were released: "Summernats And The Hunt For The Great Aussie Hoon" and "Bathurst Conspiracy".
Overview
The series features 'boganologist' Paul 'Pauly' Fenech alongside Shazza (Elle Dawe) and Kev the Kiwi (Kevin Taumata) as they traverse Australia searching for the country's premier bogan, tapping into a growing fascination with this distinctive subculture. Their travels span every state and territory except the ACT, highlighting the diversity of bogan communities nationwide. After exploring key locations, a selection of seven finalists is made by a panel of eight celebrity judges to compete in the Bogan Grand Final held in Sydney. Contestants are assessed based on their appearance, attitude, and sex appeal. Winners are awarded a "Golden Thong Award" along with either an "Aussie pride 'Straya' ute" or a makeover. The inaugural season concentrated on suburban bogans residing near major urban centers.
Several principal cast members and judges have previously appeared in SBS productions such as Pizza, Swift and Shift Couriers, and Housos.
Tasmania
Tasmania earned the title of 'bogan capital of Australia,' with four Taswegian contestants reaching the final round. On this island state, approximately half of the population struggles with literacy and/or numeracy difficulties, alongside unemployment rates that surpass those on mainland Australia.
The producers attempted to secure an interview with Bertrant Cadert, Mayor of Glamorgan Spring Bay, following controversy sparked by his remark labeling residents of Triabunna as "the most bogan of bogans" in a derogatory manner. Cadert declined to participate in an interview.
Bogan Hunters became embedded within Tasmanian culture, ranking as the 11th most searched term on Google within Tasmania during 2014.
Australian culture
Though presented with humor, the program offers an accurate portrayal of the widespread bogan culture found throughout Australia.
Fat Pizza vs. Housos
Several finalists from Bogan Hunters featured in the 2014 motion picture Fat Pizza vs. Housos, which premiered in Australian cinemas on 27 November 2014.
Production
Producer Paul Fenech emphasized the show's genuine representation, stating:
Reviews
Critics such as Scott Ellis and Louise Rugendyke from The Sydney Morning Herald commended the series, noting that some participants might benefit from additional support services, underscoring the significance of its focus on this demographic.
Reception
The series premiere at 9:30pm on 7mate attracted an audience of 390,000 viewers across mainland capital cities and totaled 589,000 nationally, making it the highest-rated entertainment program on the three-year-old digital channel and its second most popular show overall. It topped multichannel ratings for that evening, surpassing programs like Parenthood broadcast on Seven Network's primary channel. The second episode experienced a slight increase to 393,000 viewers in mainland areas, maintaining its status as the highest-rated multichannel program that night.
Season one of Bogan Hunters outperformed numerous contemporary Australian comedies, including the ABC’s Jonah from Tonga, which was later broadcast internationally on HBO in the United States and BBC Three in the United Kingdom.
Season 1 (2014)
| No. | Original air date | Australian Multichannel Ranking | Viewership in Australia | Viewership in New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 May 2014 | 1 | 589,000 | |
| 2 | 20 May 2014 | 1 | 554,000 | |
| 3 | 27 May 2014 | 1 | 321,000 | |
| 4 | 3 June 2014 | 1 | 341,000 | |
| 5 | 10 June 2014 | 15 | 247,000 | |
| 6 | 17 June 2014 | <20 | 193,000 | |
| 7 | 24 June 2014 | 15 | 248,000 | |
| 8 | 1 July 2014 | <20 | 191,000 | |
| 9 | 8 July 2014 | 2 | 325,000 | |
| 10 | 15 July 2014 | 9 | 232,000 |
Series overview
| Season | Number of Episodes | Initial Broadcast Period | iTunes Launch Date | DVD Release Date (Region 4) | DVD Special Features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Premiere Date | Season Finale Date | + Previously Unreleased Content | Region Code: DVD region code#4 | + | |||
| 1 | 10 | 13 May 2014 | 15 July 2014 | 15 July 2014 | 17 July 2014 |
| |
Season 1 (2014)
Primary
- Paul Fenech portraying Pauly
- Elle Dawe in the role of Shazza Jones
- Kevin Taumata as Kev the Kiwi
Guest Celebrity Judges
- Angry Anderson appearing as himself
- Jonesy playing himself
- Amarli Inez representing Miss Nude Australia
- Tahir Bilgiç featured as himself
- Mick Gatto appearing as himself
- Mark "Jacko" Jackson participating as himself
- Chris Franklin as himself
- Derek Boyer appearing as himself
- Rob Shehadie portraying himself
- Guy Sebastian featured as himself
Additional
- Davey Cooper appearing as himself
- Jimmy Jackson cast as James, also known as Big Wheels
- June Dally-Watkins playing herself
- Henry Roth appearing as himself
- Martin Miller in the role of Marty the Engineer
- Alex Romano portraying Jimmy
International broadcasting
| Country | Network(s)/Station(s) |
|---|---|
| File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (original broadcaster) | 7mate |
| File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand | TV2 |
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See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Pages with broken file links
- Australian English-language television shows
- 2010s Australian comedy television series
- 2010s Australian reality television series
- 2014 Australian television series debuts
- Television shows set in Australia
- 7mate original programming
- TVNZ 2 original programming
- Mass media portrayals of the working class
- Working class in Australia
- Television shows filmed in Australia