The Unlisted

Last updated

The Unlisted
Unlisted title v038 offnetflix still.049 670.jpg
Genre
Created byJustine Flynn
Written by
  • Mithila Gupta
  • Timothy Lee
  • Tristram Baumber
  • Chris Kunz
  • Greg Waters
  • Jane Allen
  • Rhys Graham
  • Nicholas Brown
  • Natesha Somasundaram
Directed by
  • Rhys Graham
  • Justine Flynn
  • Neil Sharma
  • Nick Verso
  • Lucy Gaffy
  • Rebecca O'Brien
Starring
  • Ved Rao
  • Vrund Rao
  • Miah Madden
  • Abigail Adriano
  • Nya Cofie
  • Jean Hinchliffe
Opening theme"Another Brick in the Wall" by Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg
Composers
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes15 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Justine Flynn
  • Libbie Doherty
  • Carla de Jong
Producers
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time23–25 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC Me
Release15 September 2019 (2019-09-15)

The Unlisted is an Australian children's science fiction drama television series. The series follows the story of 13-year-old identical twins, Drupad and Kalpen Sharma, who work with a group of underground vigilante children, who call themselves "The Unlisted", in order to stop a powerful corporation from imposing global control over the world's youth by inserting a tracking device, which also allows them to be remotely controlled. [1] [2]

Contents

The Unlisted is produced by Polly Staniford and Angie Fielder. It is executive produced by Justine Flynn, Libbie Doherty, and Carla De Jong. The creator and showrunner is Justine Flynn. The series is directed by Rhys Graham, Justine Flynn, Neil Sharma, Nick Verso, Lucy Gaffy, and Rebecca O’Brien. It was written by Mithila Gupta, Timothy Lee, Tristram Baumber, Chris Kunz, Greg Waters, Jane Allen, Rhys Graham, Nicholas Brown, and Natesha Somasundaram. [3] It is an Aquarius Films production. Netflix has acquired global rights outside Australia. [4] As of July 2024, the series has neither been officially canceled by ABC Me, nor renewed for a second season. [5]

Premise

The show follows thirteen-year-old identical twins who discover that a corporation, in cohort with the government, is secretly tracking and manipulating Australia's youth. It is being done via electronic tracking devices that are installed during a 'routine' dental exam, under the name of Global Child Initiative Programme. When the duo discovers that the programme is all a sham, they pair up with a group of underground vigilantes, who call themselves as 'The Unlisted', to stop the powerful and evil corporation from gaining control over the world's youth. They must stop the wicked authorities from creating an army of young soldiers who can be manipulated to serve the wealthiest of society.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1 1515 October 2019 (2019-10-15)

Season 1 (2019)

Episode NO.Episode nameOriginal airdate
1Episode 115 September 2019
Dru escapes a dreaded dental check-up by convincing Kal to take his place. Later, strange things start happening as the family celebrates Diwali.
2Episode 215 September 2019
After Dru struggles to keep up with other kids during a fitness test, he hacks into the school's computer system and makes a startling discovery.
3Episode 315 September 2019
When Dadi volunteers at a school event, Kal must keep his incredible strength under wraps. But Vidya suspects that her brothers are hiding something.
4Episode 415 September 2019
Dru and Kal join forces with the unlisted, runaway kids who escaped the Infinity Group. But a crisis threatens to expose them all.
5Episode 515 September 2019
When workers discover the tunnel, the unlisted are forced to flee.Meanwhile, the twins reunite with a friend—but something seems off.
6Episode 615 September 2019
Social media influencer Kymara posts a video containing a secret message to her followers.But she makes a mistake that puts the unlisted at risk.
7Episode 715 September 2019
Dru and Kal weigh whether they can trust Jiao. The students take a field trip to GCI headquarters, where a scavenger hunt test their abilities.
8Episode 815 September 2019
Horrified by the incident at GCI headquarters, the twins confide in Aunt Bua. A new teacher replaces Miss Biggs and divides the students into groups.
9Episode 915 September 2019
With GCI drones swarming all around, Rose and Gemma make a risky plan to meet another unlisted kid. Kal's Elite status starts to go to his head.
10Episode 1015 September 2019
Emma Ainsworth, the CEO of the infinity group, interrogates Rose and Mack. As Kal grows closer to Regan, Dru wonders which side his brother's really on.
11Episode 1115 September 2019
GCI Trains a new crop of students with special abilities. With an epic storm looming, the twins plot an elaborate rescue.
12Episode 1215 September 2019
As the hunt for the missing kids heats up, the unlisted hides out at the Sharmas' house, where Jacob stumbles across a secret.
13Episode 1315 September 2019
While Emma Ainsworth subjects the elite to a harrowing training, Dru works with the unlisted to take down the GCI mainframe.
14Episode 1415 September 2019
The Unlisted film a manifesto and take to the streets to spread their message. Meanwhile, the Infinity Group sends Kal after Dru.
15Episode 1515 September 2019
During the Global Child Congress, Dadi helps the unlisted break into GCI headquarters, where Kal faces the ultimate decision.

Reception

Critical response

The first season has received generally positive reviews, with praise for the acting, directing, story, visuals and themes. Ruth Prarthana of Deccan Chronicle praised The Unlisted giving it a 4 out of 5, stating that "The Unlisted works because it offers only 15 episodes that capture the narrative in fast-paced manner with no needless drama." [6] Reviewing for Common Sense Media , Ayize Everett wrote "This Australian drama is fairly light and fun, despite the overtones of menace." [7]

Writing for Decider , John Serba was concerned about the performances of actors stating that, "It seems to be fishing around for a consistent tone ... Its modest stabs at comedy fall flat, and the serious moments fall prey to stiff dialogue and performances", but he also praised other aspects of the series including the theme song. [8]

Accolades

YearAssociationCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2019 AACTA Awards Best Children's Television Series The UnlistedNominated [9]
Best Original Music Score in Television
Nominated
Best Editing in Television Mat EvansNominated
Casting Guild of Australia Achievement in Casting Gemma Brown and Kirsty McGregorWon [10]
2020 Australian Directors' Guild Best Direction of a Children's TV or SVOD Drama Program Rebecca O'Brien and Lucy GaffyNominated [11]
International Youth Jury PrizeWorld's best fiction program for 11-15-year-oldsThe UnlistedWon [12]
TBI Content Innovation AwardsBest Live Action Kids ProgrammeAquarius FilmsNominated [13]

Soundtrack

The Unlisted (Original Music from the ABC/Netflix Series)
The Unlisted Soundtrack Cover.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Released15 September 2019 (2019-09-15)
Genre Progressive rock
Length65:00
Label Great Garbo Music
Producer ABC Me
Netflix
Singles from The Unlisted
  1. "Another Brick In The Wall"
    Released: 15 September 2019 (2019-09-15)

Track listing

The Unlisted (Original Music from the ABC/Netflix Series) [14] [15]
No.TitleLength
1."The Unlisted: Main Theme"2:25
2."The Elite"2:32
3."Drops"2:51
4."Rebellion"2:32
5."Succeed"3:14
6."The Underworld"2:57
7."Sunrise over Woolloomooloo"2:15
8."Another Brick In The Wall"2:35
9."Investigations"3:13
10."Under the Trees"1:57
11."Everybody Is Frozen"2:01
12."Surveillance"4:28
13."As the Story Unfolds"2:53
14."Stronger"2:18
15."Escape the City"2:36
16."Thunder"5:10
17."Science Experiments"3:00
18."Midnight"3:00
19."Wires"4:28
20."The Establishment"3:00
21."Dentist"2:12
22."Womb"2:54

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kal Penn</span> American actor and civil servant (born 1977)

Kalpen Suresh Modi, known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Lawson</span> Australian actor

Ben Lawson is an Australian actor. From 2006 until 2008, he played Frazer Yeats in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. The role earned him a Logie Award nomination. Lawson has since appeared in several American television series, including The Deep End, Covert Affairs, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. In 2011, he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in the film No Strings Attached. From 2017 to 2018, he starred as Damien Rennett on the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. He also played baseball coach Rick Wlodimierzin in the second season of 13 Reasons Why, and Larry Hemsworth on The Good Place. Lawson portrays Lachlan Murdoch in the 2019 film Bombshell, alongside his brother Josh Lawson who played James Murdoch. Since 2021, he stars in the Netflix series Firefly Lane.

Upper Middle Bogan is an Australian television comedy program created by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope. It began screening on ABC on 15 August 2013. The series is directed by Hope and Tony Martin. The second and third series began airing on 16 October 2014 and 12 October 2016, respectively.

<i>Mahabharat</i> (2013 TV series) Indian television series

Mahabharat is a 2013 Indian epic mythological television series based on the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. It aired from 16 September 2013 to 16 August 2014 on Star Plus. The series is available digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Swastik Productions Pvt. Ltd, it starred Saurabh Raj Jain, Pooja Sharma, Shaheer Sheikh and Aham Sharma.

<i>Glitch</i> (Australian TV series) Australian paranormal drama television series

Glitch is an Australian supernatural drama television series developed by Tony Ayres and Louise Fox, which is set in the fictional country town of Yoorana, Victoria, and follows seven people who return from the dead in perfect health but with no memory. No one in the town knows why the deceased have returned.

<i>Designated Survivor</i> (TV series) 2016 American political thriller series

Designated Survivor is an American political thriller drama television series created by David Guggenheim. It aired for three seasons, beginning on ABC and then exclusively on Netflix for the third and final season. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Thomas Kirkman, an American academic named as the designated survivor for the State of the Union address, who suddenly ascends from the position of U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to President of the United States after an explosion kills everyone ahead of him in the presidential line of succession. Kirkman deals with his inexperience as head of state while looking to uncover the truth behind the attack.

<i>Beat Bugs</i> Childrens television series

Beat Bugs is an animated children's television series, created by Josh Wakely, and produced for Netflix by Grace: A Storytelling Company and Thunderbird Entertainment since 2016. The series is centred around five young anthropomorphised insects who live in an overgrown suburban backyard and learn life lessons while having adventures. Wakely acquired worldwide rights from Sony/ATV Music Publishing to a catalogue of music by the Beatles to feature in the series. The program features versions of songs by the popular rock group, performed by contemporary recording artists and interwoven into the narrative.

<i>The Letdown</i> Australian comedy television series

The Letdown is an Australian comedy television series that first premiered on ABC in 2016. It follows the adventures of Audrey, including her struggles as a new mum in an oddball mothers' group. It ran for two seasons between 4 May 2016 and 3 July 2019.

<i>Bluey</i> (2018 TV series) Australian animated preschool television series

Bluey is an Australian animated preschool television series which premiered on ABC Kids on 1 October 2018. The program was created by Joe Brumm and is produced by Queensland-based company Ludo Studio. It was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation, with BBC Studios holding global distribution and merchandising rights. The series made its international premiere on Disney Junior in the United States and is released widely on Disney+.

<i>All About the Washingtons</i> 2018 American TV series or program

All About the Washingtons is an American comedy television series created by Jeremy Bronson that premiered on August 10, 2018, on Netflix. The series is executive produced by Bronson alongside showrunner Andrew Reich and stars Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons, Justine Simmons, and Kiana Ledé. In October 2018, it was announced that Netflix had canceled the series after one season.

<i>Superwog</i> Australian comedy duo

Superwog1 or just simply Superwog, is a YouTube duo consisting of two Australian brothers, Theodore and Nathan Saidden. The channel consists of various videos including comedies and skits. They have gained over 3 million subscribers and 483 million video views. They have produced a television comedy series based on their YouTube sketch comedies. The series follows Theo, aka "Superwog", his family, and his friend Johnny, getting into all kinds of trouble throughout the Australian suburbia.

<i>The Inbestigators</i> 2019 Australian television series

The Inbestigators is an Australian mystery children's television series. The show stars Abby Bergman, Anna Cooke, Aston Droomer and Jamil Smyth-Secka as Ava Andrikides, Maudie Miller, Ezra Banks and Kyle Klimson, respectively. The characters are fifth-graders who solve crimes in their school and neighbourhood. Created by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, the series has the comic tone of Little Lunch and an air of mystery. The show aired in two series from 21 June to 30 November 2019 on ABC Me. Netflix released the first and second series in mid-2019 and early 2020 respectively.

<i>Frayed</i> (TV series) Australian and British television comedy-drama series

Frayed is an Australian-British comedy-drama television series on ABC TV and Sky UK. It premiered in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2019 and in Australia on 16 October. The series was created and written by Australian comedian Sarah Kendall, who also stars in it. The first series of six episodes is set in 1988 London and Newcastle, New South Wales. Kendall portrays Sammy, who is an affluent Australian-born British resident with two teenage children. After her husband dies disgracefully and leaves a bankrupt estate, Sammy returns home to live with her mother Jean and younger brother Jim. She encounters former boyfriend Dan and works for politician Chris, while fending off Jim's abrasive girlfriend Bev.

Stateless is an Australian television drama series launched on ABC TV on 1 March 2020. The six episodes were released on Netflix on 8 July 2020.

Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg is the Swiss/Australian composer trio sometimes referred to as the Baldenweg siblings. In the field of advertising they are also firming as Great Garbo, stylised GREAT GARBO.

<i>First Day</i> (TV series) 2020 Australian TV series or program

First Day is an Australian drama television series which premiered on ABC Me on 30 March 2020. The series originated as a short film of the same title which aired in 2017. The series retells elements of the short film. The series was filmed in Adelaide, South Australia including on location at Marryatville High School and Mercedes College.

Nora Baldenweg is a Swiss Australian musician, vocalist, composer, producer and creative director in fashion. She was the first Swiss female composer to be nominated for the World Soundtrack Awards.

Fisk is an Australian television comedy series on ABC Television, first airing on 17 March 2021. The second season aired in 2022, and the third premiered on 20 October 2024. Seasons 1 and 2 are also broadcast on Netflix and by other outlets around the world. The series is co-created and co-written by comedian Kitty Flanagan, and takes its name from its central character Helen Tudor-Fisk, played by Flanagan, who joins a small legal firm after returning to her hometown, Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miah Madden</span> Australian actress and presenter (born 2002)

Miah Grace Madden is an Australian actress and presenter. She began her career as a child actress in the film The Sapphires (2012) and the ABC Television series The Gods of Wheat Street (2014). She has since starred in the ABC Me series The Unlisted (2019), the 10 Shake series Dive Club (2021), and the Network 10 and Paramount+ series Paper Dolls (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarius Films</span> Australian entertainment company

Aquarius Films is an independent Australian film and TV production company based in Sydney, founded in 2008 by producers Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford. TV credits include Love Me, The Unusual Suspects, The Other Guy and Savage River Film credits include Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated Lion starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, produced by Aquarius in association with See-Saw Films and the psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome starring Teresa Palmer and Directed by Cate Shortland which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, Dirt Music, directed by Gregor Jordan and starring Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Macdonald and David Wenham and Wish You Were Here, starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and won two Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, including Best Screenplay, and five Film Critics Circle Awards, including Best Film.

References

  1. Knox, David (6 February 2018). "ABC plans new kids drama The Unlisted". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  2. "The Unlisted (2019) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au.
  3. David Knox (23 August 2018). "Airdate: The Unlisted". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  4. "Netflix boards ABC/Aquarius Films' kids series 'The Unlisted'". 3 April 2019.
  5. Dutta, Anisha (17 October 2019). "The Unlisted Season 2: Release Date, Cast, Netflix, Renewed/Cancelled". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. "The Unlisted review: Thriller that packs a punch!". Deccan Chronicle . 18 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  7. Everett, Ayize (8 December 2019). "The Unlisted - TV Review". Common Sense Media . Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. Serba, John (17 October 2019). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Unlisted' on Netflix, an Australian Series Tangling Teens in an Evil Conspiracy". Decider . Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. "AACTA Awards 2019: nominees". TV Tonight . 23 October 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  10. "Casting Guild of Australia Awards 2019: winners". TV Tonight . 30 November 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  11. "Australian Directors Guild Awards 2020: nominees". TV Tonight . 14 July 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  12. "ABC wins world's top children's TV awards". ABC News . ABC Media Room. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  13. "TBI Content Innovation Awards: nominees". TV Tonight . 4 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  14. "The Unlisted (Music from the Original TV Series) by Diego Baldenweg, Nora Baldenweg, Lionel Baldenweg & Roger Waters". Apple Music . 15 November 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  15. "The Unlisted (Original Music from the ABC / Netflix Series)". Amazon Music . Retrieved 29 April 2022.