First Review: East of Everything

When writer Deb Cox created the enormously popular Seachange in 1998, she hit mainstream ABC viewers right between the eyes. Brimming with eccentric characters, romantic whimsy, ocean surf and aspirational change, it won figures of two million viewers and rave reviews.

Cox originally wanted to set the tale in Byron Bay, but production costs were so high she had to settle for Barwon Heads, outside Geelong. With co-writer Roger Monk, she finally gets that Byron setting in the six-part ABC drama, East of Everything.

Transformed into the fictional ‘Broken Bay’, there’s no mistaking the qualities that have come to represent this northern NSW mecca. For city-dwellers it fuses paradise, alternative lifestyles, lazy beaches, and a playground for the rich, hippies and backpackers. What better place to spend your Sunday night viewing?

Art Watkins (Richard Roxburgh) is a carefree travel writer called home from Tibet to bury his mother. The son of parents who joined the 60s hippy revolution, Art left Broken Bay to find the world and himself. But upon returning we learn he is at odds with his brother, Vance (Tom Long) who in adult life possess very different values. He’s a slickly-suited aspiring tycoon, with no time for dreams or the meaning of life. Together with sexy, power-hungry Melanie (Gia Carides), the couple have ruthless development plans for the family property.

Local councillor Eve (Susie Porter) has a long romantic history with Art. She reminds him of what could have been, while sharing key plot points with a number of other supporting characters.

On that score there’s a terrific mix of old and new faces: thespian Valeria Bader is wonderful as an abruptly-spoken woman released from jail, newcomer Kathryn Beck is joyous as a dippy, trippy dropout. Future roles will showcase Steve Bisley and Paula Duncan.

Cox and Monk are expert at reinventing all the right ingredients that made Seachange so memorable: strong actors, intelligent dialogue, quirky plots, brash villains, comic roles, ‘middle-aged’ pin-ups, romantic setting and escapist TV. There’s also a charming, filmic quality to the direction from Stuart McDonald, with lingering shots of lakes, ocean vistas and the bush.

It is no wonder the ABC has already approved this for a second season. East of Everything is both sea and tree change –just what the audience wants.

East of Everything premieres 8:30pm Sunday on ABC1.