Marc Fennell Hosts ‘The State of Man,’ a Bold Dive into the Manosphere on ABC

EXCLUSIVE: Stuff the British Stole host Marc Fennell is gearing up to delve into the nuances of masculinity in contemporary Australia through a three-part documentary series on ABC.

The State of Man is described as a “provocative and deeply personal inquiry” where Fennell will examine modern-day masculinity and the emergence of the online ‘manosphere’ in Australia.

It is expected that the series will be revealed as part of ABC’s upcoming season lineup, which is set to be showcased later today. The series is a collaborative effort between Mark Fennessy’s Helium Pictures and New Mac based in Melbourne, produced for the Australian public broadcaster.

Across the span of three episodes, The State of Man will challenge Fennell to confront male stereotypes, societal influences, major tech platforms, and cultural conflicts that are reshaping male self-perception, along with his own personal biases as a man and father.

Helium has previously delivered one of ABC’s most successful recent unscripted debuts with The Assembly, a remake of the French journalistic series Les Rencontres du Papotin. Meanwhile, The State of Man is the inaugural television project for New Mac, known for their YouTube channel focused on architecture and compact living, Never Too Small, and limited series such as Small Footprint and Wonderful Waste.

The project received development support and production funding from Minderoo Pictures, with ABC Commercial handling distribution. VicScreen also supported the development stage. Executive producers include Melissa Maclean, Fennessy, Luke Clark, and James McPherson, with Fennell also serving as producer.

Fennell has risen to prominence in Australia’s television documentary scene through works like School That Tried to End Racism, Framed, The Kingdom, The Mission, Red Flag, Came From Nowhere, Secret DNA of Us, and Tell Me What You Really Think.

He is also the creator and presenter of the ABC history-mystery podcast No One Saw It Coming and hosts the SBS game show Mastermind. His most notable project to date is Stuff the British Stole, a docuseries exploring the impacts of British colonialism, co-produced with Canadian broadcaster CBC and currently being adapted into a scripted crime series.

Regarding The State of Man, Fennell stated today, “Our approach to this topic is not one of anger or pointing fingers but one of curiosity, openness, and empathy. We’re engaging with both men and women from diverse backgrounds to listen and understand the underlying issues – and explore ways for improvement together.”

Fennessy described the series as addressing “a crucial cultural shift of our era,” emphasizing that Fennell’s exploration is “unyielding and profoundly humane.”

“At times startling and humorously bleak, this audacious series poses tough questions with empathy and thoroughness that will stimulate a much-needed dialogue in Australia,” he continued.

Susie Jones, ABC’s Head of Factual, added: “ABC is thrilled to collaborate again with Helium following the success of The Assembly, and with New Mac, alongside the exceptionally talented Marc Fennell. This series, which tackles one of the most pressing and complex social issues of today, is crafted with the curiosity, integrity, and precision that Marc and his team bring to the forefront. We anticipate it will deeply resonate with our viewers.”