Scrublands (TV series)

Last updated
Scrublands
GenreDrama
Based on Scrublands (novel) by Chris Hammer
Directed by
Greg McLean
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Amanda Duthie
  • Michael Healy
  • Caliah Scolbie
  • Andy Ryan
Producers
  • Ian Collie
  • Rob Gibson
Production company
Easy Tiger Productions
Original release
Network Stan
Release16 November 2023 (2023-11-16) –
present

Scrublands is an Australian drama series for Stan, released on 16 November 2023, produced by Easy Tiger and based on the novel written by Chris Hammer. The series follows journalist Martin Scarsden, who is following what he believed to be a simple story on the town on the anniversary of a town tragedy, with nothing as it seems, Martin digs deep to reveal the truth behind what happened. A second series of Scrublands was announced in March 2024.

Contents

Plot

A small isolated town is rocked by tragedy after a local priest shoots dead five parishioners, as the town continues to grieve Martin Scardsen a journalist finds himself in the small town in what he thinks would be a simple story about the tragedy but what unfolds in finding out the truth will push Martin to his limits. [1]

Cast

Series 1 (Scrublands)

Series 2 (Scrublands: Sliver)

Series two cast were named when the series was renewed on 5 June 2024, with Arnold and Heathcote both reprising their roles from the first series. [2]

Episodes

Series 1 (2023)

No. In SeriesTitleDirected byWritten byAir dateRef
1Episode 1Greg McLeanFelicity Packard16 November 2023 [3]
2Episode 2Kelsey Munro
3Episode 3Jock Serong
4Episode 4Felicity Packard

Production

The series is based on the novel written by Chris Hammer. Production of the series was announced on 27 February 2023 as a joint filming commission between Stan and the Nine Network, with filming taking place in Victoria. [1] Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote, and Jay Ryan were cast in the lead roles. Greg McLean directed the series, with Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro, and Jock Serong as writers. [4] [5] Series 1 was produced by Easy Tiger.

BBC acquired the rights to air the show in the UK. [6] US broadcaster AMC announced in April 2024 that it had acquired the rights for the series.. [7]

In March 2024 a second series was announced. [8] [9] In June 2024, it was announced that filming would be moving from Victoria to Western Australia. [10] [11]

Release

Season 1 of the series was released on Stan on 16 November 2023, [12] [13] and was aired on BBC Four in the UK in the same month, [14] it also aired on AMC from 2 May 2024. [7]

Reception

Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian rated the series 4 stars, saying the story can be a "bit pulpy", but that it was a rock solid addition to "rural noir". [15]

David Knox of TV Tonight also rated the series 4 stars. Knox said that while the four episodes make for a slow burn, it remained engaging with the cast and story. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasma Walton</span> Australian actress

Tasma Walton is an Australian television and film actress.

Debra Lawrance is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role on Home and Away, as Pippa Ross, which she played from 1990 to 1998 and in a number of subsequent return appearances, the most recent being in 2009.

Fletcher Humphrys is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Brett 'Brick' Buchanon in McLeod's Daughters and as Alex Kearns in All Saints.

Nicholas Bell is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 30 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Lindsay Taylor</span> Australian actor (born 1973)

Jeremy Lindsay Taylor is an Australian actor.

Caroline Brazier is an Australian actress who is best known for the role of Chrissy Merchant in Packed to the Rafters and the starring roles of Veronica Johnson and her twin sister Betti in the children's television series Parallax. Brazier has also had a number of roles in the theatre, films and other television series.

Justin Rosniak is an Australian television and film actor, best known for his appearances in the television series Packed to the Rafters, Police Rescue, Squinters and Mr Inbetween.

Luke Pegler is an Australian actor who is known for Scott Wiper's The Condemned and Gregory Dark's See No Evil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bella Heathcote</span> Australian actress (born 1987)

Isabella Heathcote is an Australian actress. Following her film debut in Acolytes (2008), she had a recurring role as Amanda Fowler on the television soap opera Neighbours (2009). She gained further recognition for her dual roles as Victoria Winters and Josette du Pres in the dark fantasy film Dark Shadows (2012), and Olive Byrne in the biographical drama film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Garvey</span> Australian actor

Damien Garvey is an Australian actor and former musician known for his film and television roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Demetriades</span> Australian actress

Andrea Demetriades is an Australian actress known for her television, theatre and film roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Arnold</span> Australian actor and author

Luke Arnold is an Australian actor and author, who is known for portraying John Silver in the Starz drama series Black Sails (2014–2017) and INXS singer Michael Hutchence in the miniseries INXS: Never Tear Us Apart (2014).

Barracuda is an Australian drama miniseries, first broadcast on ABC TV starting 10 July 2016. The series is based on Barracuda, the 2013 novel by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, which explores a brutal clash of cultures, dreams and expectations and the relentless demands that are placed upon young athletes, their families, friends, schools and coaches.

<i>Scrublands</i> (novel) 2018 novel by Chris Hammer

Scrublands is the first novel by Australian author Chris Hammer. The story is set in the fictitious town of Riversend in New South Wales during a period of intense drought, and revolves around a small-town priest who kills five of his parishioners before being shot himself, and a journalist's investigation into his motivations. The novel is a crime thriller told in third person present tense.

Julian Maroun is an Australian actor, best known for his roles as Corporal Peter "Pepsi" Abboud in Fighting Season and Farid in Logie Award-winning miniseries Romper Stomper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamish Michael</span> Australian actor

Hamish Michael is an Australian actor. Michael is also a sought after voice artist.

Black Snow is an Australian crime drama television series set in an Australian South Sea Islander community in northern Queensland. It was released on Stan on 1 January 2023. A second season was announced in March 2024.The second series goes to air on 1 January 2025.

Arka Das is an Australian actor, director and screenwriter. For his performance in Here Out West, he was nominated for the 2023 Logie Award Most Outstanding Supporting Actor. He wrote and starred in the Brotherhood segment of the film and featured in the next chapter, The Eternal Dance. He also received a nomination for the 2021 AWGIE Awards in the Original Feature Film category for the same project.

Human Error is an Australian television crime drama for the Nine Network, released on 11 September 2024. Created by Greg Haddick, the series follows the life of police officer Holly O'Rourke and her police team with a case that could ruin Holly's reputation and career. Holly wants to redeem herself with the investigation, but as lies unravel the race to catch a killer is underway.

Four Years Later is an eight-part Australian-Indian romance drama, premiering on SBS on 2 October 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Knox, David (27 February 2023). "Scrublands, new drama underway for Stan. | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Slatter, Sean (4 June 2024). "Luke Carroll, Debra Lawrance, David Roberts head west for 'Scrublands: Silver'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  3. ↑ "Scrublands | Now Streaming | A Stan Original Series". Stan. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  4. ↑ Whittock, Jesse (26 February 2023). "'Scrublands': Luke Arnold, Bella Heathcote & Jay Ryan To Lead Stan And Nine Network Drama Series Based On Chris Hammer Novel". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Scrublands filming begins!". Deadline Hollywood . 8 March 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Knox, David (5 September 2023). "BBC acquires Stan drama, Scrublands. | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 Writer, Staff (8 April 2024). "Gritty and Gripping Australian Crime Drama, Scrublands, Premieres Thursday, May 2 on Sundance Now and AMC+" . Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Knox, David (12 March 2024). "Stan unveils bumper Originals slate". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Scrublands: Silver (2024)". Screen Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  10. ↑ Knox, David (5 June 2024). "Filming underway on Scrublands: Silver | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  11. ↑ Frater, Patrick (5 June 2024). "'Scrublands,' Australian Hit Series Starring Bella Heathcote and Luke Arnold, Renewed for Second Season". Variety. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Scrublands". Australian Television Information Archive. 30 October 1998. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Knox, David (4 October 2023). "Airdate: Scrublands | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "BBC acquires new Australian crime thriller Scrublands". BBC Media Centre. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (23 November 2023). "Scrublands review – Chris Hammer adaptation is a rock solid addition to Australian rural noir". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  16. ↑ Knox, David (16 November 2023). "Scrublands | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.