Territory (TV series)

Last updated

Territory
Created byBen Davies and Timothy Lee
Written byTimothy Lee
Kodie Bedford
Steven McGregor
Michaeley O'Brien
Directed by Greg McLean
Starring Anna Torv
Michael Dorman
Robert Taylor
Sam Corlett
Theme music composer Johnny Klimek
Gabriel Isaac Mounsey
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerPaul Ranford
Production companiesEasy Tiger Productions
Ronde
Original release
Network Netflix
Release24 October 2024 (2024-10-24)

Territory is an Australian six-part neo-Western drama television series. Starring Anna Torv, Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor, and Sam Corlett, the series was released on Netflix on 24 October 2024.

Contents

Plot

The world's largest cattle station, Marianne Station, has been owned for generations by the Lawson family dynasty. [1] It becomes a prize to be sought after by rival cattle farmers, various gangsters, Australian Aboriginal elders, and mining magnates after the Lawsons lose a son, Daniel, due to inherit the property in a suspicious riding accident. The first episode unfolds a major battle for succession beginning at his funeral. [2] The second centres on the search for a wayward and thieving grandson of the current owner Colin, who bears several grudges against the family but is plunged into the limelight when Colin impetuously announces him as an heir to the property instead of his alcoholic son, Graham. There is also a vote for the 'Territory Cattlemen's Association' that is powerful in controlling subcontracting and export, lost by Graham Lawson in favour of an ambitious rival.

Cast


Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Greg McLean Timothy LeeOctober 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
2"Episode 2"Greg McLean Kodie Bedford October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
3"Episode 3"Greg McLean Steven McGregor October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
4"Episode 4"Greg McLean Michaeley O'Brien October 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
5"Episode 5"Greg McLeanSteven McGregorOctober 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)
6"Episode 6"Greg McLeanTimothy LeeOctober 24, 2024 (2024-10-24)

Background and production

Tim Lee and Ben Davies (of Ronde) were the creators of the series. Davies also co-executive produced, and Lee co-wrote the episodes with Kodie Bedford, Steven McGregor, and Michaeley O'Brien. Greg McLean directed and Paul Ranford produced the series. [1] [2] It is jointly produced by Easy Tiger Productions and Ronde, [2] [3] [4] with support from Screen Territory and the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC). [5] [2]

The series was first titled Desert King, with its new title, Territory, announced in July 2024, three months before its release. [6] [7]

Filming locations included Kakadu National Park and Tipperary Station, [1] both in the Northern Territory of Australia, [2] as well as Mallala, a small town on the Adelaide Plains. [8] Production and post-production took place in Adelaide, South Australia. [2] It is the biggest Netflix production to be filmed in South Australia. [9]

During production, around 140 of the 180 NT staff lived at the station, which is situated in a very remote location. The series is one of the largest local productions filmed in both the Northern Territory and South Australia. [10]

Release

There was a preview screening at the Palace Nova in Adelaide on 22 October 2024, attended by 150 guests, including many of the cast and crew, along with politicians, SAFC board members, and others. [11]

The six-part series airs on Netflix from 24 October 2024. [1] [12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Territory has an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. [13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 71 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [14]

Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian gave it 4 stars out of five, calling it a "rollicking Aussie drama... a sensationally heady mix", and praising the lead and supporting cast, in particular Clarence Ryan. [15] Buckmaster and others have compared the plot to the popular American series, Yellowstone , [8] [16] [17] as well as the comedy drama series Succession . [15] [18]

Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter thought it somewhat derivative, but distinctive in several ways. He also wrote that "Territory does better than Yellowstone in its attempts at weaving the Native perspective into the storytelling", with Indigenous Australians represented as the traditional owners of the land. [17] Alexa Scarlata, a research fellow at RMIT University, wrote that the series "does a great job of establishing a simmering tension between the traditional owners of the land and the families and businesses that have taken possession of it", although thought that it moved a bit slowly, perhaps catering for the international audience who were not familiar with the Australian context. [18]

Anthony Morris of ScreenHub Australia gave the series 4 stars out of 5, headlining his review "a soapy Shakespearean outback saga". [19]

Most of the reviews commented on the stunning locations, drone shots, and the amount of effort put into the props, showing a side of Australia not usually seen in popular TV series. [18] [17] [15] [19]

Related Research Articles

Robert John Taylor is an Australian actor who has appeared in many films and television series in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. On television, he is known for playing the lead role of Walt Longmire in the A&E/Netflix television series Longmire. His film credits include Agent Jones in The Matrix (1999), and also had roles in Vertical Limit (2000) and The Meg (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas M. Wright</span> Australian actor

Thomas Michael Wright is an Australian actor, writer, film director and producer. He is the co-founder (2006) and director of theatre company Black Lung and director of the feature films Acute Misfortune (2019) and The Stranger (2022). As an actor he came to attention in Jane Campion's series Top of the Lake, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the (US-Canadian) Critics' Choice Awards. The Stranger premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian Film Corporation</span>

South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972 to engage in film production and promote the film industry, located in Adelaide, South Australia. The Adelaide Studios are managed by the South Australian Film Corporation for the use of the South Australian film industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Strahovski</span> Australian actress (born 1982)

Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski, known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski, is an Australian actress. She is known for roles as Sarah Walker in the spy comedy drama series Chuck (2007–2012), Hannah McKay in the drama series Dexter (2012–2013) and Kate Morgan in the event series 24: Live Another Day (2014). Strahovski stars as Serena Joy Waterford in the drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), for which she has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Hany</span> Australian actor

Don Hany is an Australian film, television and stage actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Torv</span> Australian actress (born 1979)

Anna Torv is an Australian actress who has worked extensively in the United States. Her performance as Olivia Dunham in the Fox science fiction series Fringe (2008–2013) earned her four consecutive Saturn Awards for Best Actress on Television, a record for any performer. She portrayed psychologist Wendy Carr in the Netflix period crime drama Mindhunter from 2017 to 2019, and Tess in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us in 2023. She is especially known in Australia for the ABC drama The Newsreader, for which she won two consecutive AACTA Awards. She stars in the Netflix drama series set in the Northern Territory of Australia called Territory, which premiered in October 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Henshall</span> Australian actor (born 1982)

Daniel Edwin Henshall is an Australian actor. Following his film debut in Snowtown (2011), for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Henshall appeared in films such as The Babadook (2014), Okja (2017), Acute Misfortune (2018), and Catch the Fair One (2021).

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

Sarah Ruth Snook is an Australian actress. She is best known for her starring role as Shiv Roy in the HBO drama series Succession (2018–2023), for which she won two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Sachin Joab is an Australian actor. He took an interest in acting during primary school and attended various acting schools and workshops. Since graduating from the National Theatre, Joab has appeared in several films and television, including City Homicide, Rush, My Year Without Sex, 10 Terrorists, and Conspiracy 365. In 2011, Joab successfully auditioned for the recurring role of Ajay Kapoor in the soap opera Neighbours. He was later promoted to the main cast. Joab left the show in May 2013. The actor has since appeared in SBS miniseries Better Man, feature films Lion (2016) and Hotel Mumbai (2018), and television series Pine Gap, The Hunting, Upright, and Jack Irish.

Yellowstone is an American neo-Western drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson that premiered on June 20, 2018, on Paramount Network. The series stars Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham. The series follows the conflicts along the shared borders of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, a large cattle ranch, the Broken Rock Indian reservation, Yellowstone National Park, and land developers. The fifth season will be its last and is set to be followed by a sequel series titled The Madison. The first part of the fifth and final season premiered on November 13, 2022, while the second part premiered on November 10, 2024.

<i>Sweet Country</i> (2017 film) 2017 Australian drama film

Sweet Country is a 2017 Australian drama film, directed by Warwick Thornton. Set in 1929 in the sparsely populated outback of the Northern Territory and based on a series of true events, it tells a harsh story against the backdrop of a divided society in the interwar period in Australia.

<i>Rams</i> (2020 film) 2020 Australian film directed by Jeremy Sims

Rams is a 2020 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Jeremy Sims, written by Jules Duncan, and starring Sam Neill, Michael Caton, and Miranda Richardson. It is based on the Icelandic drama film Rams (2015) by Grímur Hákonarson.

Aftertaste is an Australian television comedy series on ABC TV, first airing on 3 February 2021. It is created by Julie De Fina and Matthew Bate, produced by Closer Productions. The first season was directed by Jonathan Brough, and the second, airing from 20 July 2022, by Renée Webster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Cubis</span> Australian actor

Alexander Cubis is an Australian actor and attorney, known for his roles on Netflix fantasy series Mako Mermaids, eOne drama Between Two Worlds and Tyler Perry drama series Ruthless. He will appear in the upcoming feature film Tender and TV series adaptation of Black Dagger Brotherhood. Cubis has also appeared in Dear White People, Rake and Unverified for Funny or Die. He was named one of Who Magazine’s Sexiest People.

<i>The Newsreader</i> Australian television series

The Newsreader is an Australian television drama series created by Michael Lucas, which is broadcast on ABC Television, starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid. The show explores the personal and professional lives of the journalists and crew in a 1980s Australian newsroom.

Rebecca "Bec" Summerton is an Australian film producer who does most of her work with Closer Productions in Adelaide, South Australia. Working in film and television across many genres, she is known for producing 52 Tuesdays, The Hunting, Aftertaste, and Animals.

Kodie Bedford is an Aboriginal Australian screenwriter, filmmaker and playwright from Western Australia. She is known for her play Cursed!, and work on several television series, in particular the 2021 comedy series All My Friends Are Racist.

Jillian Nguyen is an Australian actress. She has played main roles in the 2022 film Loveland, the 2022 ABC television series Barons, and the 2023 animated film Scarygirl, as well as supporting roles in the 2020 SBS ensemble drama Hungry Ghosts, the 2021 film Millie Lies Low, and the 2023 mystery drama One Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippa Northeast</span> Australian actress (born 1994)

Philippa Northeast is an Australian actor, known for her role as Evelyn MacGuire in the soap opera Home and Away from 2013 until 2017. After leaving Home and Away, Northeast starred in the 2019 romantic comedy film Standing Up for Sunny with RJ Mitte. She also starred in the Hallmark television film A Royal Runaway Romance (2022). In 2023, Northeast played the recurring role of Lily in the Australian comedy series In Limbo. She was also cast as Kay Walters in the second season of The Newsreader, and joined the supporting cast of Network 10 drama Paper Dolls. She plays Susie Lawson in the 2024 neo-Western series Territory.

<i>Thou Shalt Not Steal</i> (TV series) Australian television comedy series

Thou Shalt Not Steal is an Australian crime comedy drama television series created by Dylan River and Tanith Glynn-Maloney that premiered on 17 October 2024, on Stan. The series follows a pair of teenagers as they are chased across the desert by a sex worker and fraudulent preacher. It stars Sherry-Lee Watson, Will McDonald, Miranda Otto, and Noah Taylor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Slatter, Sean (17 July 2024). "Netflix turns 'Desert King' into 'Territory' with Anna Torv leading the cast". IF Magazine . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "First look at biggest Netflix series ever filmed in SA". We Are SA. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Netflix series Territory taking outback Australia to rest of the world". Mediaweek . 24 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  4. ↑ "Territory (2024)". Screen Australia . Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  5. ↑ Bentley, Jean (24 October 2024). "Territory: Everything to Know About the Australian Outback Drama". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  6. ↑ Vann-Wall, Silvi (19 July 2024). "Netflix's Desert King becomes Territory three months out from premiere". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "First look, cast and release date announced for SA made Netflix series Territory". SAFC . 18 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  8. 1 2 Smith, Melissa (24 July 2024). "South Aussie town's Netflix debut in outback drama 'Territory'". Greater SA. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  9. ↑ Dare, Laura (8 October 2024). "SA's screen scene is popping! Here's what to watch where". The Post. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  10. ↑ Slatter, Sean (20 September 2023). "Netflix sets out the realm of the 'Desert King' across the Northern Territory and South Australia". IF Magazine. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Netflix series Territory gets rave reviews as cast and crew hit red carpet in SA". SAFC. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  12. ↑ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (24 October 2024). "Netflix's Territory zeroes in on dysfunctional family dynasty". ABC News. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "Territory: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  14. ↑ "Territory: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 Buckmaster, Luke (22 October 2024). "Territory review – 'Succession in the outback' makes for rollicking TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Netflix greenlights first drama to be filmed in the Northern Territory". The New Daily . 22 September 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 Fienberg, Daniel (23 October 2024). "'Territory' Review: Netflix's Epic but Derivative Cattle-Ranching Drama Plays Like Aussie 'Yellowstone'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 Scarlata, Alexa (24 October 2024). "Netflix's Territory is a Succession-like drama packed with family rivalry and betrayal, set in Australia's outback". The Conversation . Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  19. 1 2 Morris, Anthony (23 October 2024). "Territory, Netflix review: a soapy Shakespearean outback saga". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 25 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.