Loved 'Bump'? Here Are 8 New Australian TV Shows to Binge ASAP
The Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton may have stolen the spotlight in 2020, but new Australian series Bump has managed to be the talk of the town since it debuted on Stan at the beginning of 2021.
It only proves how Australia has managed to punch well above its weight when it comes to producing award-winning TV shows that go far beyond icons such as Kath and Kim and Packed to the Rafters, especially since the emergence of video streaming services such as Netflix, Stan and Binge.
So, from award-winning crimes to thrillers and comedies, we’ve rounded up the best TV series that celebrate the talent Down Under for you to binge-watch after you’re all caught up with Bump.
8 best new Australian TV shows to binge-watch
1. The Gloaming
An unidentified woman who is found brutally murdered, a troubled cop who shares a tragic past and a link to a 20-year-old cold case - intrigued?
Set in Tasmania, the bones of this incredibly moody and unsettling series is a detective story, but it delves deeper into the main characters’ past traumas, which forces the viewers to question their own past. It’s eerily enlightening, to say the least.
Where to watch in Australia: Stan
2. Wentworth
If you were a fan of Orange is the New Black or Prison Break, you definitely would have jumped on the Wentworth train when the first season debuted back in 2013. If you haven’t, then your binge-watching schedule is sorted for the next few weeks.
The drama series, which is a contemporary re-imagination of another popular Australian series Prisoner, focuses on Bea Smith’s days in prison and her rise to the top in the prison’s hierarchy. It’s jam-packed with plot twists, power battles, gossip, envy and murder. And once you’re done catching up with Season Eight, which was just released towards the end of last year, you won’t have to wait long until Season Nine - the last of the series - which is rumoured to drop sometime in 2021.
Where to watch in Australia: Foxtel GO
3. Hungry Ghosts
Chilling and captivating, this Australian dramatic horror will have you on the edge of your seat. Set in the Vietnamese-Australian community in Melbourne, the four-part series is named after the festival Hungry Ghosts, in which it’s said the spirits of the dead walk the earth and try to work through their unresolved issues with the living.
Directed by Shawn Seet (the man behind Underbelly)for SBS, the series follows the experiences of four families - who each bear the burdens of the Vietnam War - as they’re haunted by ghosts from their pasts as the festival kicks off. It doesn’t take long for survivor guilt, painful memories, unresolved trauma and regrettable past actions begin to tear the families apart.
Where to watch in Australia: SBS On Demand
4. Bloom
There are two words that sum up award-winning Stan Original series Bloom: brilliantly disturbing.
When a tragic flood sweeps through a small Australian town and kills five locals, a strange plant with reverse-ageing properties grows over the dead bodies. The series calls human ethics into question as viewers are left wondering what would actually happen if people were offered a fountain of boundless youth and virility? It makes for a great dinner conversation, yes?
Where to watch in Australia: Stan
5. The Secrets She Keeps
When a series combines Downton Abbey’s Laura Carmichael and The Crown’s Jessica De Gouw into a psychological thriller drama, you know it’s going to deliver the goods.
The story is adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Robotham, which follows two women who come from vastly different backgrounds but have one thing in common - explosive secrets that could destroy everything and everyone.
Season One of the six-part series premiered on Network Ten in April of 2020. Unfortunately, there’s no news yet on whether there will be another season, but the popularity of the drama has only meant this idea is not entirely impossible.
Where to watch in Australia: Amazon Prime and 10Play.
6. Mystery Road
When two young men go missing in the remote town of Patterson in Western Australia, local cop Emma James calls in detective Jay Swan to investigate what happened to them. Along their search, they uncover dark secrets and old wounds from the days of colonisation.
The six-part spin-off of Ivan Sen’s 2013 film of the same name was rated an impressive 100% by Rotten Tomatoes Critics. That explains just how deliciously addictive it is.
Where to watch in Australia: Stan
7. The Other Guy
If you’re looking for a break from your murder mysteries and psychological thrillers, this Stan Original comedy series created by - and starring - multi-award-winning comedian and radio host Matt Okine, will do the trick.
The series gives viewers a painfully accurate insight into the lives of 20 to 30-year-old Australians going through the ups and downs of friendships, living in dingy share houses and surviving the (terrible) world of dating. It’s been deemed the most precise show about Aussie millennials.
Where to watch in Australia: Stan
8. Stateless
There’s no doubt this limited series will get you heated up as it draws much-needed attention to a cruel and deeply flawed immigration system. Drawing inspiration from the life of Cornelia Rau, Stateless dives into the story of a former flight attendant whose 10-month imprisonment in an Australian immigration detention centre sparked national outrage.
Co-created by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredle, the six-episode series has been praised for its perfection in executing performance, production, storyline and impact.
Where to watch in Australia: ABC iview
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