Network Ten Goes for Short-Form Dramedy 600 Bottles of Wine

Escapade Media has secured a deal with Network Ten in Australia for the short-form series 600 Bottles of Wine for linear and online rights.

The series originated from a blog about the world of dating in which the creators channeled their observations of the digital engagement into a web series. The show follows a recently single woman who navigates new relationship territory.

Australian comedy creator Ainslie Clouston said, “In 600 Bottles of Wine I wanted to create a gritty comedy rooted in authenticity and vulnerability. The situation of having to gauge where you stand in a new relationship can be brutal so I wanted to add a sense of quirk and warmth. I was able to meticulously craft an immersive audience experience from script edit to final edit; weaving my slightly bent, poignant comedic tone through all aspects of the series. Working in multiple roles as director, script editor, art director, co-editor meant the specificity of choices made, at every point, were so intentionally crafted that the story itself can seamlessly exist in multiple formats.”

600 Bottles of Wine writer and lead actress Grace Rouvray said, “When I launched my proof of concept blog (based on personal experiences) it was very fulfilling that it resonated, which clearly substantiated a strong audience appetite for the development of a series. We’ve paid careful consideration to audience expectation throughout and I ensured we translated the online engagement, retained the very heart of the story and delivered a high-quality experience across every medium.”

Cockatoo Co.Lab. Producer Bec Bignell added, “Given audiences are now largely fragmented, I’m focused on listening to what people really want and discovering where they are, just as we did with the blog. I wanted to integrate this show across multiple audience platforms by repurposing the original series in re-versioned formats to address different viewing preferences and increase accessibility. We’re thrilled that Escapade Media and Network Ten have seen the value in our methodology as it signals a promising future for the support of innovation within the Australian industry.”