15/35
The land grab threatens to destroy the declining dynasty
Chronology
When the massive Lawson cattle station has no heir, rival factions across Australia see a chance to seize control. The series was filmed in the Northern Territory and South Australia in locations so remote that they are barely inhabited – let alone shown on screen. The locations include the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park – with special permission from the traditional owners – and Tipperary Station, a working cattle station so large it has its own airfield and school.
Which could make for a wonderful stage drama
There are shows that you start watching and have high hopes for. This show is about a family who own a very large tract of land inside the city of Oz. Its earthiness and charisma are unfortunately ruined by the extremely poor scriptwriting.
They try, but the characters fail to form a family you engage with
It is very dramatic, has characters that are borderline caricatures and far too many totally unbelievable things happen. While as a viewer you want to be wrapped up in a family story that has characters with depth and complexity. There is far too much crime and drama going on, which again is poorly written.
So I really wanted to like this, but the writers did this
It feels like people are constantly shooting, robbing, and hurting each other in the big country below. a second murder show that despite some great actors, doesn’t deserve a high rating. However, I will have hope for a second season if they scale back the drama and violence a lot and let some smart people do the writing.
But that’s it
There is a foundation with the scenery and a good cast to build on.