BBC acquires Austin series
July 10, 2024
The BBC has acquired Austin, a new eight-part scripted comedy series starring Ben Miller, Sally Phillips, and Michael Theo. The series has been acquired for BBC iPlayer and TV channels from ITV Studios.
When much-loved children’s author Julian Hartswood (Miller) inadvertently causes a social media storm, his career and that of his illustrator wife Ingrid (Phillips) appears to be over. That is until Austin (Theo), the neurodivergent son that Julian never knew existed, turns up out of the blue. Could embracing this modern nuclear family be Julian’s route back from cancellation? Will Ingrid ever forgive him? One thing is for certain: if Julian thinks Austin is going to be a pushover, he’s in for a rude awakening.
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, commented: “Irresistibly charming, humorous and heart-warming, BBC viewers are sure to find Austin a sheer delight from start to finish”.
Catherine Nebauer, Head of Scripted at Northern Pictures, added: “BBC is the perfect platform for Austin and we have no doubts its viewers will appreciate the clever blend of British and Australian humour. With a stellar cast and production team, Austin has already proven to be a hit on ABC with local audiences and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
Austin (8×30) is a Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures production in association with Screen Australia, Screen Canberra and ITV Studios, which also handles distribution. The directors are Darren Ashton and Madeleine Dyer (Colin From Accounts). The writers/creators are Ashton, Miller, Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker, Adam Zwar and Kala Ellis. The Executive Producers are Nebauer, Ashton, Miller, Phillips, Jessica Parker, Woolf and Joe Tucker and Peter Anderson. The producer is Joe Weatherstone.