BBC Studios Productions Australia Begins Filming Guilt Adaptation

BBC Studios Productions Australia has begun production on Reckless, adapted from the Scottish mystery thriller series Guilt.

Led by Tasma Walton (The Twelve, Mystery Road) and Hunter Page-Lochard (The Newsreader, Critical Incident), Reckless centers on two feuding siblings who are forced to work together to get away with an accidental hit-and-run death.

The cast also features Jessica De Gouw (The Couple Next Door, The Survivors), Clarence Ryan (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mystery Road: Origin), Jane Harber (Offspring, Limbo), Tracy Mann (The Twelve, Top End Bub), Duncan Fellows (Deadloch, The Letdown), Perry Mooney (Population:11, Gold Diggers), Kelton Pell (Mystery Road: Origin, Redfern Now), Matthew Dyktynski (Japanese Story, Offspring), Paul Tassone (The Twelve, Pokerface), Peter Rowsthorn (Kath and Kim, Three Summers), Steve Le Marquand (The Twelve, Mystery Road: Origin) and newcomer Maddie Young.

Kodie Bedford (Return to Paradise, Mystery Road) is serving as executive producer and writer of the series. It is being directed by Beck Cole (Deadloch seasons one and two, High Country, Wentworth) and produced by Andy Walker (Deadloch, The Survivors). Kylie Washington (Ghosts Australia, The Office) is executing producing alongside Bedford. Co-executive producers are Megan Palinkas (Heartbreak High, The Heights) and Cole.

Reckless is being produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia for SBS. Major production investment comes from Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, SBS and Screenwest and The Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive, in association with Screen NSW. International sales are being handed by Federation Studios.

The original Scottish series Guilt is written by Neil Forsyth. It premiered on BBC Two and BBC Scotland in 2019.

“From day one, I wanted to make a bold show with audacious characters that felt unapologetically Western Australian,” Bedford said. “I’m so bloody happy to be home telling this yarn with a team of creatives who have all shared the vision and taken it somewhere even wilder than I ever imagined.”

“NITV and SBS are thrilled to introduce Reckless, a tense and darkly funny thriller packed with sharp twists and unforgettable characters,” commented Dena Curti, head of Indigenous commissioning and production at NITV, and Nakul Legha, head of scripted at SBS. “We are so proud that writer and executive producer Kodie Bedford is returning home to Australia and to the SBS network to lead her first series. The stellar cast, creative team and incredible support of our partners at BBC Studios, Screen Australia and Screenwest is testament to the ambition of this series. It marks a new chapter for the SBS network, pushing boundaries with bold, human stories. We look forward to Reckless thrilling and delighting audiences later this year.”

Kylie Washington, executive VP and general manager of global entertainment in Australia for BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, added, “We’re elated to be bringing Reckless to life with such an exceptional team of creatives and talent. This series is a perfect example of BBC Studios’ ambition to craft and share the world’s most compelling stories—unapologetically Western Australian, darkly funny and deeply human. We can’t wait for audiences to experience the wild ride at the heart of this story, and we’re proud to be partnering with SBS, NITV, Screen Australia and Screenwest to bring this story to screens throughout Australia and beyond.”

“Kodie Bedford is a prolific screenwriting talent who has cut her teeth on some of Australia’s most distinctive dramas,” noted Jorjia Gillis, development and investment manager of the First Nations Department at Screen Australia. “Reckless presents an exciting opportunity for her to lead a wickedly funny drama that is unapologetically Western Australian mob. Working alongside such a dynamic creative team in Stuart Page, Andy Walker, with Beck Cole at the helm, I’ve no doubt audiences here and around the world are going to be hooked by this laugh out loud funny and engrossing crime drama.”

Rikki Lea Bestall, CEO of Screenwest, commented, “We are so excited to see Reckless kick off production in Perth this week, led by the uber talented Western Australian First Nations writer and executive producer Kodie Bedford and starring Western Australians Tasma Walton and Jessica De Gouw. This production continues a strong pipeline of television series being produced in WA showcasing the amazing creative talent we have in our state.”