Foxtel has announced the commissioning of Fighting Season, a complex, character-driven drama about Australian soldiers returning from Afghanistan, from Goalpost Pictures and writer Blake Ayshford.
Foxtel head of drama Penny Win said: “Fighting Season will be a powerful and provocative addition to Foxtel’s drama slate of great Australian storytelling. The drama explores a masculine world, unpicking the mythology surrounding The Diggers and the reality of being a modern soldier, as they try to live up to the heroic expectations placed on them by society, and themselves. Their transition from a high-adrenaline existence to being loving husbands and partners is both fascinating and incredibly moving.
“Fighting Season will be Foxtel’s first drama production with Goalpost Pictures and we are very pleased to be working together with Kylie du Fresne and writer Blake Ayshford to bring to life this very timely story.”
Goalpost Pictures’ Kylie du Fresne said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Foxtel. This series tackles an issue being faced by communities across the globe and it’s a subject that has yet to be tackled in any depth in Australian television drama. At Goalpost we were intrigued by the notion of ‘good soldier, bad citizen’ and we believe Blake and his writing team have created characters that are complex and fascinating.”
Fighting Season has production investment from Screen Australia and Screen NSW, with Broken Hill to be one of the key locations. Casting is under way for production in 2017 and to air in 2018.
Sky Vision, the distribution and production arm of Sky, has signed an exclusive output distribution deal with Australian subscription broadcaster Foxtel. Worldwide distribution for Fighting Season, excluding Australia and New Zealand, is being handled by Sky Vision.