Savage River: Australian Crime Drama Now Free to Stream on ITVX
An unsettling crime drama, widely dubbed as Australia's answer to Broadchurch, has become available for free streaming on ITVX, sparking enthusiastic praise from viewers for its incredible cast and pacing. The six-part series, titled Savage River, originally premiered on Australian channel ABC TV in September 2022 and has now made its way to UK audiences four years after its initial release.
Plot and Synopsis
Forgive and forget? Not in this town. Tensions threaten to boil over in this dark thriller when a young woman returns from prison to a community rocked by tragedy. The streaming service's synopsis details: Miki Anderson returns to Savage River after ten years in prison to try and start afresh, but a new crime rocks the town again and people can't help but be suspicious.
Cast and Crew
The crime drama features a stellar ensemble cast, including:
- Katherine Langford as Miki Anderson
- Mark Coles Smith as Joel Thorpe
- Robert Grubb as Senior Sgt Bill Kirby
- Nadine Garner as Lynne Anderson
- Jacqueline McKenzie as Colleen Lang
Written by Giula Sandler, Belinda Bradley, and Franz Docherty, the series has been crafted to deliver a gripping narrative that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Viewer Reactions and Reviews
Many viewers have rushed online to share their rave reviews about the show, highlighting its compelling nature. One fan commented: Savage River was a brilliantly paced crime/drama with an incredible cast to back it up. From the outset, the plot line found a grounded feel, and escalated in a suspenseful, subversive manner.
Other enthusiastic responses include:
- Got me hooked to watch the whole thing in two days after work.
- Really well done to cast and crew.
- I found myself really engaged in this series - you know a great creation when you forget its creators and become completely absorbed in the story and with the characters.
- This show was well written and very well acted; stand out performances from Virginia Gay (who isn't even listed in 'top cast' section despite her leading role) and Jaqueline McKenzie among many other fine performances makes this show is compelling viewing in my opinion.
- Give it a watch, it'll definitely make you think, sad, thankful, sympathetic, angry, happy, cry, and loose sleep cause you won't want to stop watching.
- Katherine Langford is doing an awesome job.
Context in Streaming Landscape
This release follows the recent availability of another crime drama, Hidden Assets, on BBC iPlayer, which has been dubbed TV's most stressful thriller and compared to Line of Duty. Hidden Assets, a joint production between Irish, Belgian, and Canadian teams written by Peter McKenna, first aired in 2022 and is set to return for its third instalment. Each series consists of six episodes, making it a perfect binge-watch for fans.
The first series of Hidden Assets is set in current-day Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, and the port town of Antwerp, Belgium, following the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau and Belgian Counter Terrorism Unit as they collaborate on a case. The synopsis teases: A team at the Criminal Assets Bureau conduct a routine raid and discover that a small-time drug dealer has been receiving rough diamonds as payment from an untraceable source. When the diamonds turn out to be linked to a series of bombings in Belgium, the Criminal Assets Bureau is reluctantly forced to team up with Belgian Police Commissioner Christian De Jong to uncover the truth and prevent another bombing.
The second series continues the story between Antwerp and County Clare, with the third series moving between Dublin and Bilbao, where the CAB joins forces with Ertzaintza detectives in Spain. According to the synopsis, the new storyline will see evidence from a raid link a drug dealer to a series of bombings in Belgium, with Irish detective Emer Berry heading to Antwerp to work with Christian de Jong from the anti-terrorism squad to untangle an international conspiracy involving drugs, terrorism, and corrupt business and political leaders.
With Savage River now free on ITVX, viewers have the opportunity to dive into this acclaimed Australian thriller, joining a growing roster of intense crime dramas available for streaming in the UK.
