by FilmInk Staff
The ABC, Screen Australia and Screen NSW are thrilled to announce that production has commenced on Help Me!, an off-kilter and darkly comic crime thriller led by a stellar cast including Kate Box (Deadloch, Jimpa), Sarah Peirse (Treasure & Dirt, The Twelve), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Apple Cider Vinegar, Young Woman and The Sea) and Jai Courtney (Dangerous Animals, Dutton Ranch).
Currently filming in Sydney, Help Me! follows New York journalist Katherine Ivey (Box), whose life and career have imploded. She returns home to Sydney for her wealthy stepfather’s funeral and a reluctant reunion with her estranged, larger-than-life mother, Barb Nelson (Peirse) . But their awkward attempts at a normal relationship are interrupted when a terrified woman slips a note onto their café table with two words scrawled in lipstick: HELP ME! Dismissed by police, Katherine and Barb are determined to find the woman and save her.
ABC Head of Scripted, Rachel Okine said: “From the formidable mind of Sarah Lambert, Help Me! was a concept that immediately grabbed us, with stellar scripts and characters that leaped off the page. Audiences are going to be taken on a dynamic, hilarious and very unexpected ride. We couldn’t be happier with the creative powerhouses and top notch cast that this team has assembled.”
Series Creator and Co-founder of Lantern Pictures’ Sarah Lambert and Head of Scripted, Fremantle Australia, Carly Heaton said: “Help Me! marks the first co-production between Lantern Pictures and Fremantle. It’s a darkly funny, bold and original drama about the invisibility that comes with age and is a love letter to women with a healthy dose of female rage. We love partnering with the ABC and have assembled an extraordinary group of talented and funny people in front of and behind the camera. The material brings a real sense of anarchic joy, creative ambition, and mischief. We’re so excited to bring Help Me! to life for audiences around Australia and the world.”
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said, “Led by gutsy females in front of and behind the camera, Help Me! is a darkly funny, propulsive series with real heart and great bite. Lantern Pictures have brought together an exceptional team to tell a gripping crime story anchored by the complexities of mother-daughter dynamics. With equal parts vulnerability and trademark Australian humour, audiences here and around the world will find plenty to connect with in Help Me!.”
Kylie Munnich, Executive Director Screen NSW said: “Screen NSW is thrilled to see two exceptional NSW production companies, Lantern Pictures and Fremantle Australia, join forces to bring the bold, dark comedic crime thriller Help Me! to the screen. With a standout cast and an impressive creative team behind the camera, the production promises a compelling story rich with heart, humanity and intrigue. We are pleased that Help Me! will call Sydney home, creating opportunities for NSW cast, crew and screen practitioners while showcasing the depth of local talent to audiences in Australia and around the world.”
Help Me! will air on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2027.
Production credit: Help Me! is a Lantern Pictures and Fremantle production for the ABC. Major production investment from the ABC and Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW under the Made in NSW Fund. International sales by Fremantle.Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Created by Sarah Lambert. Written by Sarah Lambert, Kirsty Fisher, Kim Wilson and Heidi Arena. Executive Producers Sarah Lambert, Carly Heaton, Jane Manning and Andrew Lambert. Produced by Bree-Anne Sykes. Directed by Fadia Abboud. ABC Executive Producers are Rebecca Anderson and Rachel Okine.
Image by John Platt
