The NSW Government has secured Brunswick Heads as the fictional Pearl Bay home for the upcoming reimagining of the enormously popular, multi award-winning 90s drama SeaChange, the ITV Studios Australia and Every Cloud Productions coproduction starring Sigrid Thornton.
Create NSW has joined major principal investor Screen Australia to fund the Nine Network series. Through its Made in NSW TV Drama funding and Regional Filming Fund, Create NSW will work with ITV Studios Australia and returning production company Every Cloud Productions to feature a range of Northern Rivers locations across filming the drama series.
One hundred percent of the production will be filmed and postproduced in NSW, creating nearly 300 jobs and development opportunities that will provide roles for practitioners across many underrepresented groups. Production credit: SeaChange is an Every Cloud Productions and ITV Studios Australia production for the Nine Network. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the Nine Network. Financed with support from Create NSW.
SeaChange is the Nine Network’s marquee 8 x 1 hour TV drama series for 2019. Every Cloud Productions’ Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox (East of Everything, The Gods of Wheat Street, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Deadlock, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries) are Executive Producers with ITV Studios Australia Head David Mott and Sigrid Thornton. Lois Randall (Grace Beside Me, The Gods of Wheat Street, East of Everything) will produce the series, with Deb Cox as Creator and Head Writer. Acclaimed film, television and theatre director Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Bite Club, Love Child, Cleverman) is on board as start-up director. Cox, Blair and Randall are all residents of the Northern Rivers region.
Set 20 years on from the original series, SeaChange sees Thornton’s Laura Gibson return to Pearl Bay to attend the birth of her estranged daughter’s baby. Rising sea levels, community cover-ups and some very stormy weather conspire to convince her this town now needs her as much as she needs it.
The NSW Government’s Made in NSW TV Drama fund delivered by Create NSW recognises the potential for major Australian TV drama series to grow audiences at home and internationally; create opportunities for NSW production companies to finance their new shows with international partners; develop returning series and tell Australian stories that are both locally relevant and have international resonance.
The fund supports TV drama production, by NSW based companies, that has the potential to travel internationally, reach new audiences by premiering on digital platforms and play to large audiences via traditional media outlets.
Eligible projects are must-see, event TV with the potential for returning series and a prime-time slot on Australian TV - either free to air or via subscription channels and online platforms.
The Regional Filming Fund offsets costs associated with shooting in regional areas of NSW (defined as all areas in NSW outside the Sydney Metro area - excluding the ACT).
Create NSW is committed to supporting increased participation in the industry of people from under-represented groups including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, LGBTQI people, people from Western Sydney and people from regional NSW. Priority is given to teams including people from under-represented groups.
Image clockwise from top left: Minister for the Arts Don Harwin, Nationals candidate for Ballina Ben Franklin, SeaChange creator and writer Deb Cox, Sigrid Thornton, Lois Randall from Every Cloud Productions.
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