I miss playing the piano.

It’s been a long time since I used to regularly play piano. I was only ever an OK pianist, but I could play by ear whether on an upright piano or an synthesizer. I spent several years as a restaurant pianist… but confession time… even through a month’s residency at Launceston Casino nobody ever knew I wasn’t playing live. I had sequenced every note of every bar of every song by ear (all my own work to be fair).

So I come to new ABC series The Piano with all the feels, completely understanding how a soul connects with the ivories. How it is personal, therapeutic, and a gift all at the same time. You step up to the piano with respect, but it will unleash creativity for all to bear witness.

This is a UK format in which upright pianos are positioned in public places – railway stations, markets etc – for members of the public to play before the cameras. In episode one a piano is located at Sydney’s Central Station, in episode two at Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. Amanda Keller serves as host as pianists young and old show what ‘hidden’ talent they have. In this most public of places it’s so much more endearing than on a Got Talent stage, as passers-by pause to appreciate the power of music.

But this is Reality TV, in a hybrid form, with two top judges secretly watching on. Harry Connick Jr. and classical pianist Andrea Lam are nearby scrutinising monitors, ready to invite one player per venue to perform in an end of series concert at Sydney’s City Recital Hall. Surprise.

Make no mistake, the real power in this series is the individuals who sit down at the keys. The styles range from Chopin and Beethoven to Taylor Swift and John Williamson. They play from 5 years old to 103 years young. There are original compositions. A quartet. A young man who, remarkably, even plays with one hand.

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For 17 Dom of Naraween, it’s a most personal matter.

“It’s not a very masculine thing… so I tried to hide it,” he says, adding, “The piano gives me a purpose.”

For 103 year old Bill it evokes memories and memory muscle.

“Playing a piano I have something to hang onto,” he says.

Andrew, 29, spent time in a mental health ward … he gravitated to a lone piano every day, while Michael, 76, is grateful to play to his wife in her nursing home because music makes her smile. It’s a story that evokes tears in the eyes of Amanda Keller, who reveals her own challenges with husband, Harley. “You feel like you lost them in increments.” Dammit, I just wanna give her a hug.

The Piano provides such power from screen to couch. You’ll smile, you’ll fight back tears with Keller as the perfect host, warm, spontaneous, down to earth and genuine. Even judges Harry Connick Jr. and Andrea Lam are lost for words at the talent sitting down to the keys while The Ghan pulls into platform.

One quibble, it’s very obvious producers have cast our pianists from far and wide. It’s not candid camera where randoms who just happened to be catching a train paused to play. I guess we have YouTube clips for that.

ABC has had huge success with magical shows like Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds and Muster Dogs. These are big crowd-pleasers that show the face of Australia and warm your heart. The Piano is easily the next in that line. It had me smiling from beginning to end, and maybe even longing to reacquaint myself with my own ‘hidden’ talent some day soon.