Screen Australia pumps in $5.7m

Government-backed Screen Australia is investing A$5.6m (US$5.75m) in drama, comedy and children’s programming for Nine Network, Network Ten and pubcaster ABC TV.

Two of the projects greenlit for funding are with Network Ten. Mr & Mrs Murder is a 13-part comedy crime series from FremantleMedia and Bravado Productions, about a married couple with a cleaning business who solve crimes the police can’t. The UK’s DCD Rights is attached for international distribution.

Get Ace, meanwhile, is a 26-part animated series for kids from Galaxy Pop. It follows a boy who gets fitted with high-tech braces on his teeth. France’s Moonscoop is attached for international distribution.

House Husbands, a 10-part comedy series from Playmaker Media about stay-at-home dads, has also been awarded Screen Australia funding. Nine Network is the broadcaster and will also handle international sales.

ABC’s telemovie The Broken Shore, based on the Peter Temple novel of the same name, will also receive cash. It will be produced by Essential Media & Entertainment and distributed by Canada’s Entertainment One and its Aussie subsidiary Hopscotch Entertainment.

Screen Australia said the four projects would cost a combined A$32m to produce. CEO Ruth Harley said: “So far this financial year we’ve invested in 116 hours of quality Australian adult and children’s television drama, gearing up in excess of A$100m worth of production.”