The new Australian comedy series “Austin” has been picked up by the UK’s public-service broadcaster juggernaut, the BBC.
The eight-part scripted series, produced by Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures, stars Ben Miller, Sally Phillips, and Love on The Spectrum favourite Michael Theo.
Now, thanks to the new acquisition secured from ITV Studios, “Austin” will be available on BBC iPlayer and TV channels.
The series was created and written by Darren Ashton (“Spreadsheet”), Ben Miller (“The Armstrong and Miller Show”), Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker (“Black Ops”), Adam Zwar (“Squinters”) and Kala Ellis (“Spreadsheet”).
“Austin” follows the tale of popular children’s author Julian Hartswood (Ben Miller) who inadvertently unleashes a social media storm, a moment of stupidity that threatens to prematurely end his career and that of his illustrator wife Ingrid (Sally Phillips).
Enter Michael Theo as the titular character, the neurodivergent son that Julian never knew existed.
DNA tests, awkward family dinners and flirty moments follow, and Austin finds himself in the U.K. on a journey that he describes as the “single best thing I’ve ever done.”
Filmed in Canberra, and produced by Northern Pictures with Lincoln Pictures for the ABC, “Austin” was supported with major production investment from the ABC in association with Screen Australia, the ACT Government and Screen Canberra, with post-production assistance from the NSW Government in association with ITV Studios.
Catherine Nebauer, Head of Scripted at Northern Pictures, said of the acquisition:
“BBC is the perfect platform for ‘Austin,’ and we have no doubt its viewers will appreciate the clever blend of British and Australian humour. With a stellar cast and production team, ‘Austin’ has already proven to be a hit on ABC with local audiences, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
Both co-creator Darren Ashton and “Austin” star Michael Theo recently appeared on the Variety AU/NZ podcast.
Recorded by JMC Academy’s students studying Audio Engineering and Film & TV, the podcast dives deep into the creation of “Austin” and created a real-world learning opportunity for up-and-coming creatives from JMC’s Sydney campus.