Airdate: Erotic Stories

Provocative anthology series Erotic Stories will premiere on SBS in late October.

There are 8 “steamy stories” produced by Lingo Pictures, which explore sex and intimacy. According to the press release, “Erotic Stories portrays a refreshingly honest view of lust and desire. At its core, it is an uplifting series about our need for physical and emotional connection. It takes us into worlds where we see that intimacy is both personal and universal.”

A formidable ensemble includes Frances O’Connor (The Importance of Being Earnest, Madam Bovary, The End, The Missing), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin, The Clearing, The Drover’s Wife), Kate Box (Deadloch, Wentworth, Rake), Tim Draxl (In Our Blood, A Place to Call Home, The Newsreader) Danielle Cormack (Wentworth, Rake, The Secrets She Keeps), Alex FitzAlan (The Twelve, The Wilds, Prosper), Rärriwuy Hick (True Colours, Wentworth, Redfern Now), and Catherine McClements (Total Control, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Pieces of Her).

Frances O’Connor said: “I wanted to do it because I thought the writing was really strong and I think it’s really exciting storytelling. Eroticism is something that we don’t really explore in a conscious, public way.”

Tim Draxl, said: “Eroticism, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, and the eroticism in Bound deals with something that is quite taboo and probably carries a lot of stigma around it. I love that this show is bringing that out into the open and making it a discussion.”

Rärriwuy Hick said: “I’ve played many amazing roles in my career – but none of them showed a side of me where I could be completely vulnerable, sensitive and gentle. And I get to play a lawyer by day, and sexy at night. I wanted that challenge. It scared me. It’s been a while since I’ve had a script come to me that I felt nervous about. It was when I got that feeling reading the script that I knew I needed to do this.”

SBS Head of Scripted, Julie Eckersley, says: “I don’t think I have ever made a show there has been so much anticipation about. Erotic Stories is everything that the title promises and delivers on the delightfully cheeky claim we made to audiences of ‘bringing sexy back’ to SBS. It takes you into new worlds and points of view, as all the best dramas do and is going to have audiences glued to their screens.”

Series Producer and Lingo Pictures Managing Director Helen Bowden, says: “Our series does exactly what it says on the tin – tells Erotic Stories. They are sensual, honest and full of positive human connections. They are funny, surprising, twisty and humane. And hopefully they’ll be a turn on for everyone! The eight stories are set in completely different worlds, each with a fresh cast, and each telling a new story. It’s a chance for the audiences to watch a sexy story in a snackable way – and I think once they snack one, they’ll want to snack the rest!”

Screen Australia Head of Content, Grainne Brunsdon, says: “Erotic Stories is a boldly stimulating series that embraces the essence of desire, intimacy, and sex in a refreshingly diverse way. Lingo Pictures has crafted this timely show that reminds us that these themes are both deeply personal and universally resonant. With a talented writing team and a brilliant cast, audiences can anticipate uplifting and authentic stories with wide appeal.”

Guaranteed to spark fervent conversation the tales twist and turn with fresh takes on universal themes. In Philia, middle-aged mates put their friendship to the test when they experiment with remotely connected sex toys. The Deluge explores breaking a sexual drought with someone you meet on a dating app, while Bound delves into the world of a young gay man being fetishised for his disability.

In Powerful Owl, a young First Nations couple are forced to put their strong sensual bond to the test as they struggle with the complications of long-distance intimacy.

Walking Gambit is a story of two men who meet at a beat, while in Imperfect Paw Paw an overworked marketing executive indulges in an unpredictable night of wild, erotic hedonism.

Come As You Are explores how boundaries can be respected within BDSM, and in Masc Up, a New Year’s Eve tradition is turned upside down by someone who can’t orgasm.

Erotic Stories is produced by Lingo Pictures, part of ITV Studios, for SBS with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Produced in association with and distributed internationally by ITV Studios.

Erotic Stories will be available to stream on SBS On Demand with subtitles in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese and Korean and Vietnamese. The series will also be available with audio description for blind and low vision audiences.

Erotic Stories will also be supported by the SBS Audio series Erotic Stories: The Podcast, which amplifies the themes of each episode through real life stories, unfiltered conversations, and behind the scenes titbits.

Double episodes from 9:30pm Thursday 26 October (all episodes available to stream on SBS On Demand).

Adult themes.