Latest news with #TheSecretsSheKeeps
ITV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
BINGE commissions Australian scripted series based on infamous bank robber Brenden Abbott
BINGE today announced the commission of a new Australian scripted series based on the infamous Australian bank robber, Brenden Abbott (AKA 'the Postcard Bandit'). In the 1980s Abbott became a household name, committing a string of bank robberies and evading police, eventually being arrested, convicted and successfully escaping custody - twice. With the exception of inmates convicted of murder, Abbott is currently the longest serving prisoner in Australia. A propulsive, high-octane, 1980/90s crime drama, the 6 x 1-hour scripted series (as yet untitled) is inspired by the true story of 'The Postcard Bandit' and follows Abbott as a master criminal on the run, eluding police and escaping maximum security prison. Traversing Australia's colourful and unruly past, the series lifts the balaclava on the nation's most successful and ingenious bank robber. George Mason (The Power of the Dog, The Survivors) leads the cast as Brenden Abbott, with Robyn Malcolm (After The Party, The Survivors), Ashleigh Cummings (Citadel, Long Bright River, Hounds of Love), and Keiynan Lonsdale (Swift Street, The Flash) starring alongside him. Each portrays a pivotal figure in Abbott's turbulent life and the law enforcement network determined to bring him down. The ensemble cast includes David Howell (Narrow Road to the Deep North, Strife), Mia Artemis (Sweet Tooth, The Secrets She Keeps), Christian Byers (Bump, The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Roxie Mohebbi (He Had It Coming, Critical Incident), Oscar Redding (Top of the Lake, The Twelve), Anthony Hayes (Mystery Road, Gold, The Twelve), and Jayden Popik (Mystery Road, A Perfect Pairing). With cameras now rolling in Western Australia, the series promises a gripping, character-driven take on one of the country's most legendary criminal sagas. Commissioned by Foxtel Group, produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) Australia, the series is made with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. The series will be produced in association with, and distributed by, ITV Studios. According to Screenwest, the series is expected to attract a spend of more than $7 million into the WA economy, and the production will employ at least 80 Western Australian crew and 80 WA cast with speaking roles, as well as 400 extras. Ben Young (Hounds of Love, The Twelve) and Bonnie Moir (Exposure, Love Me) are directing, with Young also serving as executive producer. Hamish Lewis (How to Make Gravy, The Twelve) is producing, alongside series producer Matt Noonan (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Beyond Goodbye), with Michael Brooks (The Twelve, How to Make Gravy) as Executive Producer alongside Lana Greenhalgh and Penny Win as Commissioners and Executive Producers. The writing team is led by writer and script producer Sarah Walker (The Secrets She Keeps, The Twelve), alongside Matt Cameron (The Clearing, Jack Irish) and writers Scout Cripps and Anthony Hayes. Lana Greenhalgh, Executive Producer and Director of Scripted Originals, Foxtel Group, said: 'The misadventures of the elusive Brenden Abbott is as Australian as it gets and we're proud to be partnering with the team at WBITVP Australia to bring this legendary Aussie story to screen. We're thrilled to have cameras now rolling in WA where the story started nearly 40 years ago.' Rikki Lea Bestall, Chief Executive Officer, Screenwest, said: "We are pleased to welcome BINGE and WBITVP Australia back to Western Australia for their upcoming scripted series. The production shows the growing momentum in our screen industry and reinforces our growing reputation as a destination for high-quality screen production. We look forward to seeing the talented cast and crew bring this story to life here in Western Australia." Hamish Lewis, Head of Scripted at WBITVP Australia said: 'We're pumped to be back in Western Australia working with Foxtel and Screenwest again. This is a truly incredible story, too good not to be told. It's the story of extreme resilience, determination and family – with a wild backdrop of '80s and '90s Australia. We can't wait for the world to see this!' Ben Young, Director and Executive Producer said: 'This story's got everything I love in TV – action, love, violence and complex emotional relationships. If it didn't happen, you wouldn't believe it. After a great experience working with BINGE and WBITVP Australia on The Twelve, I was stoked they felt the same way about this wild ride as I did.' Production credit: Based on "Australian Outlaw - The True Story of Postcard Bandit Brenden Abbott" by Derek Pedley the 6 x 1-hour drama series is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia for the Foxtel Group, with major production investment from Screenwest and the Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive. The series will be produced in association with, and distributed by, ITV Studios. Producer is Hamish Lewis alongside Series Producer Matt Noonan and Executive Producers Michael Brooks, Ben Young, Lana Greenhalgh and Penny Win. Directors Ben Young and Bonnie Moir. Written by Sarah L. Walker alongside Matt Cameron, Scout Cripps and Anthony Hayes.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Australian thriller packed with twists that has fans hooked is now streaming free in the UK
A twisty thriller dubbed "disturbing" and "gripping" by fans is finally available to stream for free in the UK. The Secrets She Keeps, starring Jessica De Gouw and Laura Carmichael, follows lonely pregnant woman Agatha (Carmichael) who meets successful online influencer Meghan (De Gouw), who also happens to be pregnant and is due to give birth around the same time. They are led down a dark and dangerous path when Agatha becomes obsessed with Meghan's seemingly perfect life and the secrets they both share. Based on the psychological thriller novel by Michael Robotham, the thriller series first aired in 2020 on 10Play in Australia before a second series hit Paramount+ two years later. For TV fans in the UK, all 12 episodes across season one and two are now available to stream for free on Channel 4 - so cancel your weekend plans and settle in. Related: Those who have seen The Secrets She Keeps said they binged it all and were left hooked, with one IMDb user calling the show "disturbing" while another said it was "a tense, gripping watch". While many praised the performances of De Gouw and Carmichael, others branded the narrative "predictable" in many ways despite its "unexpected" twists. The Secrets She Keeps currently holds an impressive 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with saying in its review: "A very watchable, albeit slightly shallow, exploration of how femininity and motherhood intertwine and toxify." Paste Magazine added: "Without performances as layered and emotionally sound as the ones Carmichael and De Gouw give, The Secrets She Keeps would be little more than the aforementioned pulpy ride. It's still pretty cockamamie, but in a way that is also fully believable." Related: The Guardian added: "The bedrock of the show is credible, serious drama, though this is undercut from time to time by pulpy genre elements more befitting old-school Ozploitation thrillers - such as 1979's Snapshot." Speaking to Radio Times, Downton Abbey star Carmichael opened up about the drastic difference between her role as Agatha and as Edith Crawley in the smash hit period drama. "You can't control what other people think of you," she says. "I enjoy a challenge, and I'm keen to try on different hats. When you do something for a long time, things become comfortable – you want to push yourself. "It's been such a gift being in Downton. It's opened so many doors. If another period drama came across my desk... if I loved the script, I wouldn't be too nervous of entering that world. But at the moment I'm drawn to things that feel different." The Secrets She Keeps is available to stream now on Channel 4. Digital Spy's first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.£18.99 at at Audible£99.00 at Amazon at at at EE at at £328.00 at at at at at EE at at at at at at at Amazon at at Sky Mobile£29.98 at at at Pandora£219.00 at at EE£19.00 at Game at at at at at at Game£259.99 at at Three at at at at at Pandora at at at AO at at at at at £199.99 at Fitbit£49.99 at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at John Lewis£39.97 at at at at John Lewis at at at Amazon at at John Lewis & Partners£90.00 at at at £44.99 at at at at Amazon£119.99 at at Fitbit at at Three$29.85 at at Amazon at at at at John Lewis & Partners at at at £699.00 at at at Amazon at at Apple at at at at at at Three£379.99 at at at Audible at at at at EE at at John Lewis£49.99 at at at at at at John Lewis at EE at at £379.00 at at at at Amazon at at at Apple at at at at Apple at at Microsoft at Three at at at John Lewis at £79.00 at Samsung at crunchyroll£1199.00 at AO£79.00 at Samsung£449.00 at John Lewis£79.98 at at Amazon at at at at at at John Lewis & Partners£79.98 at at Microsoft at at at Microsoft at at at at at at at Amazon£369.00 at John Lewis at at John Lewis & PartnersShop now at at at at at at Microsoft£399.00 at John Lewis at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at You Might Also Like PS5 consoles for sale – PlayStation 5 stock and restocks: Where to buy PS5 today? IS MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 THE BEST IN THE SERIES? OUR REVIEW AEW game is a modern mix of No Mercy and SmackDown
Sydney Morning Herald
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Secrets and lies: This ABC thriller will make you look at your mother's group differently
LITTLE DISASTERS ★★★★ The darker side of new motherhood, once barely whispered about, has proven a fruitful starting point for any number of psychological parenting thrillers in which mothers fall under suspicion – think Jenna Coleman in The Cry, or Jessica De Gouw in The Secrets She Keeps. This six-part drama, adapted from Sarah Vaughan's novel by Ruth Fowler (who created 2022 corporate thriller Rules of the Game), stars Diane Kruger as Jess, an American living in the comfortable bosom of the middle-class UK, with a young son and a newborn daughter. The series takes the distressing premise of implied post-natal depression and spins outwards to give a gripping account of judgment, betrayal, mistrust and a burning ethical dilemma. The model of neo-maternal perfection in her circle of female friends, whose children were raised alongside one another, from cloth nappies to organic rusks, Jess would seem the last mother to screw up even the tiniest dietary detail. But when she presents her baby, Betsey, to the emergency ward with an unexplained bruise, questions must be asked. And who should be the attending doctor? One of Jess' closest friends, Liz (Jo Joyner). It's here that the narrative goes nuclear in a manner not unlike The Slap – the expected chain of events shattering their friendship and dividing the community, with fingers swiftly pointed in both directions, mothers of all descriptions being so easy to blame. An interview device more commonly used in mockumentaries and reality programs breaks the fourth wall and draws us back to the victim – baby Betsey – and encourages reflection on the conflicting moralities of the situation. While it can initially be jarring to be faced with Liz in scrubs, explaining her side of the story to camera, these interludes serve to ground the swirling emotional fallout. Loading As the unthinkable is investigated, it turns out that – shock! – no mother is perfect. Or father, for that matter. The ensemble (which includes Patrick Balardi, Shelley Conn, Ben Bailey Smith, JJ Field, Stephen Campbell Moore and Emily Taaffe) explores the herd response to such a bombshell dropped in the middle of a seemingly innocuous and untouchable group. How an atmosphere of fear and accusation permeates this polite society is intriguing to watch.
The Age
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Secrets and lies: This ABC thriller will make you look at your mother's group differently
LITTLE DISASTERS ★★★★ The darker side of new motherhood, once barely whispered about, has proven a fruitful starting point for any number of psychological parenting thrillers in which mothers fall under suspicion – think Jenna Coleman in The Cry, or Jessica De Gouw in The Secrets She Keeps. This six-part drama, adapted from Sarah Vaughan's novel by Ruth Fowler (who created 2022 corporate thriller Rules of the Game), stars Diane Kruger as Jess, an American living in the comfortable bosom of the middle-class UK, with a young son and a newborn daughter. The series takes the distressing premise of implied post-natal depression and spins outwards to give a gripping account of judgment, betrayal, mistrust and a burning ethical dilemma. The model of neo-maternal perfection in her circle of female friends, whose children were raised alongside one another, from cloth nappies to organic rusks, Jess would seem the last mother to screw up even the tiniest dietary detail. But when she presents her baby, Betsey, to the emergency ward with an unexplained bruise, questions must be asked. And who should be the attending doctor? One of Jess' closest friends, Liz (Jo Joyner). It's here that the narrative goes nuclear in a manner not unlike The Slap – the expected chain of events shattering their friendship and dividing the community, with fingers swiftly pointed in both directions, mothers of all descriptions being so easy to blame. An interview device more commonly used in mockumentaries and reality programs breaks the fourth wall and draws us back to the victim – baby Betsey – and encourages reflection on the conflicting moralities of the situation. While it can initially be jarring to be faced with Liz in scrubs, explaining her side of the story to camera, these interludes serve to ground the swirling emotional fallout. Loading As the unthinkable is investigated, it turns out that – shock! – no mother is perfect. Or father, for that matter. The ensemble (which includes Patrick Balardi, Shelley Conn, Ben Bailey Smith, JJ Field, Stephen Campbell Moore and Emily Taaffe) explores the herd response to such a bombshell dropped in the middle of a seemingly innocuous and untouchable group. How an atmosphere of fear and accusation permeates this polite society is intriguing to watch.
Metro
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
UK viewers can finally binge 'gripping' Australian thriller series
An Australian thriller based on a best-selling novel can now be binged in full in the UK. In 2020 the first season of the psychological thriller series The Secrets She Keeps hit screens. Based on the book of the same name by acclaimed crime-fiction writer Michael Robotham, it was adapted by Sarah Walker and Jonathan Gavin, the former who worked on shows including Home and Away, Neighbours and All Saints. Set in Sydney, the series follows two women from 'vastly different backgrounds with explosive secrets that could destroy everything they hold dear'. It stars Jessica De Gouw (Arrow, Dracula) as Meghan Shaughnessy, who is happily pregnant with her third child. However, her husband Jack (Michael Dorman) is on edge, facing money issues and a stressful job. Meanwhile Agatha Fyfle (Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael) is also pregnant, with both women's lives soon colliding. Sorry, the video was not found At the time of its release, critics were somewhat unconvinced by the storyline but praised the lead stars' performances. 'Without performances as layered and emotionally sound as the ones Carmichael and De Gouw give, The Secrets She Keeps would be little more than the aforementioned pulpy ride,' Paste Magazine shared. 'The whole thing is held together by Laura Carmichael as Aggie, a compulsive liar played at the screeching end of camp, complete with weird, limp hair and beaky fury,' The Sunday Times wrote. 'The leads bring more than enough credibility to their roles to make the series worth watching,' Decider added. However, viewers were much more glowing in their reviews. 'It was gripping, and off-the-charts, and more than once, difficult and even stressful to watch. But this is what the best dramas do: they evoke a response from the viewer, and this did that in spades,' user InnerWisdom1000 posted on IMDB. 'Good casting, very entertaining and pretty tense at times. Would definitely recommend,' Laura wrote. 'First episode I wasn't sure, but this series turned into a binge watch for me! Dark, and with some pretty good twists, the story of Agatha and Megan is brilliantly done. Agatha especially gets more and more bonkers in a sinister way,' Juli added. Although the first season was originally made available on BBC iPlayer, it was later taken down. But two years after the second season was released, UK fans and those yet to tune in can now watch both in full on Channel 4, where the show has been uploaded this week. The original novel was inspired by the kidnapping of newborn baby Abbie Sundgren in Nottingham in 1994. Just three hours after her birth, Abbie was taken by a woman posing as a nurse, who kept her for 17 days. At the time Michael was working as a journalist in London and covered the story, which he used as the basis of his novel nearly 20 years later. More Trending 'The idea stuck with me and the turning point came when I thought about an added element — what if it wasn't just a random baby that was taken? What if someone had faked a pregnancy and intended to steal a baby …and they had chosen the baby they wanted to steal,' he previously told The West Australian. While the novel was set in the United Kingdom, the television adaption was set in suburban Sydney — a change the author encouraged. 'When I was approached, I was asked if it was a deal-breaker to me, but it didn't really cross my mind. It is a universal story. The TV series has done an astonishing job and Jess and Laura have done an amazing job playing two women from two different sides of the economic equation … one with a nice husband and a nice house in an expensive neighbourhood, the other, who is living in much poorer circumstances, just trying to get by.' View More » The Secrets She Keeps is streaming on Channel 4. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Netflix quietly adds 'superb under-the radar comedy' set in Victorian London MORE: Gogglebox family announce heartbreaking death as fans pay tribute MORE: Paddy McGuinness reveals his unexpected celebrity crush 'he wasn't supposed to have'
