Territory: Australia’s ambitious new neo-Western to star a contingent of Kiwis, can it compete with Yellowstone? - Spy

Sara Wiseman and Jay Ryan are starring in new Australian series Territory.

It’s positioned as an Antipodean cousin of the hit US show, and new Australian series Territory sees Kiwi actors across the Ditch lassoing some of the roles.

A host of New Zealand acting talent is starring in Australia’s version of Yellowstone, a billion-dollar cattle station drama series called Territory, which will debut on Netflix in October.

Our own Sara Wiseman is following up her role in the hugely successful Aussie drama High Country, now starring in Territory as Sandra Kirby.

“There are a few Kiwis on this beast, Matthew Sunderland, Jay Ryan, Michael Dorman, Greta Van Den Brink and a few Kiwi stunties worked on it also,” Wiseman tells Spy.

She says the show – which filmed in Australia’s Northern Territory – is mammoth, high octane and hugely ambitious.

“Territory is so staunchly Australian, but still deeply recognisable worldwide with its themes around legacy, love, loyalty, family hierarchies, power and greed,” she says.

The upcoming neo-Western series promises juicy drama of epic proportions as it follows the fight for power in the remote and unforgiving Australian Outback, when the world’s largest cattle station is left without an apparent heir.

Wiseman says working in the Northern Territory 40+C heat was next level as well as the natural dangers.

“Heat is a serious contender that you simply can’t get away from unless you’re waiting between setups in a car with the air con on,” she reveals. “We had safety officers with loaded pistols, watching for crocs whenever we worked near the river’s edge.

Wiseman, Sunderland and Ryan have all previously worked together, and she says getting to work with them again was simply brilliant, and working with Dorman was phenomenal.

“Michael has such a pivotal impacting role in the show and Matthew and Jay’s characters are something else and both are exceptional in their portrayal of them.”

Van Den Brink made Spy’s pages earlier this year for her polo-playing prowess and Wiseman is equally proud of her acting chops. “Greta is a graduate of The Actors’ Program, that I co-founded. I have known her since she was a student, so it was wonderful to be working alongside her and seeing her absolutely shine in her role.”

Wiseman can’t reveal too much about her character, Sandra Kirby, just yet. “She’s a piece of work, I can say that. It was definitely a “pinch me” moment to be offered such a role by our almighty director, Greg McLean,” she says.

“I am beyond grateful to be a part of the production. I so hope audiences love watching it as much as we loved making it.

Another Kiwi set to film in the Northern Territory is Madeleine Sami. This month it was announced that she and co-star Kate Box would return for a second series in Prime Video’s comedy crime drama, Deadloch.

Season one of Deadloch was filmed in Tasmania. Season two is due to film later this year and will see the return of detectives Redcliffe (Sami) and Collins (Box) who head to Darwin to investigate the death of Redcliffe’s former policing partner Bushy.

Ricardo Simich is the New Zealand Herald’s Spy editor. Based in Auckland he covers all roads that lead to popular culture.