Aussie & Kiwi TV: US Premieres in January 2019

A belated Happy New Year to you! And a belated announcement about Australian series Romper Stomper premiering in the US in January.

For updates about shows from Australia and New Zealand added to US channels and streaming services throughout the month, see the Down Under TV Viewing Guide.

NATIONAL PREMIERES

Romper Stomper

Romper Stomper is an intense six-part drama series that picks up on the themes and story of Geoffrey Wright’s groundbreaking and controversial 1992 film starring Russell Crowe.

Set in the present day, 25 years after the events in the film, the TV series deals with political and social issues, highlights the shift of extremism from the fringe to the suburbs, and echoes recent events and groups that are currently active in Australia.

The narrative, told from multiple points of view, follows a new generation of far-right activists, their anti-Fascist counterparts, and three young Muslims caught up in the conflict. As the tension grows between these groups, now powerful and politically-connected figures from the past emerge to pull the strings.

The opening scene finds Blake Farron (Lachy Hulme, Offspring), the leader of the anti-Islamic group Patriot Blue, causing unrest at a Halal festival in St. Kilda, where Laila Taheer (Nicole Chamoun, Safe Harbour) is in attendance. Within minutes and despite the police presence, members of far-left anarchist group Antifasc, including its leader, Petra (Lily Sullivan, Picnic at Hanging Rock), descend on Blake and his supporters and violence erupts. What saves Blake from a more severe beating are two young men — Kane (Toby Wallace, Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS) and his mate Stix (Kaden Hartcher, The Warriors) — who join in the melee and later Patriot Blue.

(Note: The video contains material that is not suitable for all audiences.)

Costarring in the series are Sophie Lowe (The Beautiful Lie), David Wenham (Top of the Lake), Jeremy Lindsay Taylor (Home and Away), Markella Kavenagh (The Cry), Julian Maroun (Deep Water), and newcomer Jamie Abdallah. Reprising their roles from the film are Jacqueline McKenzie (Pine Gap) as Kane’s mother Gabe, Dan Wyllie (Secret City) as Vic, and John Brumpton (Deep Water) as McGoo.

Romper Stomper premiered in the US on January 1 on Starz and the Starz channel on Amazon, where it is currently available for streaming.

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Did you miss any of the new shows from previous months? Check the Down Under TV Viewing Guide and Viewing Guide Archives to find out.

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For details about the December premieres of shows from the UK, Canada, and Ireland, visit The British TV Place. For those about the debuts of original-language, English-subtitled programs from Europe, visit The Euro TV Place.