100 Best AU/NZ TV, a list by Chaz Larson

8.9

/36501/

85

/977/

83

/389/

4.5

/90749/

93

/120/

94

85

/28/

4.0

age 13+

The three-part documentary series, compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage, captures the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of music's most iconic foursome. The series also includes – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' final performance at London's Savile Row.

83

7.9

/7473/

72

/398/

72

/50/

4.1

/2003/

100

/6/

95

85

/4/

age 17+

Comedy trio Aunty Donna showcase their uniquely absurd and offbeat style through an array of sketches, songs and eclectic characters.

77

7.9

/21959/

76

/754/

72

/125/

3.9

/6586/

87

/15/

85

68

/4/

age 15+

A young boy growing up in the suburbs of 1980s Brisbane faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family.

77

7.8

/15218/

73

/552/

77

/134/

4.0

/4025/

82

/34/

90

66

/17/

3.0

age 14+

After losing her parents in a mysterious fire, nine-year-old Alice Hart is raised by her grandmother June on a flower farm where she learns there are secrets within secrets. But years on, an unearthed betrayal sees Alice forced to face her past.

74

6.6

/8388/

70

/641/

67

/62/

3.4

/2633/

100

/15/

70

age 15+

Fifteen years ago, the loss of three young people tore this sleepy seaside town apart. Now, the mysterious death of a young woman dredges up the past.

73

7.2

/16675/

72

/889/

65

/75/

3.5

/19550/

84

/61/

74

71

/28/

3.0

age 14+

Two young women advocate for wellness remedies to cure deadly illnesses, unraveling their lives as they unknowingly — and knowingly — mislead the world.

79

72

7.2

/3770/

70

/228/

77

/31/

3.9

/4463/

100

/37/

74

83

/9/

age 15+

The story of Dorrigo Evans, an army surgeon whose short but forbidden affair with his uncle's wife sustains and haunts him through his darkest days in a Thai-Burmese prisoner of war camp in WWII.

71

7.5

/12012/

71

/445/

65

/121/

3.7

/2595/

81

/42/

73

72

/20/

2.5

age 16+

Four strangers — a flight attendant escaping a suburban cult, an Afghan refugee fleeing persecution, a young Australian father escaping a dead-end job, and a bureaucrat caught up in a national scandal — are stuck in an immigration detention center in the Australian desert. Inspired by true events.

69

7.4

/8548/

71

/667/

66

/86/

3.8

/2304/

70

/20/

69

66

/5/

The definition of "tourism" is redefined as New Zealand filmmaker David Farrier sets his sights on the world of dark tourism. From nuclear tourism in Japan to Pablo Escobar-inspired tourism in Columbia to frontier tourism in Turkmenistan, David visits the world’s grisly and offbeat destinations, meeting travelers drawn to them, and the people telling these stories day after day.

66

63

6.3

/4489/

62

/265/

64

/57/

3.4

/976/

90

/20/

60

61

/7/

age 15+

When a local girl goes missing, a woman is forced to face the demons from her traumatic childhood.

75

62

7.3

/2853/

69

/175/

58

/41/

3.6

/1149/

100

/6/

A dark, gothic tale about three nuns, each a generation apart, living in an isolated convent by the coast, and an unwelcome visitor who enters their lives and changes their world forever.

69

62

7.3

/6138/

70

/248/

65

/53/

3.7

/1524/

The disappearance of a baby from a small coastal town in Australia is the catalyst for a journey into the disintegrating psychology of a young couple as they deal with an unthinkable tragedy under both the white light of public scrutiny and behind closed doors.

68

62

7.7

/4893/

69

/227/

70

/32/

3.5

/987/

54

/13/

89

50

/7/

age 14+

Angry Boys is an Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Continuing the mockumentary style of his previous series, the show explores the issues faced by young males in the 21st century – their influences, their pressures, their dreams and ambitions. In Angry Boys, Lilley plays multiple characters: S.mouse, an American rapper; Jen, a manipulative Japanese mother; Blake Oakfield, a champion surfer; Ruth "Gran" Sims, a guard at a juvenile detention facility; and her grandchildren, South Australian twins Daniel and Nathan Sims. The series is a co-production between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and US cable channel HBO, with a pre-sale to BBC Three in the United Kingdom. Filmed in Melbourne, Los Angeles and Tokyo, Angry Boys premièred on 11 May 2011 at 9:00 pm on ABC1.

66

61

7.4

/4852/

70

/262/

66

/31/

4.0

/3654/

64

/14/

84

40

/10/

age 14+

Ja'mie King, the self-promoting "queen bee" of Summer Heights High, returns from an exchange semester at that public school for her last three months at Hillford Girls Grammar, where she's the unchallenged diva among the school's most popular girls, as well as the school captain. Clothes, cars, boys, parties ... Ja'mie has it all, and her overriding goal is to win the Hillford Medal

65

60

6.7

/4309/

65

/220/

64

/48/

3.4

/375/

67

/15/

66

Anna Macy left Kettering when she was just 14, shortly after her best friend, Gillian Baxter mysteriously disappeared. The two girls had been playing in the forbidden forests outside Kettering when they saw strange lights in the sky. Eight hours later, Anna was found alone, terrified and covered in blood. 15 years on, Anna returns to find the town struggling to survive. The forests have been marked for logging and the community is being torn apart by passionate but violent clashes between environmentalists and the local loggers.

63

59

7.0

/3981/

65

/212/

68

/59/

3.4

/1317/

56

/16/

77

48

/9/

2.5

age 14+

The story of an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley, who inherits a large cattle ranch in Australia after her husband dies. When Australian cattle barons plot to take her land, she joins forces with a cattle drover to protect her ranch.

63

59

6.2

/4787/

60

/205/

56

/66/

3.3

/2324/

80

/54/

59

62

/15/

age 14+

Valentine's Day, 1900. Three schoolgirls and their governess mysteriously disappear in Hanging Rock, Australia, without a trace.

60

57

6.4

/4676/

63

/246/

66

/86/

3.2

/813/

65

/31/

45

62

/11/

age 14+

The 19th-century tale of love, murder and revenge as men and women travel across the world to make their fortunes on the wild West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

73

53

7.5

/2643/

69

/162/

59

/20/

3.7

/495/

90

/10/

Penny’s world implodes when she accuses her husband Phil of a sex crime against her daughter’s teenage friend and nobody believes her.

68

53

7.0

/2493/

62

/134/

64

/26/

3.5

/1099/

80

/5/

67

age 14+

Fourteen year old breakdancer and mischievous delinquent, Jonah Takalua, returns from Tonga to start a new life at Holy Cross High School. Dominating the playground with his gang Fobba-licious, amusing himself with endless filfthy jokes and a schoolyard rivalry with the Rangas, Jonah challenges the school system, getting himself into more trouble than ever before.

65

53

7.5

/2981/

69

/153/

66

/38/

3.5

/557/

67

/45/

49

At an Australian backyard BBQ, amongst alcohol, friendship and a children's cricket game, a man slaps a child who is not his son. The party comes to a sudden halt. The child's parents are so affronted they vow to take the man to court. The police become involved and friends and family are forced to take sides.

63

52

6.9

/3501/

65

/105/

53

/19/

3.4

/219/

85

/13/

44

66

/6/

2.5

In an affluent Sydney suburb, two women have a chance encounter in a supermarket. They are the same age, both heavily pregnant and due at the same time. Meghan is a glamorous influencer on the rise, with an ambitious television sports reporter husband Jack, while Agatha works in the supermarket as a shelf stacker. Although they live near each other, the two women’s lives could not be more different…Both women have secrets. And both will risk everything to conceal the truth. But their worlds are about to collide in one shocking act that cannot be undone.

80

51

8.8

/3852/

78

/92/

76

/22/

3.9

/1136/

A docuseries following the Australian Men’s Cricket Team, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s best cricket teams fell from grace and was forced to reclaim their title and integrity.

48

6.0

/17575/

64

/926/

65

/183/

3.0

/2697/

22

/23/

42

46

/9/

1.5

age 15+

Identical twins Leni and Gina have secretly switched places for years. But when one sister disappears, both of their lives start to fall apart.

70

47

7.6

/2403/

73

/108/

66

/11/

3.6

/788/

50

/8/

89

Daniel and Alison meet in 1989 Sheffield and fall in love as teenagers before life takes them in different directions. They reconnect years later through shared musical memories, wondering if they're meant to be together.

60

43

6.2

/2495/

57

/44/

56

/40/

3.0

/1418/

68

/7/

The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick.

71

41

7.9

/2677/

69

/82/

67

/26/

3.6

/454/

As dawn breaks on April 25, 1915, ANZAC troops go into battle on the beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula. Landing in the dark chaos, Tolly, Bevan and their mates struggle to establish a tenuous foothold on the treacherous slopes and deep ravines. They endure the next eight months on the peninsula learning lessons of survival. By the time of the final evacuation they have also learned the skills of combat and what it means to be a young man in war.

69

35

7.1

/1877/

69

/127/

68

/21/

3.4

/947/

Deep in the heart of Africa lies Wakanda, an advanced and unconquerable civilization. A family of warrior kings possessing superior speed, strength and agility has governed this mysterious nation as long as time itself. The latest in this famed line is young King T’Challa, the great hero known worldwide as the Black Panther. Now, outsiders once again threaten to invade and plunder Wakanda.

64

31

6.2

/1448/

66

/126/

64

/22/

3.2

/539/

age 15+

When Joni was 14, her best friend Gracie Darling disappeared during a séance. Some 27 years on, the local kids in a small town get their kicks with a game of 'Playing Gracie Darling' – but the seemingly innocent game turns sinister when another girl disappears. Joni, by then a child psychologist, returns to the town and partners with a police sergeant Jay to uncover the truth, while Gracie's sister Ruth faces a mother's worst nightmare when her own daughter vanishes under hauntingly similar circumstances.

75

29

8.4

/1698/

77

/82/

64

/14/

3.6

/426/

Everyone in a small town assumes they know you, but when a closeted gay adolescent hooks up with a married guy, it has far-reaching effects for a group of teens who were previously invisible.

72

29

7.8

/1433/

73

/72/

66

/19/

3.6

/373/

Melbourne 1996. The Golden Age of Australian swimming is beginning and a scholarship to an exclusive boys school brings 16-year-old Danny Kelly one step closer to his ultimate goal - winning Olympic gold. Initially, Danny struggles to find his place in the prestigious social circles of the private boys school. However under the charge of highly regarded coach Frank Torma and a friendship/rivalry with teammate Martin Taylor, Danny is soon on track to become Australia’s youngest swimming champion, the unstoppable 'Barracuda'.

71

27

6.8

/921/

63

/46/

83

/23/

3.4

/262/

The lives of three friends are inextricably changed when one of them unwittingly invites a malevolent stranger into their world. A tangle of lies and laughter collides with a stalker's chilling obsession in this contemporary adaptation of Elizabeth Coleman's smash hit play. A celebration of female friendship reimagined as a high stakes thriller, Secret Bridesmaids' Business will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

64

24

6.9

/1388/

63

/74/

60

/17/

3.5

/318/

Follows the theft of a multi-million-dollar necklace and the women from different walks of life who come together to ensure that justice is served.

89

23

9.2

/1281/

84

/26/

93

/10/

4.4

/4949/

From the creator of The Big Lez Show, Sassy the Sasquatch follows the adventures of Lez’s former neighbor Sassy as he travels across space and time, making old and new friends in a spiritual quest of self-discovery.

64

20

7.7

/1516/

62

/23/

54

/14/

3.4

/372/

The uncensored story of one of Australia's most successful bands, INXS. A story of mateship, a story of success and excess, talent and sheer bloody will, set to a pulsating soundtrack including all of INXSs greatest hits.

61

19

6.2

/716/

59

/43/

63

/19/

3.4

/285/

At the Silver Creek boarding school for girls in the Australian outback, students are largely left to their own devices in their spare time. This series tells the gripping and unsparing story of how the desire to belong sets in motion a cruel dynamic.

64

19

7.3

/1590/

65

/22/

55

/12/

3.5

/202/

Anna is happily married. She has the perfect family. But one man will change it all. A grand, complex love story of love, lust and betrayal across three families and generations.

78

15

7.9

/1090/

77

/68/

80

/1/

3.5

/700/

Exposing the truths behind the mystery of the Ghost Train Fire at Sydney's iconic Luna Park, Caro Meldrum-Hanna returns for a ground-breaking three-part investigation.

82

?

8.7

/143/

77

/7/

3.7

/240/

A landmark series taking you inside the recent Coalition government in a revealing tale of politics, ambition and power. Key players tell all in riveting no holds barred interviews.

81

?

8.3

/843/

71

/41/

90

/1/

3.7

/281/

age 14+

Follow a select group of students throughout their final make-or-break year at Australia's elite dance Studio, Brent Street.

68

?

7.6

/269/

56

/17/

72

/6/

3.8

/359/

age 10+

This is the inspirational and intimate behind-the-scenes story of the Matildas - Australia's women's national football team working towards the World Cup on home soil. We follow the players on and off the field as they inspire the next generation.

66

?

7.7

/174/

55

/5/

3.5

/266/

Revered critic David Stratton tells the glorious story of Australian cinema, focusing in on the films that capture the nation’s true nature with candour, emotion and humour.

66

?

6.5

/395/

65

/20/

70

/3/

3.3

/221/

A three-part investigation that chronicles the rise and fall of Australia's most notorious cult, The Family and its strange but charismatic female leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne.

65

?

7.5

/225/

59

/11/

62

/4/

3.3

/268/

age 6+

Figaro Pho is a warm-hearted, adorable, quirky and mischievous character ... who just happens to be afflicted with every phobia imaginable.

64

?

6.8

/4015/

65

/162/

64

/43/