Reef Doctors
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Jonathan M Shiff Productions presents REEF DOCTORS 13 x One Hour Family Action Adventure Drama For The TEN Network MEDIA CONTACTS Catherine Lavelle Lauren Bockholt UNIT PUBLICITY NETWORK TEN T 02 9405 2880 T 03 9275 1149 M 0413 88 55 95 M 0414 274 198 E [email protected] E [email protected] As at 03.02.12 REEF DOCTORS Running the remote Hope Island Clinic, Sam Stewart is an accomplished doctor, who with her team, looks after the residents of all the neighbouring islands, as well as the holidaymakers and thrill seekers who visit the area. Not only a GP, Sam is a single mother with a free spirit and a determination – who has an unusual hobby: venom. Through all their adventures, good and bad, the residents of the tiny island pull together - proving that there are many different definitions of the term ‘family’. Set on the picturesque Great Barrier Reef, the new 13 x 1 hour family adventure drama is a Jonathan M Shiff Production – series-produced by Jonathan M Shiff, co-produced by Lisa McCune and directed by Colin Budds (The Elephant Princess, H2O Just Add Water, Stingers, The Lost World) and Grant Brown (Rush, Crownies, Underbelly) REEF DOCTORS will premiere on the TEN Network in 2012. © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 2 REEF DOCTORS ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Set on the picturesque Great Barrier Reef, and filming in Far North Queensland and the Gold Coast, Jonathan M Shiff’s new prime time family drama REEF DOCTORS is currently in production. With an outstanding ensemble cast led by Lisa McCune (Sea Patrol, Blood Brothers, Blue Heelers) - who is also co-producing the new drama - the action family adventure will also star Rohan Nichol (Killing Time, Red Dog, South Solitary, Rush), Matt Day (Tangle, Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Rake), Richard Brancatisano (Underbelly: Razor, Bait, Home & Away); Tasneem Roc (Crownies, East West 101, Spirited); Andrew Ryan (Not Suitable For Children, Tomorrow When The War Began, The Jesters), German actress Susan Hoecke (Sturm der Liebe, Der Lehrer, 18 – Allein under Mädchen), Rod Mullinar (Satisfaction, Shortland St, All Saints, Dead Calm), Kristof Piechocki (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), and newcomers Justin Holborow and Chloe Bayliss. Renowned the world over for outstanding children’s television productions, REEF DOCTORS marks Jonathan M Shiff Productions’ move to family drama: “With the production of REEF DOCTORS we are re-introducing a genre to Australia that is long overdue - family action adventure, with high production values and wonderful characters” says Jonathan M Shiff. "We have assembled a great cast for the series. The humour and heart of this piece will resonate deeply with Australians as well as our international audiences,” adds McCune. The series is produced by Jonathan M Shiff and marks Lisa McCune’s first credit as a co- producer. REEF DOCTORS is a Jonathan M Shiff Production produced in association with Network Ten, ZDF Enterprises Germany, The Post Lounge and with funding from Screen Queensland and assistance from Gold Coast City Council’s Business Gold Coast. © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 3 REEF DOCTORS KEY CAST DR SAM STEWART Lisa McCune ANDREW WALSH Matt Day TOBY MCGRATH Rohan Nichol DR RICK D’ALESSANDRO Richard Brancatisano OLIVIA (LIVVY ) SHAW Tasneem Roc GUS COCHRANE Andrew Ryan FREYA KLEIN Susan Hoecke SONNY FARRELL Rod Mullinar JACK STEWART Justin Holborow NELL Chloe Bayliss MALCOLM REID Kristof Piechocki © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 4 REEF DOCTORS KEY CREW EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Jonathan M Shiff Julia Adams SERIES PRODUCER Jonathan M Shiff CO-PRODUCER Lisa McCune LINE PRODUCER Basia Plachecki DIRECTORS Colin Budds Grant Brown STORY PRODUCER Alison Nisselle STORY EDITORS Tony McDonald Sue Hore SCRIPT EDITOR Justine Gillmer DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Butch Sawko CASTING Tom McSweeney PRODUCTION DESIGNER Eugene Intas COSTUME DESIGNER Alby Farrawell POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Barry Lanfranchi © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 5 REEF DOCTORS DR SAM STEWART A GP and single mother with a free spirit and determination - who has an unusual hobby: venom. Running the remote Hope Island Clinic, Sam is an accomplished doctor, who with her team, looks after the residents of all the neighbouring islands, as well as the holiday makers and thrill seekers who visit the area. LISA McCUNE is DR SAM STEWART Lisa McCune is one of Australia’s most popular and successful screen and theatre actors, earning an impressive collection of awards celebrating her performances, including four Gold TV Week Logie Awards for Most Popular Personality on Australian television. As a teenager in Perth, Lisa developed her love of acting by appearing in various repertory group plays. After studying music and classical singing in high school she was accepted into the acting course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Lisa moved to Melbourne after graduating WAAPA in 1990 where she began touring the play Working Out to rural schools. She appeared in a few television pilots before landing the role of Maggie Doyle in the police drama, Blue Heelers. Blue Heelers went on to become one of the most popular and enduring programs on Australian television making Lisa a household name. During her years as Maggie Doyle, she played the lead role of Mary in the Seven Network mini-series, The Potato Factory, based on Bryce Courtney’s novel. In 1999, Lisa starred as Maria in the Gordon Frost production of The Sound of Music, which she followed with her Green Room Award-winning performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Lisa also received nominations for a Helpmann Award and a Green Room Award for her performance as Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. Lisa’s other stage credits include Melbourne Theatre Company’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dead Man’s Cell Phone and The Ambassador Theatre Group’s Sydney and Melbourne seasons of Guys and Dolls (2009 Green Room nomination). Lisa’s other screen credits include Rowan Woods’ feature Little Fish, the highly acclaimed series MDA, Bryan Brown’s Two Twisted, the UK/Australian co-production Tripping Over, and the telemovie Hell Has Harbour Views for which she received a Silver TV Week Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Actress, and the ABC series Rake, with Richard Roxburgh. In 2011, Lisa starred in series five of the Nine Network’s Sea Patrol as Lieutenant “XO” Kate McGregor (2008 Silver TV Week Logie nomination) and in the telemovie Blood Brothers, directed by Peter Andrikidis, also on the Nine Network. Lisa has recently turned her hand to producing and has been working with experienced producers such as Gus Howard (Rain Shadow, Blue Heelers), and Anthony Buckley (Oyster Farmer, Rabbit Proof Fence) on a number of projects for the screen, including co-producing Reef Doctors. © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 6 REEF DOCTORS TOBY McGRATH An ex-navy demolitions diver, Toby runs the dive charter boat for Hope Island which is also the clinic’s ferry to the mainland. But there’s something shady about Toby … something dangerous, but so very attractive. ROHAN NICHOL is TOBY McGRATH Born in Geraldton, WA, Rohan graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 1999. Rohan’s work in film includes the Award Winning Independent feature Red Dog directed by Kriv Stenders based on Louis de Bernieres' best- selling novel, South Solitary directed by Shirley Barrett (released 2010), Garage Days directed by Alex Proyas, A Man’s Gotta Do directed by Chris Kennedy, along with major international releases including Star Wars Episode 3 directed by George Lucas and Fool’s Gold for Warner Bros Films. He has also appeared in short films such as the award winning Katoomba directed by Leon Ford and Creating Fortune directed by David Barker. On television Rohan’s credits include Terra Nova, Killing Time, Rush, Underbelly, All Saints and Headland. In 2010 Rohan appeared in The Pacific, produced in Australia by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for DreamWorks. His professional theatre credits include Taming of The Shrew for The Sydney Theatre Company, A Cherry Soul; Sydney Theatre Co/ Belvoir Street Theatre co-production, Taking Liberty and Stories from Suburban Road for Perth Theatre Company, Plainsong for Black Swan Theatre Co / Perth Festival), The Lights (Belvoir St / B Sharp) and Accelerando (Zygote Productions). In 2005 Rohan was the Winner of the Best Actor 2005 Short and Sweet Festival for his performance as Craig in Leave A Message directed by Leland Keane. © 2012 Jonathan M Shiff Productions Page 7 REEF DOCTORS Professor ANDREW WALSH Sam’s ex husband and father of Jack, Andrew is the Head of Tropical Medicine at the mainland University Hospital. He is also Sam’s boss. MATT DAY is ANDREW WALSH Matt Day has established a reputation as one of Australia’s leading film and television actors. In 2012, Matt will be seen in the ABC’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries with Essie Davis and the second series of Lowdown. Matt has appeared in numerous Australian television series and telemovies including Rake alongside Richard Roxburgh, Southern Star’s critically acclaimed drama Tangle, Hell Has Harbour Views, My Brother Jack, The Informant and Underbelly: The Golden Mile. His international television credits include Shackleton, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Commander, Spooks, Hotel Babylon, Farscape, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Bruce Beresford’s And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself. In 2011, Matt starred in the high rating ABC drama Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. In 2009, Matt starred in Sarah Watt’s feature film My Year Without Sex, which screened in Official Selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. His other feature credits include Woody Allen’s Scoop, Muriel’s Wedding, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, Love and Other Catastrophes, Dating the Enemy and Kiss or Kill, for which he received nominations for a Film Critic Circle Award and an AFI Award for Best Actor.