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Production has begun on a second season of “Scrublands,” the Australian crime thriller series starring Luke Arnold (“Black Sails”) and Bella Heathcote.

With action set a year after the events of the first season, award-winning investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Arnold) has returned to his coastal hometown, Port Silver, in Western Australia, to set up a new life with partner Mandy Bond (Heathcote). When he arrives to find his childhood friend Jasper brutally murdered and Bond the prime suspect, Scarsden struggles with doubts – about Bond and about his own ability to recognize the truth. As he pushes forward to find the real murderer and absolve Bond, Scarsden confronts secrets about Port Silver and his long-buried past.

The series is directed by Ben Young and written by Felicity Packard, Fiona Kelly and Jock Serong. It is based on “Silver,” the best-selling novel by Chris Hammer that is a sequel to the author’s “Scrublands” title.

Exclusive: Luke Carroll (The Artful Dodger), Debra Lawrance (Please Like Me) and David Roberts (Please Like Me) are among the new stars of Australian drama Scrublands, which is gearing up for its second season on Stan and 9 Network.

Also starring alongside returning leads Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote in Scrublands: Silver are Tasma Walton (The Twelve), Luke Pegler (Hacksaw Ridge), Caroline Brazier (Year Of), Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door), Toby Truslove (La Brea), Sarah Roberts (Home and Away), Hamish Michael (The Twelve), Radek Jonak (The Surfer) and Damian De Montemas (Hounds of Love).

Above you can see an exclusive first-look image of season 2, with filming now underway in Augusta, Western Australia.

The season is being adapted from author Chris Hammer’s novel ‘Silver’, and here are some new plot details: A year after the life changing events of season 1, investigative journalist Martin Scarsden (Arnold...

ABC comedy Fisk, created, written, directed by and starring Kitty Flanagan, follows Helen Tudor-Fisk, a corporate contract lawyer forced to take a job at a shabby suburban law firm specialising in wills and probate.

Helen (Flanagan) is not good with people. When her personal and professional lives implode spectacularly in Sydney, Helen runs home to Melbourne and takes a job at the suburban Gruber & Gruber. Helen is brought in to replace Roz Gruber (Julia Zemiro), a recently-suspended solicitor who has temporarily appointed herself the office manager. No longer allowed to sit in with clients, Roz now has nothing else to do but get all up in Helen’s business.

Ray Gruber (Sheargold), Roz’s brother, hires Helen in a fit of laziness but also because Helen is a ‘mature lady’ which has proven to be the preferred option for clients who are grieving. Unfortunately, Helen is not that kind of mature lady.

Afca Awards host Adam Ross.

Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale dominated the Australian Film Critics Association’s annual awards, winning all eight prizes for local narrative features, while The Australian Dream was named best documentary.

The 1825 revenge drama produced by Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Kent was voted best film, shading fellow nominees Buoyancy, Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch and The King.

King took the director and screenplay awards and Aisling Franciosi was named best actress, mirroring the film’s success at the Aacta Awards.

The other accolades went to Baykali Ganambarr (best actor), Sam Claflin (supporting actor), Magnolia Maymuru (supporting actress) and Radek Ladczuk (cinematography).

The win for Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, produced by Good Thing Productions’ Nick Batzias and Virginia Whitwell and Passion Pictures’ John Battsek, followed its Aacta award.

In the international categories Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was judged best English language film,...

Miley Tunnecliffe.

Originally intent on becoming an actor, Miley Tunnecliffe studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York followed by a masterclass at the LAByrinth Theater Company, which was co-founded by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

She took up writing to supplement her income as an actor and soon discovered writing and directing were far more satisfying.

Since those acting classes in 2008 it’s been a long and sometimes arduous journey for the filmmaker – and it’s been paying off in the last couple of years.

In 2017 her career got a boost when Screenwest chose her and Aaron Moss to participate in the Bill Warnock Initiative for emerging writers, which included being in the writers room for The Secret Daughter, mentored by Stuart Page, and Mustangs Fc under co-creator Amanda Higgs.

The same year she won the Page Award prize for best TV comedy for Disorder, a pilot about...

Funny things happen when you're on vacation. Sometimes you find a scorpion in your Swiss Airbnb and promptly freak out because what's a scorpion doing in Switzerland (turns out some parts have them), and sometimes you discover a beautiful TV show that you are four seasons too late to and it's already aired its series finale. Both of those things happened to me this summer. The scorpion was handled and I fell in love with Please Like Me. There's a lot of TV out there—peak TV even—and I'm here to say I'm sorry I'm late on Please Like Me. Who's In It Please Like Me stars Josh Thomas, Caitlin Stasey, Thomas Ward, Wade Briggs, David Roberts, Debra Lawrence, Renee Lim,...

We suspect you won't like this. Creator Josh Thomas self-cancelled his Please Like Me TV show after four seasons. The writer and actor broke the news about his decision to end the Hulu show, today. He made sure to thank his fans, the cast and crew, his Mum and Dad, and producer Tom Abbott. Check out the announcement, after the jump.Premiering on ABC2 in Australia, and then the now-defunct Pivot and later Hulu in the Us, Please Like Me stars Josh Thomas as Josh and Thomas Ward as Thomas. The cast also includes John the Dog, Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Renee Lim, Hannah Gadsby, Keegan Joyce, and Caitlin Stasey. The comedy drama series follows a young, gay Australian, as well as his friends, and his family. Please Like Me Is inspired by Thomas' own life. Read More…...

What's next for Please Like Me? Recently, creator and star Josh Thomas spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the future of the Hulu TV series.The comedy follows the lives of a young, gay Australian, his friends, and his family. The cast also includes Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Thomas John Ward, and Wade Briggs. Season four of the series was just released on Hulu in the U.S.Read More…...

Please Like Me has found a new home. Season four of the Australian series is now available on Hulu, Deadline reports.The future of the series was up in the air after its U.S. network, Pivot, shut down last fall. Created by and starring Josh Thomas, the comedy follows the lives of a young, gay Australian, his friends, and his family. The cast also includes Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Thomas John Ward, and Wade Briggs.Read More…...

Please Like Me.

Production is underway in Melbourne for season four of Please Like Me, with six new episodes planned. Creator, writer and star Josh Thomas will be rejoined by co-stars Thomas Ward, Hannah Gadsby, Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Caitlin Stasey , Emily Barclay, Keegan Joyce, and Renee Lim. After making his directing debut last year, Thomas will direct half of the new season, with the other half helmed by the show.s original director Matthew Saville. Please Like Me will be filmed on location over the next five weeks and will air later in the year. Please Like Me is a Pigeon Fancier/John & Josh International production for the ABC and Participant Media.s Pivot network, made with the assistance of Film Victoria.

Please Like Me.

Production is underway in Melbourne for season four of Please Like Me, with six new episodes planned. Creator, writer and star Josh Thomas will be rejoined by co-stars Thomas Ward, Hannah Gadsby, Debra Lawrance, David Roberts, Caitlin Stasey , Emily Barclay, Keegan Joyce, and Renee Lim. After making his directing debut last year, Thomas will direct half of the new season, with the other half helmed by the show.s original director Matthew Saville. Please Like Me will be filmed on location over the next five weeks and will air later in the year. Please Like Me is a Pigeon Fancier/John & Josh International production for the ABC and Participant Media.s Pivot network, made with the assistance of Film Victoria.

Exclusive: Pivot has given a Season 4 greenlight to Please Like Me, Josh Thomas’ coming-of-age comedy from Australia. Production gets under way this week in Melbourne on the six-episode new season, which will premiere November 10. Creator-writer-director Thomas stars as Josh alongside Thomas Ward, Caitlin Stasey, Emily Barclay, Debra Lawrance, Hannah Gadsby, Keegan Joyce, David Roberts and Renee Lim. Watch Thomas and Ward make the announcement above. In Season 3, Josh's…...

Thethird season of Josh Thomas. comedy drama Please Like Me will premiere on ABC on Thursday, October 15 at 9.30 p.m, moving from ABC2 to the ABC's main channel..

Inspired by the stand-up comedy and real life experiences of Thomas - the series creator, writer and star - Please Like Me explores the world of a man who.s in no hurry to grow up. This season Thomas extends his talents by taking a seat in the director.s chair for an episode, while original director Matthew Saville returns. The new 10-part series will give viewers another glimpse into Josh.s darkly funny world. Joining the cast is Emily Barclay as Ella. Original cast members reprising their roles alongside her and Josh Thomas are Thomas Ward (Tom), Caitlin Stasey (Claire), Hannah Gadsby (Hannah), Keegan Joyce (Arnold), Debra Lawrance in her Aacta award-winning role of Mum, David Roberts (Dad), Renee Lim (Mae) and,...

Writer-creator Josh Thomas is making his directing debut on an episode of the third season of his ABC TV comedy-drama Please Like Me.

Emily Barclay has joined the cast of the 10-part show, which is shooting in Melbourne through the end of June.

Barclay appears with Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz in The Light Between Oceans, a Hollywood adaptation of Australian author M.L. Stedman.s debut novel set on an island off the coast of Wa in 1918, and in Matchbox Pictures. upcoming ABC supernatural drama Glitch.

Returning. are cast regulars. Debra Lawrence and David Roberts as the parents of Josh.s character plus Caitlin Stasey (Claire), Thomas Ward (Tom), Hannah Gadsby (Hannah) and Keegan Joyce (Arnold). Further guest stars are expected to be announced soon. There's no word yet on the storyline or Barclay's character.

The original creative team is back: director Matthew Saville (The Slap, Felony), producer...

The Water Diviner and The Babadook share top film honours and ABC’s The Code is the biggest TV winner. All the red carpet glitz, gossip and gongs from Sydney

Water Diviner and Babadook tie, but at least they’re AussieAactas red carpet: the stars arrive – in pictures

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The big winners? The Water Diviner and The Babadook for film, and The Code for its multiple awards in the telly categories.

Plenty more to celebrate and debate in the coming days. We’ll be back on Friday with the best quotes and pictures. Not to mention our weekly film column that sees Luke Buckmaster re-watching the cult classics of Australian cinema, week in week out, for your reading/viewing pleasure.

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And, breathe, we’re almost there. Cate and Debs are back on stage to lead into the final and biggest gong of the night: the award for...

Jennifer Kent.s The Babadook and Russell Crowe.s The Water Diviner tied for best film at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) awards in Sydney.

That.s the first joint award for best film in AFI/Aacta history. Kent also collected the awards for best director (Crowe wasn't nominated in that category) and original screenplay.

Telecast on Network Ten, the awards drew just 297,000 viewers in the five metro cities last night, proving more popular in Melbourne (107,000) than Sydney (80,000).

Playmaker Media.s conspiracy thriller The Code collared the awards for best TV drama, lead actor in a TV drama (Ashley Zukerman), supporting actress (Chelsie Preston Crayford) and direction in a TV drama or comedy (Shawn Seet). The Longford Lyell Award, named for Australian cinema pioneers Raymond Longford and Lottie Lyell, went to screenwriter Andrew Knight, whose credits as head writer or co-writer include Fast Forward, Full Frontal,...

Director Russell Crowe Movie up for Best Film: Australian Academy Awards 2015 nominations (photo: Actor-director Russell Crowe in 'The Water Diviner') Aacta Awards: Feature Film Categories Best Film The Babadook Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Moliere Charlie's Country Nils Erik Nielsen, Peter Djigirr and Rolf de Heer Predestination Paddy McDonald, Tim McGahan, Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig The Railway Man Chris Brown, Andy Paterson and Bill Curbishley Tracks Emile Sherman and Iain Canning The Water Diviner Andrew Mason, Keith Rodger and Troy Lum Best Director The Babadook Jennifer Kent Charlie's Country Rolf de Heer Predestination Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig The Rover David Michôd Best Actress Kate Box The Little Death Essie Davis The Babadook Sarah Snook Predestination Mia Wasikowska Tracks Best Actor Russell Crowe The Water Diviner David Gulpilil Charlie's Country Damon Herriman The Little Death Guy Pearce The Rover Best Supporting Actor Patrick Brammall The Little Death Yilmaz Erdogan...

Sick of explosion-filled blockbusters and snoozy summer reality TV? Here’s a solution: Try looking to the Southern Hemisphere to fill your entertainment needs. Several EW staffers have fallen under the spell of Australian TV and music, especially Josh Thomas’s charming comedy Please Like Me (which returns to Pivot on Friday at 10:30 p.m. Et).

And it’s not just people who write about this stuff for a living: A friend of mine is obsessed with Dance Academy, a teen drama that’s exactly what it sounds like (and is available for streaming on Netflix). Another swears by Australia’s Next Top Model,...

Josh Thomas. comedy Please Like Me is set to sell to a growing list of international markets after the ABC and Us cable network Pivot commissioned a third season.

The second series of 10 episodes will premiere on ABC2 at 9.30 pm on Tuesday August 12 and in the Us on August 8.

.ABC TV.s third season pickup of Please Like Me before season two even airs is unprecedented, and yet fitting for a show which has become our most watched original ABC2 comedy series,. said ABC Head of Comedy Rick Kalowski.

The international distributor, Melbourne-based Guesswork Television, sold the first season to Pivot and to broadcasters in France (Canalplay), Germany (Einsfestival), Sweden (Svt), Finland and Israel, working with London-based sales agent Avalon Distribution.

.We have a number of markets being negotiated now that we have series two available,. Guesswork TV.s Kevin Whyte tells If. .The first series was only six eps...

This fall’s best new comedy might not be on your television—yet. It’s called Please Like Me, and it premiered last month on Pivot, a new network geared toward Millennials that broadcasts to 40 million homes across the country. (Click here to find out if it’s available in yours. Pivot will marathon all six episodes on Saturday, October 5 from noon to 4:30pm Et, and single episodes will begin airing weekly that day at 9pm Et.) Of course, if you’re a good Millennial, you’ve already watched it on iTunes and tweeted about how you’re now obsessed with its very charming,...

Josh Thomas

If you keep close eye on the cable channel lineup on your TV, you’ll see a new entry appear beginning today. Pivot TV, from Participant Media, is off and running with a mix of favorite movies (Chuck And Buck and Hotel Rwanda), reruns of beloved shows (Friday Night Lights, Farscape) as well as the nightly interactive news show, TakePart Live. Other new entries like Meghan McCain’s docu-talk series, Raising McCain, and the reality soap, Jersey Strong, premiere in September.

Also airing today is the first original scripted comedy series for the network, Please Like Me. We’ve already been talking about the Aussie import on TheBacklot, but you can see all six episodes of the first season when a marathon airs today starting at 8pm Est.

The star and creator of the series, which has already been renewed for a 10-episode second season, is popular 26-year old Australian comedian Josh Thomas,...

The exodus of actors from International Casting Services (Ics) continues as the agency founded 52 years ago by the late Gloria Payten prepares to shut its doors.

This week Cameron.s Management announced David Roberts and Jennifer Hagan had joined its agency after earlier signing Drew Forsythe.

Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm) confirmed it is now representing former Ics clients Alycia Debnam-Carey, Christie Whelan Browne, Sophie Ross and Justin Cotta.

Linsten Morris Management has signed Dee Smart and her daughter Charlie Hancock.

Melina McKenna, who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4, and Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe crossed from Ics to Lmcm.

As If reported previously, Rachel Blake, John Batchelor and Tony Martin subsequently joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance went to Creative Representation.

After McKenna departed Pauline Lee,...

As talent agency International Casting Services (Ics) prepares to shut its doors after 52 years, many of the actors it has represented have found new homes,

Former Ics clients Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe have all crossed to Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm).

Rachel Blake and Tony Martin have joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance has gone to Creative Representation. As If reported previously, Abe Forsythe signed with United Management and John Batchelor moved to Rgm. Some other Ics clients have told industry colleagues they have yet to decide what to do.

nm2942148 autoMelina McKenna[/link], who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4. There are differing accounts of the circumstances leading to the decision to close Ics. Lisa Mann told If on May 24, .When Melina was offered senior agent...

One of Australia.s longest-established talent agencies, International Casting Services (Ics), is closing its doors.

Other agents expressed sadness and surprise that the agency founded by the late Gloria Payten in 1961 is going out of business.

Ics represented dozens of Australian artists working in film, television, theatre, radio and commercial media platforms. Its creatives department looked after choreographers, cinematographers, designers, directors and writers while Ics Voices provided talent for TV and radio commercials, documentaries, corporate presentations, book readings and business events.

According to the agency.s website its roster included Jacki Weaver (who now works mostly in the Us, where she.s repped by ICM Partners, Elevate Entertainment and Felker Tocezk), Kris McQuade, John Waters, Martin Sacks, Rachel Blake, Helen Morse, Drew Forsythe, John Gaden, Tony Martin, Philip Quast, Debra Lawrance and Lorna Lesley.

Word of Ics.s demise spread on Monday after the Darlinghurst-based agency sent emails to its clients advising of the closure,...

Production starts today in Melbourne on an ABC comedy written and starring comedian Josh Thomas.

The six-episode, 30-minute sitcom called Please Like Me is produced by Todd Abbott, producer of Rove, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey and The Dream with Roy & H.G and directed by Matthew Saville, who directed episodes of The Slap, Cloudstreet and We Can Be Heroes.

As well as Thomas, the series stars Debra Lawrance of Home & Away, David Roberts of Offspring, Judi Farr of Unfolding Florence and Caitlin Stasey of Tomorrow, When the War Began.

The series is “about growing up quickly, and about realising that your parents are not heroes, but dopes with no idea what’s going on – just like you,” according to the ABC.

Debbie Lee, ABC head of comedy, said: “We’re so happy to be bringing Josh’s world to ABC TV in what promises to be such a funny and surprising series.

Debra Lawrance and Dennis Coard have expressed their thanks to Home and Away for bringing them together. The Australian couple, who have 18-year-old daughter Grace and 11-year-old son William, met when they played on-screen husband and wife Michael and Pippa Ross in the soap years ago. Just before they celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary, Lawrance told Woman's Day magazine: "Home and Away gave me my life. If I didn't have a steady job, I don't think (more)...

Home and Away actress Debra Lawrence has admitted that she misses the more family-orientated storylines from the soap's past. Lawrence, who makes a brief return to Australian screens next week as Pippa Fletcher, told TV Week that things have changed since she was on the show. "I do get a little bit nostalgic," she said. "I miss the old, simpler and more family-orientated storylines. Things have certainly changed since I started back in the '90s! There's a little bit more violence and there's definitely (more)...