TAP Readies The Fires Anthology Series

Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), which has an exclusive deal with NBCUniversal International Studios, is developing the anthology series The Fires.

The six-part series draws on the experiences of those directly affected by the megafires of last summer that devastated Australia and captured the world’s attention. The ABC has already boarded the series in Australia, with talks in the works with additional platforms, networks and talent.

Inspired by the stories of the people who survived last summer’s catastrophic fire season and continue to endure the aftermath even today, each episode of The Fires is based around character studies of ordinary people caught in the unimaginable and the impossible choices they were forced to make. The series captures the full scale of the disaster by following the path of the fires themselves, traveling across Australia, from September through February to provide a snapshot of the national disaster.

The Fires’ creative team includes Tony Ayres (Clickbait, Stateless, The Slap), Andrea Denholm (Wrong Kind of Black, It’s A Date) and Liz Watts (The King, True History of the Kelly Gang), while the writing team, led by Belinda Chayko (Stateless, Safe Harbour), features Jacquelin Perske (The Cry), Mirrah Foulkes (Judy and Punch), Steven McGregor (Mystery Road) and newcomer Anya Beyersdorf.

Executive Producer Tony Ayres said: “Like the rest of the world, I watched in horror last summer as I saw the devastation caused by the megafires. I wondered ‘what can we do as artists?’. So for me, the answer was to tell the stories of some of the people who lived through this, so that we never forget what they went through and always remember our responsibility for change.”

Jeff Wachtel, president of NBCUniversal International Studios, added: “The Australian fires were among the most significant events of our time, calling us to action on the urgent issue of climate change. Even in a COVID world, climate change remains the most pressing long-term issue facing humanity. Tony and team have brilliantly dramatized its horrific consequences and the heroism often involved in the fight.”