It’s always a mark of confidence for a show when it gets renewed before it’s even aired – yet this is what has happened to Cleverman, which has officially been given the go-ahead for a second season.
Created by Ryan Griffen and starring a majority Indigenous Australian cast (including stars Hunter Page-Lochard and Rob Collins), as well as the likes of Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones, Kick-Ass 2) and Frances O’Connor (AI: Artificial Intelligence, The Missing), Cleverman has already garnered a large amount of festival buzz. It started airing in the US on SundanceTV on 1 June, and will air in the UK on BBC later in the year.
For those of you who might be unfamiliar, the basic premise is as follows: set in the near future, Cleverman sees a group of non-humans battling for survival in a world where humans feel increasingly inferior to them, and want to silence, exploit and kill them. Central to the drama is the story of two estranged Indigenous brothers who are forced together to fight for their own survival. Otherworldly creatures also emerge into this fragile and dangerous place, in this action-packed new series.
Sally Riley, Head of Scripted Production, ABC TV, said of the news: “It’s rare that you get the green light for a second series of a show before the first season has even gone to air, so for me it’s a testam ent to the quality and audience appeal of Cleverman. It is also a testament to the unflinching support the show has from our funding partners Screen Australia and Screen NSW here in Oz, and our international partners Red Arrow and Sundance TV.”
Said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV, added, “The world that Ryan Griffen and the rest of the team behind Cleverman have created is a perfect blend of timeless mythology seen through the prism of a near future lens. This is a series that sophisticated genre fans will no doubt fall in love with. We are thrilled to be working with our incredible partners at ABC TV, Goalpost Pictures Australia, Red Arrow International and Pukeko Pictures to continue the West brothers‘ journey.”
Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason said, “Cleverman fully deserves the local and international accolades that it has received – it’s engrossing, challenging, entertaining and unique. Following this original concept from inception through to development and now seeing its resonance with audiences both overseas and at home is a proud moment for Screen Australia. Congratulations to all involved.”
Henrik Pabst, Managing Director of Red Arrow International, said: “Cleverman has already generated a huge amount of interest with international broadcasters, and the great news about Season 2 will continue to build on this success. Congratulations to everyone involved in this groundbreaking new drama.”
Cleverman is currently airing on SundanceTV in the US, and will air on BBC later in 2016. Read our exclusive interview with Iain Glen here. For more news about the biggest movies, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.
