The ABC and Screen Australia have announced that production has started in Western Australia on the highly anticipated second season of the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning series Mystery Road: Origin.
The six-part drama series continues to delve into the early years of Detective Jay Swan, played by AACTA Award-winning Lead Actor and proud Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith (We Bury The Dead, Beasts of War).
Six months from when we last saw young Jay and his partner Mary, played by AACTA Award-winning Lead Actress Tuuli Narkle (NCIS S1 & S2, Territory), we find them attempting to forge a new life together on her mother’s Country, in the fading town of Loch Iris.
As Jay begins to investigate an unfolding case, Loch Iris closes ranks around him. And the more he pieces together the crime, the more he realises the entire town has been hiding a shadowy past. It’s a past that is still rippling through to the present. And with it, a secret, that threatens to tear Jay and Mary apart.
In his 4.5 star review for ScreenHub, Anthony Morris wrote:
‘Detective Jay Swan is back. Only he’s not quite a detective yet, though everyone knows he’s already passed the exam. He’s a bit younger too, with the fresh-faced Mark Coles Smith taking on the role from Aaron Petersen. Even his trademark cowboy boots and hat aren’t rusted on yet; when he’s out of uniform he’s more of a white t-shirt kind of guy. But that quiet, steely resolve? That’s Jay Swan all right.
‘This series might be billed as an origin, but Swan’s never needed one. He was an archetypical western character from the start, a lawman who rode (well, drove) into a series of lawless outback towns, straightened things out, then went on his way. And so it is here, though this time the lawless settlement is his dusty home town of Jardine, complete with grizzled old dad Jack (Kelton Pell) – who’s also a local celebrity due to a rodeo championship 30 years ago – and drunken older brother Sputty (Clarence Ryan) …’ Read more …
Coles Smith and Narkle will be joined by an ensemble cast including Robyn Malcolm (After The Party, The Survivors), Clarence Ryan(Territory, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Geoff Morrell (Lord Of The Rings: Rings of Power, Ice Road 2: The Road To The Sky), Nicholas Bell (Elvis, Bay of Fires), Luke Carroll (Scrublands S2, The Artful Dodger), Helen Morse (The Eye Of The Storm, The Doctor Blake Mysteries), Aswan Reid (The New Boy, Beasts of War), Steve Le Marquand (Population 11, Christmess), Pippa Grandison (Population 11, After the Verdict), Rarriwuy Hick (Wentworth, True Colours) , Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Sweet As, Firebite), Tammy Lee Rock (The Sapphires, Boxing Day), Marley Sharp (The Circuit, Redfern Now), Alex Malone (The Royal Hotel, Colin From Accounts), Greg Tait (Firebite, Mad Bastards) and introducing Eloise Hart.
ABC Head of Scripted, Rachel Okine said: ‘We are thrilled to be partnering with Bunya Productions on the highly anticipated return of this iconic series. With a stunning new WA location, impeccable cast and compelling crime story that delves deep into our social fabric, our ABC audiences are in for another absolute masterclass in outback noir’.
Bunya Productions Producer, Greer Simpkin said: ‘We are delighted to be on our next Mystery Road journey, where Detective Jay Swan heads to partner Mary’s hometown in the tall trees of the southern forests. There is murder, abduction and epic love, but it is the past, the ghosts of the stolen generation who haunt our story …’
This series was written by an entirely First Nations writing team. Outstanding directors Jub Clerc and Wayne Blair are at the helm. Returning to their iconic roles from Origin series one are Mark Coles Smith, Tuuli Narkle and Clarence Ryan along with a terrific ensemble cast including Robyn Malcolm. We are excited to bring to our audiences an entirely new Mystery Road world, a visual feast set in the trees, dams and waterways of the South West of Western Australia”.
Screen Australia, Head of First Nations Angela Bates said: ‘Audiences everywhere have been captivated by the rich characters, intricate backstories, and powerful themes explored throughout the Mystery Road world. We’re thrilled to be supporting this talented creative team as they deliver an exciting new chapter for Jay Swan and Mary Allen, who navigate the complexities of a new town, confront racism, and uncover hidden crimes of the past.’