SBS Guide sat down with Vonne Patiag, a member of the writing team of 'The Unusual Suspects', to discuss the experience of telling Filipino stories, and the difference between empowerment and exploitation.
The Lord of the Rings) and Michelle Vergara Moore (
Condor, The Time of Our Lives) plus Heather Mitchell, Susie Porter, Peter O’Brien and more.
Aina Dumlao said: “
The Unusual Suspects is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s a crazy ride with lots of twists and turns but, at the heart of it, it’s about female friendship. Underneath the wrapper of a crazy heist, it’s a story about empathy and finding common ground.”
The Aquarius Films series also marks the first major representation of Filipino-Australians in a local drama series.
Miranda Otto said: “What attracted me to the story is the joyful, colourful sense of fun. This high-pitched zany caper felt really fresh as an Australian project. It’s also a wonderful window into a culture that exists here that people probably don’t know a lot about.”
Vonne Patiag, with
Natalie Bailey (
Melvin Montalban
(Rope Burn, Cupid).
SBS will mark the lauch with a curated collection of content across the network celebrating both women and Filipino culture.
The Feed’s
Alice Matthews will also present a special half-hour program –
Unwrapped – featuring the cast and creatives discussing gender, race and representation. It will be available on SBS On Demand following the series premiere.
The Unusual Suspects is an Aquarius Films production for SBS with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW and About Premium Content, which also handles international distribution. The series is financed with support from Cutting Edge Post.
Behind the curtain: meet the writers shaping local TV in 2021
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From a drama about dying with dignity to a comedy exploring cancel culture, Australia isn’t going to run out of compelling local TV any time soon.
The pandemic has created a double-bind for the television industry: on one hand, we’re consuming more TV than ever before. On the other, productions – especially in Europe and America – have been cancelled and delayed left, right and centre.
Thankfully, the situation isn’t as grim closer to home. So what can we expect to see on our TV screens this year? Who helped craft these shows, and what makes them tick?