Two new, locally produced crime series are worlds apart: in the way they look, the style of their storytelling, and their creative foundations. One is a pragmatic clone of a proven crowd-pleaser and something of a laydown misère for its broadcaster; the other is a pioneering production that hasn’t received the attention or the kudos that it deserves. One is a relatively safe bet; the other is a gutsy gamble that pays off handsomely.
The former is Return to Paradise (ABC, Sundays, 7.30pm and ABC iview), a six-part Down Under offshoot of the globally successful whodunnit series Death in Paradise , which is regularly one of the ABC’s most popular programs. So a joint ABC-BBC effort, capitalising on the existing and enthusiastic audience and extending its footprint, is a monty for our national broadcaster.
It’s not an audacious choice, but it is an understandable one. Early ratings seem to endorse the move, with the spin-off attracting more than a million viewers less than a week after its premiere. Meanwhile, Stan, one of the few Australian streamers in a pool dominated by multinationals, has opted for something completely different with the gritty and uncompromising six-part Critical Incident.
Set in Sydney’s tense west, it offers a darker view of the city than the one seen from the golden, tourist-magnet sands of Bondi. Created by Sarah Bassiuoni, a lawyer steering her first series, it opens by seamlessly setting the scene, introducing the Blacktown police station an.