Morris will preside over ‘Class Clowns’ as “Principal Morris”, guiding six well‑known Australian comedians – Bron Lewis, Luke McGregor, Becky Lucas, Matt Okine, Nina Oyama and Dave Hughes – through pop‑quizzes and impromptu performances filmed at the University of Sydney’s St Andrew’s College. The format, Morris explains, puts “big personality comedians into a vulnerable setting like school” where “everybody reverts to their childhood self”.
The second half of the evening will see Zemiro return to host season two of ‘Crime Night!’, a panel programme that blends criminologists and comedians to dissect topics such as false confessions and “crimetainment”. Zemiro says the new series adds a “sixth chair” – an expert with specialised knowledge – to deepen the conversation and “encourage some critical armchair thinking”.
Both shows arrive as the ABC banks on a “one‑two punch of Julia” for its Wednesday night line‑up, a notable shift for two performers whose careers have run in parallel for over four decades while largely appearing on rival commercial networks. “Having been around the industry for the exact same period of time… I always feel like I know everybody as well as I did in the early days,” Morris said, while Zemiro recalled spotting Morris on stage in the 1990s and remembering her as one of the standout comedians of that era.
Morris, who first appeared on television at 17 on the talent show ‘New Faces’ and later hosted a twelve‑year run of ‘I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!’, noted that the industry often forces talent to specialise. “You’re either allowed to be a singer, or a presenter, or a comedian. If you happen to do all of those jobs, you’ll be waiting for a job to fall over to be able to go and do the next one,” she said, adding that her recent ADHD diagnosis in 2024 has helped her focus on roles that support her neurodivergence.
Zemiro, a long‑time presenter of events ranging from Eurovision to the rock‑music quiz ‘Rockwiz’, echoed the need for selective work. “I’ve said no to a lot of things in the last two years because I don’t think I have the energy to do them well,” she explained, emphasizing that stepping aside allows newer talent to flourish.
The ABC hopes the twin premieres will showcase the versatility of both comedians – Morris by “getting to know them in a completely different way” through a light‑hearted school setting, and Zemiro by turning true‑crime discussion into a “jumping‑off point for people to talk on the couch at home”. The network’s strategy underscores a broader push for fresh, locally produced comedy and factual entertainment in a competitive TV market.