Screentime developing ‘high-end drama’ Bronze

In recent years there has been discussion about the lack of high-end drama on Australian television which in turn led to Screen Australia announcing a funding program a year ago.

The High End Television Development program provides up to $40,000 available for script development from concept to series bible and first draft pilot script.

Until now just one project has been announced under the scheme, Tidelands, a supernatural thriller from Hoodlum, developed and written for US internet streaming company, Amazon Studios.

This week a second was announced, Bronze by Screentime, described as “a boldly conceived detective drama set between Neolithic Scandinavia and contemporary Australia.” The project is written and produced by Felicity Packard, Peter Gawler and Greg Haddrick, with Haddrick and Bob Campbell as exec producers.

Synopsis:
In Neolithic Scandinavia the inventor of bronze fights to protect his invention from being misused, while in 2015 an Australian anthropologist fights to protect the medical miracle revealed by forensic analysis of the Nordic warrior’s frozen, mummified body.

In other Screen Australia funding news the feature of Choir of Hard Knocks produced by Jason Stephens and directed by Jonathan Teplitzky is proceeding.

Synopsis A choir that brings together the disparate and the desperate provides its reluctant choirmaster with unexpected discoveries, not the least himself.