Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen was a mainstay of Aussie TV in the early 2010s. Now, the show is back and returning to its original spot on 10. B&T sat down with new show host Anne Edmonds to chat about what viewers can expect and how they’re going to reach chronically online Zoomers. While unable to reveal the finer details, Paramount has shared plans for brands to spotlight iconic ads from the past on the show.
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen first premiered in 2009 and ran until 2012, with Nine picking up the format again in 2018, but only lasting two seasons. This season marked its return to 10 last night, with Anne Edmonds as host. The season will also be available to stream on 10.
Edmonds is a familiar face on 10 and Australian TV more generally. From her character Helen Bidou on Get Krack!n to her AACTA Award-winning standup special Why Is My Bag All Wet?, she has also featured on Have You Been Paying Attention?. She’s also faced absurd challenges in season two of Taskmaster Australia and has made regular appearances on Hughesy We Have A Problem and The Project.
Now, Edmonds steps into the spotlight as host of Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen, ready to referee the intergenerational face-off between Gen X, Y, and Z.
“As the new host of Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen, my only wish in the world is that Gen Z will tell me I slay, and Boomers will tell me they don’t need any help finding it on 10 Streaming! I’m so excited to host this show and find out what’s wrong with young people and old people, but mainly with millennials,” Edmonds said.
As for brands getting involved with the show, Tamar Hovagimian, Paramount’s head of national advertising partnerships has, shared an exciting opportunity for brands to showcase blasts from the past, to tie in with the show’s theme of nostalgic throwbacks.
“We’re excited to be launching a new opportunity for brands to schedule their most iconic ads from the past to celebrate generational creativity and brand storytelling. Introduced via a five-second integrated throw, this ‘Generation Break’ will be a powerful way for brands to reconnect with audiences through nostalgia,” Homagivian said.
When asked about the lack of young people watching free-to-air TV, Edmonds felt confident that many families still sit down to watch TV together. Watching game shows is a way to relax and connect while having fun, she said.
“I think people will enjoy the new energy. It’s still a family show, lots of families watching it at home will probably be combinations of Gen X and Gen Z, and younger than that. This new season is a bit of an update, a more modern version of the show Australians are used to,” Edmonds said.
“It’s so great having Gen Zers on this new season. We’re hoping to reach them with small clips on social media, engaging them to watch the show on TV and on 10,” she added.
Edmonds said viewers can expect lots of silly games, characters, and music challenges that involve getting up on your feet and having a boogie. She’s had a significant involvement designing games and the new season’s format.
The original show was hosted by Shaun Micallef up until 2018, with the show format pitting three teams – each representing a different generation, with a team captain for each – against each other in a fast-paced quiz testing their knowledge of pop culture across the decades. Each week, a new guest joins each team and works together with their team captain to answer the questions.
“Shaun Micallef was such an incredible host and he left a legacy of silliness, which is the best for me to take over. It’s a show where we try different things and throw around different ideas, so our focus continues on that element of fun of silliness,” she said.
The team captains for the original show on 10 were Amanda Keller, who represented baby boomers, Charlie Pickering, who represented Generation X, and Josh Thomas, who represented Generation Y.
As for this season, the team captains will consist of comedy king Dave Hughes representing Generation X, Tommy Little representing Generation Y (aka Millennials), and Anisa Nandaula representing Generation Z (aka Zoomers). There will be no Boomer team.
“It’s continually interesting to see what’s important for each generation. It’s fascinating to see what some younger players don’t even know exist, like who John Farnham is, for instance.
“I think it inspires conversations at home about experiences growing up. We didn’t have phones or the internet growing up, and those sorts of things are incomprehensible for younger generations”.
