Short form stories with humour, heart, and some horror, star in the latest successful Digital Originals projects
SBS and Screen Australia have announced production funding for A Beginner’s Guide to Grief, the next successful project from the Digital Originals initiative, in addition to six new projects chosen for further development.
Digital Originals is a joint initiative of Screen Australia and SBS created to develop exciting and innovative scripted short form projects to premiere on SBS On Demand, providing opportunities for screen creatives who are currently under-represented in the sector.
A Beginner’s Guide to Grief, is a drama comedy series exploring themes of death, grief and identity. Written by and starring South Australian Anna Lindner, directed by Renee Mao, executive and creative produced by Linda Ujuk and produced by South Australian Kate Butler, both of KOJO Studios, and also produced by South Australian Julie Byrne, the story follows 31-year-old Harriet Wylde as she returns to her hometown in remote South Australia to care for two terminally ill parents. When both pass away within weeks of each other, she’s forced to face her ultimate fear: absolute aloneness. After reconnecting with her dysfunctional childhood friend Daisy, Harriet discovers that grief doesn’t play by any rules and soon, neither will she. Principal funding is being provided by Screen Australia in association with SBS, and it is financed with support from the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC).
The series emerged from the Digital Originals initiative in 2019, which also included the outrageous and heartfelt drama comedy series, Iggy & Ace, exploring friendship, addiction and recovery through a queer lens and premiering on SBS On Demand on 9 September.
Six new series have also been chosen for further development from a shortlist of 12 projects from the 2020 Digital Originals initiative candidates. All 12 teams took part in exclusive development workshops held virtually in May, run by Screen Australia, SBS and NITV, which included international and local guest speakers, as well as developing the projects to align with the SBS Charter and SBS platforms, including NITV, and culminated in a pitch.
Commissioning Editor, SBS Scripted, Donna Chang, said: “We’re thrilled to see more incredible talent and surprising stories unearthed through the Digital Originals initiative. It’s fantastic to be taking A Beginner’s Guide to Grief into production and we can’t wait to bring it to screens on SBS On Demand next year. It’s also exciting to see the dynamic mix of projects from this year’s submissions being developed, reflecting more genres – from comedy, crime and even horror - showcasing unique Australian stories, and challenging us to think about what a digital series can be.”
Screen Australia Senior Online Investment Manager, Lee Naimo, said: “From the moment we heard the pitch for A Beginner’s Guide to Grief from creator Anna Lindner, we knew we wanted to see this project through, and we’re delighted to support Lindner and the talented creative team bring it to life. And the exciting talent keeps coming - we’re so impressed with the calibre of projects in our next crop of Digital Originals and look forward to seeing them develop their projects further.”
On A Beginner’s Guide to Grief , SAFC CEO Kate Croser added: “The SAFC is really pleased to support writer Anna Lindner, and producers Kate Butler and Linda Ujuk from KOJO Studios with Julie Byrne to take their series to the screen. The SAFC has long been committed to supporting greater participation by women and female-identifying practitioners in the screen industry as part of our mission to boost diversity and inclusion across the entire sector, and it is wonderful to see that come to light in this fully South Australian produced and post-produced series.”
On the Digital Originals projects selected for further development, Head of Programming and Commissioning at NITV, Kyas Hepworth, also added: “Digital Originals provides an important platform for emerging creatives from backgrounds so often underrepresented in our sector to shine, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives with powerful First Nations stories and perspectives to collaborate and share with all Australians. It’s been great to get to know the teams and see their creativity and innovation come to life through the short form format.”
The six Digital Originals projects from 2020 being funded for further development, are:
Appetite
Three penniless delivery riders must battle the multinational food delivery company, Appetite, after becoming personally entangled in a conspiracy surrounding the death of a rider on the streets of Sydney.
Creatives: Mohini Herse (Writer/Director/Producer), Neilesh Verma (Writer), Neil Sharma (Director), Sleena Wilson (Executive Producer).
Garbage
When his truck happens across a police raid, a young garbage collector becomes entangled in a drug deal that goes terribly wrong. If he’s to escape he must not only face down a dangerous criminal syndicate, but his own fear of failure amidst a profound family crisis.
Creatives: Hunter Page-Lochard (Writer/Director/Producer), Luke Bouchier (Writer/Director/Producer), Kobie Duncan (Writer).
Let Me Help
After watching their care workers hook up at a bar, two strangers with cerebral palsy are determined to explore their relationships with sex and each other.
Creatives: Emma Myers (Writer/Creator), Nina Oyama (Writer/Creator), Angus Thompson (Writer/Creator), Hannah Ngo (Producer).
Night Bloomers
Dark tales from the Korean diaspora that bloom in the night and move you.
Creatives: Andrew Lee (Writer/Director/Producer), Ashlea Ritchie (Producer), Michael McMahon (Executive Producer), Barry Gamba (Executive Producer).
DIVA (previously known as ‘SONNY’)
Inspired by a true story, ‘DIVA’ follows the journey of a young queer Samoan man who discovers himself through the world of professional wrestling.
Creatives: Jason Dewhurst (Writer), Taofia Pelesasa (Writer), Jessica Magro (Producer).
Unicorn Hunters
Sick of being hunted on Tinder to fulfil straight people’s fantasies, Sunny decides to catfish “straight girl” Elise, but instead starts to fall for her, before realising she’s also not who she claims to be.
Creatives: Rachel Perks (Writer), Jean Tong (Writer), Tessa Mansfield-Hung (Producer).
An evolution of SBS’s Short-Form Content Initiative, Digital Originals aims to support practitioners and projects that reflect gender equity and/or the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia. This includes those who identify as First Nations Australians; are from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds; those who are living with a disability; are female or trans/gender diverse; identify as LGBTQIA+; and those who are located in regional and remote areas.
Earlier this year, SBS successfully premiered Digital Originals project The Tailings on SBS On Demand. The 6 x 10 minute murder mystery series, set against the fragile and beautiful landscapes of the remote west coast of Tasmania, celebrates the tenacity and pride of regional communities and provides an intimate portrayal of the human experience with grief, guilt and loss.
Dear Mama
- Thu, 23 Sep
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Country of origin: Netherlands
- Language: Dutch
When teenager Ralf grudgingly agrees to be the getaway driver for the burglary of an upscale villa, he has no idea what he’s really getting into. The house belongs to Helen Möhring and her husband Werner, a couple living the dream of a wonderful marriage, successful careers and three happy, healthy teenage children. As Ralf waits outside, Helen is confronted by his masked accomplice, who is holding her husband hostage. In a moment of panic, Helen surprises herself at lengths she will go to in order to protect her family. As Helen is pushed into a nightmare that will test her limits, Ralf is pulled into a criminal underworld, desperately trying to uncover the mystery of what really happened inside the Möhring house. He discovers that below the couple’s perfect exterior, murky secrets and deceit have deadly consequences, and that his own destiny will be forever intertwined with Helen’s. Key
Bad Apples
- Thu, 23 Sep
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Country of origin: Finland
- Language: Finnish
In 1973, young, driven student activist Onerva (23) is sent to Eaglerock Sanatorium against her will. The authorities and even her husband paint Onerva as an aggressive and opinionated troublemaker; Onerva sees herself as an idealist fighting for justice. Who’s in the right? While trying to maintain her sanity, Onerva investigates the reality behind the controversial treatment practices. Will she find out the truth before the institute’s mind bending treatment breaks her?
Reyka
- Thu, 23 Sep
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Country of origin: South Africa
- Language: English
For South African expert criminal profiler Reyka Gama, the trauma of being abducted as a child in 1994 is what gives her profound insights into deviant minds for London’s Scotland Yard. Now, a mother herself and returning to her hometown in the province of KwaZulu Natal to investigate serial murders, it might also be her undoing. Set against a backdrop of towering sugar cane fields, this multi layered crime thriller follows Reyka as she expertly hunts a ruthless serial killer.
The Writer
- Premiere date: Thu, 30 Sep
- Number of Episodes: 10
- Country of origin: Israel
- Language: Arabic/Hebrew
The Writer is an auto fictional series from the creator of the award winning comedy Arab Labor, Sayed Kashua. It centres on Kashua’s fictional self, Kateb, who like the lead character Amjad from his former series Arab Labor is an Arab Palestinian living in Israel and struggling with an identity crisis which affects his and his whole family’s sense of belonging and nationality. Following the overnight success and critical acclaim of his hit TV series Arab Labor, Kateb has become something of a “poster boy” for the new age Arab Israeli, one who integrates with Israeli culture seamlessly and knows how to wield his pen in razor sharp criticism, yet be well received by the public and critics alike. Everything seems perfect, but as he nears 40, Kateb has a growing sense of shame and loathing towards the niche he has carved out for himself. Painfully aware of the gap between reality and its portrayal on the show.
Mr Mercedes Season 3
- Premiere date: Fri, 01 Oct 2021
- Number of Episodes: 10
- Country of origin: United States
- Language: English
MR. MERCEDES returns for its much anticipated third season. When beloved local author John Rothstein is found murdered, Hodges, Holly, and Jerome, along with local police, must track down his killer. But this case is more complex than the cold blooded killing of an American icon. Unpublished novels of Rothstein’s were stolen from his home, and they are worth millions. As the case unfolds, the trio learns that although Brady Hartsfield may be gone, his depravity lives on in the lives of his victims
Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident
- Premiere date: Thu, 07 Oct 12:00 PM
- Country of origin: Russia
January 1959, Soviet Union. In the icy Ural Mountains, a group of nine students sets out on a ski trek. Even though they all are well-experienced hikers, they never reach their destination. As their bodies turn up a month later, it leaves local investigators puzzled. Their tent was cut open from the inside, they are found frozen stiff in their underwear spread around the camp, some are even partially mangled. Whom or what did they run from? Why did they die, and how?
TBI reports SBS has bought the rights to upcoming ITV drama The Long Call, based on the novel by Ann Cleeves (her Vera Stanhope novels are dramatised as Vera, which air here on the ABC).
Labyrinth of Peace
- Premiere date: Thu, 14 Oct 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Language:German/Swiss/English
1945; War is over. Switzerland, the neutral small country at the heart of Europe, was all but spared. Klara (Annina Walt), her fiancé Johann (Max Hubacher) and his brother Egon (Dimitri Stapfer) are looking bright-eyed into the future.
While Klara tries to mend the wounds of the war by caring for young, displaced Holocaust survivors, Johann, who works for her industrialist father, hopes to save and modernise his father-in-law’s well-established, yet troubled textile company. Just home from military service, Egon takes his first steps in the Attorney General’s office. His mission - to hunt down escaped Nazis.
All three of them soon realise that the façade of peace is bought with the blood of the victims of war. Johann’s professional ambitions bring him closer to those who committed unspeakable war crimes. Klara risks her marriage while growing ever closer to Herschel, one of the survivors, who are all met with distrust by the locals. And Egon finds himself caught in a system that willingly turns a blind eye towards Nazi criminals for the sake of profit.
L’Opera
- Premiere date: Thu, 21 Oct 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Country of origin: France
- Language: French
At the world-renowned Paris Opera, Zoé (Ariane Labed), a 35-year-old principal dancer who’s had a dazzling career, has started to falter after too many parties, lovers, and dramas. In danger of being let go, Zoé will have to come to terms with the institution and her fellow dancers, and overcome her own demons, to earn herself a second chance. Meanwhile,19-year-old Flora (Suzy Bemba), a Black dancer who’s just joined the company, only has a few months to stake out a place for herself and prove her mettle. And the flamboyant and ambitious Sébastien (Raphaël Personnaz), the company’s new 38-year-old dance director, is determined to make the Paris Opera Ballet shine even brighter on the international dance stage.
Algiers Confidential
- Premiere date: Thu, 28 Oct 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Language:German/French
A German Police investigator assigned to his country’s embassy in Algiers leads an illicit love story with an Algerian Prosecutor. The kidnapping of a German arms dealer puts them in direct conflict. As they head each side of the investigation, they uncover a corruption scandal that will test their loyalty, both to their country and ultimately, to each other.
Algiers Confidential ’s riveting intrigue takes us into contemporary Algeria, a country where foreign interests, the wounds of civil war, corruption, and the idealism of a new generation come crashing against each other as the country writes its future.
The cast includes Ken Duken, Hania Amar, Sofiane Zermani, Anna Schudt , and Martin Brambach .
Temple - Season 2
- Premiere date: Fri, 29 Oct 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 7
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Language:English
Temple follows the story of Daniel Milton (Mark Strong), a talented and successful surgeon struck by a personal tragedy, who partners with a lonely yet resourceful young man named Lee (Daniel Mays) to start a literal ‘underground’ clinic, situated in the vast labyrinthine network of tunnels and spaces beneath London.
In S2, Daniel is pushed to even greater extremes as he risks everything to stay ahead of his lies and keep everything under control. But with Beth (Catherine McCormack) having ‘woken’ from her coma in every sense of the word and Eve reeling to discover her mother has been alive all this time, Lee getting swept up in a fanatical cause and Anna luring patients down to the clinic for illegal drug trials, life is only going to get more insane.
Day of the Dead
- Premiere date: Sat, 30 Oct 2021
- Number of Episodes: 10
- Country of origin: USA
- Language:English
*Day Of The Dead Eps 1-3 will be available on SBS On Demand from Saturday, 30 October at 5pm. Weekly episodes will then be fast-tracked from the US each Saturday.
Inspired by George A. Romero’s 1985 masterpiece and one of the most popular horror franchises of all time, Day of the Dead is the intense story of six strangers trying to survive the first 24 hours of an undead invasion.
This ode to Romero’s famous flesh-eaters reminds us that sometimes all it takes to bring people together is a horde of hungry zombies trying to rip them apart. But unlike most zombie tales, Day Of The Dead isn’t the story of a crisis bringing out the worst in people. Instead it’s an ass-kicking adventure about how our differences become strengths and how we band together when the world goes crazy around us.
The cast includes Keenan Tracey, Natalie Malaika, Daniel Doheny, Morgan Holmstrom, Kirsty Dawn Dinsmore, and Miranda Frigon.
Framed
Sunday December 26
Find out what happened when a Picasso disappeared from The National Gallery of Victoria, in this four-part documentary coming to SBS On Demand.
If you owned a Picasso, you’d notice if it went missing…right? Think again. When Pablo Picasso’s ‘Weeping Woman’ simply vanished from the walls of The National Gallery of Victoria in 1986, what ensued was a true crime sensation that played out in the daily headlines, as thieves openly taunted authorities with a series of bizarre ransom notes. Fingers were pointed, mud was thrown, and suspects were interviewed and discarded – but that’s only the beginning.
In a four-part SBS documentary event, FRAMED follows Walkley award-winning journalist and The Feed ’s Marc Fennell in a series of twists and turns like no other, as he unpacks the who, how and why of this infamous heist. But what he finds behind the many (many) ransom notes and rumours is a deeply affecting story. Although it begins with the theft of Australia’s most expensive painting, you can’t put a price on what it stole from those closest to the case.
In the ‘80s, Melbourne’s modern arts scene was raging, and on a collision course with the old-school sensibilities of The National Gallery of Victoria. More commonly referred to as the NGV, the top tier institution was in desperate need of a facelift to drive more patrons through its doors. The answer? A Picasso. The grieving woman painted in acidic green and purple, titled Weeping Woman ,was considered a 20th-century masterpiece by the gallery, but the Victorian public had trouble looking past the eye-watering A$2 million price tag. Not only was this the highest sum any Australian gallery had paid for any artwork in this country, but it was also completely uninsured.
This divisive purchase became the talk of the town, and it’s a conversation that continues today. The director of the NGV at the time, Patrick McCaughey said, “This painting will haunt Melbourne for the next 100 years.” He was soon to learn how right he was.
The media was the first to alert the NGV of the painting’s disappearance, having received cryptic, taunting letters from a group calling itself ‘Australian Cultural Terrorists’. What’s more, the painting was missing from the gallery’s second floor for two days before anyone realised. The thieves held the NGV and state government to ransom. Dozens of forgeries of the painting magically appeared from Sydney to Adelaide. There were even accusations that it was an inside job. Was it a forger’s plot, a political act or just a joke gone wrong?
Marc Fennell transports viewers back to where it all started, with first-hand accounts from the people who were there at the time and experts in the field, including journalist Virginia Trioli , chief conservator of the NGV from 1984–2006 Thomas Dixon , cultural critic and arts journalist Ashley Crawford , artist and activist Gabrielle de Vietri , journalist Margaret Simo n , former detective sergeant Bob Quigley and more. The story uncovers a network of friends and enemies who have spent decades trading in half-truths and speculation to settle scores and crush rivals.
There are many theories surrounding exactly who stole the painting, but is the theft of the Weeping Woman the true legacy of this crime, or was the fallout something far greater?
Marc Fennell said: “Art crimes don’t come much stranger than this. There is a community here that has been keeping this a secret for more than 35 years. It’s an essential part of Melbourne’s mythology, but it also had a powerful domino effect on innocent people. This crime left a trail of ruined reputations, careers and lives all the way to the United States and beyond. There’s a very human story here that deserves to be told.”
FRAMED will be available to stream at SBS On Demand with subtitles in Simplified Chinese and Arabic.
The series is produced by The Feed ,the award-winning SBS current affairs program.
Stream all four episodes of FRAMED on Sunday 26 December 2021 in one bingeable Boxing Day hit, exclusively at SBS On Demand.
Friday Night On Demand Halloween Collection
From Thursday 21 October
To celebrate Halloween, SBS On Demand has curated Fright Night – a distinct and unmissable collection of dark and jittery films and TV series designed to bring the fear and some laughs this spooky season. From grisly tales of the supernatural and the ravenously insane, to blood-thirsty zombies and vampire oddities, SBS On Demand has scoured the globe to bring you the best in local and international horror, sci-fi and psychological thrillers to help you embrace the dark side of Halloween this October. The Fright Night collection is now available on SBS On Demand. Headlining the Fright Night collection is 10-part American horror series, Day Of The Dead. The first three episodes will be available on SBS On Demand from 5pm on Saturday 30 October. Weekly episodes will then be fast-tracked from the US each Saturday. Below are some highlights from the collection. Still not sure what to watch? The team at SBS Guide have put together a recommendation list based on horoscopes.
Day Of The Dead (TV Series, 2021) starring Keenan Tracey, Daniel Doheny, Natalie Malaika and Morgan Holmstrom
Inspired by the zombie universe of George A. Romero ’s original 1985 film of the same name. Day of the Dead is the story of six strangers trying to survive the first 24 hours of an undead invasion.This ode to George Romero ’s famous flesh-eaters reminds us that sometimes all it takes to bring people together is a horde of hungry zombies trying to rip them apart. Each season will take place over a single day, showing how the residents of a small town react when the dead begin to come back to life. But unlike most zombie tales, Day of the Dead isn’t the story of a crisis bringing out the worst in people. Instead it’s an ass-kicking adventure about how our differences become strengths.
Bedevil (Film, 1993) starring Tracey Moffatt, Uncle Jack Charles and Mawuyul Yanthalawuy
Australian film Bedevil is three tales of the supernatural from Indigenous visual artist, Tracey Moffatt , combined into one extraordinary feature film. Rich in virtuosic design, drama and movement that traverses the Outback, the city, and Australia’s Indigenous-Anglo divide, Moffatt’s breathtaking style draws on influences as diverse as Vincente Minelli and Masaki Kobayashi and makes Bedevil one of the most dazzling feature debuts in Australian cinema.
The Void (Film, 2017) starring Aaron Poole
When police officer Carter ( Aaron Poole ) discovers a blood-soaked man limping down a deserted road, he rushes him to a local hospital with a barebones, night shift staff. As cloaked, cult-like figures surround the building, the patients and staff inside start to turn ravenously insane. Trying to protect the survivors, Carter leads them into the depths of the hospital where they discover a gateway to immense evil.
Oculus (Film, 2014) starring Australian actor Brenton Thwaites and Doctor Who ’s Karen Gillan
Haunted by the violent deaths of their parents ten years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie and Tim are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror is behind the tragedy, and contains a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it.
Under The Skin (Film, 2013) starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Pearson and Jeremy McWilliams
An alien being in the guise of a seductive woman ( Scarlett Johansson ) prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey - unsuspecting men who fall under her spell. The victims are then stripped and consumed. However, existence in all its complexity begins to change the alien visitor. Nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film in 2015.
Red Nights (Film, 2010) starring Carrie Ng and Frédérique Bel
A Cantonese Opera that tells the tragedy of the Jade Executioner who created a poison that killed by giving the ultimate pleasure. A French woman escapes to Hong Kong after having killed her lover to take an antique holding the potion. She becomes the hand of fate that pits a Taiwanese gangster against an epicurean woman murderer who sees herself as a new incarnation of the Jade Executioner.
In French and Cantonese with English subtitles
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (Film, 2016) starring Sheila Vand and Arash Marandi
In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome skateboarding vampire who preys on men who disrespect women.
In Persian with English subtitles
The Night Eats The World (Film, 2018) starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Golshifteh Farahani, and Denis Lavant
After waking up in an apartment where only the night before a party was raging, Sam is forced to come to grips with reality - he is now alone, and the living dead have invaded the streets of Paris. Petrified with fear, Sam is going to have to barricade himself inside the building and organize his survival. But is he really the sole survivor?
In English, French and Norwegian with English subtitles
The Host (Film, 2006) starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Go Ah-sung
Directed by Parasite’s Bong Joon-ho, The Host is set after an American military base of Yongson releases toxic chemicals in the drain to the Han River under the direct order of an arrogant coroner. Six years later, a mutant squid monster leaves the water and attacks people on the side of the river.
In Korean and English with English subtitles
The Untamed (Film, 2016) starring Ruth Ramos, Simone Bucio and Jesús Meza
A couple in a troubled marriage locate a meteorite, initiating an encounter with a mysterious creature. Their lives are turned upside down by the discovery of the creature, which is a source of both pleasure and destruction.
In Spanish with English subtitles
ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS
Looking for even more content to darken your October? This month, SBS has released three collections comprising more than 100 pieces of enthralling film and TV content - Nordic Noir, Noir Not Nordic, Nordic Not Noir and Not Nordic Not Noir . From Scandinavian crime dramas to slow-burn mysteries with complex characters, each collection brings together an iconic line-up of Australian and international content, including Reyka, The Tailings, DNA, Before We Die, Romulus, Agent Hamilton and Beneath the Surface .
Furia
- Premiere date: Tue, 16 Nov 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 8
- Country of origin: Norway
- Language:Norwegian/ English/ German
Furia is a tense, eight part thriller with a dark, twist laden plot involving two key protagonists and four different identities. Set against the backdrop of two of Europe’s most distinguished capital cities Oslo and Berlin as well as rural western Norway,
Furia sees them work in tandem to bring down a terrifying far right terror cell and heal the grief that drives them. An edge of your seat mix of undercover thriller and prescient political drama, the story centers around a far
right extremist terror cell, hellbent on carrying out an atrocity the likes of which Europe has never seen before.Special ops officer Asgeir is living the quiet life in western Norway after escaping from the Russian underworld and assuming a new identity. When his world collides with Ragna’s, they face a race against the clock to prevent the unthinkable from happening on German soil.
Manayek
- Premiere date: Thu, 25 Nov 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes: 10
- Country of origin: Israel
- Language:Hebrew/ Ukrainian/ English
Featuring strong, distinct characters and a riveting multi-layered plot, Manayek is a sophisticated Israeli crime thriller that reveals a dark underworld seething beneath the veneer of law enforcement.
Internal Affairs investigator, Izzy Bachar, is in the final stretch of his career when he’s sent to interview a young police officer turned hitman, who has just killed a key state witness in cold blood.
He is shocked when the assassin offers information about a high-ranking police officer operating a vast criminal network within the force and points the finger at Barak Harel, a highly respected cop who happens to be Izzy’s best friend and former partner. Izzy is incredulous. That is, until he learns Barak is already under investigation.
Hoping to clear his buddy’s name, Izzy joins the task force. But when he uncovers proof of Barak’s double identity, a ruthless game of cat-and-mouse ensues. On one side, Izzy, an idealist, who fights against all odds to maintain justice, despite the personal cost to himself. On the other side, Barak and his gang of dirty cops, who will stop at nothing –including murder –to destroy the IA case and cover their tracks.
8-part animated shorts Woven Threads: Stories From Within, which explore stories of teen depression, domestic violence, eating disorders and men’s anxiety, premieres on SBS on Demand on November 16. It is narrated by Osher Gunsberg, and has been nominated for Best Short Form Entertainment in this year’s AACTA Awards.
La Fortuna
- Premiere date: Thu, 09 Dec 2021 | 09:00 AM
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Country of origin: Spain
- Language:Spanish/English
Alex Ventura (Álvaro Mel) never imagined his first day on the job at the Ministry of Culture would change his life forever. In the depths of the ocean off the Southern Spanish coast, Captain Frank Wild (Stanley Tucci) and his team of buccaneers have discovered the largest underwater treasure ever. Proving that the “La Fortuna” and its booty actually sank in Spanish waters is hard enough, let alone taking it back from Wild and his modern-day freebooters. Inspired by true events, La Fortuna is an English-Spanish adaptation of the graphic novel El tesoro del Cisne Negro by Paco Roca and Guillermo Corral.
Tell Me Who I Am
- Premiere date: Thu, 18 Nov 2021 | 12:00 PM
- Number of Episodes:9
- Country of origin: Spain
- Language:Spanish
Madrid, 1998. A man by the name of Albert James leaves a thick biography on the desk of Javier, a successful publisher. It is the story of Javier’s mother he never knew, Amelia Garayoa. Before fate can finally reunite mother and son, Amelia will have taken a long journey, starting in tumultuous Madrid of 1934.
First forced into marriage, then with her newborn baby taken from her, well off Amelia meets Pierre, a charismatic young French journalist and revolutionary whom Amelia accompanies to Buenos Aires out of love and sheer lust for adventure. There, opera diva Carla Alessandrini takes Amelia under her wing, becoming the young Spanish woman’s surrogate mother and best friend.
Amelia’s lifelong personal, romantic and political journey as a spy for a noble cause eventually takes her full circle, back home to Madrid but not before life changing experiences every step of the way in Moscow, London, Rome, Paris and Berlin.
went to watch last night’s episode of the backside of television. it was there and now it is not
Still there -
I just realised I forgot to tape this week’s episode, so have to catch up this weekend.