Footballer Wants a Wife is a parody reality show that follows three young football stars on their modern-day quest for love. Our three footballers, drawn from three different codes, are matched up against fourteen women who will stop at nothing to become a WAG.
Created by Ben Nicholas, Footballer Wants A Wife is a comedy that plays on the one ironic truth at the heart of reality TV: it’s completely fabricated – particularly when it comes to ‘love, loss and celebrity’
Footballer wants a wife is a parody series, are you a big fan of the reality tv genre or is your series more of a critique on society’s obsession with it?
It’s definitely a jab at our society’s obsession with the genre. As an actor myself, it can be frustrating seeing so much primetime TV taken up by reality shows – in fact it was this idea that inspired the series. I remember the exact moment the concept of Footballer popped into my head – I was waiting tables and I was thinking how great would it be to be able to appeal to that reality show demographic while still being able to employ a whole bunch of talented actors. Footballer was born. In saying all this – in my research for the series I may have become a fan of The Bachelor. And The Bachelorette. Ooopps!
Why should people watch your series?
The series is immediately relatable in that the concepts and themes are ingrained in Australian society. You don’t have to be an AFL, NRL or A-League fan to understand the type of characters that are being portrayed. Australia is a sporting nation and the media covers the stars of these codes relentlessly – so their failures and successes are paraded for the public to see. The same sentiment goes for fans or foes of the reality genre – if you have never sat down and consumed a series of reality TV – you still have an understanding of the concepts. We always had the hope that those that hated and loved sport/reality tv should enjoy Footballer for their own distinct reasons. And more importantly, the series is genuinely funny – we think so anyway.
In what ways do you utilise social media to further your brand?
We used social media to our advantage by integrating real world events into our story. Whether it was having our characters comment on day to day events like the #LibSpill / #MickFanningPunchingAShark or blurring the lines between our world and the real world – introducing Warwick Capper (played by Warwick Capper) as a celebrity Judge. Social media is a fickle beast, and it was important to stay abreast of the current online trends.
What is your favourite thing about making web series?
For me it was just about making my own content for the first time. Having characters that I had named, having the license to create weird and wonderful scenarios and actually having a full film crew, director and producer’s all working towards making Footballer a reality.
How long have you been making web series for?
This was my first attempt – but I’m currently in development of another series, which will begin airing later this year. Web Series are the way into the industry these days. They offer the ability to reach an audience with your content in a way that was impossible even just 7 years ago.
When are you completely satisfied with your work?
Julian (producer) will agree with this, as I’m sure will anyone who has ever been creatively involved with a project… you are never happy. Right up until we delivered the final episodes we were making final tweaks and adjustments and even once delivered I would have jumped into the edit suite to tinker – but at some point you have to trust in the process and the material and just put it out there. Take the lessons learnt and move on to the next project.
Footballer Wants a Wife on the web:
Watch Footballer Wants a Wife
Footballer Wants a Wife on Facebook
Footballer Wants a Wife on Twitter
Footballer Wants a Wife on Instagram