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New Aussie bushranger drama Wild Boys shoots next month

A new Australian western drama series is set to go into production next month.

The Southern Star Entertainment drama series for Channel Seven Wild Boys, set in the 1800s about a gang of bushrangers, will be filmed in Sydney.

“It’s fresh, it’s different and everything about it is Australian,” Seven’s head of programming and production Tim Worner said in a statement.

“If you look across the television landscape, you’ll quickly conclude there aren't many bushranger dramas.”

The show will star Daniel MacPherson (City Homicide), Zoe Ventoura (Packed To The Rafters), Michael Dorman (The Secret Life Of Us) and David Field (City Homicide) with further announcements expected soon.

The Wild Boys – Jack, Dan, Conrad and Captain Gunpowder – are making plans for the future, but for now they have to make do with each other as they stage hold-ups keeping one step ahead of the traps, trackers and other outlaws.

Southern Star Entertainment’s Sarah Smith and Julie McGauran will produce along with Seven’s head of drama John Holmes.
 

  1. As owner or The Original Gold Rush Colony at Mogo NSW, we have attempted to give the Clarke Brothers their rightful place in infamy as the bloodiest bushrangers. I hope Wild Boys is based on them

  2. The title “The Bloodiest Bushrangers” was chosen for dramatic effect rather than historical veracity since the Clarke Brothers had several opportunities to kill both police and civilians that they did not take. If we are serious about “innocent until proven guilty” we should also note that neither of the brothers was ever convicted of murder. I can understand the commercial interest in Maureen’s case, but I feel she is obviously adept at not letting the historical truth get in the way of a “good” story.

  3. Hi there,

    I hear the producers are requiring modern Australian accents .. not the colonial accents or mostly U.K – Irish regional accents of adults circa 1850. If true this is amazing ignorance/lazy stupidity on the part of the producers and the network ….any comments southern star , network seven, producers ? cheers David Chambers

  4. I auditioned today for a part in the movie.
    Good to see a Ozzie ‘Western” on the screen.
    The story is great and should make for a “Top” show.
    Good on you guy’s.

  5. At last a good Aussie Historical drama. I don’t care if the facts are not accurate as long as it has a good story and is entertaining. I like historial fiction as well as facts. I can go to the history books or museums for the true facts. Long overdue…bring it on!!!

  6. Hi.Is Jack “the Wild Colonial Boy” known as Jack Donohoe,Bold Jack Donohoe,also Jack Doolan of the famous song?If so,some of my ancestors from South Creek,Bringelly,helped to hide him….Elizabeth Shackel and her sons….

  7. I’d just like to comment on David Chambers’ haughty comment above about colonial accents. I threw Peter Carey’s book on Ned Kelly away before getting very far into it because of his pedantry with dialect. It’s the story that matters, not the window dressing that distracts from the essential. The producers got this one very right. Bravo! It’ll like a rocket.

    G.James Hamilton
    author of ‘Thunderbolt:Scourge Of The Ranges’ (2009).

  8. You BBlloody Beeeaaauuuty … I remember watching ‘Ben Hall’ series on tv ages ago.
    Have always thought we need a bushranger show.
    Yay team, and well done.

  9. John Clarke is my Great Great Great Grandfather, as one of only a handful of direct descendants any wrongful depiction of our ancestors will be met with the same legal action we took against the makers of Robbery Under Arms.

  10. With Ned Kelly’s remains found yesterday, am I the only person slightly miffed at the relative of a policeman allegedly shot by Ned who doesn’t want any kind of memorial or tourist attraction built to Australia’s most famous bushranger? I reckon Ned, who turned “bad” after his mother(?) or sister was allegedly raped by an officer of the law – if I recall correctly, not yet having read Peter Carey’s book cited above – deserves some form of recognition; I regard him as our original political campaigner for social justice.

  11. Good on you,JULIE MCGAURAN, SARAH SMITH, DANIEL MACPHERSON, ZOE VENTOURA and all of the cast and crew of WILD BOYS and FULL MARKS to Director JEFFREY WALKER and DOP JOSEPH PICKERING , TOO

    A FINE DEBUT FOR A FINE NEW SERIES TO BE PROUD OF!
    BEAUTIFUL VISUALS, INTERESTING CHARACTERS and a story I want to watch!
    HEY WILL YOU TELL THE 7 NETWORK TO RUN THE END CREDITS NEXT WEEK PLEASE…….THEY DID NOT LAST NIGHT!

    I RECKON THE SERIES HAS VERY GOOD OVERSEAS POTENTIAL AS WELL.
    KEEP UP THE HIGH STANDARDS AND BREAK A LEG.

    BEST WISHES
    JOHN LAMOND.
    CEO APPLE PIE PICTURES P/.L

  12. J Chiddy – The show is made in the Hawkesbury Valley. The “town” is the Australiana Pioneer Village at Wilberforce.

  13. It’s an ok story but for all the effort put in just a little more historic accuracy would have perfect the series. As for accents, George Scott aka Captain Moonlight was as Irish as Paddy’s pigs. Also he only robbed banks apart from passing dud cheques and had a gang. He was around the same time as Ned Kelly and was hanged in Darlinghurst Jan. 1880. The series had appeared to be set in earlier times, like around the time of Ben Hall in 1860’s. The actors are very much like ‘modern day’ Aussies playing cowboys and Indians. It’s a shame that just a little historical fact and ‘multi-cultural’ accents of the time were not included. it would have been a great series.

  14. I think the point even most Wild Boys critics missed was it was more based on the famous Aussie play later movie Robbery Under Arms & tried to add a bit more actual history too the play & where the ideas for the characters in the play really came from. Yes I agree it was budget & did the story no justice & the script turned tacky halfway through. Next time 7 spend some money & acknowledge what the idale of the show is where you got the idea. the P.G Wright Referance was so blintent & tacky…. yeas we did notice it just didn’t appreciate it

  15. I can’t understand you Channel 7 as soon as we get a wonderful Australian drama to watch with a fabulous cast you go and axe we knew there was only going to be 3 seasons so it would have been nice to see all the story lines completed . I am still in utter disbelief and shock that you could axe such a quality show. I seem to remember you doing the same thing to Wild Boys some time back .Shame on you thank goodness we still have the ABC for decent dramas

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