Airdate: The Doll Factory

UK-Irish period thriller The Doll Factory will screen on SBS in early December.

The six-part series is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal.

Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna) stars as Iris, a frustrated artist, who spends her days creating mourning dolls alongside her twin sister Rose, played by Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Nest).

The series also stars Sharlene Whyte (Stephen), newcomer Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi, Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Laurie Kynaston (The Sandman), Jim Caesar (The Witcher), Akshay Khanna (Chloe), Aysha Kala (The Undeclared War) and Nell Hudson (Outlander).

Author, Elizabeth Macneal said: “It might sound like a cliché, but to have my novel turned into a TV series is a dream come true. It has been an extraordinary process to see ideas that once existed only in my head, coming to life on set and now on screen. Each scene has been perfectly rendered – from the artist Louis Frost’s lavish painting studio, to the doll shop where twins Iris and Rose paint the faces of china dolls. Buccaneer has been a joy to work with, and Charley Miles’s script excited me from the very first page. I can’t wait to share this story with viewers!”

SBS Channel Manager, Natalie Edgar and SBS On Demand Channel Manager, Haidee Ireland said: “We’re thrilled to add the highly anticipated limited series The Doll Factory to our extensive collection of local and international premium content. At SBS, we’re proud to champion a variety of stories from around the globe and deliver an immersive selection of titles. The Doll Factory sits perfectly alongside a host of acclaimed thrillers, noir, and period cinema available for free to Australian audiences. We can’t wait to travel back in time to Elizabeth Macneal’s 1850’s London to follow this enthralling tale!”

Buccaneer Executive Producer Anna Burns said: “We are so excited for viewers to enter the world of The Doll Factory. We couldn’t be more proud of what our incredible creative team – led by Charley Miles, Sacha Polak & Cathy Brady – have created, and of our phenomenally talented cast. Thank you, once more, to Elizabeth Macneal for giving us the gift of her debut novel, to Paramount+ for being such supportive collaborators throughout, and finally to our partners at Cineflix, SBS and TVNZ for recognising the potential of the show so early on.”

By night, Iris secretly paints herself naked in the cellar, displaying a fantastical creativity that she is forced to subdue during the day whilst living under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Salter, played by Pippa Haywood (Magpie Murders). Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) is Silas, a taxidermist who hopes to one day find an item so unique he will be catapulted to fame. George Webster (Wedding Season, Masters of the Air) is Louis, a painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, searching for his next muse.

In a city humming with anticipation for the Great Exhibition, their three worlds collide, and Iris is offered an opportunity to escape and start a new life. To do so, she must abandon her sister and sacrifice her reputation. As Iris’ world expands, she finds herself challenging patriarchal beliefs, exploring her sexuality, and starting to experience the things she has always dreamed of. But alongside her newfound independence, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.

Tony Wood, Anna Burns and Richard Tulk-Hart are Executive Producers for Buccaneer. Charley Miles is the series screenwriter and is also Executive Producer. Sacha Polak (Hanna, Dirty God) is Director, Cathy Brady (Wildfire, Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope) is the second Director, whilst Suzanne McAuley (Magpie Murders, Maigret) is Series Producer and Julie Harkin (I May Destroy You, Becoming Elizabeth) is Casting Director.

Cineflix Rights will be distributing the series internationally and New Zealand’s TVNZ have also boarded the historic thriller.

Double episodes weekly from 9:30pm Thursday 7 December on SBS / All episodes SBS on Demand.