The Aussie TV show that has the world falling in love with the outback

The Australian-made Territory has become the second-most-watched TV series globally on Netflix in its second week, climbing from its debut last week at No.3 and making a second-season commission almost inevitable.

The outback succession drama – jokingly described by its director Greg “Wolf Creek ” McLean as “Dallas with dingoes” in a recent interview with this masthead – clocked up 6.3 million views of its six episodes in its second week on the platform, adding to the 6.4 million in its first week.

Anna Torv as Emily Lawson and Philippa Northeast as her daughter, Susie, in Territory.Credit: Netflix

The most-watched show in the past seven days was Tyler Perry’s drama, Beauty in Black, with 8.7 million views of its eight episodes.

Likened to Succession, Game of Thrones and, above all, Yellowstone – for its combination of family drama, warring cattle-ranching clans and the majesty of its landscapes – Territory has received mostly favourable reviews from critics and audiences alike.

It currently has a ranking of 7 out of 10 on IMDb, a critic score of 7.1 on Metacritic and 85 per cent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

While its familiar elements have been both praised and damned, what most seems to resonate with viewers are the Northern Territory locations.

Real cattle station Tipperary (renamed Marianne in the show) and World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park feature prominently, while some other locations – including the Bull Bar, in which pool, fisticuffs and gunfights are on the menu – were created in a studio in South Australia.

“It’s Yellowstone set in the rugged outback of northern Australia,” one typical fan review says on IMDb. “The best character … is the scenery, which is every bit as stunning as you’d expect.”

Another says: “Amazing cast … amazing locations, incredible cinematography.”

Even the less favourable reviews highlight the scenery. “Looks beautiful, fantastic to see the top end of Australia shot so glamorously.”

That will be music to the ears of director McLean, who admits he was inspired by Australia’s most successful movie.

“I still think Crocodile Dundee is one of the greatest things Australia’s ever produced, and what that movie did for the Australian character internationally – I’d love this show to do a similar thing,” he told this masthead.

Though battles over intergenerational wealth and the conflicting interests of pastoralists, miners and traditional owners are at the core of the story, Netflix clearly recognised the importance of locations, particularly to foreign audiences. In its pre-release marketing, the trailer sought to position the show as both familiar and exotic.

Kakadu National Park features prominently in the series.Credit: Tourism NT/Helen Orr

“Imagine the family drama of your favourite prime-time soap, but set in a region so rough and remote that nearly everything can kill you,” the trailer urged viewers on its Tudum website last month.

With the show cracking the top 10 in more than 70 countries, including the United States, UK, Canada, Spain and Mexico (but, intriguingly, not India or Japan), it seems plenty of people have been willing to do just that.

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