ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill and Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic have commissioned Two Birds, a mystery thriller, starring Sheridan Smith in the leading role, and set and filmed in Western Australia and produced by AC Chapter One and Third Act Stories in Australia.
Written by Helen FitzGerald (The Cry) and directed by James Griffiths (The Ballad of Wallis Island, Maternal, Episodes), Two Birds is a six-episode series and will feature an ensemble Australian cast including Judy Davis (Nitram, The Dressmaker) and Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader).
Set against the landscape of Kalgoorlie, a remote Australian mining town carved from red earth, where rusted shafts and weatherboard pubs fade into endless bush, this harsh, beautiful, and isolating world clings tightly to its secrets.
The series centres on British Police Constable Izzie Cornwell, played by Sheridan Smith who arrives in the small fictional town of Dugdale having been recently widowed and intent on a fresh start and a new life in Australia.
Focused upon chasing away her grief, Izzie hopes to reconnect with her sister who moved to the Kalgoorlie area with her Australian husband, and most important of all, to rebuild trust with her twenty-year-old daughter, who is scared by her mother’s recent destructive behaviour.
Izzie is assigned to investigate a murder alongside her new boss Matt, a Homicide Detective from Perth, played by Stephen Peacocke. When the victim is revealed to be part of a notorious local crime family, led by the formidable Mrs Baxter, played by Judy Davis, the stakes intensify.
Drama Commissioner Callum Dziedzic will oversee the production of Two Birds on behalf of ITV with the series airing on ITV and STV and streaming on ITVX and STV Player. Dziedzic says “From the very first script, it felt like we’d struck gold with Two Birds. Built on an irresistible hook, Helen FitzGerald has crafted a propulsive, twisty thriller with real humanity. Sheridan is perfect in the lead and brings her inimitable warmth and depth to Izzie. We can’t wait for our audience to join her in Dugdale and see the extraordinary scale of the gold mine for themselves.”
The series will executive produced by Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs The Post Office; A Spy Among Friends) through AC Chapter One and produced by Martha Coleman (Scrublands: Silver) through Third Act Stories.
Patrick Spence says: “Helen FitzGerald has a voice any producer would kill for: unique, challenging and mischievous. We are all so proud to be bringing her work to the screen.”
Amanda Laing, Nine Managing Director of Streaming and Broadcast in Australia says: “For more than a decade, we’ve backed bold local stories and the creative talent behind them, building a slate that resonates locally and travels globally. Two Birds is a strong example of that commitment in action, bringing together world-class international partners with Australian creatives, and marking the first production at Perth Film Studios. It reflects the kind of sustained, long-term investment and creative ambition required to grow Australia’s production capability and ensure local stories continue to reach audiences both here and around the world.”
Megan Palinkas (Heartbreak High) will write an episode and Corrie Chen (Good Cop/Bad Cop) will direct three episodes. James Griffiths, Helen FitzGerald and Luke Speed also serve as executive producers, alongside Andy Ryan and Donna Chang for STAN, Australia.
Helen FitzGerald sats: “I’ve been dreaming about Izzie Cornwell and Mrs Baxter in my head for years now, they are the most personal characters I have ever created. I asked Griff if we could try for Sheridan and Judy to play them, and he only came back with them both! Two Birds, indeed. So, this really is a dream come true for me.”
Filming will begin this Spring in Perth and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and will be the first to film in the brand-new Perth Film Studios. The series is being supported by Screenwest via the Government of Western Australia’s Production Attraction Incentive, designed to attract high profile, market driven footloose screen productions to Western Australia.
Two Birds is produced in association with and distributed internationally by ITV Studios.
Photography credit Nick James
Pippa Considine
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