Yeah I’m watching this but I’m struggling. The story is too slow. Both Gibney and Roxburgh are great as always, it’s just the content that is letting them down.
8 eps in and the story hasn’t progressed much…
Interestingly the set used for the “good morning la” show is the old advertorial set for the Morning Show on 7
Nine half year report:
Stan revenue has increased 11% to $228.4 million, with paying subscribers currently above 2.2 million, and price increases driving an 11% increase in ARPU. EBITDA has increased by 41% to $25.3 million.
C21 reports Stan original series Scrublands has been acquired by the BBC in the UK, RTÉ in Ireland, Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand and Cosmote TV. Abacus Media Rights is the international distributor.
Stan has released the teaser for Hacks season 3, premiering May 3.
Stan are hosting an event this afternoon in Sydney, with a string of announcements about new and returning shows on the streamer.
The first already announced, and the worst kept secret, albeit surprising the format is returning:
Let’s hope for a final season announcement for Bump. It’s time to end that show now.
Another Comic Procedural coming to Stan in Partnership with The CW and Roku:
Stan, The CW, Roku & Jeff Wachtel Team For ‘Good Cop/Bad Cop’ (deadline.com)
It’s like they keep making the same shows over and over with one shoehorned international cast member.
This sounds like a cross between The Tourist with Jamie Dornan and Darby & Joan with Greta Scachi.
You’d hope so, but Australia really aren’t great with confirmation of series ending typically.
IMO the show really shined in the first 2 seasons, and has slowly tapered off since then.
I will say, a number of surprising returning series being announced this afternoon.
KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stan, Australia’s leading local streaming service and unrivalled home of original productions, announced 25 Stan Originals across television, film and documentaries during an intimate Stan Originals Showcase held at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Today’s slate announcement demonstrates the quality and depth of Australian stories, with fresh commissions Critical Incident, Watching You and Sunny Nights, as well Good Cop/Bad Cop starring leading Hollywood stars Leighton Meester, Luke Cook and Clancy Brown. The slate also sees the return of much-loved fan-favourites, including the smash hit Black Snow with the return of Travis Fimmel, perennial crowd-favourite Bump , Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne, Ten Pound Poms with Michelle Keegan and Scrublands.
Four brand new Original Documentaries were announced, including Trailblazers, the transformational journey of Australian women’s football and three documentaries from Stan’s investigatory Revealed slate; Revealed: Bribe, Inc., uncovering global corruption in the oil industry, Revealed: KillJoy, the story of a family homicide and Revealed: Malka Leifer, a harrowing abuse scandal in Melbourne. The Revealed slate is a collaboration with Australia’s leading documentary filmmakers, including Nine’s award-winning journalists, from 60 Minutes, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Alice Englert, Essie Davis and Thomas Weatherill will star in the bold Stan Original Series Exposure, a raw psychological thriller that follows a photographer who returns to her hometown after the death of her friend. The LGBTQIA+ Stan Original Series, Invisible Boys, currently filming in Western Australia will see emerging Australian Joseph Zada, Aydan Calafiore, Zach Blampied and Joe Klocek, alongside Pia Miranda and David Lyons.
Since launch, Stan has commissioned over 90 Originals across drama, reality, comedy, features and documentary. The leading commercial commissioner of Australian drama titles in FY23, Stan has tripled its Australian content over the past three years and commissioned more Australian scripted content than any other streamer or commercial broadcaster in FY23.
Stan Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler said: “Stan is exceptionally well positioned in an evolving SVOD landscape, with a clearly differentiated strategy focusing on profitable growth. Our significant investment in Australian premium Stan Originals is a key part of our success and we continue to acquire global hits like Yellowstone and The Walking Dead for Australian audiences. This year, for the first time, we will also stream the Olympic and Paralympic Games live and on-demand on Stan."
“The breadth and depth of our premium exclusive content, and the way in which we market them, supported by the reach of the Nine Group, allows us to compete with international streamers and solidifies our position as one of the most successful single territory SVOD streamers in the world.”
Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said: “Stan has always championed exceptional storytelling and premium Australian content across all genres, and this world-class slate of 25 titles exemplifies this. We remain steadfast in our commitment to championing fresh and established creatives, and elevating Australian storytelling through our collaborations with the best local and international talent.”
“While our focus is always on Australian audiences, Stan continues to showcase our original productions on a global stage through our international partnerships with the world’s biggest studios and distributors. Stan Originals connect with Australians, and with this diverse and consequential line-up, we continue to deliver what audiences have told us they want on their screens.”
Stan Head of Originals Amanda Duthie said: “Curating, developing and commissioning a slate of such diverse magnificence relies on the daring, passion and enormous will of a range of screen creatives. Luckily for Stan, this is in abundance with all our collaborators. The Stan Originals slate nurtures the bold and the fearless, drawing across experienced and new talent, and delving into screen stories - documentaries, features and series - that don’t tell us what we think we know, but what we need to know.”
These brand new productions join an existing suite of Stan Originals still to premiere, including comedy crime thriller Population 11 starring Ben Feldman premiering Thursday, all episodes at once. A co-production with SKY, the Stan Original Series The Tattooist of Auschwitz, premieres May 2, and stars Harvey Keitel, Melanie Lynskey, Jonah Hauer-King, Anna Próchniak and Jonas Nay.
Family feature Windcatcher starring Jessica Mauboy in her first film role in twelve years premieres March 28. Also premiering on Stan will be psychological thriller The Surfer led by Hollywood actor and Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage, and road trip series Thou Shalt Not Steal from director and co-creator Dylan River. See the brand new image from Thou Shalt Not Steal HERE.
Stan continues to partner with Hollywood studios and the world’s biggest international distributors including All3Media, AMC, Banijay, BBC, Fremantle, ITV, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery to bring exclusive premium content from around the world to Australian audiences.
Alongside the existing slate of global drama, Stan announces it is the exclusive home of a slate of brand new acquisitions, including action-packed thriller Nightsleeper, a high-octane series following the hacking of a train from Fremantle, Joan starring Sophie Turner as real-life criminal mastermind Joan Hannington from All3Media, history-bending drama series Spartacus: House of Ashur, a sequel series from STARZ/Lionsgate arriving more than a decade after the original series’ conclusion, Red Eye from Sony Pictures Television, a high-octane thriller set on a red-eye flight with Jing Lusi and Richard Armitage in lead roles, and suspense drama Hunting Wives from Lionsgate, based on the bestselling novel.
Stan is also the home of three brand new series in the Walking Dead Universe - Dead City, Daryl Dixon and The Ones Who Live , with Dead City and Daryl Dixon already confirmed for a second season. Other highlights from Stan’s exclusive slate include A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, as well as returning favourites such as Hacks, All American, Sullivan’s Crossing, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Bel Air, From, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book IV: Force and Twisted Metal.
And this November, the final season of the global phenomenon Yellowstone starring Oscar®-winner Kevin Costner will premiere exclusively on Stan, seeing the conclusion of a series that quickly became a worldwide hit and the #1 drama on U.S. cable television.
SCRIPTED: NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
CRITICAL INCIDENT
From creator Sarah Bassiuoni, psychological drama series Critical Incident follows a police officer who, in pursuit of a teenage suspect onto a busy train platform, knocks a bystander onto the train tracks, critically injuring him. As an intense investigation commences, the lives of the pursued and the pursuer are thrown into turmoil. Premiering in 2024, the series stars Akshay Khanna, Zoë Boe, Roxie Mohebbi, Hunter Page-Lochard, Jai Waetford, Jackson Heywood and Zindzi Okenyo, with Simone Kessell and Erik Thomson. Directed by Neil Sharma and Daniel Nettheim, the series is produced by Matchbox Pictures, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. Major production investment from Screen Australia and Stan. Financed with support from Screen NSW. International sales by All3Media International. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Developed with assistance of Screen Australia.
SUNNY NIGHTS
Starting production in 2024, darkly-comedic drama series Sunny Nights is about how a little bit of sun, a change of scenery, and a touch of violent crime can help a person find their true self. The series follows two siblings who venture to Sydney determined to grow their struggling spray tan business, but when they get caught up in the city’s criminal underworld, they must figure out how to stay alive, out of prison, and in the black. Directed by Trent O’Donnell, with writers Ty Freer, Nick Keetch, Marieke Hardy, Lally Katz, Clare Sladden and Niki Aken. A Jungle Entertainment (Stan Original Series Population 11) and Echo Lake Entertainment Production (The Great), with major production investment from Stan in association with Screen Australia. Additional finance provided by Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund. International sales by Cineflix Rights.
WATCHING YOU
Based on J.P Pomare’s novel The Last Guests, the Stan Original Series Watching You is a gripping psychological thriller. After her passionate one-night stand is captured by hidden cameras, Lina sets out to unmask an insidious voyeur who threatens to destroy her life. Watching You is adapted for television by creators Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk and produced by Lingo Pictures’ Jason Stephens and executive produced by Lingo Pictures’ Helen Bowden. Produced in association with ITV Studios, who will manage international distribution.
GOOD COP / BAD COP
Stan continues its international collaboration with global content leaders, with comedic procedural series Good Cop / Bad Cop co-commissioned with The CW and Roku and starring Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Luke Cook (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Clancy Brown (Dexter: New Blood). The series follows Lou (Meester) and Henry (Cook), a sister and brother detective team in a small Pacific Northwest police force who must contend with colourful residents, a serious lack of resources, and their very complicated dynamic with each other and their police chief, Big Hank (Brown) – who happens to be their father. From Will & Grace writer John Quaintance, with Stan Original Series Population 11 creator Phil Lloyd as co-executive producer, production for the eight-part series is due to commence this year in Queensland. Director and Executive Producer Trent O’Donnell will set up the series, alongside Natalie Bailey, Gracie Otto and Corrie Chen. Joining John Quaintance and Phil Lloyd are writers Steve Joe, Julie de Fina, Steve Toltz, Clare Sladden and Sarinah Masukor. A Jungle Entertainment and Future Shack Entertainment, supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy. Good Cop / Bad Cop is produced in association with and distributed by ITV Studios.
NUGGET (WT)
Stan continues its slate of homegrown Christmas productions in 2024, with the Stan Original Film Nugget entering production later this year. When her beloved family dog Nugget falls sick over Christmas, a city dermatologist must return home to confront both her dysfunctional family, and the mortality of the one family member that brings them all together. Principal production funding from Screen NSW. Filmed and post produced in NSW with the assistance of Screen NSW. Directed by Imogen McCluskey, produced by Naomi Just, executive produced by Rob Gibson and Ian Collie, and written by Vic Zerbst and Jenna Owen.
EXPOSURE
Alice Englert, Essie Davis, Mia Artemis, Thomas Weatherall, and Sean Keenan lead the cast of the Stan Original Series Exposure. A psychological thriller filmed in Sydney and Port Kembla, Exposure follows a photographer returning to her hometown after the death of her best friend, who discovers the hidden secrets of their relationship and the truth of the tragedy. Created by screenwriter Lucy Coleman (Hot Mess) and directed by Bonnie Moir (Love Me), Exposure is produced through Thirdborn by executive producers Nicole O’Donohue, with Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel. Major production investment from Screen Australia and Stan. Financed with support from Screen NSW. International sales by All3Media International. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW.
INVISIBLE BOYS
From Logie and AACTA award-winning creator/director Nicholas Verso, the Stan Original Series Invisible Boys will complete production this month in Perth and Geraldton, WA. Based on Holden Sheppard’s multi-award winning LGBTQIA+ novel, Invisible Boys is a 10-episode LGBTQIA+ drama starring Joseph Zada, Aydan Calafiore, Zach Blampied, Joe Klocek, Pia Miranda and David Lyons, produced by Tania Chambers for Feisty Dame Productions and Nicholas Verso for Asphodel Films. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Stan. Financed with support from Screenwest, Lotterywest, and the WA Regional Screen Fund. Distributed internationally by Banijay Rights. Developed with assistance of Screen Australia.
SCRIPTED RETURNING SERIES
BLACK SNOW S2
With production commencing in Queensland, the second season of the Stan Original Series Black Snow , produced by Goalpost Pictures, will see Travis Fimmel reprise his role as Detective Cormack, as he tackles two separate missing persons cases. One is professional, as he investigates the disappearance of Zoe Jacobs, who disappeared from her own 21st birthday party in 2003. And the other is personal, as Cormack searches desperately for his own younger brother, who went missing when they were children. After a smash-hit first season, Director Sian Davies, Executive Producer Rosemary Blight and Series Creator Lucas Taylor return to the series and Helena Brooks joins as Director. Black Snow season two is produced in association with All3Media International and Sundance Now and with financial support from Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and City of Gold Coast.
BUMP S5
Australia’s favourite family will return, with the Stan Original Series Bump confirmed for a fifth season. One of Stan’s most beloved Originals since 2021, Nathalie Morris, Carlos Sanson Jr, Claudia Karvan and Angus Sampson will reprise their roles. Produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond and its founders Dan Edwards and John Edwards, along with co-creators Claudia Karvan and Kelsey Munro. Financed with support from Screen NSW. ITV is managing international sales.
SCRUBLANDS S2
After an incredible launch on Stan in November 2023, the Stan Original Series Scrublands is returning. In this adaptation of Chris Hammer’s best-selling second novel Silver, to be filmed in Western Australia, Martin Scarsden has returned to his coastal hometown, Port Silver, to set up a new life with partner Mandy Bond. When he arrives to find his childhood friend Jasper brutally murdered and Mandy the prime suspect, Martin makes it his duty to find the real murderer and absolve Mandy. In the process, he confronts hidden truths about Port Silver and his own long buried past. Directed by Ben Young, with writers Felicity Packard, Jock Serong and Fiona Kelly. Co-commissioned by Stan and the 9Network, from Easy Tiger and Third Act Stories, produced by Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Martha Coleman and Felicity Packard. Executive Producers Michael Healy and Andy Ryan from the 9Network and Cailah Scobie and Alicia Brown for Stan. Major production investment from Screenwest, Lotterywest and the WA Regional Screen Fund. Developed and Produced with the assistance of Screenwest and Lotterywest. International sales are handled by Abacus Media Rights.
POKER FACE S2
After a star-studded, addictive first season, Rian Johnson’s Stan Original Series Poker Face will return. Starring Natasha Lyonne, the mystery-of-the-week series follows Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve. The first season featured an all-star guest cast including Adrien Brody, Chloë Sevigny, Benjamin Bratt and **Nick Nolte.
TEN POUND POMS S2
The smash hit Stan Original Series Ten Pound Poms will return for a second series, with Michelle Keegan, Warren Brown and Faye Marsay all set to reprise their roles alongside Australian actors Rob Collins, Leon Ford and Stephen Curry. A co-production between Stan and the BBC, Ten Pound Poms is produced by Eleven and written and created by the BAFTA award-winning Danny Brocklehurst, who also executive produces. Joining Danny on the writing team is Australia’s Ryan Griffen alongside Smita Bhide. Season two is directed by Australia’s Ana Kokkinos and the UK’s Tom McKay. The series is supported by Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund.
UNSCRIPTED
DRAG RACE DOWN UNDER
The Stan Original Series Drag Race Down Under will return later this year for a fourth season, with international icon Michelle Visage confirmed as the new host. Also announced is the return of Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson, who will be joined on the main stage by Down Under’s glittering drag royalty. This is the first time Down Under queens have been enlisted for their expertise to judge and mentor a new cast of fierce local queens all vying to be Down Under’s next Drag Race Superstar. A World of Wonder production in collaboration with Warner Bros. International Production New Zealand for Stan in Australia, WOW Presents Plus everywhere else. Passion Distribution distributes the series globally in line with Passion Distribution and WOW’s distribution strategy.
TRAILBLAZERS
Showcasing the transformational journey of the Matildas, Australia’s beloved national Women’s Football team, the Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers will premiere on Stan ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Created by an all-female production team, the Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers features past Matildas legends including first captain Julie Dolan, and current stars: Captain Sam Kerr, Vice-Captain Steph Catley, Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter, Teagan Micah, Melissa Barbieri, Kate Gill and Moya Dodd. Trailblazers also features contributions from ex Socceroos Captain and Stan Sport commentator Craig Foster, Coach Tommy Sermanni and the first Indigenous female player Karen Menzies. Trailblazers is a Savage Films, Milestone Films and LM Films Production. Principal Production Funding from Mecca M-Power in association with Screen Australia and VicScreen. Developed with the assistance of VicScreen.
REVEALED: BRIBE, INC.
Highly acclaimed The Age and 60 Minutes journalist Nick McKenzie uncovers global corruption in the oil industry in the Stan Original Documentary Revealed: Bribe, Inc. Examining Monaco-based business Unaoil’s global bribery scandal and exclusively featuring the whistleblower who brought the crimes into the open, Bribe, Inc. details the company’s audacious corruption and resulting widespread damage, investigating a slew of multi-million dollar bribes paid on behalf of some of the biggest companies in the world. An Australian Canadian collaboration, produced by 1441 Productions, directed by Peter Klein, written and produced by Peter Klein and Calyn Shaw.
REVEALED: KILLJOY
The story of a family homicide, Revealed: KillJoy offers the unique view of family violence from the perspective of the child. Kathryn Joy, whose father killed their mother when they were three months old, embarks on a journey to uncover their mother’s buried story. Produced by Lisa Albert, with associate producers Kathryn Joy and Jess Hill (See What You Made Me Do). Project Advisor Ivan O’Mahoney (Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, Folau). Directed by Vincenzo Lamberti (Intervention: Stories from the Inside). A Fringe Dweller Films production for Stan. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with The Post Lounge, VicScreen and Shark Island Foundation. Developed with assistance from Shark Island Foundation, VicScreen and Screen Australia.
REVEALED: MALKA LEIFER
Revealed: Malka Leifer explores a harrowing abuse scandal in Melbourne. After years of unspeakable abuse at the hands of their headmistress, three sisters near the end of a quest for justice two decades in the making. Raised in an isolated ultra-orthodox Jewish community, hidden in plain sight in Melbourne’s southeast, the sisters are finally set to face their tormentor in court. It marks the culmination of a saga of betrayal, conspiracy, international intrigue and deep trauma that has taken a huge personal toll. Will the sisters get justice and if so, at what price? Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Stan. Financed with support from Screen NSW, VicScreen and philanthropy via Documentary Australia. The film is produced by Ivan O’Mahoney for In Films, Joel Pearlman and Edwina Waddy Roadshow Films, and directed by Adam Kamien, in association with Fremantle, who will also handle international distribution of the series.
STILL TO PREMIERE
POPULATION 11
Premiering Thursday, American actor and Executive Producer Ben Feldman leads the Stan Original Series Population 11, a comedy crime thriller filmed in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. Inspired by true events, Population 11 is about a man who goes missing from a tiny outback town of only twelve residents, and his estranged son, who journeys from the U.S. to find him. The second series to be co-commissioned by Stan and Lionsgate, Trent O’Donnell (New Girl, Hacks) directs and executive produces the series from Jungle Entertainment.
THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ
Premiering May 2, and starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey, the Stan Original Series The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a six-part limited drama series based on the international best-selling novel by Heather Morris, and inspired by the real-life story of Lali and Gita Sokolov, who met while prisoners in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust of World War II.
WINDCATCHER
After twelve years, Jessica Mauboy returns to the screen in her first film since The Sapphires. A heartwarming family feature, the Stan Original Film Windcatcher premieres March 28 and follows the unlikely friendship between Percy Boy and his two friends as they band together to take the local school sports day title from a group of grade five bullies. Stan’s first co-commission with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.
THE SURFER
A psychological thriller starring Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon and Miranda Tapsell, the Stan Original Film The Surfer is an intensely unnerving feature film shot in Yallingup, WA. When a man returns to Australia to buy back his family home after many years in the U.S., he is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a group of local surfers. Wounded, he defies them and remains at the beach. Conflict escalates and he is brought to the edge of his sanity.
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
Directed by AACTA Award-winning filmmaker Dylan River, the Stan Original Series Thou Shalt Not Steal stars Sherry-Lee Watson, Will McDonald, Miranda Otto and Noah Taylor. An eight-episode road series set in Central and South Australia during the 1980s, the series follows a young Aboriginal delinquent searching for the truth behind a mysterious family secret, who escapes from detention and reluctantly teams up with an awkward teenager. Together they flee her small central desert community on a perilous journey across the outback.
REVEALED: OTTO BY OTTO
Inspired to make an intimate family portrait, Gracie Otto directs this feature-length Stan Original Documentary Revealed: Otto by Otto about her father, Barry Otto, whose career in Australian theatre, film and television has spanned more than 50 years. Featuring interviews with Barry’s collaborators, Revealed: Otto on Otto takes audiences on a journey through Australia’s theatre industry in the 70s and 80s.
REVEALED: HOW TO POISON A PLANET
Revealed: How To Poison A Planet, (previously titled Safe To Drink), exposes the shocking contamination of toxic chemicals that sparked an international environmental catastrophe and tells the story of the devastating impacts on contaminated communities who are fighting for justice. In collaboration with Walkley Award-winning journalist Carrie Fellner and The Sydney Morning Herald, spanning from the US to a small Aboriginal community in Australia, taking on its own David and Goliath battle, Revealed: How to Poison A Planet investigates how the use of a product as seemingly harmless as firefighting foam, has resulted in contamination of communities all over the world. Revealed: How to Poison A Planet is produced by iKandy Films in association with Screen Australia, Shark Island Foundation and Screen NSW.
REVEALED: RENEE GRACIE
Revealed: Renee Gracie follows Australia’s first female race car driver as she attempts to re-enter V8 racing after being pushed out of the sport and becoming a multi-millionaire through online adult entertainment. Written and directed by Frances Elliott and Samantha Marlowe, produced by Cody Greenwood, and executive produced by Nick Batzias and Charlotte Wheaton. Produced by Rush Films. International sales by Rush Films.
More information on Stan’s acquisitions
Red Eye
Nightsleeper
Joan
Hunting Wives
Spactacus: House of Ashur
Needs a better title.
That’s a very impressive 2024 slate from Stan. Nine is firing on all cylinders this year, with MAFS, Paris Olympics, The Block, and through its ownership in Stan.
I think Seven (and to a lesser degree, 10/Paramount+) can learn a lot from this.
From Screen Australia
Screen Australia and Stan have announced two new Australian drama series, Critical Incident, a six-part contemporary crime drama set in Western Sydney from Matchbox Productions, and Sunny Nights from Jungle Entertainment which follows two siblings who get caught up in the criminal underworld while navigating the beauty cosmetics industry. The two productions have received major production investment from Screen Australia and Stan.
Screen Australia Director of Content Grainne Brunsdon said, “Screen Australia is delighted to be supporting these two new distinctive Australian dramas and the story makers behind them. Viewers can expect compelling storylines, complex characters and the perfect mix of action, high-stakes drama and wit. Critical Incident is a fresh and modern take on the crime drama genre from a very experienced creative team, promising honest insights and an authentic representation of Western Sydney.”
“Sunny Nights is set to draw audiences into the absurdity of the siblings’ misadventures as they are swept up in their new and dangerous world. With Jungle Entertainment and this highly skilled creative team at the helm, Sunny Nights is going to be an enthralling and brilliant series. I can’t wait to watch them when they land on Stan,” said Brunsdon.
Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said, “Critical Incident and Sunny Nights are fresh Australian stories from world-class creative teams. Sarah Bassiuoni and Matchbox Productions have crafted a compelling series with Critical Incident, a crime drama in Western Sydney introducing a suite of brand-new Australian actors. From the talented team at Jungle Entertainment, Sunny Nights is a madcap adventure guaranteed to entertain and uplift. We thank Screen Australia for their continued support in bringing premium Australian drama to screens.”
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, “Critical Incident and Sunny Nights demonstrate the range and ambition of our screen creatives in NSW, and I congratulate Matchbox Productions and Jungle Entertainment on each of their unique and compelling series. We are excited to see the high volume of work being produced in our state, showcasing our diverse locations, and ensuring a solid pipeline of exciting projects for audiences to enjoy.”
Critical Incident is a six-part contemporary crime drama from Matchbox Productions depicting life in the Western suburbs of Sydney and delves into the complex world of policing and the consequences on those most vulnerable. While on patrol for a teenage suspect, Senior Constable Zilifcar ‘Zil’ Ahmed (Akshay Khanna) pursues Dalia (Zoë Boe). In the chaos and confusion of the pursuit, a bystander is critically injured. Zil’s world comes crashing down when he discovers Dalia was in fact not the perpetrator. The immense guilt over the bystander’s injuries, coupled with the pressure of the critical incident investigation and the public scrutiny, creates an unbearable burden for Zil. Encouraged by his brothers in blue, Zil becomes obsessed with pinning something on Dalia.
Critical Incident is created, written and co-executive produced by Sarah Bassiuoni (The Secrets She Keeps), directed by Neil Sharma (Heartbreak High) and Daniel Nettheim (Line of Duty), with writers Ruth Underwood, Hannah Fitzpatrick (Drop Dead Weird season 2) and Natasha Henry (Aunty Betelnut), and produced by Bree-Anne Sykes (Here Out West, House of Gods) with executive producer Sheila Jayadev (Stateless, House of Gods). Critical Incident is produced by Matchbox Pictures, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. It has received major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Stan. It is financed with support from Screen NSW, who is also supporting post, digital and visual effects. International sales are being handled by All3Media International. Critical Incident will premiere on Stan in 2024.
Sunny Nights is an eight-part darkly-comedic drama from Jungle Entertainment (Stan Original Series Population 11) and Echo Lake Entertainment (The Great), which follows two siblings as they navigate the cosmetics industry and inadvertently get caught up in Sydney’s criminal underworld. As the brother and sister attempt to turn their start-up business into a multi-million-dollar operation, they’ll find the unconditional bond of their familial relationship tested by corporate rivals, dangerous mobsters and, of course, a lifetime of driving each other insane. Starting production in 2024, Sunny Nights is about how a spritz of sunless tanner, a little ambition and a touch of crime can help a person find their true self.
Sunny Nights is directed by Trent O’Donnell (The Good Place, Hacks, Colin from Accounts) and written by Nick Keetch and Ty Freer (Almost Paradise), Marieke Hardy (Heartbreak High), Lally Katz (Squinters), Clare Sladden (Eden) and Niki Aken (The Newsreader), with Shay Spencer, Jason Burrows and Chloe Rickard executive producing and Bridget Callow-Wright producing for Jungle Entertainment. It is a Jungle Entertainment (Population 11) and Echo Lake Entertainment (The Great) production, with major production investment from Stan in association with Screen Australia. Additional finance provided by Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund. International sales by Cineflix Rights. Developed with the assistance of Stan.
These projects join an exciting line-up of Australian drama series heading to Stan including Invisible Boys, Thou Shalt Not Steal, Exposure and feature film Windcatcher which have all received support from Screen Australia.
