Made Up Stories and Alison Hurbert-Burns launch The Set Up – Made Up Stories and Alison Hurbert-Burns have joined forces to launch The Set Up, a new Sydney-based television venture designed to package premium Australian series for broadcasters and platforms around the world.
The launch matters because it puts an experienced Australian commissioner and one of the country’s most internationally active production companies inside the same dedicated vehicle. For TV Central readers, The Set Up is another sign that Australian scripted television is being positioned not only for local commissioning, but for global financing, co-production and audience reach.
The Set Up will bring together stories, talent and financing, with the company aiming to create premium series from Australia for top international broadcasters and platforms.
Hurbert-Burns, formerly of BINGE, Foxtel, Nine and Stan, serves as CEO and co-founder. Made Up Stories principals Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky are also co-founders, with Casey Haver, Jeanne Snow and Katie Amos rounding out the leadership team.
Made Up Stories has produced a run of high-profile international series including Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing, Pieces of Her and Anatomy of a Scandal. In Australia, the company has worked on titles including Strife, The Last Anniversary and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
The new venture will draw on Australia’s creative talent, production capabilities, locations and screen incentives. The Set Up has a production pipeline planned to begin in 2027 and will also source projects from third-party Australian producers and creatives.
“Australian creatives and stories are world-class, and the opportunity to produce a slate of shows that resonate both locally and globally is incredibly exciting,” Papandrea and Hutensky said.
Hurbert-Burns said the company would bring a commissioner’s lens and a targeted approach to finding stories that travel across borders and appeal to broad audiences.
More streaming and production coverage is available in TV Central’s Streaming section. Made Up Stories is available at madeupstories.com.
