About the show
Two improv comedians get banished to a faraway galaxy, and kids help them find their way home with word suggestions and celebrity guests along the way.
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Our hosts, Matt Backer and Carlo Ritchie, have been banished into a galaxy far, far away and must collect special story objects to return home to the Story Salad Studio. Guided by your word suggestions, their journey is filled with outlandish realms and eccentric characters, brought to life by a stellar cast of celebrity guests. Join Rove McManus, Susie Youssef, Becky Lucas, Shane Jenek, and the Fairbairn Brothers as they make surprise appearances throughout the series.
Fast Facts
- Audience
- Ages 8–12
- Network
- ABC Australia,ABC
- Format
- Listen in any order
- Typical length
- 9 min
- Episodes
- 77
Listen now
Listen on the Once Upon a Pod app Hand-picked, kid-safe shows worth their earsor press play on any episode below to listen right here
Episodes
77 episodes
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Episode 10: The final chapter with Becky Lucas
12 min 18 March 2025This is it... the final instalment in this season of Story Salad Quest Mode! Will Matt and Carlo make it home? Will Becky Lucas overcome her vulnerability to form true friendship? And what does a half-eaten hotdog have to do with it all? You'll have to listen to find out!
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Episode 9: Map mystery with Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn
11 min 11 March 2025Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn are back, and they're taking Matt and Carlo deep into the belly of their stupendous ship. What wonders (or horrors!) might be hiding behind a door marked 'do not open'?
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Episode 8: Theme Park Planet with Shane Jenek
11 min 4 March 2025Shane Jenek returns to the space ship, joining Matt & Carlo on a journey to Theme Park Planet, the most thrilling, chaotic and dysfunctional place in the universe.
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Episode 7: Extra-terrestrial tumbling with Susie Youssef
12 min 25 February 2025Susie Youssef returns to the Story Salad Quest Mode spaceship, and she has brought her twin along with her for a tasty, tea-time treat.
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Episode 6: Cosmic shopping with Rove McManus
15 min 18 February 2025Rove McManus is back on deck, keeping Matt and Carlo company on their journey through the universe. The tremendous trio find themselves in need of new spacesuits, but come away with more than they bargained for.
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Episode 5: Snail tale with Becky Lucas
10 min 11 February 2025Hurtling through space at super speed, Matt and Carlo are faced with a moaning mollusc, and struggle to keep the sarcastic snail happy. Join them on this quest with special guest star, Becky Lucas.
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Episode 4: Mega stench with Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn
12 min 4 February 2025The saga continues, and Matt and Carlo's adventure takes a pungent turn as they land on a stinky planet, once home to a pair of grumpy janitors. Join them on this quest with special guest stars, Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn.
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Episode 3: Musical mayhem with Shane Jenek
12 min 28 January 2025Matt and Carlo are settling in to their new digs — a spaceship light years from home — but they long for the comfort of the Story Salad studio. They'll need to collect some special objects on their journey to make it back safely. Join them on this quest with special guest star, Shane Jenek.
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Episode 2: Galactic Giggles with Susie Youssef
13 min 21 January 2025The adventure continues for Matt and Carlo, stuck in deep space and on the hunt for mystery objects that could help bring them home. Join them on this quest with special guest star, Susie Youssef.
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Episode 1: Lost in Space with Rove McManus
11 min 14 January 2025Banished to the depths of space, Matt and Carlo must mix up the galaxy's greatest Story Salads and collect an array of mysterious items in order to unlock their escape route and return to the studio. Join them on this quest with special guest star, Rove McManus.
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The story of the time-travelling volcano
11 min 26 October 2026Thank you to Quest Head Alex for this fiery story starter.
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The story of Henrietta the horse
11 min 19 October 2026Henrietta is BACK and she is as chaotic as ever. Join Matt and Carlo for this a-neigh-zing (like amazing??) Story Salad Quest Mode, thanks to a story starter from Quest Head Elizabeth.
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The story of the allergic fire engine
7 min 12 October 2026Freddy the fire engine is allergic to dust! And it's not any old allergy - if poor Freddy gets a whiff of dust, he'll sneeze out frogs. You'll never guess where Freddy is sent on his next mission... Thank you to Quest Head Dhruv for this spectacularly sneezy story starter.
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The story of the baby moon chicken
11 min 5 October 2026The Nanna's are back in the studio! (It might be Matt and Carlo in disguise, we're still not totally sure...)
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The story of the paddling pastries
11 min 28 September 2026Matt and Carlo aren't in the studio today, so they have two lovely nanna's filling in for them (although these nanna's sound preeeeeetty similar to Matt and Carlo...) Thank you to Quest Head Greta for this delicious, buttery, sugary story starter.
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The story of Wally the Wobbegong
8 min 21 September 2026Wally the Wobbegong is swimming along when he gets his head stuck in a huge pile of parrotfish poo! But it's not all bad, because parrotfish poo is also known as... sand. Join Matt and Carlo for this cheeky underwater adventure. Thank you to Matthew for this illuminating story starter.
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The story of the fastest train ever
8 min 14 September 2026Matt and Carlo are introduced to Samson, the fastest train in the world, and very quickly meet almost every other mode of transport you could possibly think of. Thank you to Quest Head Nicholas for this transporting story starter.
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The story of the dancing zombies
11 min 7 September 2026Oh no! There's a zombie invasion! But, of course, this is Matt and Carlo's Story Salad Quest Mode studio, so things will change from serious to silly in no time, I'm sure! Thank you Perrie for this zombie-tastic story starter.
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The story of the lesson on bums
11 min 31 August 2026The teacher in this story is a bit confused - instead of teaching the class about sums, they're teaching them about bums! Thank you to Samuel for this fantastic story starter.
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The rhyming story of Bob the dog
11 min 24 August 2026Thank you to Quest Head Orrie who sent in this rhyming start to a story. You got Matt and Carlo doing their best to tell a story rhymier than the rest.
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The story of the psychic super chicken
11 min 17 August 2026A chicken with superpowers is on the hunt for a sidekick. Join Matt and Carlo as they figure out who has what it takes to join this superchicken fighting crime! Thank you Zoe for this silly story starter.
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The story of the astrological bull shark
11 min 10 August 2026We're heading underwater to meet a bull shark obsessed with the stars above - the sort of silly antics only Matt and Carlo could create. Thank you Zara for this wonderful story starter.
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The story of the speedy pets
7 min 3 August 2026Normally you'd send in just three words for Story Salad, but this time we're hungry for more... Join Matt and his team of expert improvisers as they take a story starter, and mix it up into a wild, hilarious adventure, on the spot!
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The story of the enchanted furniture
8 min 27 July 2026A polite princess stumbled upon a talking chair in the middle of the woods, and so of course she asked nicely before she took a seat. Things start to go a bit strange from there... but that's Story Salad Quest Mode for you! Thank you to Quest Head Scarlett for this wonderful story starter.
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The story of the lost imagination
11 min 20 July 2026It's Matt and Carlo's worst nightmare - an imagination has gone missing! And what's worse, without an imagination to think of ideas, they have no idea where to even start looking to find it... will our Quest Mode hosts be able to save the day?
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The story of the missing flowers
11 min 13 July 2026Matt and Carlo are inspired to whip this story starter into a SATSTSSQM... oh you've never heard of it? That's a 'speaking at the same time Story Salad: Quest Mode', and it involves our hosts saying everything together!
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The story of the cousin's battle
11 min 6 July 2026It started off as a summer's day like any other, but then the cousins came along and started a water fight for the ages. Will Matt and Carlo emerge victorious in time for lunch? Thank you Marcus for this brilliant story starter.
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The story of the stationery scuffle
11 min 29 June 2026There's a battle that has been raging for longer than anyone can remember, and it's over... a rainbow pencil? How will Matt and Carlo solve this complicated conflict? Thank you Lucy for this wonderfully colourful story starter.
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The story of the baby stealing seasnake
11 min 22 June 2026Matt and Carlo travel deep underwater for Quest Mode this week, to confront an egg-stealing sea snake. Will they emerge victorious? Thank you Lorenzo for this wonderful story starter.
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The story of the massive toot cloud
11 min 15 June 2026It's hard to see where you're going in this jungle because one of the residents, uh, fluffed in a big way. How are Matt and Carlo going to weave their way out of this one? Thank you to Lenny for this pongy story starter.
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