Harrow

[TV.Cynic]

##Harrow

###Major new ABC drama Harrow to film in Queensland and air globally

The ABC in partnership with Hoodlum Entertainment, ABC Studios International and Screen Queensland has today announced that a major new television drama series, Harrow, will be filmed in Brisbane and south east Queensland later this year and will be seen by audiences across the globe.

Dr. Daniel Harrow is no ordinary forensic pathologist. Brilliant. Unorthodox. And a murderer?

Harrow’s total disregard for authority and his unfailing empathy for the dead help him solve even the most bizarre of cases. He is driven to give victims a voice, and will bend every rule to get to the truth of what happened to them.

But when a terrible secret from his own past threatens his family, his career, and himself, Harrow needs all his wit, wile, and forensic genius not to solve a crime, but to keep it buried.

Darkly funny, totally irreverent, and always surprising, Harrow is an addictive new crime show.

Sally Riley, ABC Head of Scripted Production said: “The ABC is thrilled to be working with the award-winning team at Hoodlum to bring the complex and compelling Harrow to life.

“Trying to unravel the mystery and understand just what makes Harrow tick will keep audiences guessing right to the end of this exciting new drama series.”

Keli Lee, Managing Director, International Content & Talent, ABC Studios International, said: “As our first foray into series production, we’re so excited to produce Harrow for worldwide distribution.

“A compelling story and great characters resonate all over the world.”

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira congratulated Brisbane-based production house Hoodlum on the development of another successful series.

“This is a tribute to the talents of Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning Hoodlum, which continues to build an international reputation for creating groundbreaking film and television,” Ms Vieira said.

“The development and filming of Harrow in Queensland is a great coup for our state and will drive Queensland’s ongoing momentum for making and attracting quality local and international productions.

Harrow follows on from Hoodlum’s previous productions filmed in Brisbane. These include Australia Day (2017), Secrets and Lies (2014), The Strange Calls (2012) and children’s series Slide (2011).

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “The Queensland Government investment in the home-grown thriller Harrow, through Screen Queensland, will deliver job opportunities and skills development for the local screen industry, with broader economic benefits for Queensland.

“The filming of the series will result in direct expenditure of more than $15 million into Queensland jobs, goods and services … and will also showcase Queensland locations globally, opening the doors to tourists considering where next to visit.”

Filming for Harrow is due to begin in August.

[TV.Cynic]

Ioan Gruffudd To Topline Australian Drama Series ‘Harrow’ From ABC Studios Int’l

Filming begins in Queensland, Australia, on August 7.

[Harriet]

I’m sorry but this is total bullshit. Not even an Australian born actor as lead actor when the ABC, a government body, is stumping up cash.

Yes I’m sure the supporters will come out in force bleating about what it means for the QLD economy and the very brief jobs it will create but that isn’t the point.

It’s pretty pathetic that Australian actors can’t even score a job in their homeland. Not to mention it sends completely the wrong message that Australian actors haven’t got what it takes to reach ‘a global audience.’

As for its premise, get something original. Not only is the premise about five years too late, do we really have to suffer through another cliche premise of the main protagonist being a tortured anti hero.

I do applaud the ABC though, two regurgitated premises that have been done before. Way to go Aunty.

[JBar]

@Harriet

I’m sorry but this is total bullshit. Not even an Australian born actor as lead actor when the ABC, a government body, is stumping up cash.

How much of it is Australian money and how much is overseas money? Maybe ABC Studios International only agreed to it, if they used an international name to lead the cast.

[Harriet]

@JBar

How much of it is Australian money and how much is overseas money? Maybe ABC Studios International only agreed to it, if they used an international name to lead the cast.

Probably. Ioan probably has an ABC studios deal in place. Still I don’t think any Australian taxpayer money should go to an oversees actor.

ABC and Screen Queensland should have said no if the only condition was using an imported actor. I’m sure they could have pooled their resources together to create something locally.

I also object to this tv show sounding nothing more than a tourism advert. Focus on the writing before you turn it into scenery porn.

[TV.Cynic]

HARROW, STARRING IOAN GRUFFUDD BEGINS FILMING IN BRISBANE

The ABC announced today that filming has begun in South East Queensland on the new 10-part Australian crime drama series Harrow, produced by Brisbane’s Hoodlum Entertainment.

Joining Welsh star Ioan Gruffudd (Horatio Hornblower), who plays the eponymous role of forensic pathologist Dr Daniel Harrow, is Remy Hii, the young Australian actor known around the world for his role as Prince Jingim in Marco Polo, Mirrah Foulkes (The Principal, Top of the Lake), Robyn Malcolm (Rake, Upper Middle Bogan) Ella Newton (Newton’s Law) and Anna Lise Phillips (Devil’s Playground).

The series will shoot until December in Brisbane and in other key locations across Queensland, including coastal and regional areas.

Audiences will be enthralled by the unorthodox Dr. Daniel Harrow in this darkly funny, totally irreverent, and always surprising new crime show.

Directors are Kate Dennis, recently nominated for an Emmy for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale, Tony Krawitz (The Kettering Incident), Tony Tilse (Wolf Creek, Underbelly), Daniel Nettheim (Doctor Who, The Hunter) and Peter Salmon (Doctor Doctor, Rake).

Harrow has been co-created by writer Stephen M. Irwin (Australia Day, Wake in Fright, Secrets & Lies) and producer Leigh McGrath (Australia Day, Secrets & Lies, Strange Calls), who will produce with Hoodlum Entertainment’s Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield.

ABC is the domestic broadcaster. The series is the first drama production for the Disney-owned ABC Studios International, and Disney Media Distribution will license international rights. The series has also been supported by Screen Queensland.

ABC TV’s Head of Scripted Production, Sally Riley said: “Harrow, as brought to life by the wonderful Ioan Gruffudd, is the incredibly charismatic hero of this series and I know Australian audiences are going to fall in love with him. I am delighted that this unorthodox forensic pathologist has found his home on the ABC where he will take us on what is sure to be a wildly entertaining ride.”

Hoodlum Entertainment’s Tracey Robertson said: “Hoodlum is hugely excited to bring this high-end show home to Brisbane, with a talented international cast led by the incomparable Ioan Gruffud, and a brilliant team of creatives including our set-up director, Kate Dennis.”

[TV.Cynic]

Premieres Friday 9 March at 8:30pm

Daniel Harrow is a brilliant forensic pathologist who solves the cases others can’t. When a secret from his past threatens his career and his family, he’ll need all his wit and forensic genius to keep one crime buried forever.

Dr. Daniel Harrow (Ioan Gruffudd) is the senior medical examiner at the Queensland Institute of Forensic Medicine – the morgue to which all unnatural deaths in the city are brought.

Harrow is smart. Harrow is impatient. He is a dedicated scientist and a maverick rule breaker. And he is cool. He’s cool because he is comfortable in his own skin. He is confident and knows just how good he is – he’s the best pathologist in the state and probably the country – but that is not ego, just fact. He is not out to impress, and truly doesn’t care what most others think of him. What he cares about is the truth. He is curious. He is restless. He doesn’t just want to know what happened; he wants to know why. And the answer to the why invariably lies in understanding the person. Human nature – in all its glory and all its warts, its goodness and darkness, its complexity and contradictions – holds the answer.

Harrow’s uncanny insights into human nature set him apart, giving him a unique ability to decipher the final moments of the dead … and give them a voice.

But 20 years of working with victims of violent crime has taken its toll. It’s cost Harrow his marriage, his relationship with his daughter Fern, and his own peace of mind. He does his job, and he does it better than anyone. But he dreams of sailing away on his beloved yacht and never coming back.

Then, everything changes:
A new case lands in his morgue; the skeletal remains of a man have been dredged from the river, cocooned in concrete. However this discovery comes as no surprise to Harrow… Because he’s the one who put the body there.

We’re left with two possibilities: our hero – our clever, committed, morally upright pathologist – has either committed murder, or helped someone else cover up their crime.

Now, the clock is ticking. Harrow is quick to take on the case. He gives no clue about why he’s so fascinated by it, but inside he is in turmoil: torn between his ironclad integrity and his dark secret. Harrow must use his unique forensic skills to conceal the crime. But how long can he keep his secret hidden when the people he works with every day have the skills to expose him?

As Harrow stalls for time, he must take on cases that are as fascinating as they are heartbreaking. Over the course of the series, as more layers of his own secret are slowly revealed, we will finally come to understand who it was that Harrow put in the river – and most importantly, why… and we’ll be cheering for Harrow to stay free.

But will it be too late?

[JBar]

The timeslot worked for Miss Fisher and Doctor Blake so hopefully will do the same for Harrow.

[TV.Cynic]

Brisbane residents will recognise some of these locations

[JBar]

Harrow

[Harriet]

Very dismayed nobody has commented. I guess I’ll be the first

Just been catching up on Harrow and have to say I’m really enjoying it. I’m still disappointed an Australian born actor wasn’t cast as the lead but Gruffudd has been good. It’s great to actually view a drama set in Brisbane, even if the scenic shots are lacking beyond the first ep.

Loving Mirrah Foulkes as Dass but then I’ve always thought she was a brilliant actress since All Saints. All the other actors are very good, even if some are completely unnecessary. Harrow’s estranged partner, daughter and her boyfriend are completely expendable and detract too much from the plot. They aren’t awful or unwatchable just pointless and don’t add anything to Harrow’s personality that requires them having an ongoing presence. A few episodes would have been enough. Anna Lise Phillips is sadly wasted in such a one note role.

The production is top notch and has a fantastic polished look. I know some media outlets have criticised the show for being too indistinct and not Australian enough whilst trying to pander to an overseas market, but I have to disagree entirely. It has so much Australian humour and it does indeed feel like an Australian drama. I was worried it would feel like some cheap American knockoff (like a bare budget Bones) but it really doesn’t. I also hate how some insist that all Australian dramas need to be irreverent filled with larrikin characters and gigantic over the top personalities. Sometimes less is more and I love that Harrow feels distinctly different.

It isn’t perfect. It could easily cut down on filler like giving Harrow’s family screen time but they are very nit picky criticisms.

It’s sad to see it hasn’t caught on and the ratings are tumbling because it’s been one of the best ABC dramas in a long time. I still shudder thinking about how cheap and awful Newton’s Law was. I hope the viewers give it another chance and ABC renews but I won’t be holding my breath.

[JBar]

I was a bit iffy with the first episode but I liked it by episode two. I think it has a good flow by episode three and hope it continues down this path. Enjoying the humour in it.

[Harriet]

Sadly I’m over it. I haven’t watched last weeks episode but Harrow’s daughter is too much. She’s a grade A C U next Tuesday.

I could deal with the squating, I could put up with the stealing food even though both her parents were wealthy and I was even putting up with her pathetic selfish, entitled attitude but drug dealing and letting Harrow cover. Enough.

Harrow is starting to become too unlikable to. I’m not interested in wasting time on a misunderstood anti-hero that brings it all on himself whose ego and arrogance seems to grow episode by episode.

The ex wife is nothing more than a plot device tied up with the River bones mystery. She’s like a cardboard cutout with her characterization. Such a thankless role for Phillips.

Lyle is just a one dimensional butt monkey. It’s very lazy writing and a waste of a great character. Who wants to see someone picked on and demeaned on an episodic basis.

Stealing cars isn’t cute or funny either. Is this show going for drama or farce? Are there any ramifications or are they going to be strung out until the last episode. Sorry I’m not waiting’ til the end to see if the payoffs were worth it.

Such a shame as this was truly a potential great drama with excellent production values. So many unnecessary characters wasting screen time. I want to see more of Dass, Simon, Lyle & Maxine not Harrows shitty family. That family serves nothing except making Harrow a turgid cliche.

[JBar]

@Harriet

Such a shame as this was truly a potential great drama with excellent production values. So many unnecessary characters wasting screen time. I want to see more of Dass, Simon, Lyle & Maxine not Harrows shitty family. That family serves nothing except making Harrow a turgid cliche.

I’m not a fan of the daughter’s storyline but there certainly a reason for the story arc involving the ex-wife.

If it gets a second season, then maybe it would be wise to move away from the family dramas and concentrate on the work stuff, much like Doctor Blake and Rake do successfully.

[Harriet]

I know, but like I said the ex wife is a plot device. If she was actually developed it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean her daughter’s involved in drugs, breaking into houses, stealing and her daughters boyfriend has been bashed. Her reactions aren’t genuine. Instead of really trying to fix things or being worried she’s more interested in bonking her colleague.

Yes I know this lack of caring and selfishness can explain the daughters behaviour, but more time needed to be spent on that to actually show the impact of those actions. So essentially weak writing is to be blamed.

If Harrow’s family is dumped and Harrow made into a slightly better person I’d love to see a second season. It really does have the basics to be a success.

[TV.Cynic]

HARROW CONFIRMED FOR SEASON TWO

ABC, Hoodlum Entertainment and ABC Studios International have announced a second season of Harrow, following on from the success of the critically acclaimed first season.

Starring Ioan Gruffudd as forensic pathologist Doctor Daniel Harrow, ten new episodes of the crime drama will begin filming in South East Queensland in September.

ABC’s Head of Drama, Comedy and Indigenous, Sally Riley said: “Harrow has been an incredible launch to our drama slate this year with ABC audiences loving the cast and the stunning Queensland locations.

It is performing brilliantly for us on broadcast and on our video on demand service iview. We look forward to continuing the adventures in season two.”

“We’re thrilled with the overwhelming response to Harrow and to our incredible star, Ioan Gruffudd as Dr Daniel Harrow,” said Keli Lee, Managing Director, ABC Studios International. “We’ve put together an amazing cast and a stellar crew, and we’re looking forward to more of Dr Harrow and his exciting story.”

“Ioan is the star of Harrow but best supporting actor belongs to Brisbane,” said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. “Anyone who hasn’t seen Harrow hasn’t seen our backyard shown off in such a spectacular way.”

Hoodlum Entertainment’s Tracey Robertson said: “We have been so thrilled with the response to the show and it is very exciting to bring the wonderful Ioan Gruffudd and our other fabulous cast and crew back home to Brisbane for a second series.”

Harrow was co-created by writer Stephen M. Irwin (Australia Day, Wake in Fright, Secrets & Lies) and Leigh McGrath (Australia Day, Secrets & Lies, Strange Calls), and will again be produced by Hoodlum Entertainment’s Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield.

ABC is the domestic broadcaster. The series was the first drama production for the Disney-owned ABC Studios International, and Disney Media Distribution will license international rights. The series has also been supported by Screen Queensland.

[JBar]

Great news. I hope they feature his workmates more next season.

[Harriet]

Yes I’m glad it’s renewed too, as even despite its many faults was far superior to anything that the ABC offered last year (Newton’s Law, Glitch, Cleverman even Janet King, Dr. Blake the noteworthy exception) and can certainly improve as its foundations are solid . I feel like they’ll fix the problems of the first season and learn from its mistakes.

Though I was a little shocked to learn it was all written by the same guy as the quality fluctuated wildly. Hopefully if he gets kept in check a little bit he’ll improve.

I do have to laugh at the press release. Overwhelming response, ummm, either people seemed to ignore it or reaction was mixed to negative.

I also loved the “Anyone who hasn’t seen Harrow hasn’t seen our backyard shown off in such a spectacular way” line. I’d have to say Harrow was the worst tv show filmed in Brisbane that showcased what Brisbane was actually about and captured its feel. Way too many tight shots and the city scenes were very generic.

I’ll tune into the season finale to see if all the build up was worth it and if the payoffs delivered.

[JBar]

Full of contradictions, as usual.

[Harriet]

@JBar

Full of contradictions, as usual.

Are you going to elaborate or enjoy reveling in your pettiness?

I’ve always said it has problems but can ultimately be fixed because the foundations are solid. The acting is excellent, both the starring and guest cast, the filming is quality but the direction lacks a sense of scale. It’s a very polished product and I love that.

Compared to Secrets & Lies, Fire, Medivac & even SLiDE, Harrow is very safe when it comes to filming on location in Brisbane, so a sense of character is lost (i.e. Brisbane). You can still have a polished tv show and show the character of the location in a sophisticated manner without looking gimicky.

The emojis don’t negate your bitterness either.