Scrublands

This was briLLianT.

I enjoyed this so much, all I kept thinking was this is like good quality Australian drama shows used to be made.

Writing, acting, cinematics, all ON POINT, and it didn't need a big (big) name to sell it or ruin it with overhype.. I wish there was quality like this more often.

Outstanding efforT by all acTors involved. I am not naming any because I truly feel they each did their own absolute 10/10.

The absolute only thing I could think of to improve was i would've loved it to be another episode or two, but I guess that could've ruined it. So who am I to talk of such ;) .

I didn't read the book so had no preconceptions of how the story should unfold. From others descriptions, that's an advantage but I feel those going on about this sound a little boring because nowdays, most have left this review already as it's too long to read through. It took till the 2nd episode to really get some momentum and just got better as it went. There are lots of backstories that could have been fleshed out but that would have filled 4 more episodes and maybe there wasn't the budget for that. This is a pity, as there was fertile ground here. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a ripping yarn that had a universal flavour rather than the often ocker slant of Aussie dramas. Look forward to season 2 filmed in Augusta in my home state of Western Australia!

The story where an outsider turns up in a remote Australian town and delves into dark goings on is a well-worn one, at least in Australian series that make it to the UK. By contrast, I don't think I've ever seen a series set in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth. In 'Scrublands', our version of this plot follows a journalist investigating a priest (and alleged paedophile), who had turned his gun on his parishoners a year previously. It's competently put together, in spite a late plot twist that isn't fully developed and seems unecessary. But it never really manages to transcend the formula; and the real villain of the piece is signalled from a long way off.

This is excellent Aussie tv, the book is extremely complex, however, the story is so magnificent I would have liked it to not deviate as much as it did. The changes are so very significent that for me, having read the book, which was awesome, I would have liked them to stick to it in a shortened version and not change the storyline as much as they did. The acting by all was terrific, and the location is an actual town in Victoria. It needed, in my opinion, to have two more episodes to flesh out the back stories, which are written as a true masterpiece by an outstanding Australian writer. The second book about the main character is also awesome and would make a great follow up.

I you like Mystery Road you will probably like this as well. It has the same style, but not quite such an outback feel, and I preferred Luke in this one to Jay (Mystery Road) as the central character.

Despite the shocking opening, it was pretty clear that there was more to it and that the event was calculated and not random.

A year later, a journo Luke hits town looking for a follow up human interest story, but starts to unpeel an onion skin of lies and deception relating to the event.

Follows investigative journalist Martin Scarsden as he has to uncover the truth of the case of killing of five parishioners by a charismatic and dedicated young priest.

Despite his apparent popularity, I find Robert Taylor a very dour actor.

This is a contemporary drama and contains language and/or attitudes that some viewers, particularly those of a more mature generation, the Silent Majority, will find offensive.

There are frequent profanity bombs and the F word is peppered throughout. One C word.