Lingo Pictures to Adapt Rick Morton’s Mean Streak

Australia’s Lingo Pictures has secured the rights to adapt Rick Morton’s Mean Streak as Robodebt for ABC iview and ABC TV.

The show, which will be distributed by ITV Studios, will explore the robodebt scandal, which resulted in Australia’s largest class action. Lingo Pictures secured the rights to the new nonfiction book from HarperCollins.

The writing team for Robodebt will be led by Stuart Page, with Magda Wozniak and Sophie Miller. Helen Bowden will produce for Lingo Pictures with Jason Stephens and Stuart Page as executive producers.

Morton, an award-winning journalist, commented: “Writing Mean Streak is the most difficult thing I have ever done but it is a story that deserves to be seen and heard by as many people as possible. I am so grateful that Lingo Pictures are creating the top tier drama it deserves; a production that will show all Australians and others around the world what happens when crude government systems encounter real people.”

Bowden added: “Lingo Pictures is very excited to be working with Rick Morton to bring the story of the robodebt scandal to Australian screens. It’s one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Australian history and we will focus on the human stories: the grieving mothers whose sons took their own lives; the Centrelink worker who blew the whistle after decades of loyalty; and the digital activists who helped bring the scandal to light. We are very grateful to so many of these people who are working closely with us to bring this story to the screen. We believe it will make great television drama.”