From epic Netflix drama to home-grown horror hits, South Australia’s screen sector is having a major moment. If you need a hot new series to binge in October, here’s what’s buzzing:
Territory: Epic Outback drama
Territory is Netflix’s biggest-ever series to be filmed in SA, and it’s dropping worldwide on 24 October. This epic family saga follows a brutal, high-stakes succession war at a massive cattle station, showcasing the rugged beauty of our outback. Filmed in both SA and the Northern Territory, with the support of both the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and Screen Territory, this outback noir features a star-studded cast and jaw-dropping landscapes.
Anna Torv (Fringe, The Last of Us), Michael Dorman (For All Mankind), Robert Taylor (Longmire, The Newsreader) and Sam Corlett (Vikings: Valhalla) star in the six-episode series, created by Timothy Lee and Ben Davies and produced by South Australia’s Paul Ranford. Its production employed hundreds of South Australians across crew and cast, injecting millions into the local economy.
Thou Shalt Not Steal: Buckle in for a bumpy ride
Need a hot new action-packed series to binge this month? SA-made and SAFC-supported Stan Original Series Thou Shalt Not Steal premieres on 17 October – and it’s quite the ride. Directed by AACTA Award winning filmmaker Dylan River, who co-created it alongside Tanith Glynn-Maloney, this exciting First Nations-led series was shot across South Australia and the NT last year, and has already been creating buzz at international screenings. Variety called it “an entertaining road trip that cleverly tells an Aboriginal tale through use of humour”.
The 1980s road series stars Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones), Miranda Otto (Talk To Me), Will McDonald and Sherry-Lee Watson (both of Heartbreak High).
Thou Shalt Not Steal follows Robyn (Watson), a rebellious young Aboriginal woman, on a perilous journey to uncover a dark family secret. Reluctantly teaming up with awkward teenager Gidge (McDonald), she embarks on an outback road trip filled with danger and unexpected revelations. Hot on their heels are Maxine (Otto), a ruthless sex trafficker, and Gidge’s domineering father, Robert (Taylor), a fraudulent preacher.
Teenage Bosses go next level
Need some fun family viewing? Teenage Boss: Next Level drops 12 October on ABC Family and iview – and you can check out the trailer now.
Host Emma Watkins (The Amazing Race, The Wiggles) takes viewers deep inside the world of 10 South Australian households where teens are put in charge of their family’s finances for one whole month. Yes, it is as hectic as it sounds – expect tears, tantrums and tough decisions.
It’s the second season of Teenage Boss to be filmed in South Australia, and is the latest to come out of the ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund, an exciting screen production partnership between the SAFC and Australia’s national broadcaster.
Launched in 2023, the fund has already supported more than 320 South Australian screen industry jobs across six productions including period drama series Ladies in Black and Logie-nominated series Beep and Mort S2 and Gold Diggers.
What to look forward to
As well as this month’s drops, there’s also a whole lot happening in SA’s screen sector that you’ll have to wait a little bit longer to watch. Here’s a taster of what’s in store:
RFDS touches down in SA
South Australia is the new home for the upcoming third season of Network Seven’s Royal Flying Doctors Service TV series. Production of the award-winning drama is now underway at various SA locations, including the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios, the Port Augusta RFDS base, and the Flinders Ranges town of Quorn.
RFDS, which won the 2024 Logie Award for Best Drama, continues to captivate audiences with its gripping storylines inspired by the real-life heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The lead cast are all returning for this season, including Stephen Peacocke, Rob Collins, Emma Hamilton, Justine Clarke and Ash Ricardo. Look out for Season 3 on Channel 7 and 7plus in 2025.
Bring Her Back: The Philippou brothers return home
Hot on the heels of their breakout success with Talk to Me, twin filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou returned home to Adelaide for their second feature film, Bring Her Back, which is now in post-production here.
Their debut horror film took the world by storm, grossing over $140M globally and becoming A24’s highest-grossing horror film to date. Talk to Me was filmed in Adelaide with funding from both the SAFC and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, and a sequel is already in the works.
For Bring Her Back, the Philippou brothers assembled an impressive cast including two-time Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins (Paddington, The Shape of Water) and rising star Billy Barratt (Kraven the Hunter). The film, backed once again by A24, is set to showcase South Australian talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Top End Bub bounces onto screens
Created, written and executive produced by Adelaide creative Joshua Tyler and Miranda Tapsell, new eight-part romantic comedy Top End Bub is the first Prime Video scripted series to be made in South Australia. Currently in post-production, it was filmed in Adelaide, including at the SAFC’S Adelaide Studios production facilities, and in Darwin.
Starring Miranda Tapsell (The Dry, The Sapphires) and Gwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Great), the series is a TV spin-off of beloved Aussie rom com Top End Wedding, the highest-grossing Australian film of 2019, which was also created by Tyler and Tapsell.
This romantic drama picks up where the film leaves off, as dynamic First Nations lawyer Lauren (Tapsell) and her baker husband (Lee) are forced to relocate from Adelaide to the Outback to raise Lauren’s orphaned niece, juggling unexpected parenthood with cultural responsibilities. Look out for the series on Prime Video in 2025.
Jimpa: Star spotting in Adelaide cafés
Adding to the excitement is Jimpa, award-winning SA director Sophie Hyde’s latest film. The production included shoots in Adelaide’s CBD and the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios in Glenside.
Academy Award winner Olivia Colman and Golden Globe winner John Lithgow are Jimpa’s stars, and every third Adelaidean now swears they spotted Olivia buying coffee around town during the shoot.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande director Hyde’s new film tells a personally-inspired, multi-generational family story and features an impressive ensemble of Australian talent alongside its two big stars. Jimpa has now moved into post-production in Adelaide. We can’t wait to see it!
The serious side of entertainment
These film and TV projects aren’t just great to watch, they’re also great for our economy. Screen production means a whole lot of jobs and opportunities – not just for the screen industry, but for the entire economy, with two-thirds of production spending typically flowing to other sectors like construction, transport, hospitality and retail.
Let’s hit some highlights:
- Territory’s production here employed hundreds of South Australians across crew and cast, injecting millions into the local economy.
- RFDS is injecting $10m and creating over 450 jobs for locals. This includes opportunities for cast, crew and extras, with 10 South Australian Heads of Department employed.
- The ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund has injected more than $21.8m into the state’s economy and created 328 local jobs since its launch last year, across six new ABC TV series.
- In 2022-23, productions approved through the SAFC’s funds and programs have contributed more than $142m to our state’s economy, creating over 2,000 SA production jobs across crew, cast and extras, PDV and games.
The State Government launched the SAFC in 1972 as Australia’s first state screen agency. Ever since, it’s been at the forefront of supporting the local industry as it achieves great things. You can read all about how it’s enabled our screen sector to compete on the world stage here.
Walk the red carpet this month!
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) and its dedicated Investment Fund has also helped put South Australian films in the spotlight. AFF is on again from 23 October – 3 November, featuring 112 films from 46 countries. There will be 15 world premieres and 34 Australian premieres at venues across Adelaide. Check out the AFF program – including a whole lot of SA-made premieres – or download the app here.
To stay up-to-date with local productions and where to stream them, visit the South Australian Film Corporation’s SA Made Showcase here.
