The Family Law.
SBS has announced today that a second season of The Family Law is in production. Filming will begin in Queensland later this year, and the series will air in 2017.
Written and created by Benjamin Law, and based on his memoir of the same name, The Family Law is a coming-of-age story told through the eyes of teenager Benjamin as he navigates growing up amidst the chaos of his hilarious, heart-warming and dysfunctional family.
In season two, Benjamin and the Laws are excited to explore fresh careers, fresh ambitions, even fresh romances.
Series creator Law said that one of the most satisfying things about season one was seeing how many audience members – Asian and non-Asian Australian alike – felt their own families were finally reflected back at them.
“We’re excited to be putting a 90 per cent Asian-Australian cast on TV again, and picking right up from where we left the Laws. Once again, we’re looking forward to making people laugh as much as they cry from their hearts breaking – partly, because we’re mean, but ultimately because that’s what family’s about, really,” he said.
The Family Law first screened in January this year to critical acclaim. It secured an average national audience of 417,000 across the series and was the highest viewed program on SBS On Demand throughout its season. Its exclusive Facebook-first premiere also attracted 1.1 million views.
The show was developed and produced by Matchbox Pictures (The Slap, Nowhere Boys, Glitch) in association with Screen Queensland, Screen Australia and SBS.
SBS director of television and online content Marshall Heald said: “As well as being laugh-out-loud hilarious, season one of The Family Law was also poignant and heartfelt. On one level it appeared the story of a family who was different – an Asian-Australian family – but at its heart it’s a universal story of any normal Australian family grappling with the everyday challenges of life, love, friendships and teenage angst – universally relatable themes.”
Executive producer Tony Ayres said Matchbox Pictures had been thrilled to bring season one of The Family Law audiences both in Australia and internationally, and was doubly thrilled to be back for season two, promising it would be “funnier, ruder and even more poignant.”
Head of production at Screen Australia Sally Caplan called season one "the perfect balance of laughs and heart. It really resonated with audiences and we hope that its popularity will encourage more diverse stories on our screens."
The Family Law season two is executive produced by SBS’s Sue Masters, and, for Matchbox Pictures, executive produced by Tony Ayres and Debbie Lee, produced by Julie Eckersley and Sophie Miller, and co-produced by Andy Walker.
Ben Chessell (Offspring, Rush, Dance Academy) is directing alongside Sophie Miller.
Series two is written by Benjamin Law, Kirsty Fisher and Lawrence Leung. Script producer is Kirsty Fisher and series designer is Jo Briscoe.