Ten Pound Poms Season 2 review: it’s grim down south

Lured down under from a war-torn Britain by the promise of a better life only to discover a living nightmare, or at least, a lot of hard work and disdain from the locals – for decades the ‘ten pound poms’ were a major part of Australia’s post-war immigration drive.

Mixing a lifting-the-lid look at the reality of the program with a hefty slice of personal drama, the first season of Ten Pound Poms was well-crafted, engaging viewing despite some overstuffed (and at times, exhausting) plotting. Season 2 of this co-production between Stan and the BBC shows no signs of slowing the pace: 1957 was clearly not a year for sitting back and taking things easy.

Our story resumes with Kate (Michelle Keegan), having finally reconnected with her biological son Michael (Alastair Bradman), now down at the docks and looking to board a ship to New Zealand. Her pickpocketing skills once again come in handy but the police are closing in – perhaps sticking around for a while (and grabbing an ice cream) is the safer move.

Watch the Ten Pound Poms Season 2 trailer.

Back at camp the Roberts family are struggling, with Terry (Warren Brown) still trying to get a decent job and a nicer place for his family. Good luck there, with the local bureaucrats not exactly hiding the pleasure they take in shutting down every path to a better life. With five people living in a one-bedroom hut – and daughter Pattie (Hattie Hook) now with a baby that won’t stop crying – things are getting desperate.

There’s a bit of good news when Terry gets a job on a housing estate repairing dry rot. There he meets dodgy landlord Benny (Marcus Graham), and after breaking up a fight it seems like Terry has made himself a new friend – though it soon becomes clear (to us, if not Terry) that working with Benny is going to come at a price.

Things aren’t going much smoother for Annie Roberts (Faye Marsay), as she finds Kate hiding outside her work and desperate for help. There are not a lot of options available for a single mum on the run in mid-century Australia, and the one Annie ends up recommending might not have been the best choice. Meanwhile, things are turning sour at Annie’s job as boss Marline (Cheree Cassidy) turns out to have a grim personal life. Is nobody happy in this sun-drenched land?

At least camp commandant JJ (Stephen Curry) is able to visit Shelia (Emma Hamilton) in the hospital after last season’s suicide attempt. But her cruel husband (Leon Ford) is far from out of the picture, so once again it’s a bumpy road ahead. Still, maybe the newly arrived Skinner family – dad Ray (Sam Delich), mum Maggie (Maya Stage) and sister Birdie (Clare Hughes) – will find Australia a pleasant change from Ireland … but don’t count on it.

The first season of Ten Pound Poms was one of the BBC’s biggest hits of 2023, and no doubt its (sadly accurate) depiction of 1950s Australia as a racist, sexist, backwards hellhole where migrants were kept in prison camps played a sizable part in its success.

If you thought three decades of Home & Away were too good to be true, here’s the proof: all that was lacking was a scene where the loveable dog Bouncer from Neighbours turned out to really be a Cujo-style rabid killer. It’s grim down south.

Or it is if you ignore how bright and sunny everything looks. Ten Pound Poms thrives on the clash between the image of Australia and the reality, with lush parks and fancy homes just as likely to become the setting for bleak developments as the despairing environment of the camp.

It’s a series where a happy drive along a scenic stretch of coastline is intercut with a family having their home trashed by thugs; as far as Australia is concerned, don’t believe the hype.

Later episodes tackle wider social issues, as Annie gets involved with Women’s Lib, only to encounter the usual Ten Pound Pom mix of sunny fun (bikinis on the beach!) and grim reality (trying to de-segregate the local pub is not an easy task).

At least things might be looking up for Ron (Rob Collins) down the beach, as a surprising business opportunity makes itself known – though no doubt racism will once again throw a spanner in the works there.

Strong performances help the plotting over some less-than-subtle points, though as with last season, it’d be nice if some of these moments were given room to breathe. With only six one-hour episodes up its sleeve and an ever-expanding cast, the juggling of multiple storylines leaves a few feeling short changed – much like most of the characters felt on their arrival here.

All that sun comes with some disappointment baked in.

All six episodes of Ten Pound Poms Season 2 are available now on Stan.

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