Mystery drama Pilli Sisters PI greenlit by ABC along with kids classic reboot Little Lunch

Australian pubcaster the ABC has greenlit new indigenous private investigator drama series, Pilli Sisters PI from local production companies Lingo Pictures, Third Act Stories and Meeniyan Stories.

Tasma Walton

Set in Western Australia, the six-part series was created and written by Australian actress Tasma Walton (The Twelve, Reckless, Mystery Road). The series has been in development with Walton, since 2022, attracting early stage Screenwest development funding.

The crime buddy series with a twist, follows indigenous sisters Marlee and May who operate their own private investigation business taking on eclectic cases in Fremantle, the WA state’s port city.

Lingo Pictures creative director Jason Stephens said Walton’s narrative offered “a unique take on the crime genre through an Indigenous lens.”

In further co-commission news, the ABC, BBC and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) are re-booting the 2015 children’s mockumentary series, Little Lunch, produced by Gristmill.

Little Lunch: New Class introduces six new primary school students in a fly in the wall style look and life on the Australian playground, during the daily 15 minutes recess. The series was originally adapted from a book series by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope who created and directed the series for television.

The original 26×12’ series was commissioned by the ABC in 2015 and distributed globally by ACTF which has secured sales across various territories with Netflix, Amazon, Universal Kids, BYUtv, TVO and CBBC and iPlayer.

The new series is a joint commission from BBC and the ABC. It is scheduled to screen on the ABC in 2027.