Scrublands BBC 4 - Australian drama now in saturday crime slot for tv series from other countries

[IwantToRetire]

This started yesterday with 2 episodes. It seemed to me to combine the plot of 2 quite recent Australian dramas, but maybe that is live in the outback.

Journalist arrives in small town thinking he has been sent on a dull assignment, and then hidden information unfolds about a mass shooting the previous year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gnmk66

However I am now intrigued by plot line and certainly more interesting than the totally cliched crime drama (Kin) on at the same time on BBC 1. And normally I find Irish thrillers quite good.

thanks for posting
i may try this also

Just watched the first two eps. Liking this a lot.

Just started this & enjoying it.

What two dramas do you think are combined Op?

What two dramas do you think are combined Op?

I keep meaning to check the series titles as I am hopeless with names.

There was one where a man was found after a car crash and couldn't remember who he was or why he was there.

And the other was a sort of Endeavour as a younger Morse. ie a series featuring a younger version of an Indigenous Dective that there had been 2 very popular series.

But I suppose it is more about being set in the outback.

I've watched it all and already forgotton the plot, but remember thinking some of the twists and turns were similar.

Or maybe I just watch too many crime dramas.

But yes thought this was better than average!

Mystery Road: Origin was the second one I was thinking of https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/07/tv-tonight-the-return-of-a-beautiful-hit-australian-drama-mystery-road

Although I dont think Scrublands has any Indigenous characters.

And I know the one with an amnesiac character has a very well known UK actor but his name escapes me.

The one you’re thinking of it called the tourist and it has Jamie Dornan in it I think, from the fall

I also enjoyed Mystery Road but didn't like MR Origin as much.

I watched both the Mystery Road series. I didn't think they were all that, but saved by the fantastic visuals! I like this better, tbh.

Scrublands is based on a book published in 2018 so it precedes The Tourist with Jamie Dornan by a couple if years. I love the book, and the ones after (by Chris Hammer) so I've been very excited about this coming to iPlayer. The book Martin is older though, I think.

@NotMyDayJob I was really excited to see this was on as I also loved the book and would thoroughly recommend. I haven't read the third one of the Martin Scarsden series yet but it's on my list.

I really enjoyed the first two episodes and I think it's pretty faithful to the book from what I remember so far. Looking forward to the rest.

I think this series is in fact quite different than Mystery Road (the original series).

There was a feeling throughout of gloom and not being able to change the structures that were making people's lives so miserable, especially the treatment of Indigenous communities. I remember having to steel myself to watch it, even though I one level I really enjoyed it.

This series, is much lighter. Not complaining because it isn't as silly as say Mid Summer Murders!

I've read the book and loved it. If the adaptation is good then it'll really be worth watching.

Thanks for mentioning this. I've watched them all now and really enjoyed it.

Just finished this. Thought it was good, story developed at a reasonable pace. I watched Black Snow recently and although I enjoyed it, it did feel as if it wasn’t as tightly written as Scrublands, with a lot of filler. So although I prefer 6 to 8 episodes, so I can get into them, based on Scrublands it looks like 4 episodes, with a good pace, is a winner! I wasn’t bored watching this at all, and didn’t pick my phone up once, high praise these days!

Really enjoyed this, any recommendations for other Austrailian dramas not already mentioned ?

Violetparis
Pine Gap is a six episode international political thriller/whodunnit which is set around the Australian and American joint defence intelligence facility at a satellite surveillance base in Aus.

Or North Shore in which a British and Australian detective are forced to team up to investigate the murder of the British trade minister's daughter, after her body is found in Sydney Harbour

Having been disappointed by recent Australian series - The Tourist and Black Snow - both of which we gave up on, I was a bit sceptical about Scrublands but I really enjoyed it, Four episodes is quite a nice length and although I'm not keen of stuff with flashbacks, I didn't find it confusing.

As PPs have said the book was good, I may try it out.

Definitely one of the better series I've seen recently.

Finally watched it all.

Thought it was really good.

Seemed a bit obvious who was behind everything though.

Seemed a bit obvious who was behind everything though.

Can't really understand why they didn't get shot as I'm sure they were in the crowd.

I think that they drove away when he went back in to get the gun.

I was hooked from the opening!

Thanks @diddl . I must have missed that.
I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much after being disappointed by so many dramas recently.

"You got them all killed you fuckwit!"

Best line!

I loved this.

Just seen this so have downloaded and will watch e1 tonight once have reflux bubs over my shoulder

Almost finished reading the book after watching the series and it basically bears no resemblance to the original story. No idea why they changed so much - it's like a completely different piece.