Filming has begun in Victoria on ABC period comedy Gold Diggers, with Claire Lovering and Danielle Walker leading an ensemble cast that includes Megan Wilding, Luke Mullins, Eddie Perfect, Brandon McClelland, and Wil King.
Produced with CBS Studios and Kojo Studio/Stampede Ventures partnership The Alliance, the eight-part series stars Lovering as Gert Brewer, a headstrong party animal, and Walker as Marigold, her blissfully naïve sister. Together, they are willing to do anything to secure their fortune in 1850s Australia, but first they must suffer the lads, lice, and lechery of the goldfields.
Wilding plays Fran, their dubious French ex-BFF, while Mullins is Percy, the rich and fancy mining magnate, with King his protective Butler, Jerome.
Perfect takes on the role of Barry, the all-knowing barkeep, and McClelland is Leonard, the town’s cop and possible incel.
In her breakout role, Perry Mooney stars as Vic, the head of the local Fur Traders, leading her posse, Kartanya Maynard as Molly and Aaron McGrath (Preppers, Black Comedy) as Albert. JJ Fong is Zhi Ling, the boss of Chinatown, and George Zhao plays her younger brother Ben, while Semisi Cheekam is 16-year-old entrepreneur Kelvin.
Rounding out the cast are joined Michala Banas as Tippy, the prim, moral compass of the town, and Lincoln Younes, who makes a special appearance as JJ, the leader of the feared McCreedy Bushrangers.
Gold Diggers is created by Jack Yabsley, who wrote the scripts alongside Erica Harrison, Shontell Ketchell, Alex Lee, Sara Khan, Wendy Mocke, and Amy Stewart.
Helena Brooks is set-up director, with Muffy Potter serving as series producer, Trudi-Ann Tierney as script producer, and Kate Butler as co-producer. Executive producing are Linda Ujuk, JP Sarni, Greg Silverman, and Dale Roberts.
Ujuk and Sarni said they were proud to be producing “such a timely, feel-good and immersive Australian comedy”.
“We are excited to see Claire and Danielle bring the unashamedly irreverent Brewer Sisters to life alongside our outrageously funny ensemble of Dead Horse Gap Townies,” they said.
“This sensational cast will transport audiences to another world and have them laughing out loud.”
Filming will take place between the Victorian goldfields and Melbourne for the next eight weeks, with the series to premiere on ABC TV and ABC iview later in the year.