Production is underway on the final chapter of Total Control, with Catherine McClements, Fayssal Bazzi, and Josef Ber joining the cast for season three.
Directed by Wayne Blair and Jub Clerc, the ABC series will shoot in Canberra, the regional NSW town of Trangie, and Sydney over the next three months.
The story picks up almost two years after the end of season two with outsider turned kingmaker, Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman) completely at home in the nation’s capital while Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths), now an occasional ally, is threatening to upend the entire system by establishing her own political party. However, as Alex attempts to carve out a nation-changing legacy, a controversy engineered by her enemies threatens to destroy her career and public reputation. Alex must make a choice: either she can stay true to her principles and accept defeat, or she can get her hands dirty and fight back.
Returning alongside Mailman and Griffiths to reprise their roles are Rob Collins, Blair, Anthony Hayes, Wesley Patten, Steph Tisdell, Daniela Farinacci, Lisa Flanagan, Benedict Hardie, Anita Hegh, Huw Higginson, and Trisha Morton-Thomas.
Lisa Hensley, Rosie Lourde, Maya Stange, and Ursula Yovich round out the new additions to the cast.
Stuart Page and Pip Karmel return as writers alongside Julia Moriarty and Meyne Wyatt, with Page also executive producing with Griffiths and ABC EPs Sally Riley and Kelrick Martin. Darren Dale and Erin Bretherton are producing for Blackfella Films.
The third season has received major production investment from Screen Australia and is financed with support from Screen NSW with Screen Canberra and VicScreen.
Mailman said she couldn’t wait to step into the shoes of Alex Irving one more time.
“It’s personally been a wonderful journey over the last two seasons to play such a gutsy, smart, and unapologetic woman and I especially cannot wait to be with my Total Control family again,” she said.
“I hope audiences will enjoy the ride.”
Griffiths said there was “nothing as sad and also as exciting as shooting a final season of a show you have created a family with”.
“The chance to take our characters to a final satisfying point of their journey while also reflecting on the huge changes in our country’s political life is going to be fantastic,” she said.
“Total Control was ground-breaking in reflecting the operating environment for women in politics in this country. That conversation has caught up, but we are only beginning to understand the weight that First Nations people in public life carry and the discourse they are subjected to. I have been so privileged to be a part of this internationally-awarded show and can’t wait for audiences to embrace its final season.”
Total Control season three will premiere on ABC and ABC iview in 2024.