Cleverman Commissioned for Season Two

NEW YORK/SYDNEY: A second season of the genre drama Cleverman will begin production later this year, following a recommission from Australia’s ABC and SundanceTV in the U.S.

Production will be based in Sydney. Season two of Cleverman will have an additional six hour-long episodes, produced by Goalpost Pictures Australia and New Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures for ABC TV in co-production with SundanceTV and Red Arrow International, with the assistance of Screen Australia, Screen NSW and the New Zealand Screen Production Grant.

Season one of the series launched in the U.S. on SundanceTV on June 1 and in Australia on ABC and ABC iview on June 2.

Red Arrow International will continue to distribute the drama worldwide.

Sally Riley, the head of scripted production at ABC TV, said: “It’s rare that you get the green light for a second series of a show before the first season has even gone to air, so for me it’s a testament to the quality and audience appeal of Cleverman. It is also a testament to the unflinching support the show has from our funding partners Screen Australia and Screen NSW here in Oz, and our international partners Red Arrow and SundanceTV.”

Joel Stillerman, the president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV, added: “The world that Ryan Griffen and the rest of the team behind Cleverman have created is a perfect blend of timeless mythology seen through the prism of a near-future lens. This is a series that sophisticated genre fans will no doubt fall in love with. We are thrilled to be working with our incredible partners at ABC TV, Goalpost Pictures Australia, Red Arrow International and Pukeko Pictures to continue the West brothers’ journey.”

Screen Australia’s CEO, Graeme Mason, said: “Cleverman fully deserves the local and international accolades that it has received—it’s engrossing, challenging, entertaining and unique. Following this original concept from inception through to development and now seeing its resonance with audiences both overseas and at home is a proud moment for Screen Australia. Congratulations to all involved.”

Henrik Pabst, the managing director of Red Arrow International, said: “Cleverman has already generated a huge amount of interest with international broadcasters, and the great news about season two will continue to build on this success. Congratulations to everyone involved in this groundbreaking new drama.”