“When Hugo’s voice starts across that first episode, it’s exciting and chilling.”

“I couldn’t believe it when when Hugo agreed to do it.”

“Producers had come to me really early on with this music they wanted as our theme and we all started to see it.  We talked about references like YellowJackets and Scandi-noir,” says Paramount ANZ Executive Producer Sarah Thornton.

“When Hugo’s voice starts across that first episode, it’s exciting and chilling.”

The Bridge is filmed in western Tasmania and narrated by Hugo Weaving -a coup for Paramount+ given he has never aligned with a reality series before.

The series is based on a UK format which was narrated by actor James McAvoy, but Weaving was a coup for producers Endemol Shine Australia.

“He’s got that slightly sinister, dripping tone. But also so much warmth and humour as well.”

“We talked about some other names, obviously, in the mix, but when Hugo came through, it was just so perfect, because I think he’s got that slightly sinister, dripping tone. But also so much warmth and humour as well. It really captures the spirit of the series,” she explains.

“He really loved the show. The feedback to the teams when they were recording his voice-over was that he was totally into it. But I imagine, if you’re Hugo Weaving, your interest can be piqued from time to time and I’m just really grateful that we managed to do it.”

The premise tasks 12 strangers to build a bridge across a 330m stretch of water with the most basic of tools. While they will have to navigate teamwork and personalities in their quest to reach a $250,000 cash prize on an island, there will also be twists along the way.

“It would be glassy and misty, and then it got choppy”

Dramatically filmed at Lake Pieman near Strahan, the series also evocatively captures the Tasmanian landscape.

“The location is a huge character in the show. It wasn’t just a huge presence on screen, it really genuinely had an incredible presence (on the ground). I think the cast really reacted to that. You’d wake up in the morning, it would be glassy and misty, and then it got choppy as the wind came up. It could be bitingly cold or sparkling and sunny. It was a really extraordinary location,” Thornton continues.

“Tasmania is amazing and everything is so close together. The first time I went there, I drove from Hobart because thinking it would be an easy four hour drive. But it really wasn’t. It was a winding, small road for four hours. The landscape that you pass through in Tasmania and the wildlife you see is just so spectacular.”

“He is definitely a self proclaimed villain -don’t get me wrong.”

Amongst the 12 strangers are an Author, a Marketing Consultant, Social Media Coordinator, Carpenter Bardie, Advertising Executive, Choreographer, Model, Bush Poet and a city-dwelling Sales Director named Madison who makes an early run for resident villain.

“I think that Madison has depth that comes out across the series. He is definitely a self proclaimed villain -don’t get me wrong. But he works incredibly hard to build the bridge, even though he hates the great outdoors.”

Then there is the Queensland mechanic Dean, who swears like a trouper.

“A quote right at the top from him really sets the tone. He’s an extraordinary individual. He’s so unlike anyone else you see on TV, in my opinion, and you know, NSFW!”

In addition to its visual shift, the Australian series also has other points of difference from the British original.

“We always set out to have flashbacks, and cut back to people’s personal lives in a way that you might do in a drama, which was quite different to the way the UK series played out. But there’s a lot of similarities in the casting, in terms of a generational play.

“They had a character a bit like (veteran) Bushie, called Sly in the UK who I think was a stroke of genius. We definitely set out to replicate that.”

“We tried to cut around as many of the tropes as possible.”

Screening on Paramount+ also allows for subtle shifts in storytelling when compared to Reality TV on 10’s linear broadcasting.

“We tried to cut around as many of the tropes as possible. I don’t want to give too much away. W e obviously have the necessary ones for drama, but we try and stay away from them.

“It was really hard. So you’ve got a genuine emotion bubbling up all the time anyway, which makes really great viewing.

“For Paramount, we’re really looking for what we’re calling ‘prestige Reality titles’. Titles that deal with real people and real scenarios but also push the boundaries of production.

“We really tried to give it a filmic feel in post production. We had a great team from location to post working on it, that were all very committed to that vision. It’s one of those shows where you sit in the edit and you watch it and you think ‘We might have almost pulled this off!’

The Bridge premieres with 3 episodes Friday on Paramount+.