A mystery drama series that starts airing on the BBC tonight has already seen fans begging for a second season.
A fictional story inspired by true events, Australian series High Country stars Leah Purcell as detective Andrea ‘Andie’ Whitford who is transferred to the town of Brokenridge in the Victorian High Country and assigned to investigate the mysterious case of five missing people who have disappeared into the wilderness.
As she delves further into the investigation, she begins to uncover a complex web of murder, deceit and revenge.
The eight-part series also stars Game of Thrones’ and Derry Girls’ Ian McElhinney, Sara Wiseman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road) and Shannon Berry (The Wilds).
After airing in Australia earlier this year, reviews for the series by both critics and audiences alike were glowing.
‘OK mind officially blown. First ten minutes of High Country on Binge. I have seen Leah Purcell. I know Aaron Pederson is in it, but now the grandad from Derry Girls too? I am so in,’ viewer Marcus posted on X.
Meanwhile Bree wrote: ‘High Country made me absolutely fall in love with Leah Purcell. What an actress.’
Tagging the show’s Australian broadcaster Binge, she then begged them ‘don’t let this show go’.
‘It’s outstanding. Leah & everyone involved in the production made something special. Give us another season in the High Country. There’s much more to discover up there…’
Another added that: ‘Leah Purcell is captivating as usual. She’s the main reason am watching this.’
When announcing the show would be airing in the UK, BBC’s head of programme acquisition Sue Deeks said that: ‘With its eerie setting and tense atmosphere, High Country is a gripping new take on Australian rural noir.’
Who is Leah Purcell?
Leah Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist.
The 53-year-old made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech’s Somewhere in the Darkness, going on to appear in Lantana, Jindabyne and Last Cab to Darwin.
In 2014, she wrote and starred in the play, The Drover’s Wife, based on the original story by Henry Lawson before going on to write the bestselling novel, The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson, which was adapted for the screen in 2022.
She also directed and starred in that movie, which picked up a string of awards.
The actress has also appeared in several TV drama series’, including Police Rescue, Redfern Now , Wentworth and last year’s The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
High Country starts tonight at 9.10pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer.
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