Australian Novel Wake in Fright Getting TV Treatment

SYDNEY: Network Ten has commissioned a new adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s classic Australian novel Wake in Fright, which is being prepped as a two-part TV event.

Wake in Fright will be produced by Lingo Pictures in association with Endemol Shine Australia, with the assistance of Screen Australia and Screen NSW. It will premiere on TEN and WIN Network in 2017. The novel was first published in 1961. An iconic film version followed in 1971.

Network Ten’s head of drama, Rick Maier, said: “There are few Australian stories as original or compelling as Wake in Fright.

“Kenneth Cook’s novel, now reimagined for a new generation, deals with the biggest themes. Provocative, morally complex and brilliantly realized, this classic story is guaranteed to stay with you long into the night and, possibly, for years to come.

“It will be a privilege to broadcast this major television event on TEN.”