Fires

Television ABC
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The Fires

ABC is pleased to announce that development is underway on a powerful new six-part drama series The Fires . Developed in conjunction with Tony Ayres Productions (TAP) The Fires, will draw on the experiences of those directly affected by the megafires of last summer that devastated Australia and captured the world’s attention.

The Fires is a serialised anthology inspired by the extraordinary stories of the people who survived last summer’s catastrophic fire season and continue to endure their aftermath even today. Each episode is based around character studies of ordinary people caught in the unimaginable and the impossible choices they were forced to make.

Our characters include volunteer firefighters; families who lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones; people who had to make agonising decisions about whether to stay or flee; and others who found themselves responsible for the lives of friends and strangers. The Fires puts viewers at the centre of an experience which most people watched from a distance.

With an exceptional creative team on board, headed by one of our Industry’s prolific drama creators Tony Ayres ( Stateless, The Slap ) along with Andrea Denholm ( Wrong Kind of Black, It’s A Date) and Liz Watts ( The King, True History of the Kelly Gang ), The Fires promises to be a gripping drama, not to be missed. The writing team is led by International Emmy Award-winning showrunner/writer Belinda Chayko ( Safe Harbour, Stateless ) and includes Jacquelin Perske ( The Cry) , Mirrah Foulkes ( Judy and Punch ), Steven McGregor ( Mystery Road) and new talent, Anya Beyersdorf.

ABC Head of Drama, Entertainment and Indigenous Sally Riley said, “The ABC is delighted to be partnering with Tony Ayres and the team at TAP to bring these true stories to life. Even though the challenges and tests of endurance continue, this is an opportunity to celebrate and to remind ourselves of the strength, bravery and communal spirit that will carry us through, no matter what we face. The joy lies in our drive to give voice to the brave and fearless people whose lives and livelihoods have been irrevocably changed by this catastrophic event.”

Executive producer Tony Ayres says, “Like the rest of the world, I watched in horror last summer as I saw the devastation caused by the mega-fires. I wondered, “What can we do as artists?” For me, the answer was to tell the stories of some of the people who lived through this, so that we never forget what they went through, and always remember our responsibility for change.”

The Fires is currently in development, with filming planned for next year.

Production Credits: A TAP Production in association with ABC. Backed by NBCUniversal International Studios and Matchbox Pictures.

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I hope they can think of a better title though than the generic The Fires. These generic titled shows become forgettable really fast.

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Same. The [BLANK] lacks creativity and is awfully generic.

The concept sounds good though.

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Seems like it’s now retitled as “Fires”. I would have gone with Bushfires or Megafires.

Fires
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A six-part anthology series about the megafires which devastated Australia and captured the world’s attention, Fires is inspired by the extraordinary stories of the people who survived last summer’s catastrophic fire season and continue to endure the aftermath even today. Each episode is based around character studies of ordinary people caught in the unimaginable and the impossible choices they were forced to make. From volunteer firefighters and families who lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones; to people who had to make agonising decisions about whether to stay or flee, and those who found themselves responsible for the lives of friends and strangers.
A Tony Ayres Productions (TAP) series for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Financed with support from Film Victoria. Created by Tony Ayres and Belinda Chayko. Written by Belinda Chayko, Jacquelin Perske, Mirrah Foulkes, Steven McGregor and Anya Beyersdorf. Executive Producers Tony Ayres, Andrea Denholm, Liz Watts and Belinda Chayko. ABC Executive Producer Sally Riley. Distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution.

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All-star cast announced for ABC drama FIRES

Eliza Scanlen, Hunter Page-Lochard, Sam Worthington, Richard Roxburgh, Sullivan Stapleton, Noni Hazlehurst, Miranda Otto & Anna Torv join fire drama for ABC

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Filming is underway in Melbourne and regional Victoria on the six-part anthology drama FIRES . Starring an international rollcall of Australian talent, the series is inspired by extraordinary accounts from people who survived the catastrophic fire season in Australia of late 2019 and early 2020.

Produced by Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), FIRES impressive cast includes Eliza Scanlen ( Babyteeth , Sharp Objects ), Sam Worthington ( Avatar , Hacksaw Ridge ), Richard Roxburgh ( The Crown, Rake ), Sullivan Stapleton ( Blindspot , Animal Kingdom ), Miranda Otto ( Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Homeland ), Hunter Page-Lochard ( Harrow , Cleverman ), Anna Torv ( Mindhunter , Secret City ), Kate Box ( Stateless , Wentworth ), Helana Sawires ( Stateless , Ali’s Wedding ), Daniel Henshall ( Defending Jacob , Lambs of God ) and Noni Hazlehurst ( A Place to Call Home , Ladies in Black ). They are joined by exciting newcomers Ameshol Ajang, Stacy Clausen and Nyawuda Chuol in a true ensemble cast.

Sally Riley, ABC Head of Drama, Entertainment and Indigenous, said, “The ABC is honored to be able to share some of the very real and personal experiences of individuals and communities touched by the 2019 bushfires. This series will illuminate their resilience, determination and the community spirit that endures. We are proud to celebrate the start of production which champions this compelling and reflective storytelling with a stellar cast and a phenomenal creative team.”

Showrunner and writer Belinda Chayko said, “So many people were affected by the fires of 2019/2020 and we wanted to honour their experiences and the losses they suffered – to ensure that their stories were not forgotten. FIRES is a series about ordinary people, caught in the unimaginable, and the ways they came together in the face of a devastating natural disaster.”

The serialised anthology weaves character studies inspired by true stories into a narrative about the Australian bushfires of 2019/20 – the biggest fires of this century, if not in recorded history. Each episode is based around a different community, drawn from reports of ordinary people caught in the unimaginable, and the impossible choices they were forced to make. From volunteer firefighters risking everything to families who lost homes and loved ones; from people who had to make agonising decisions about whether to stay or flee to those who found themselves responsible for the lives of friends and strangers, FIRES tells the story of how one summer changed us forever.

Screen Australia’s Head of Content Sally Caplan said, “From some of Australia’s top talent in front and behind the camera, FIRES is set to be a premium drama demonstrating the power of humanity and community in the face of such devastating events. Bringing together perspectives from people of different walks of life, this series is a truly Australian story that I’m sure will resonate with viewers from regional areas to cities, and across the world.”

Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “Creating and producing a television drama that tells the story of the catastrophic 2019 bushfires and the impact it had and still has on our people, communities, emergency workers and the environment requires extraordinary creative and technical competence and sensitivity. We are in very safe hands with the highly credentialed and trusted team at Tony Ayres Productions. Film Victoria is very pleased to support this exceptional group of creatives to produce their screen vision of what was a deeply devastating event for Australia and we look forward to sharing this important story with local and global audiences.”

The writing team, led by showrunner/writer Belinda Chayko ( Safe Harbour, Stateless ) includes Jacquelin Perske ( The Cry) , Mirrah Foulkes ( Judy and Punch ), Steven McGregor ( Mystery Road) and Anya Beyersdorf ( Eden ).

FIRES is produced by Elisa Argenzio ( Lambs of God ) and executive produced by Tony Ayres ( Stateless, The Slap, Glitch ), Andrea Denholm ( Wrong Kind of Black, How To Stay Married ) and Liz Watts ( The King, True History of the Kelly Gang ).

The series will be directed by Michael Rymer ( Hannibal, Picnic at Hanging Rock ), Ana Kokkinos ( The Hunting, Seven Types of Ambiguity ) and Kim Mordaunt ( Wakefield, The Rocket ).

FIRES will air on ABC TV and ABC iview later this year.

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FIRES on ABC in September

From the ashes comes the landmark drama series

The ABC is proud to announce the must-see, epic six-part anthology series FIRES will premiere on Sunday, 26 September, 8.40p.m on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Inspired by true events, FIRES is a serialised anthology about the experiences of everyday people at the front line of the devastating fires of the 2019-2020 Australian summer.

Filmed in Melbourne and regional Victoria earlier this year, the series honours the experiences of the many people affected by these fires. It acknowledges the losses suffered and the ways people came together in the face of a devastating natural disaster.

Beneath the unfathomable scale of the fires and behind the images and the headlines were thousands of stories of people directly affected by the fires. Stories of heartbreak and loss, heroism, humanity, and community.

Bringing those stories to life is the all-star ensemble cast of Eliza Scanlen, Hunter Page-Lochard, Richard Roxburgh, Miranda Otto, Taylor Ferguson, Anna Torv, Mark Leonard Winter, Dan Spielman, Sam Worthington, Charlotte Best, Kate Box, Helana Sawires, Daniel Henshall, Sullivan Stapleton, Noni Hazlehurst and newcomers Ameshol Ajang and Stacy Clausen.

The series begins in Queensland in September 2019, at the start of the fire season, and continues as the fires make their deadly march south, burning out of control through NSW and Victoria until February 2020. Each episode is set in a different location as the fires spread and build to a terrifying onslaught across the country through Christmas and New Year.

As the fires grow in intensity and ferocity and threaten different communities, new characters appear, whose stories reflect the breadth of experience during Australia’s black summer. Through the episodes we meet volunteer firefighters, families who have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones, people who have to make agonising decisions about whether to stay or flee; those escaping homes and once idyllic holiday destinations; and others who find themselves responsible for the lives of friends and strangers.

FIRES is co-created by Belinda Chayko and Tony Ayres. Chayko ( Safe Harbour, Stateless ) was also showrunner and lead writer, alongside Jacqueline Perske ( The Cry ), Mirrah Foulkes ( Judy and Punch ), Steven McGregor ( Mystery Road ) and Anya Beyersdorf ( Eden ). The series is produced by Elisa Argenzio ( Lambs of God ), with executive producers Tony Ayres ( Stateless, The Slap, Glitch ), Andrea Denholm ( Wrong Kind of Black, How to Stay Married ), Liz Watts ( The King, True History of the Kelly Gang . Directors on the series are Michael Rymer ( Hannibal, Picnic at Hanging Rock ), Ana Kokkinos ( Seven Types of Ambiguity, The Hunting ) and Kim Mordaunt ( Wakefield, The Rocket ).

Production credits: The series is produced by Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), which is backed by NBCUniversal International Studios and Matchbox Pictures, for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with ABC, with support from Film Victoria through the Victorian Screen Incentive and Regional Location Assistance Fund. Distribution is handled by NBCUniversal Global Distribution. ABC Executive Producers: Sally Riley and Brett Sleigh.

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Just saw the trailer before The Newsreader tonight. Looks brilliant.

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Emergency brodacsting:

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The last episode was clearly based on Mallacoota and featured a community radio station, likely based on the experiences of the real life 3MGB radio.

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Fires are now screening on Prime in New Zealand on Tuesday nights. Two episodes have aired so far including tonight.