Yolanda Ramke.
Essential Media and Los Angeles-based Dynamic Television have hired Yolanda Ramke to write Troppo, an eight-part crime drama based on Australian author Candice Fox’s novel ‘Crimson Lake’.
The plot follows an ex-cop who is falsely accused of a disturbing crime and teams up with a female private investigator who served time for murder.
The duo sets out to investigate the strange death of an author in the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake. Although the partnership seems doomed to fail both wayward souls are offered the chance for redemption.
Screen Queensland is supporting the development and the plan would be to shoot in the Far North of the state. The title refers to the Australian slang for going crazy in the tropical heat.
Ramke currently is employed as the writer so it’s yet to be seen whether she will also direct as a follow-up to Cargo, Australia’s first Netflix Original feature film which she co-directed with Ben Howling.
She is among the 16 practitioners who have been selected to travel to LA as part of Screen Australia/the Australian Writers’ Guild’s Talent USA contingent next month.
The executive producers are Essential Media’s Chris Hilton and Simonne Overend and Dynamic’s managing partner Daniel March and senior VP of original content Holly Hines.
“Crime drama is a genre we know very well. Yolanda Ramke is an incredibly prolific writer and Essential Media is uniquely suited for this exciting series,” said Hines.
“With these terrific partners on board, I’m confident that Troppo will be a fantastic addition to our line-up of distinct and original programming.”
Hilton said: “Supporting home-grown creative talent like Yolanda Ramke is a real focus for us and our collaboration on Troppo with Dynamic creates an exciting opportunity to bring original and authentic Australian stories to international audiences.”
Now owned by Canada’s Kew Media Group, Essential Media recently re-activated its drama arm with the mandate to produce premium international TV dramas and theatrical features via Essential Scripted.
Dynamic’s credits include Trapped, an Icelandic crime drama from Baltasar Kormakur now in its second season; the third series of Van Helsing for Syfy, created by Neil LaBute; Madiba, a six-part miniseries which chronicles Nelson Mandela’s struggles to overthrow South Africa’s apartheid regime, starring Laurence Fishburne for the BET network; and the fifth series of zombie comedy Z Nation for Syfy.