The new six-part series Treasure & Dirt, co-produced by the BBC and directed by Madeleine Gottlieb, opens with a beheading in an opal-mining town. But unlike many crime dramas, the focus is less on solving the murder and more on the bizarre, self-contained world of Nulla, a fictitious outback settlement.
A Surreal Cinematic Scope
The show brings a grand, surreal cinematic scope rarely seen in television crime dramas. Writers Matt Cameron and Kate Mulvany adapt Chris Hammer's novel, redeploying familiar genre elements in unpredictable ways. The mood is dreamlike but subtle, with a faded, weather-beaten look that suggests something fundamentally wrong with this world.
Unforgettable Characters
Detective Ivan Lucic (Michael Dorman) is a gruff, no-nonsense investigator paired with rookie detective Nell Buchanan (Liv Hewson). Their first lead is a 'ratter' – a thief who steals opals from mines at night. Local senior sergeant Pat Richter (Sarah Peirse) advocates 'self-policing' in a town with its own peculiar customs.
The cast includes opal dealer The Irishman (Dean O'Gorman), physically imposing Man Mountain (Nathan Jones), tech billionaire Robby Inglis (Eamon Farren), and cult leader David 'The Seer' (Thomas M Wright). The self-proclaimed 'Mayor' (Mark Mitchinson) is memorably introduced marinating in an outdoor spa, sipping a piña colada in rainbow bathers.
A Rich Tradition of Off-Map Australian Locations
Nulla joins a tradition of off-the-map Australian locations that function as their own realities, akin to TV shows Deadloch and Population 11, and films The Cars That Ate Paris, Welcome to Woop Woop, and Wake in Fright. The intense thought and care in unpacking this location and its weird dynamics results in a setting that feels less like something watched than explored.
Critical Reception
Reviewers have praised the show's uniqueness. According to the press notes, the case is 'a labyrinthine case with no easy answers'. The greatest pleasure of Treasure & Dirt lies not in the crime but in learning about the town. The show is edited by Tyson Williams, applying rigour and discipline while allowing moments to breathe.
There are occasional slow patches and character dynamics that don't entirely coalesce, but not enough to detract from the overall experience. The show understands that the best mysteries aren't always about who committed the crime, but about the place where it happened.
Where to Watch
Treasure & Dirt airs on ABC TV on Sundays at 8.30pm and can be streamed in full on ABC iView now, with a UK airdate to follow.
