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New telemovies, mini-series at Nine, ABC.

Plus a new kid's series for TEN, new projects for BBC Worldwide and more.

A new telemovie for Nine and new mini-series for the ABC are amongst new drama projects that have received funding from Screen Australia.

Sundowner, a telemovie by Cordell Jigsaw for Nine, looks at the tale of two innocent men who become embroiled in one of the most famous heists in Australia’s history and the fight to clear their names.

ABC’s Jack Irish is a 2 x 2 hr mini-series co-written by Andrew Knight and Matt Cameron, based on the detective character created by crime novelist Peter Temple.

Telemovie Dripping with Chocolate will be produced by Sarah Smith and Julie McGauran (Rescue Special Ops, Wild Boys) about a chocolatier at the centre of a murder mystery. It is being produced for BBC Worldwide by Southern Star.

Prolific kid’s TV producer Jonathan M. Shiff has a new 26 part series for TEN: Mako: Island of Secrets.

Previously announced dramas The Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms (TEN) and Redfern Now (ABC) have also received funding.

Cordell Jigsaw also have a 4 x 1 hour doco series for the ABC, Great Southern Land, which looks at Australia from the air.

TELEVISION – ADULT DRAMA
THE BIKIE WARS: BROTHERS IN ARMS
A Screentime production
Co-producers Louisa Kors, Peter Andrikidis
Executive Producers Des Monaghan, Greg Haddrick, Rick Maier
Series Producer Roger Simpson
Writers Roger Simpson, Jo Martino, Greg Haddrick
Director Peter Andrikidis
Broadcaster Network Ten
Synopsis: Brothers in Arms tells the story behind the fatal feud between two outlaw  motorcycle clubs that resulted in the Milperra Bikie Massacre in south-western Sydney on  Father’s Day, 1984.

DRIPPING IN CHOCOLATE
Southern Star Entertainment Pty Ltd
Producers Julie McGauran, Sarah Smith
Writers John Ridley, Sarah Smith
Director TBC
Sales Endemol Worldwide Distribution
Broadcaster BBC Worldwide Australia
Synopsis: When Detective Bennett O’Mara investigates the death of a strangled girl it leads him to voluptuous chocolatier Juliana Lovece. Just as this intriguing woman gets under his skin, he suspects she may be at the centre of an increasing murder count.

JACK IRISH
Essential Media & Entertainment Pty Ltd
Producer Ian Collie
Writers Andrew Knight, Matt Cameron
Director Jeffrey Walker
Sales ZDF Enterprises and ABC Commercial
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis: Jack Irish – criminal lawyer, collector of uncollectable debts, football lover, punter,  trainee cabinet-maker and sometime lover. The complete man, really. Two telemovies based on the successful character created by crime novelist Peter Temple.

REDFERN NOW
Blackfella Films Pty Ltd
Producers Darren Dale, Miranda Dear
Story Producer Jimmy McGovern
Writers Jon Bell, Michelle Blanchard, Danielle MacLean, Steven McGregor, Adrian Wills
Directors TBC
Broadcaster ABC
Sales ABC Commercial
Synopsis: Think Redfern, think black ghetto full of junkies and criminals, right? Think again.  Redfern Now is a kaleidoscopic drama that explores this inner-city suburb and the people who  inhabit it. Over six episodes we join the households of six ordinary families whose lives are  forever changed by a seemingly insignificant incident – an accident, a weakness, a lie.

SUNDOWNER
Cordell Jigsaw Productions and Zinc Finger Films
Producers Russell Vines, Michael Cordell, Paul Bennett
Executive Producers Jo Horsburgh, Nick Murray
Writer Reg Cribb
Director Geoff Bennett
Sales Nine Film and Television
Broadcaster Nine Network
Synopsis: Sundowner is an extraordinary tale about two innocent men who become embroiled  in one of the most famous heists in Australia’s history. It is a mysterious saga about their fight  to clear their names over a crime that has never been solved.

CHILDREN’S TELEVISION
MAKO – ISLAND OF SECRETS
Jonathan M Shiff Productions
Producer Jonathan M Shiff
Writers Sam Carroll, Anthony Morris, Chris Roache
Director Evan Clarry
Sales ZDF Enterprises
Broadcaster Network Ten
Synopsis: When 15-year-old Zac goes camping on Mako Island, he has no idea his every  move is being monitored by real-life mermaids Sirena, Nixie and Lyla, whose job it is to ward  off trespassers. When he comes into contact with the magical waters of the Moon Pool on the  night of a full moon, Zac is given a taste of Mako’s powers, waking the next day to discover he
has been granted fin-like feet and the power to control water… causing all sorts of trouble for  Sirena, Nixie and Lyla.

DOCUMENTARY (NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM)
GREAT SOUTHERN LAND
Cordell Jigsaw Productions
Producer Steve Bibb
Executive Producers Nick Murray, Michael Cordell, Steve Bibb
Writer Michael Cordell
Director Ivan O’Mahoney
Sales The Format Vault
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis: For the first time, witness the world’s largest island continent, its people, its  workings, its unique wildlife and dramatic landscape from a revealing perspective – from the air.

12 Responses

  1. please Jonathan M Shiff please contact with the girls of h2o and do a season 4
    we want h2o season 4, every one want’s h2o season 4 there got to be a sequel
    we don’t know any thing about Emma and Bella will they get along , will there be fights between mermaids , we don’t know anything about the future and if anyone says that the girls are too old you’re wrong i mean they cant stay tennagers for ever and life begins after graduation there is so much stories for season 4 please we want h2 season 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! with every one even Charlotte ,

  2. i live in the uk and H2O is a big hit over here and mako island of secrets sounds really cool i cant wait and like u never hardly like see a merman on flim or tv show do u lol
    i cant wait for them the to start making it

  3. @ Gary agree with you there, Seven is the only channel that has produced anything half decent of late. With so many American shows going down the plug hole, any good Australian drama is bound to rate shown by the fact that the debut of any new Australian drama is always huge so there is a big interest there but the numbers fall off the wagon quickly because it just isn’t that good.

    They should go back to the days of making drama that goes for an hour twice a week, which doesn’t have to be too expensive, that way if it’s a hit, or even half decent, the networks have 2 hours worth of guaranteed high ratings per week.

  4. @Earthquake

    It’s a nice thought but just look at the recent Australian movies that got any buzz at all like Animal Kingdom and Snow Town… even before that with Wolf Creek. The originality in Australian film making is even less than that of Hollywood which is a shame.

  5. Its good news but heres the problem they are all Mini-Series except for the kids ones of course but the problem here is Seven has invested in good strong Australian Drama while the other networks keep going for Mini-Series because well they can’t produce good Australian drama. Sorry but its the truth. Even Offspring apparently is classed as a mini-series because of its length. Where is the good drama series of old. Nine’s current batch of dramas are pretty mediocre and Ten’s isn’t that much better either.

    On the plus side its good for Australian drama and i like to see new Aussie productions and will always give them a go. However the thing is, will they be any good? Lately a fair few of them, Blood Brothers comes to mind, are not that great at all.

  6. I reckon Australian content would be next to non-existent without government funding and quota rules. Just look at Australian cinemas – mostly filled with American movies.

    The more Australian faces heard and seen on Australian television, the better.

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