Aftertaste
GenreComedy
Created by
Written by
  • Julie De Fina
  • Matthew Bate
  • Matt Vesely
Directed by
Starring
Music byBenjamin Speed
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Julie De Fina
  • Rachel Griffiths
Producers
  • Rebecca Summerton
  • Erik Thomson
Production locationAdelaide Hills
Production companyCloser Productions
Original release
NetworkABC Television
Release3 February 2021 (2021-02-03) –
24 August 2022 (2022-08-24)

Aftertaste is an Australian television comedy series on ABC TV, first airing on 3 February 2021. It is created by Julie De Fina and Matthew Bate, produced by Closer Productions. The first season was directed by Jonathan Brough, and the second, airing from 20 July 2022, by Renée Webster.

Plot summary

The series revolves around Easton West, an internationally renowned, yet volatile celebrity chef who has a spectacular fall from grace and returns to his hometown in the Adelaide Hills. He endeavours to rebuild his career and restore his reputation, with the help of his talented, young, pastry-chef niece Diana.

Cast

Season 1

Season 2

Most of the Season 1 cast, as well as:[1]

Episodes

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
163 February 2021 (2021-02-03)10 March 2021 (2021-03-10)
2620 July 2022 (2022-07-20)24 August 2022 (2022-08-24)

Season 1 (2021)

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralia viewers
1"Episode 1"Jonathan BroughJulie De Fina3 February 2021 (2021-02-03)[2]584,000[3]
2"Episode 2"Jonathan BroughMatt Vesely11 February 2021 (2021-02-11)438,000[4]
3"Episode 3"Jonathan BroughMatthew Bate and Jodie Molloy17 February 2021 (2021-02-17)460,000[5]
4"Episode 4"Jonathan BroughMatthew Bate24 February 2021 (2021-02-24)416,000[6]
5"Episode 5"Jonathan BroughJulie de Fina & Matthew Bate3 March 2021 (2021-03-03)N/A
6"Episode 6"Jonathan BroughJulie de Fina10 March 2021 (2021-03-10)N/A

Season 2 (2022)

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [7]Australia viewers
1"Episode 1"UnknownUnknown20 July 2022 (2022-07-20)N/A
2"Episode 2"UnknownUnknown27 July 2022 (2022-07-27)N/A
3"Episode 3"UnknownUnknown3 August 2022 (2022-08-03)N/A
4"Episode 4"UnknownUnknown10 August 2022 (2022-08-10)N/A
5"Episode 5"UnknownUnknown17 August 2022 (2022-08-17)N/A
6"Episode 6"UnknownUnknown24 August 2022 (2022-08-24)N/A

Production

Aftertaste was produced by Closer Productions for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The ABC provided the majority of financing with Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) also being significant sources of finance.[8] The series was made during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, which required the navigation of additional obstacles. SAFC offered business resilience training and other help to the Closer Productions Team.[9]

The producers were Rebecca Summerton, Matthew Bate and Erik Thomson, while Julie De Fina was executive producer. The series was created by De Fina and Bate; it was written by De Fina, Bate and Matt Vesely. The executive producer for the ABC was Rebecca Anderson.[8][10]

Jonathan Brough, who directed Rosehaven and The Family Law, directed the first season of the series.[11][12]

In November 2021 it was announced that a second series had been commissioned by the ABC,[13] which was being filmed in early 2022, directed by Renée Webster.[14][1][15] Filming was completed in March.[16]

While season one centred on the small town of Uraidla, east of the city of Adelaide, and was filmed on location around there, the second series was filmed in a more southerly part of the Adelaide Hills, between Kangarilla and Meadows.[16]

Release

The series first premiered on 3 February 2021 on the ABC TV channel.[2]

The second season of the series went air on 20 July 2022.[16]

Worldwide distribution

ABC Commercial has international distribution rights, and in February 2022 sold the first series to US streaming service Acorn TV, for release in the US, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Canada.[17] Season 1 is also available in French and Spanish.[18]

Reception

In a review of the first two episodes, The Guardian called it a "sharp satire" that's "smart, dynamic and laugh-out-loud funny".[11] Broadsheet called it a "very, very funny show", which incorporates important themes while remaining "delightfully silly and vulgar television".[19] Graeme Blundell, in The Australian, called the writing "polished and witty", the direction achieving "the right density of texture and atmosphere", and especially praised newcomer Abbott's performance.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Lynette Curran, Julian Maroun and Syd Brisbane added to 'Aftertaste' for season two". IF Magazine. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b Knox, David (12 January 2021). "Airdate: Aftertaste". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ Knox, David (13 February 2021). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 3 February 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. ^ Knox, David (25 February 2021). "Wednesday 10 February 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  5. ^ Knox, David (26 February 2021). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 17 February 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  6. ^ Knox, David (5 March 2021). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 24 February 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Aftertaste Season 2 – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  8. ^ a b "ABC dishes up Erik Thomson in delicious new comedy series Aftertaste (w/t)". About the ABC. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  9. ^ Groves, Don (14 July 2020). "Closer Productions navigates its way through the pandemic with 'Aftertaste'". IF Magazine.
  10. ^ Knox, David (3 August 2020). "Filming underway on ABC's Aftertaste". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b Watson, Meg (3 February 2021). "Aftertaste review – a wonderfully Australian mockery of the 'angry white guy'". the Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  12. ^ Jonathon Brough at IMDb
  13. ^ "South Australian comedy drama Aftertaste returns for seconds on ABC". SAFC. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  14. ^ Keast, Jackie (15 May 2022). "With 'How To Please A Woman', Renée Webster puts the audience first". IF Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  15. ^ "ABC comedy Aftertaste begins filming second season". Mediaweek. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Debelle, Penelope (15 July 2022). "Seconds, please: ABC dishes up a new season of Aftertaste". InDaily. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  17. ^ "ABC Commercial inks Acorn TV deal for 'Aftertaste'". IF Magazine. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  18. ^ "US streaming giant Acorn TV acquires hit ABC series Aftertaste". ABC Commercial. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Aftertaste, the new ABC comedy about a cancelled chef, is one of the best (and funniest) Aussie shows of the year". Broadsheet. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  20. ^ Blundell, Graeme (5 February 2021). "Aftertaste: big fish bombs in a small pond". The Australian. Review.

Further reading

External links

ABC local programming (current and upcoming)
Categories