Set in rural Victoria, ABC’s new crime drama brings a star-studded cast to the small, fictional town of Savage River.
Savage River, a six-part series released weekly, tells the story of a community torn apart by a violent crime committed by teenager Miki Anderson (Katherine Langford).
After spending eight years in prison, Miki returns to her hometown, determined to move on with her life, but the close-knit community of Savage River refuse to let her live peacefully.
In her journey back to normality, Miki finds herself accidentally entangled in another murder with all fingers pointing the blame at her.
Mediaweek spoke to producers Angie Fielder & Polly Staniford from Aquarius Films about bringing the ‘whodunit’ series to life, ahead of the series premiere on September 4 on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford
The all-star Australian cast
Featuring an all-star ensemble of Australian actors, Fielder and Staniford said they had a clear vision for the casting of the series.
“We sat down and brainstormed who we thought would be right for the roles.
“Katherine Langford was always our first choice for Miki, and that was because we really felt like she was an actress who was able to embody both the vulnerability and the toughness of Miki,” Fielder said.
Perth-born Langford rose to fame for her role as Hannah Baker in US teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama.
The 26-year-old returned to Australia to star alongside Virginia Gay, Jacqueline McKenzie, Cooper Van Grootel, Nadine Garner, Daniel Henshall, Robert Grubb, James Mackay, Mark Coles Smith, Osamah Sami and Bernard Curry in the new series.
Under the direction of Jocelyn Moorhouse and veteran cinematographer Don McAlpine, Fielder and Staniford said the actors they reached out to were drawn to the storyline and the powerhouse creative team.
“We drew around ideas of who would be best in each role and in most cases, the actors that we were really wanting agreed to come on board, I think on the basis of the material on the scripts being really strong, but also a really strong desire to work with Jocelyn,” Fielder said.
Small town secrets
Although fictional, the eerie town of Savage River draws inspiration from the people, businesses, and characteristics you would most likely find on a quick pitstop during a long road trip.
“All small towns have unique characters living in them, everyone knows each other’s business. But then beneath the surface, there’s a lot more going on. So we liked the idea of secrets beneath the surface of a small-knit community,” Staniford said.
Savage River director Jocelyn Moorhouse and stars Katherine Langford and James Mackay
Character development
In her quest to return to a normal life, Miki experiences hostility, bullying and physical abuse.
“She’s someone who is a little bit spiky at the start because she’s obviously got a tricky past and she’s coming back into the town that she grew up in for the first time, very wary of how the town and her family see her in light of what she’s done,” Staniford added.
Despite her difficult return, as well as becoming accidentally involved in another violent crime, Miki builds trust with others and discovers herself again.
“She comes to learn a lot about herself and the people she loves and definitely transforms as a character over the course of the series. She’s sort of someone who learns to forgive herself and learns that your past doesn’t necessarily have to define you.
“I think at the start she’s not sure who she can trust and as the story evolves, she learns that she does need people, and trusting again and building relationships is the only way forward,” Staniford said.
The series does well at putting an Australian take on the popular crime-mystery format.
“The whole fun of making a mystery is to keep audiences on the edge of their seat and constantly guessing,” Fielder added. “We always wanted to make something that was incredibly character-driven and grounded where the thriller was there, but it was really about these characters. And we really wanted to give them all a rich and meaningful life.”
“So I hope that beyond the mystery, they [audiences] also enjoy getting to know this town and these people and all of the individual stories.”
Savage River premieres on ABC TV and ABC iview on September 4 at 8:30pm.