Australia’s television sector is alert but not alarmed, with production down from historic highs, management shake-ups slowing the content pipeline and overseas nervousness finally reaching our shores. But Australian stories still resonate with international audiences and many of the recent hits have a mystery at their heart or offer a laugh with a bit of bite.
When trade body Screen Australia asked industry representatives to describe their feelings about local trade, a variety of concerns were raised. Words like “worried,” “frustrated” and “disappointed” were thrown around, but one word stood out above the rest: “hopeful.”
Of the 1,000 television professionals surveyed, 70% believe the future of diverse storytelling on screen will stay the same or improve; the numbers were just as high when producers were asked about their collaboration and ability to stay on top of industry trends. This positivity was tested on issues such as job security, however, with only 27% thinking things will improve.
This reflects a local industry that has seen some turmoil recently. Screen Australia reported that in 2023-2024 there were only 15 free-to-air and video-on-demand Australian television series aimed at general audiences, generating 275 hours of content with budgets of $126 million. This figure is down from an average of 38 titles in the 2010s and an average of 29 titles in the 2000s. The number of hours of local content has been in slow decline for almost three decades in Australia.
“It has undoubtedly been a quieter year, with the global slowdown and international sales challenges reaching our shores,” says Carly Heaton, head of scenarios at Fremantle Australia. “At the same time, we’ve seen significant changes within our local broadcasters’ commissioning teams, which has understandably created a period of uncertainty. That said, it definitely feels like the dust is starting to settle. We’re seeing ordering strategies take shape, buyers re-engage, and conversations begin to focus on the next wave of content rather than the constraints of the last 12 months. This reset will ultimately create opportunities for bold, distinctive projects and a stronger year ahead. ”
Ausfilm CEO Kate Marks acknowledges a slight decline in the number of incoming TV productions compared to the peak a few years ago, but over the past year the country has welcomed a healthy pipeline which she sees as a testament to Australia’s strength not only as a producer of quality local content, but also as a production partner internationally.
“It has been particularly rewarding to see Australian talent playing key creative roles on projects like [Peacock series] ‘All his fault’ and [Apple TV+’s] “The Dispatcher,” Marks says. “At the same time, the breadth of work in publishing, digital, animation and visual effects has been impressive, with titles such as ‘Alien: Earth,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘Ted,’ and the upcoming ‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’ showcasing the capacity and diversity of our filmmaking business. Marks highlights co-productions including “Mix Tape” with Ireland and the upcoming animated series “Flower and Flour” with Canada, as examples of Australia’s quality international collaboration in television storytelling.
Louise Gough, director of narrative content at Screen Australia, agrees that the industry is poised to bounce back and points out that more than 100 Australians are walking the halls of Mipcom this year.
But not only is she confident about the future of Australian television content, she is also proud of the resounding successes of recent years.
“Over the last five years there have been some brilliant shows that have taken place and sold very well globally,” says Gough. “‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ is a brilliant Australian intellectual property from an Australian author; ‘Newsreader’, ‘The Twelve’, ‘Black Snow’, ‘100% Wolf: Legend of Moonstone’ – these are just some of the titles that have generated a lot of interest globally.” Gough adds that Australian talent remains in demand with series like ‘Heartbreak High’, ‘Fisk’, ‘Colin From Accounts’ and, of course, ‘Bluey’, the favorite when it comes to any conversation about Australian television success.
“What works well is content that is identifiably Australian but with global themes,” she says. “Globally, audiences are turning to works that spark big conversations and also have diasporic resonances, and there’s a lot of stuff coming up — whether it’s beautiful works like ‘Top End Bub,’ which just came out and plays wonderfully, ‘The Chaplain’ or ‘High Country.’
“High Country,” a thriller set in Victoria’s picturesque Alpine region, was a breakout hit for Britain’s BBC; it’s a resilient genre.
“It always makes me laugh because everyone says, ‘Oh, we have so many cop shows,’ but then they all want one,” says Rosemary Blight of Goalpost Pictures, creators of the Travis Fimmel-starring thriller “Black Snow.” “I think audiences always respond really well to high-end crime shows, especially if they take them into a world they’re unfamiliar with. Something like ‘Black Snow’ works incredibly well, with someone of the caliber of Travis Fimmel in the middle who has such a big international reach.” Blight says conversations are being had around the series’ third outing.
The industry body continues to find that “crime is persistent”, says Gough. “What’s so brilliant about crime and criminal works that comes out of Australia is that it applies what we call the 80-20 rule,” Gough says. “It’s 80 percent familiar because the genre is known, but there’s 20 percent where it’s told in a distinct story world or with a distinct tone or a distinct point of view, whether it’s a comedy crime or a deep, dark crime.”
The comic thriller “Deadloch” is more of a parody of the genre, skewering the tropes of police and forensic procedures. The series, written by “The Kates” comedians Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, is in preparation for season 2. Kevin Whyte of “Deadloch” producer Guesswork says shows sell better with a clear creative point of view.
“We always do better in entertainment when we strive to empower creatives to tell the best stories and the math has never changed,” he says. “This is sometimes obscured by the industry, but underneath all of these conversations about trends, formats, and platforms, the same truth continues to emerge: if you have great creators, give them space to tell surprising stories, and then give them the resources to execute them well, you’ll get an audience. »
Guesswork also has a new comedy in the works, “Bad Company,” starring comedians Anne Edmonds and Kitty Flanagan (“Fisk”). This kind of ‘workplace’ is another one that works well for Australian businesses, with shows like “Newsreader”, “Fisk” or even “The Twelve”, a legal drama for Fox Showcase, starring Sam Neill, performing well.
Australia’s other recent international click, Easy Tiger Prods.’s ‘Colin From Accounts’, has brought new life to the Oz comedy sector.
Rob Gibson, CEO of Easy Tiger, says comedy is always a tough sell because people worry whether the laughs will land. “We’ve exposed the conventional wisdom that comedy doesn’t travel with ‘Colin’, and we’re having a lot of conversations in the UK and US about comedy that could be made here in Australia.”
Carly Heaton from Fremantle says this lighter fare is a priority for them going forward. “There’s a real appetite right now for shows with heart – lighter, funnier, more escapist stories that give audiences a break from the real world,” Heaton says. “Many of our commissioned projects, and those currently in development, share this DNA. We can’t name titles yet, but you will see a line of hope and humor through our slate that we think is very strong and exciting.”
Blight says Goalpost also prides itself on its lighter fare with the recent success of the Amazon Prime original “Top End Bub,” a TV spin-off of the Australian feature film “Top End Wedding.” Launched at Mipcom, the laffer received an excellent reception from the public Down Under. “’Top End Bub’ is about a big, bustling family, responsibilities and unconditional love.
The action takes place in upper Australia. This area is green and aqua blue and a world full of crocodiles, and it’s a world that a lot of Australians haven’t seen and certainly the world hasn’t seen,” says Blight. “Overseas audiences think of Australia as a red outback, but they don’t know there’s a beautiful tropical world up there. We’re filming on the Tiwi Islands, and having Amazon in Australia and New Zealand allowed us to make something on a large scale. We feel really good about it.
In fact, Blight says one of the most important things in today’s environment is the strength of a local partner: In addition to Amazon’s excellent partnership with “Top End Bub,” streamer Stan has thrown its weight behind “Black Snow.”
“When your domestic partner really supports the show, that success on a national level ripples around the world,” she says.
Matt Deaner, CEO of Screen Producers Australia, sees a key encouragement coming from national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “There was a strong signal from ABC and the new general manager, Hugh Marks,” Deaner said. “He said he’s doubling down on regional intellectual property because the national broadcaster has the ability to take risks, and that’s great. They’re being aggressive in a way we haven’t seen in a while; that’s great news for our industry.”
The ABC booth at Mipcom is showing “Fisk,” as well as the comedy reboot “Mother and Son” and the thriller “Pine Gap.”
Guesswork’s Whyte adds that on-air successes are one thing, but what he’s heard on the ground is that they are just the tip of the iceberg and that many more development discussions are underway.
“I certainly feel, and I think others too, feel like after a few years where it felt like we were walking in wet cement, the wheels are turning again, maybe they’re turning at a lower volume, but I certainly feel like decisions are being made and development is moving forward,” he says.
Blight adds: “We’re punching above our weight, we have to look at these successes and be really proud of them. We’re in a time where the world doesn’t really care what language you speak, they’re educated and watching content from all over the world and we’re adapting really well to that.”
