The traditional Western is about to be taken to a whole new level with the launch of Netflix series Territory.
Set in the Australian Outback, this is a show about a power struggle at the world’s largest cattle station in one of the remotest and most unforgiving locations on earth.
Premiering on Netflix this week, it stars Fringe actress Anna Torv and Sam Corlett, of Vikings: Valhalla.
Timothy Lee and Ben Davies are the creators of Territory, which they dreamt up while on Bondi Beach in Sydney during the Covid pandemic.
Davies said they “got excited about the prospect of doing a big-scale, high-stakes action drama set on a cattle station; in a part of the country you don’t often see on-screen”.
He added: “It was a complete contrast as we were surrounded by the Bondi crowd, people moving past us in their active wear, wetsuits, carrying their surfboards while Rob and I were dreaming up stories about people in jeans, boots, and flannel shirts in the Top End.”
When is Territory on Netflix?
Territory premieres on Netflix on Thursday 24 October.
Viewers will be able to watch all six episodes, roughly an hour long each, in succession when it drops at 8am (BST).
Netflix can be streamed on smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and laptops, monthly subscription fees range from £4.99 to £17.99 a month.
What is Territory about?
Territory is about the family who own Marianne Station, a vast Outback cattle station which has the property of the Lawsons for generations.
The setting was inspired by real-life Anna Creek Station, which is bigger than Slovenia.
When patriarch Colin Lawson’s (Robert Taylor) favourite son and heir dies, there begins a major power struggle to become the station’s natural successor.
Clashes between the generations threaten to tear the family apart as they jostle for a seat at the top of the table.
And in the meantime, rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders and billionaire miners sense a weakness in the dynasty and move in for the kill.
Who is in the Territory cast?
Territory features some well known faces from Australian television and films.
Anna Torv
Anna Torv plays ambitious Emily Lawson, Colin’s daughter-in-law who has worked hard to get her feet under the family table.
The Australian actress, 45, starred as Olivia Dunham in the US sci-fi series Fringe and played Alex in the BBC drama series Mistresses.
She took on the role of psychologist Wendy Carr in the Netflix period crime drama Mindhunter from 2017- 2019.
And has starred as Helen Norville in Australian dram The Newsreader since 2021.
Sam Corlett
Sam Corlett stars as Marshall Lawson, the runaway grandson of Colin.
The former model turned actor has played the main role of Leif Erikson in the Netflix drama Vikings: Valhalla for the past two years.
He previously had a recurring role as Caliban in the US supernatural series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
The 28-year-old also appeared in the 2020 Australian film The Dry, starring Eric Bana.
Michael Dorman
Michael Dorman appears in Territory as Colin Lawson, the alcoholic son of Colin.
The New Zealand-born actor is best known for his starring role as Nasa astronaut Gordo Stevens in Apple TV+’s sci-fi series For All Mankind.
He also played John Tavner in the the American comedy drama Patriot and Tom Wilcox in the Australian romcom Wonderland.
No stranger to Westerns, the 43-year-old starred as Joe Pickett in the Paramount show of the same title on from 2021-2023.
Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor leads the cast as Lawson family patriarch Colin, who must find a suitable heir for his family cattle station after the death of his favourite son.
The Australian actor stared his career in the soaps Flying Doctors and Home and Away.
He has since gone on to star in BBC drama Ballykissangel, American neo-Western Longmire and Australian drama The Newsreader.
The 61-year-old has also appeared in a number of films including: The Matrix, Vertical Limit, Focus and The Meg.
Those also appearing in Territory include:
- Sara Wiseman as Sandra Kirby (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, High Country)
- Dan Wyllie as Hank Hodge (Love My Way, The Veil)
- Clarence Ryan as Nolan Brannock (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Mystery Road Origin)
- Jay Ryan as Campbell Miller (IT Chapter Two, Scrublands)
- Philippa Northeast as Susie Lawson (The Newsreader, Limbo)
- Joe Klocek as Lachie Kirby (My Lady Jane, The Dry)
- Kylah Day as Sharnie Kennedy (Scrublands, Itch)
- Sam Delich as Rich Petrakis (Spiderhead, Last Days of Space Age)
- Hamilton Morris as Uncle Bryce (Sweet Country)
- Tuuli Narkle as Keeley Redford(Mystery Road: Origin, NCIS: Sydney)
- Tyler Spencer as Dezi (The New Boy)
- Jake Ryan as Daniel Lawson (The Great Gatsby, Life After Fighting)
