Sick of Netflix? Discover the Underrated World of Australian TV

Australian TV shows are some of the best in the world.

Full disclosure, I am Australian, so this opinion of mine isn't exactly impartial. But hear me out.

Firstly, let me say that I love American TV shows. Big Little Lies, and more specifically, Meryl Streep in Big Little Lies, was unforgettable. British comedies are like a hot cup of tea on a rainy day. Quirky Dutch shows should have their own category on Netflix. But none have affected me quite like the Australian shows released as of late.

For a long time I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why I found Australian TV so engrossing. I can tell you it has absolutely nothing to do with hearing my own accent through the screen. Heads up: the Australian accent is rumoured to be one of the laziest in the world. And as someone who has noticed the phrase ‘howyagarn’ slowly creep into my daily vocabulary, I believe it. Something to keep in mind while you’re trying to figure out what the heck these Australian actors are saying.

I digress. The real reason I find homegrown TV shows the best? Because Australian TV is brave.

Like, Rebel Wilson in her 2020 BAFTA speech calling out the widespread misogyny in the film industry while announcing the all-male nominees for the best director award, brave.

But this time, Rebel is a production team and they're calling out the shortcomings of broader society. Shortcomings like the mistreatment of Middle Eastern refugees, or the impact of dated sex education on the lives of the social media generation.

And what’s interesting is that there’s a good reason for this bravery. Sue Masters, who has lead commissioning teams for some of the country's most successful shows, explained in a recent podcast why they're always chasing such contentious subjects. Basically, because Australia has a tiny population, the networks don’t have Netflix-sized budgets to promote their shows. Instead, they rely heavily on word of mouth to turn an underrated gem into a smash hit. They need people to debate about these shows with their friends and neighbours. So they tackle controversial, sometimes heavy, but always topical subject matter.

The three shows I’ve listed below are no exception. And while they’re likely unheard of by the rest of the world, rest assured that in Australia, they were the subject of many dinner party conversations and late night musings on the state of the world today, and how we might work to make it better tomorrow.

Safe Harbour

Safe Harbour is a four-part miniseries that follows the story of a group of Australians sailing off the coast of Darwin, when they come across a boat of refugees stranded in the ocean. Days away from land, they argue over their options:

1. Take the dozens of passengers on board their small sailing boat

2. Tow the boat to shore

3. Go get help and hope everyone's still alive once help arrives

The group ultimately decides to tow the boat to shore. But when they wake up the next morning after a storm, they discover that the towing rope was cut overnight. The boat full of refugees is nowhere in sight. And nobody on board knows if one of the refugees is responsible, or if one of their closest friends is to blame for endangering so many lives.

The show skips ahead a few years to see this group of Australians come into contact with one of the asylum seeking families that survived the journey and are now building a life in Australia.

It’s a gripping drama that examines the hardship endured by refugees, and the ways in which they're disregarded. It'll have you considering white privilege, racism and class dynamics in new and heartbreaking ways.

Important Nomination: International Emmy Award for Outstanding TV Movie or Miniseries.

Noteworthy Review: "Safe Harbour is an intense psychological thriller that treats Muslims with the respect they deserve. It’s a rarity on TV, and it’s worth the four-hour investment." – Joel Keller, TV junkie/professional reviewer.

Please Like Me

Now for something more lighthearted, but so very full of heart. Please Like Me is a comedy series known for its unexpected sense of humour, crafted by comedian Josh Thomas. Josh based the show on his own life’s painfully awkward moments and relatable revelations about just how much it sucks to grow up.

The first episode begins with Josh telling his long-term girlfriend he's gay, and discovering his Mum just tried to kill herself. It may sound heavy, but that’s not the lasting impression the show leaves. Rather, what you’ll remember is its honesty, and the comforting sense that you’re not alone in whatever unsolveable puzzle life gave you for Christmas.

Another major reason to watch this show is that it features esteemed Aussie comedian Hannah Gadsby, known globally for her groundbreaking Netflix special Nanette. Like Josh, Hannah also plays a fictionalised version of herself in Please Like Me, and the show follows her on an emotional journey of self-discovery while living with mental illness.

There are four glorious seasons of Please Like Me, so settle in and get ready for belly laughs mixed in with a few tearjerker moments that will make you want to call your friends and tell them you love them.

Important Nomination: International Emmy Award for Best Comedy.

Noteworthy Review: "All I ever want is to be curled in bed watching Please Like Me. I love you Josh Thomas." – Lena Dunham, Queen of coming-of-age entertainment.

The Hunting

The Hunting is another four-part series, this time about a high school nude photo scandal exposing the mysogynistic views still being passed down through generations.

When the Me Too movement was first making waves, I was a recent graduate at a work dinner when some male colleagues asked whether I thought sexism was getting better or worse. My age meant I couldn't speak on what it was like in the 70s or 80s compared to now, but I knew that my experience of it in high school and university was bad, and the stories I was hearing from people a few years younger were even worse.

I had a few theories about why sexism might be gaining strength instead of dying off. Theories like inadequate sex ed for kids accessing porn sites at younger and younger ages (the average age is now 11), or excessive policing of girls' uniforms as a bandaid solution while the degrading actions of boys were ignored. Both were explored deeply in The Hunting, as well as a few more possible reasons for such a widespread problem.

The show asks important questions about who is responsible for making sure kids can properly navigate the hyper-sexualised content they're seeing online daily. Is it the parents? The teachers? The government? And what needs to change to phase out sexist views completely?

The Hunting is necessary viewing for anyone who wants to help shape a more feminist future.

Important Nominations: AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series.

Noteworthy Review: "Your heart will race and you will be glued to every moment of this new TV series. But it will make you white hot with rage." – Wenlei Ma, TV and film critic.

Special Mentions

The threes shows mentioned above are the ones that have stuck with me most from many years of bingeing Aussie TV, and the ones I’d suggest to anyone venturing down under for the first time.

I hope you love them as much as I did.

Once you’ve queued those up, here are a few special mentions to check out:

1. Top of the Lake: China Girl starring national treasure Nicole Kidman and The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss.

2. The Let Down, a hilariously candid comedy, this time about young parenthood that will make you never, ever, ever want kids.

3. The Beautiful Lie, a modern adaptation of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, but with Australian tennis stars instead of Russian oligarchs. Genius.