Netflix announces new Australian titles – As Told By: Que Minh Luu, Director of Content Australia & New Zealand
As a TV-obsessed kid growing up in western Sydney, the weekly TV guide in the paper was my bible.
I’d carefully schedule out what shows I was going to watch that week, and when.
Spoilt for choice, my favourite shows were too frequently on at the same time.
So, I devised a legally-dubious system which included two VHS machines, a long-play VCR, and a kind neighbour who was happy to offer her VHS for my entertainment needs.
The plan? Watch one, record four and never miss a beat.
Water Rats, Police Rescue, Wild Side, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, Heartbreak High and Border Town were just some of the shows that shaped the way I saw Aussie TV.
Coupled with offbeat British comedy and glossy US dramas, I quickly learned that film and TV can also serve as a window to cultures and places different from mine and gained an understanding first hand how the stories you consume can shape you.
There’s an assumption that actors speaking in an Aussie accent with the Sydney Opera House or a kangaroo in the background makes an Australian film or series.
But that’s an outsider’s vision, or version, of Australia.
At Netflix, we’re about telling stories from an authentic Australian point of view.
We’re a team of Aussies working with Aussies to make shows that are for us, by us and about us.
When we embrace local flavour unabashedly, our audiences feel seen and understood – and they fall in love with our stories.
Our upcoming films and shows from Australia celebrate our culture and showcase the diverse people and landscapes from all corners of the country and across all genres.
Today, we’re sharing some of the new Australian films and shows that will be released on Netflix or commence production this year, with plenty more to come yet!
Love is in the Air: Giving our slate a romance boost, Australia’s sweetheart Delta Goodrem stars in this movie about a seaplane pilot falling for the man sent to sink her business. Filmed in Queensland’s Whitsundays, Love is in the Air will set hearts aflutter with its familiar and comforting “will they, won’t they” journey towards love.
ONEFOUR: Against All Odds: This documentary sheds light on a controversy dispute that’s still playing out today. On one side isyou have arguably the most popular drill rap group in Australia, some of whom skirted on the wrong side of the law. On the other side, you have a dedicated police task force trying to shut them down and prevent them from performing. Although ONEFOUR are not typically featured on mainstream TV, they are wildly popular —and these are the quintessentially Australian stories that we want to tell.
Desert King (Working Title): Set in the Australian Outback, this epic succession tale revolves around billionaire miners, Traditional Owners, cowboys and desert gangsters fighting over the world’s biggest cattle station the size of Wales. The series is going to be red and dusty because it’s the Outback, but it’ll also be sexy with a lot of guns and helicopters. And a lot of cows.
The Survivors (Working Title): We’re teaming up with Matchbox Pictures to adapt “The Survivors” by acclaimed Australian author Jane Harper into an ambitious crime- mystery limited series. Set in a Tasmanian seaside town, the cerebral narrative explores the impact of unresolved grief.
We’re excited about the variety and scope these new films and shows bring to our existing slate of homegrown stories.
Having seen success both here in Australian and around the world with films like Run Rabbit Run, True Spirit, The Stranger, and A Perfect Pairing as well as series such as Wellmania, Heartbreak High, and Surviving Summer that have racked up millions of view hours and featured high in our Top 10 lists both locally and globally; we hope to continue to create space for Australian stories to be told and succeed.
Media Release – Netflix
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