April is a banner month for shows from Down Under, with eight new series, seasons, specials, and films premiering in the US. Woo hoo!
For updates about shows from Australia and New Zealand added to US linear TV and streaming channels throughout the month, see the Down Under TV Viewing Guide.
Programs and dates are subject to change without prior notice.
Videos below may contain content that is not suitable for everyone.
As an affiliate of Amazon & other cos, affiliate links on this blog allow us to earn income from qualifying actions (at no extra cost to you).
NATIONAL PREMIERES
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 9 (NZ)
Hooray! One of our favorite humorous mystery dramas is returning with six new feature-length whodunit stories and all four of the regular cast members, including Neill Rea (Go Girls) as DSS Mike Shepherd, Fern Sutherland (The Almighty Johnsons) as DC Kristin Sims, Jarod Rawiri (Harry) as DC Daniel Chalmers, and Cristina Ionda (Filthy Rich) as medical examiner Dr. Gina Kadinsky. In Season 9, Brokenwood’s finest get called to the scene of more mysterious murders, including at a manor home, a nunnery, the vet, and more.
The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 9 premieres in the US on Monday, April 3, exclusively on Acorn TV and its digital channels, including Acorn TV on Amazon. New episodes will debut weekly through May 8.
Lizzy Hoo: Hoo Cares!? (AU)
In this hour-long comedy special, stand-up comedian Lizzy Hoo talks about life, family, and following your dreams before it’s too late — but only if they’re worth it. Lizzy Hoo: Hoo Cares!? premieres globally on Thursday, April 6, exclusively on Prime Video.
The Portable Door (AU)
Adapted from the first book in Tom Holt’s popular “J.W. Wells & Co.” series of novels, this fantasy-action comedy film centers on Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson, The OA) and Sophie Pettingel (Sophie Wilde, Tom Jones), lowly, put-upon interns who begin working at the mysterious London firm of J.W. Wells & Co. Soon they become increasingly aware that their employers are anything but conventional. Charismatic villains Humphrey Wells (Christoph Waltz, The Consultant), the CEO of the company, and middle manager Dennis Tanner (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park) are disrupting the world of magic by bringing modern corporate strategy to ancient magical practices, and Paul and Sophie discover the true agenda of the vast corporation.
Featuring Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians), Jessica De Gouw (The Secrets She Keeps), Rachel House (Thor: Ragnarok), and Damon Herriman (Mr Inbetween), The Portable Door, an MGM+ Original Film, premieres in the US on Saturday, April 8, exclusively on MGM+ and its digital channels, including MGM+ on Amazon.
Celeste Barber: Fine, Thanks (AU)
In this comedy special, actor and comedian Celeste Barber (The Letdown, All Saints) takes the stage in Sydney to get personal in public about marriage, mental health, celebrity-branded sex toys, and more. Celeste Barber: Fine, Thanks premieres globally on Wednesday, April 12, exclusively on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
Totally, Completely Fine (AU-US)
Inspired by true events, this six-part dark comedy series explores the complexities of grief, the power of friendship, and the ways in which sadness can unite people. It follows 20-something Vivian Cunningham (Thomasin McKenzie, Last Night in Soho, Jojo Rabbit), whose life is a mess. Last week she accidentally burned down her brother’s vegan food truck with a bacon-flavored vape; this week she inherited her grandfather’s coastal clifftop shack and is tasked with helping people who come too close to the edge. Strangely enough, they’ve responded to her chaotic, nihilistic brand of psychology. Maybe, just maybe, in saving these people, she’ll slowly start to save herself.
Totally, Completely Fine, a Sundance Now Original (co-produced with Australia’s Stan), premieres in the US with two episodes on Thursday, April 20, exclusively on Sundance Now and its digital channels, including Sundance Now on Amazon, AMC+, and AMC+ on Amazon. New episodes will debut weekly.
Love Me: Season 2 (AU)
Based on the acclaimed Swedish series Love Me (Älska mig), the new season of this wonderful drama sees family man Glen Mathieson (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix), his 30-something daughter Clara (Bojana Novakovic, Instinct), and her younger brother Aaron (William Lodder, Wakefield) grapple with a new reality that poses the challenging question: Is love enough?
Glen and Anita (Heather Mitchell, A Place to Call Home) are faced with the arrival of someone from her past, who will threaten their current happiness and security. Clara must come to terms with becoming a stepparent to Peter’s (Bob Morley, The 100) son, as well as the very real prospect that her hopes of having a family of her own may never be realized. And Aaron’s attempts to juggle fatherhood, girlfriend Ella (Shalom Brune-Franklin, The Tourist), and his love for his friend Jesse (Mitzi Ruhlmann, Reckoning) send him into a spiral of self-doubt and erratic behavior. (Trailer is from Season 1)
Love Me: Season 2 premieres in the US on Friday, April 21, exclusively on Hulu.
Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian (AU)
In this eye-opening three-part docuseries, BAFTA-winning film and TV star Miriam Margolyes (The Age of Innocence, Call the Midwife, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Harry Potter) embarks on an epic journey across Australia in a fully-equipped motor home, asking lots of questions of the people she meets during her two-month tour about what it means to be Australian today.
Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian premieres in the US on Monday, April 24, on Netflix. (You can set a reminder for it now.)
Matildas: The World at Our Feet (AU)
This sports docuseries tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Matildas, Australia’s women’s national football team, as they work toward the World Cup on home soil. It follows the players on and off the field as they inspire the next generation. Matildas: The World at Our Feet, a Disney+ Original, premieres in its six-episode entirety on Wednesday, April 26, exclusively on Disney+.
__________________
Did you miss any of the new shows from previous days, weeks, or months? Check the Down Under TV Viewing Guide and Archives to find out.
__________________
For details about the April premieres of shows from the UK, Canada, and Ireland, visit The British TV Place. For info about the debuts of original-language, English-subtitled programs from Europe, visit The Euro TV Place. And for that of a select list of titles from other countries, visit The Global TV Place.
__________________
