![]() ![]() We are collaborators with great relationships, they know what they’re going to get with us, and they do see us as the home of Australian drama.”Ĭommissioning decisions come down to story and, says Riley, audiences want to feel hope right now. Despite not having the deep pockets of the streamers, Riley says the local industry comes to ABC “because they like working with us. Riley says the quality of ABC’s work is shown by its ability to lure stars such as Cate Blanchett ( Stateless), Katherine Langford ( Savage River) and Thomas Jane ( Troppo). ![]() ![]() #Abc iview superwog tvCleverman, meanwhile, has been picked up by Sundance TV and the BBC, and Wakefield by Showtime for the US. Stateless and Glitch both sold to Netflix, while The Newsreader has been licensed to more than 80 territories, including the BBC for the UK and Arte for France and Germany. #Abc iview superwog seriesTop-selling ABC titles by value of sales in the past five years include immigration drama Stateless, The Newsreader, sci-fi taleĬleverman, paranormal series Glitch and psychological mystery Wakefield, according to Screen Australia. “It is important for Australians to watch but I want the world to see our shows, as many people as possible.” Worldwide production delays caused by the pandemic have dampened the appetite of distributors to pick up dramas, notes Riley, who adds that she cares very much how widely shows are seen abroad. Commissioning platforms like ABC must pay at least $321,000 (a$440,000) per hour for dramas that have Screen Australia as an investor. The rest comes from other government sources - Screen Australia and tax rebates - and distribution advances, “which are generally diminishing”. In a government review of television regulation in Australia, ABC’s own submission outlined that it contributes “roughly half of the budget of each programme it commissions”. “It’s an ongoing challenge but we’re up for it,” she says. Just take the cast costs on some shows and that rules us out immediately.” Riley tried unsuccessfully to secure new Australian vampire series Firebite, produced by See-Saw Films for AMC+, and she admits it is harder for ABC now that the streamers have upped the ante for projects, talent, crew and even government funding. We have the talent and the creatives but unless we have a partner willing to take risks, it’s tricky because of budget. Asked if Australian drama can compete on the global stage, she pauses. Riley is known in the industry as a straight-shooter. Most popular dramas score 1.5 million-plus viewers on their first run across the channel and the ABC iview streaming platform (Australia’s population is about 26 million). Locally, The Newsreader and crime dramas Mystery Road and Jack Irish are the highest rated ABC dramas of the last two years. Riley herself is being presented with the inaugural commissioner of the year award at Screen Producers Australia’s annual conference in late March. At Australia’s 2021 AACTA Awards, The Newsreader, set in the cutthroat world of TV news, won the series category and Fires, about Australia’s devastating bushfires, won the miniseries/telefeature category both aired on ABC. Riley, who has been head of drama, comedy, entertainment and Indigenous at ABC since 2016, commissions six or seven dramas per year for the broadcast channel depending on the number of episodes. Australia’s entire slate ranges in budget from less than $36,500 (a$50,000) to more than $22m (a$30m) per project, according to Screen Australia. Source: Wolter Peeters / Sydney Morning HeraldĪBC contributed $31.4m (a$43m) towards production of 17 children’s, adult and online shows, 80% of the three commercial FTAs’ $39.4m (a$54m). ![]()
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