Local dramas, such as The Twelve and Colin From Accounts, are embraced by audiences in US, UK

Australian-made content – both drama and comedy – is being embraced across the lucrative US and UK markets.

The Twelve Season 2 features Sam Neill as Brett Colby and Frances O'Connor as Meredith Nelson Moore. Picture: David Dare Parker

Australian-made content — both drama and comedy — is being embraced across the lucrative US and British markets, despite the ongoing challenge of securing funding amid difficult economic conditions.

Alison Hurbert-Burns, Foxtel Group’s executive director of entertainment content and commissioning, said a slew of Australian dramas, including The Twelve and Love Me, and comedy Colin From Accounts had garnered widespread praise from international buyers, and delivered strong momentum to local content makers.

Ms Hurbert-Burns, who commissioned that trio of shows, says the recent, rolling international successes of Australian-made programs have been the product of a simple strategy.

“We’re audience first,” she said.

“We make things to delight the audience. Our original programming is some of our most watched stuff, and we’ve got a clever and ambitious audience across the world.

“However, we are not a big global Netflix, we still need international financing to come in, and we need different partners.

Sam Neill in The Twelve, Season 2, has proved a popular choice. Picture: David Dare Parker

“But our last two shows and the next two shows that we haven’t even released yet, have all got prime time British ‘homes’ and they’re working in the US as well. That means we’re getting the right partners and investment into our shows, which enables them to be at a level our audiences expect.

“And because our content is working for them, that keeps opening doors for us. It’s a new world. It’s a really exciting time to see where our productions can go.”

Ms Hurbert-Burns said the recent launch of the second series of courtroom drama The Twelve, starring Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor, which was available to stream on Foxtel-owned BINGE and also available on Hubbl, was a prime example of an Australian show that resonated with international audiences.

Hamish Lewis, the head of scripted content at Warner Bros. Discovery, is an executive producer of The Twelve alongside Ms Hurbert-Burns, and agrees that as Australian productions are getting better, so too are the opportunities for local creatives.

“The fact is that Australian content that travels best is authentically Australian and Australian to its core because it feels escapist to international audiences,” he said. “We’re not looking to water down projects to suit the US or UK market to raise finance.

“We want to stay true to the Australian stories we want to tell.

“The world has never been smaller in terms of production — the UK and US are looking heavily at Australia, Ireland and Canada as places to bring productions to, and to collaborate and co-commission with.

“There’s been a belief for a long time that comedy doesn’t travel. Tell that to the guys from Colin From Accounts, because that show is working everywhere.

“What we need are bigger budgets because we have the best creatives, and the best talent in the world.”

Of The Twelve, Mr Lewis said: “The beauty of this ensemble cast is that in the writers’ room, we spent so much time fleshing out each and every one of our 12 jurors.

“They all have a backstory and they are all tailored to stories that should be told at the moment. Stories that are topical, and work well with the casting decisions we are able to make with the deep pool of talent in Australia.

“The format itself is the biggest success because we have so much we can lean on to really appeal to a broad audience.”

News Corp, publisher of The Australian, has a 65 per cent stake in Foxtel. The remaining 35 per cent is owned by Telstra.