ABCTV has tonight revealed key details for its 2016 lineup with new year promising a significant increased invest in local production.

The drama offering includes the high-concept Cleverman - set in the near future where a species from ancient mythology must live amongst humans and battle for survival. It will star an international cast including Iain Glen (Game of Thrones), Frances O’Connor (The Missing), Deborah Mailman (Redfern Now), Rob Collins (The Lion King), and Steph Dawson (The Hunger Games), with creatures and effects by Jacob Nash (Bangarra Dance Theatre) and the world-renowned Weta Workshop.

Barracuda, a drama produced by team behind The Slap and based on the novel by Christos Tsiolkas, is a look at Australia’s national obsession with sporting heroes. The series will introduce two newcomers in the lead roles – Elias Anton and Ben Kindon. Rachel Griffiths will also feature in the series.

The ABC will feature locally produced drama every Thursday night in 2016, featuring shows such as Jack Irish, Janet King, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Rake and The Code. One program not mentioned by the ABC was Miss Fishers Murders.

ABC iview will continue to feature digital-first exclusives, including the second series of the highly inappropriate YouTube series, The Katering Show. You Can’t Ask That will pose the awkward questions you’ve always wanted to ask but never could; and from WA’s up-and-coming online stars Mad Kids, a comedy about a group of reporters at DAFUQ?, the hottest thing in non-mainstream, cross platform news.

Factual titles premiering in 2016 include; Howard on Menzies, a profile of our longest-serving PM – all through the eyes of our second longest serving PM John Howard. Ice Wars pulls no punches as it provides unprecedented access to frontline police and health services to reveal the true cost of the ice epidemic; while 100 cameras filmed for 24 hours to provide a truly national snapshot of the Australian health system in Keeping Australia Alive.

Our education system will be put under the microscope as The Great Education Experiment tries to understand if there is a better way; and Hatch, Match & Dispatch is a behind-the-scenes look at the men and women of the Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages and The Public Trustee.

The ABC has also confirmed it will be the official TV, radio and online media partner of the Australian of the Year Awards for the next three years. In 2016, the Awards will screen in prime time on January 25, to ensure as many Australians as possible can join in the celebration.

And with Austalia heading to the polls in 2016, ABC News is promising to provide audiences with the best news and analysis on television, radio, online and mobile.

Food writer Silvia Colloca joins ABC TV and invites Australia’s most interesting personalities into her kitchen to show them how to cook, while sharing stories the Italian way in Silvia's Italian Kitchen.

The ABC will also make a significant investment in comedy next year.

Comedian Luke McGregor will take viewers on “an embarrassingly honest and humorous look at sex” in Luke Warm Sex; he'll also pair up with Celia Pacquola to star in Rosehaven, a new comedy series filmed in rural Tasmania.

The ABC Comedy Showroom brings together some of Australia’s best comedic talent – including Eddie Perfect, Ronnie Chieng, Lawrence Mooney, Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan - for six new pilots, each the first episodes of a brand new sitcom. Audiences will get to vote on the episodes they’d like to see as a full series.

2016 will finally see the return of Upper Middle Bogan which took a break in 2015. It will be joined by more Black Comedy, Soul Mates, Shaun Micallef's Mad As Hell, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery.

The Working Dog comedy series Utopia was not part ABC Upfront announcements, DeciderTV understands the series will take a break in 2016, with a return in 2017 likely.

Comedy group The Chaser were also missing from the Upfronts announcements. DeciderTV understands the ABC is likely to renew one of The Chaser's current series but details are yet to be finalised.

Film critic David Stratton returns to our screens in his own three-part series David Stratton's Story of Australian Cinema; comedian Tim Ross takes viewers on a tour to discover why our suburbs look the way they do in Streets of Your Town; and the series Stop Laughing... This Is Series returns to more deeply explore how humour, laughter and comedy have been integral to our national identity.

For the younger viewers, there will be a third series of the teen drama Nowhere Boys; a new Australian animated sci-fi series Prisoner Zero; and the premiere of dramatic adventure series Tomorrow, When the War Began - based on the era-defining novels by John Marsden.

In 2016, Play School will celebrate 50 years, with actress Miranda Tapsell joining the cast. And Hoot Hoot Go! will explore friendship, laughter and problem solving with best of friends Hoot, Hootabelle and Hootly.

And as previously revealed by DeciderTV, from December 2015 ABC’s flagship channel will be available as a live stream on ABC iview, along with ABC News 24, and from June 2016 the main channel will be available in high definition.

“As the national broadcaster, we will continue our commitment to Australian content, delivering a high-quality, deep and diverse slate, said Richard Finlayson, ABC Director of Television

“2016 is set to be a wonderful year of TV at the ABC. I invite you to Catch the Wonderful...”