Australian actor and producer Spencer McLaren, who Aussie TV experts may remember as Richie Blake in “Secret Lives of Us,” has announced a new season of his podcast “McLaren Versus” that will reunite the cast and creative alumni of the series for its 25th anniversary.
Premiering in 2001, “Secret Lives of Us” was a game-changer for Australian TV, capturing the challenges and thrills of life in your 20’s through the eyes of residents in St Kilda. Cementing the careers of its cast members, the series found success with audiences and critics at home and with audiences in the UK, Ireland, Canada, NZ, France, Norway, South Africa, Russia and the Netherlands.
It broke new ground regularly in terms of content, with female and Indigenous representation throughout its runtime, and delivered moments like Australia’s first-ever prime-time gay male kiss.
“TV [before SLOU] was much more polite. People didn’t talk about periods, they didn’t smoke joints. We were smoking joints. You know, Deb’s character sitting on the toilet doing a wee! So all that was just brand new,” says cast alumni Claudia Karvan in EP01 of the “McLaren Versus: SLOU25 season”.
“‘The Secret Life of Us’ was more than a TV drama — it was a cultural reset,” Spencer McLaren says.
“It reflected Australia back to itself at a time when we were hungry for authenticity. This podcast season is a way to honour the friendships, the craft, and the courage that made the show unforgettable”.
Other guests on the podcast will include Samuel Johnson, Deborah Mailman, Abi Tucker, Sibylla Budd, Damien de Montemas and Writer Judi McCrossin with Producer Amanda Higgs — discussing behind-the-scenes memories, creative breakthroughs and the personal impact of the series on both its stars and its audience.
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The “McLaren Versus: SLOU25 season” premieres at 6:00am on Tuesday, January 13 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all podcast platforms, with video episodes released on YouTube.