Dustfall
Sunday, 8.20pm, ABC
Ingredients: take one small town. Add a murder. Mix it in with a detective whose own dark past connects with the case she’s investigating, and voila! You have yourself an Australian drama in 2026.
These types of shows are a dime a dozen. We’ve had successful iterations (Last Seen, High Country, Deadloch) and not so successful interpretations (it pains me to say, but The Killings At Parrish Station did NOT stick the landing).
Dustfall, ABC’s new big budget prestige series, starring Anna Torv and directed by her The Newsreader collaborator, Emma Freeman, appears, on face value at least, to be more of the same.
Thankfully, this excellent drama, about — wait for it — a detective recently arrived back in her old home town in regional Queensland, investigating a grizzly crime, is different from the jump.
Freedman’s excellent direction, coupled with some terrific performances, especially from Torv, who plays Detective Tig Pollard, Alice Ansara (her best friend) and Zoe Phillips who plays the girl at the centre of the investigation, set this apart.
What could have been a run-of-the-mill crime procedural becomes something far more nuanced; our own take on issues explored in excellent dramas like Adolescence and Happy Valley.
I don’t say this lightly: these are two of the very best shows of the past decade — this drama, which packs one heck of a punch, is right up there with them.
Do not miss this five-star excellent series.
The Celebrity Traitors UK
Streaming now on 10Play
My love for the UK celebrity version of this show runs deep — this season is off to one heck of a start.
The casting! The twist in the first episode! Claudia Winkleman’s wardrobe! I’m loving everything about it so far, including the inclusion of Richard E. Grant, Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, Jerry Hall and Miranda Hart, who are playing this time around.
If you’ve not peeped this terrific British reality series yet, now is the perfect time.
You’re in for a treat.
The State Of Man
Tuesday, 8pm, ABC
This is Marc Fennell’s take on the contentious world of the manosphere. His three-part series does what many of us wished Louis Theroux’s doco had done, which is to go deeper into this troubling subject. Seriously good television.
The Diplomat
Thursday, streaming on Netflix
The fourth season picks up where we left off, with Kate (Keri Russell) navigating the dangerous alliance between Hal (Rufus Sewell) and President Grace Penn (Allison Janney). Expect to see more of Bradley Whitford’s character — squeal!
Crystal Lake
Friday, streaming on Stan
TV is loving a horror prequel right now. Last month it was Carrie, this month we have this Friday The 13th prequel, which focuses on the story of Jason’s mother Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini). Buzz is building.
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