Dirt Game

Deep underground mines, gaping pits and the vast expanse of the Australian desert are the backdrop for Dirt Game, the new six-part ABC TV drama series, which starts filming this week.

Written by Michael Harvey and produced by David Taft and Michael Harvey, Dirt Game delves into one of Australia’s oldest and riskiest pursuits – mining. It tells the story of the industry’s men and women – from the faction-torn board, to the workers at the hazardous ore face – striving to save a proud, if crippled Australian firm.

UK oil executive Brian Jardine (Gerald Lepkowski) and Australian geologist Megan Kerr (Freya Stafford) have been given six months to turn the company’s fortunes around. Up for the challenge is a strongly committed specialist team made up of engineer Max Mees (Shane Connor), ex-unionist Shane Bevic (Joel Edgerton) and former environmentalist Caz Cohen (Katie Wall), With boardroom backstabbing, growing safety and environmental issues, financial pressures and employee unrest, the odds are stacked against them.

Helping bring Dirt Game to life are two of Australia’s leading directors, Brendan Maher (Spooks, Silent Witness, The Society Murders, MDA) and Grant Brown (Underbelly, McLeod’s Daughters, Blue Heelers).

ABC TV Executive producer Amanda Higgs says, “What a thrill it is to be working with such a terrifically, talented cast, to be directed by the enormously experienced, stylish Brendan Maher and Grant Brown – and bringing to our screens the spectacular locations of the mining communities of remote Australia. As crucial as these industries are to our everyday lives, they are often under represented in drama and we look forward to bringing this original series to ABC1.”

Producer David Taft says “After many years of fruitful development in collaboration with the ABC, we are proud to be finally starting production on a drama series which tells the story of such an iconic Australian endeavour, through strong scripts, fabulous directors and crew and a wonderful cast.”

Dirt Game will be shot on location over the next nine weeks in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

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  • http://www.youtube.com/lintonsaville lintonsaville

    hello big fan of dirt game shes grouse please pass on two shane feeney conner message fire on prime peter brock is running blind

  • Anonymous

    I’ve been working in the Australian mining industry since 1993. While Dirt Game may be prettily shot, well acted (it really is, too) and engaging, it is woefully innacurate in its portrayal of the mining industry, at all the levels which it attempts to describe the audience. I’m not familiar with the people (who I will refrain from naming) who provided technical assistance to the show, but I sincerely hope that the show is more a reflection of their being ignored than providing inept advice. I could rattle on with a whining list of inaccuracies, mistakes and creative licence but I won’t. Suffice to say, the many tens of thousands of Australians who do work in the mining industry will get a laugh out of this, and by that I mean a long, mocking laugh. And unfortunately, those who don’t, will think that they know have an insiders view on our industry, when all that they do have is an ignorance factor increase. A shame. A real shame. “The Last Of The Knucklemen” captured its small slice much better than this, and it is now a long forgotten dusty piece of screenplay.

  • Anonymous

    I have been working in the mining industry since 1983,
    the fifth/sixth generation of my family to do so in this country, since they came from cornish tin & various other mining areas overseas to chase gold in Australia in the early 1850s.
    I have worked in both gold and nickel underground (and other commodities).
    I think your judgement to be accurate, and congratulate you on the restraint of your wording. However, I wonder if there were any technical advisors, since last night we heard the word “decline” pronounced as a verb by the supposedly “gruff old fashioned” mining engineer. As to the long mocking laugh, even the mining industry will be unable to sustain it through 6 episodes.
    Not only a shame, and a disappointment, but a sad waste of taxpayer money and an embarassment if it is ever shown overseas.
    In the terms of my dear departed grandfathers (both gold miners) “if it were a horse, you’d shoot it.” (with a gun, not a camera)

  • Anonymous

    Aye, you word it extremely well. By the sounds of it you’ve a South Australia background? My fathers side came to Australia way back for the same reasons, Cornish / Welsh peoples, crikey knows how far back. I’m the only one currently mining alas, based in Kalgoorlie now days.

    Perhaps there is some hope for it, although I did watch the second episode and after that viewing I’ll have to say it’s a faint hope.

    Mate of mine who busses out of Kal to his site put it on the tv yesterday morning for the drive to work. He said the response was initially one of incredulous laughter, followed by quiet, then someone eventually got up, ejected the disc he’d burnt it onto and tossed it out of a window. An apt response I thought.

  • Shrink Stoper

    I’m a mining engineer and my family have all been miners going back to the first gold rush.

    I would like to congratulate the producers of Dirt Game, the show aims to cover a lot of ground and does so quite well.

    Whilst some of the technical aspects are a little inaccurate, the main thrust of the show does reflect how things wor in the industry, especially at management level.

    The show does have some minor errors, as the three previous posters have chosen to focus on. But in the whole, it is entertaining and an eye opener for those who have also wondered about the workings into one of Australia’s oldest industrys.

    Well done ABC for showing this – hope we see a second series.

  • Shireen

    Mr Taft and co … boy you’ve done as true a job as possible under the circumstances … thank heavens the face of the surface of this industry has at last been scratched … deeply … as you can see from previous comments … there’s a LOT more to tell!!! Let’s go there!!!

  • SR

    I know nothing about mining. My only experience is watching protests against it on the news – where you never get to see “the other side”. While I must take what I see with a grain of salt, according to the comments below, Dirt Game has made me aware of the industry. Made me think – where does all of this metal come from? So while it might not be educational, it is a starting point for your average city slicker. Beyond that, it is a really entertaining, well acted, and importantly, Australian television show. I was very disappointed to discover it is only 6 episodes long. I would really like to see more.

  • Aimie

    My husband works in the industry and although as it is a mentioned above it is not completely accurate, we both really enjoyed it, it’s a great Australian drama and i hope we get to see another season.

  • Aimie

    My husband works in the industry and although as it is a mentioned above it is not completely accurate, we both really enjoyed it, it’s a great Australian drama and i hope we get to see another season.

  • riptearbust

    I’m a mining engineer and I advised Michael Harvey on some of the script and Shane Connor over some aspects of mining. Yes there are a lot of technical inaccuracies in script but a lot of the general plot was based on real events. Obviously there had to be some literary licence otherwise it would be plain boring for the average joe blow. Anymore that the average Blue Heelers or over the top E.R. or C.S.I. Trust me if you think C.S.I is real, then wait until your house is broken into and the cops don’t even take finger prints.

    I think its great to see Australian content and would challenge anybody to point out a better mining mini-series shown anywhere in the world.

    If you are reading this Mike, good stuff and hope you get funding for the next 6 episodes, lets just hope it doesn’t take another 6 years to get going. :)