One of the real benefits that having a triple-headed beast that is the suddenly well-stocked Australian streaming market provides is the potential for local, niche content to be created and distributed to a wide audience, free of the usual confines that commercial TV imposes.
Realistically, it was a mere matter of time before the first online-only production received the go ahead, and in that race it seems Stan is going to be first through the tape, ahead of rivals Netflix and Presto.
The Channel 9/Fairfax Media venture has commissioned the first local streaming show, with the creators of the highly acclaimed Moody’s series at the reigns.
The Jungleboys team, consisting of Phil Lloyd, Trent O’Donnell, and Jason Burrows, will produce “No Activity,” a comedy series centring around two detectives on a police stakeout.
Several test reels have already been shot for the show, which is set to star Patrick Brammall, Darren Gilshenan, Damon Herriman, Harriet Dyer, Dan Wyllie, Genevieve Morris, David Field, and Sam Simmons. The show will be partly shot in the US, allowing the production greater access to potential guest stars and stunt casting.
O’Donnell, currently based in Los Angeles where he directs for New Girl, will write and direct the series. Speaking to Fairfax, he shed some light on the premise of the series.
“We pitched them a police procedural show without any of the action bits. It’s essentially an improvised character-based comedy about the moments of nothing in between. It’s very performer based, and it’s a really great cast.”
Jungleboys’ previous TV efforts include a swathe of critically acclaimed fare, including A Moody Christmas, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide To Knife Fighting, and Review with Myles Barlow.
Stan has another two previously announced shows currently in various stages of development – a TV spin-off of Wolf Creek, and a political drama entitled Enemies of the State.
via SMH.
