The Apple Isle Bites
Press release time!
Cameras ready to roll in Tasmania on Rosehaven series three
The multi-award-winning ABC and SundanceTV (USA) comedy series Rosehaven, written by and starring two of Australia’s favourite comedians Luke McGregor and Celia Pacquola, starts filming this month in Tasmania.
Reprising their 2018 Logie nominated roles for Most Popular Actor and Actress, series three finds best friends and workmates Daniel (Luke McGregor) and Emma (Celia Pacquola) now ensconced as bona fide Rosehaven real estate agents. Weathering a storm of recalcitrant landlords, anxiety inducing tenants and an overbearing boss (Daniel’s mum), series three sees them also faced with big changes in their personal lives and a real estate opportunity that threatens to divide the whole town.
The hit ABC comedy will showcase Tasmania’s unique stories, characters and landscapes to the rest of the world. Filming over seven weeks in Tasmania, Rosehaven will feature locations such as Oatlands, Geeveston, New Norfolk, Longley, Richmond, Seven Mile Beach, Mountain River, Brighton and Chigwell.
Head of ABC Comedy Rick Kalowski said: “Being back in Tasmania making Rosehaven Series 3 for ABC, and Sundance thanks to our US partners, is a joy. I’ve had few more thrilling days than when Celia and Luke first pitched it – knowing immediately ABC had to make it, and that it had the potential to charm audiences worldwide. And so it’s proved to be.”
The third series of Rosehaven will boost Tasmania’s television industry and talent, on and off camera, including the full-time employment of 35 Tasmanian practitioners and additional full-time training roles on the crew, supported by Screen Tasmania.
The ABC’s investment in Tasmanian productions has more than doubled since 2014/15, exemplifying the ABC’s unrivalled commitment to high-quality, distinctive Australian content across the country.
Rosehaven series 3 starts filming Monday 18th June.
What we wouldn’t give to have been in the ABC offices when they realised they “had to make” Rosehaven. Can you imagine the excitement? Two of the ABC’s comedy stalwarts coming in with a pitch so compelling the network knew “immediately” that they had to make it. Thrilling stuff!
As for those various behind-the-scene deals with Screen Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government that put a bunch of money into the series, they clearly had absolutely nothing to do with the ABC’s decision.
Media Release: Thursday 28 April 2016
TASMANIA’S PRIMETIME SHINE IN NEW COMEDY SERIES ROSEHAVEN
Production is set to commence in Tasmania on Rosehaven, a new eight-part comedy series for ABC TV. From the production base at the ABC Centre in Hobart, the series will be filmed entirely on location in the state, creating jobs for 200 Tasmanians as cast, crew and extras. In addition, 8 emerging screen practitioners will be engaged by the production in training positions funded by Screen Tasmania. Tasmanian actors have been cast in over 80% of the sixty roles in the series.
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Rosehaven is the latest in a string of first class screen productions to be filmed in Tasmania. The seven week shoot will feature variety of locations across South East Tasmania. Geeveston, in the stunning Huon Valley south of Hobart, will provide the main street for the fictional town of Rosehaven, whilst historic New Norfolk in the Derwent Valley will provide other parts of the town centre and several other key locations for the series.
Jonathan Brough (The Family Law, Sammy J & Randy In Rickett’s Lane, It’s A Date, The Time Of Our Lives) will direct seven of the eight episodes, whilst Hobart based director Shaun Wilson (Noirhouse) will make his long form television directorial debut. Leading Tasmanian screen practitioner Fiona McConaghy (The Kettering Incident, Noirhouse, The Outlaw Michael Howe) is Co-Producer on the series alongside Producer Andrew Walker (The Kettering Incident, Wanted, Mr & Mrs Murder, A Moody Christmas).
Minister for the Arts Vanessa Goodwin said television series like Rosehaven cement Tasmania’s reputation as an exceptional filming destination, with a number of major Australian and international productions being filmed here in recent years.
‘The Tasmanian Government is a strong supporter of our screen industry and I’m very pleased that our investment in this project will support local actors and crew, in addition to boosting the economy and growing our state’s profile in the screen sector.’
Seriously, how could any of this have affected the ABC’s decision? We now know that on the day it was pitched the ABC decided “immediately” they had to make it.
It was just lucky that this particular sitcom pitch would “showcase Tasmania’s unique stories, characters and landscapes to the rest of the world” and “feature locations such as Oatlands, Geeveston, New Norfolk, Longley, Richmond, Seven Mile Beach, Mountain River, Brighton and Chigwell” as well as helping to “boost Tasmania’s television industry and talent, on and off camera”.
After all, that’s what audiences look for in a sitcom.
At least it’s not called F*cking Tasmania!