by FilmInk Staff
A New Venture Producing Premium Television from Australia for the World
Announced today: the launch of The Set Up, a new television venture from Made Up Stories and Alison Hurbert-Burns that will package premium series from Australia — bringing together the stories, talent and financing — for top broadcasters and platforms throughout the world.
The Set Up unites two of television’s most formidable forces: Alison Hurbert-Burns, celebrated Australian television executive and commissioner (formerly of BINGE/Foxtel and Nine/Stan), and acclaimed global production company Made Up Stories led by Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky. Hurbert-Burns serves as CEO and Co-Founder of The Set Up, with Papandrea and Hutensky as Co-Founders. Made Up Stories executives and producers Casey Haver, Jeanne Snow and Katie Amos will round out the leadership team.
Papandrea, Hutensky and the Made Up Stories group have produced some of television’s biggest commercial and critical hit series of the past decade including BIG LITTLE LIES, NINE PERFECT STRANGERS, THE UNDOING, PIECES OF HER and ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL. Hurbert-Burns, who oversaw the launch and growth of Australian SVOD service BINGE, has commissioned and overseen a slate of Australia’s most successful series, including COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS, MIX TAPE and THE TWELVE. The trio previously collaborated on top-rating Australian series STRIFE and the 2025 acclaimed adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s THE LAST ANNIVERSARY, a major international co-production between broadcasters BINGE/Foxtel, AMC+ and the BBC. Made Up Stories’ other hit Australian series includes THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART, the most successful Australian Amazon Original launch globally.
The new company expands the founders’ combined footprint. While Made Up Stories continues to build its film and television slate with U.S. and global partners, The Set Up plants a dedicated flag in Australia — pairing a commissioner’s eye for what audiences want with world-class producing at the source of some of the most distinctive stories, talent and locations in the world.
With decades of combined experience across production, commissioning and programming, the team is uniquely positioned to drive global co-productions and partnerships with the world’s leading broadcasters and platforms. Based in Sydney, the venture will draw on Australia’s renowned above- and below-the-line talent, spectacular locations and top-tier production capabilities — as well as its world-leading incentives — to create and deliver high-quality shows with strong value for production investment.
The Set Up has a ready-to-go pipeline for production beginning in 2027 and will also source projects from third-party Australian producers and creatives.
“Alison is that rare combination — a true tastemaker and a brilliant operator — and one of the most highly regarded people in the Australian TV industry. Teaming up with her is a dream,” said Papandrea and Hutensky. “Australian creatives and stories are world-class, and the opportunity to produce a slate of shows that resonate both locally and globally is incredibly exciting. We’re passionate about bringing top Australian television to audiences everywhere.”
Hurbert-Burns added: “Bruna, Steve and the Made Up Stories team are simply the best in the business at making television the world wants to watch — and this new company is a business and creative partnership in every sense. We’re bringing a commissioner’s lens and a targeted approach to our slate, finding stories that travel across borders and appeal to broad audiences. Having been on the buying side, I appreciate that streamers and broadcasters need reliable, consistent access to highly engaging, premium-quality content in a landscape that’s changing fast.”
About Made Up Stories
Made Up Stories is a development and production company that amplifies distinctive voices to tell unforgettable stories about the diversity of human experience, driven primarily by multifaceted females on and off-screen. Founded in 2017 by Bruna Papandrea, the award-winning producer of the critically acclaimed HBO series BIG LITTLE LIES (eight Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards) and Steve Hutensky, Made Up Stories has a global presence with offices in Los Angeles, Sydney, and London.
Made Up Stories produces acclaimed films and television series, many of which repeatedly break viewership records, including: LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE; NINE PERFECT STRANGERS, Hulu’s most watched original series upon debut; THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART, the most successful Australian Amazon Original launch globally; STRIFE, Binge’s biggest original series launch; THE UNDOING, HBO’s most watched series of 2020; ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL; PIECES OF HER; and THE DRY, one of the highest-grossing Australian films of all time.
Last year, Made Up Stories launched the second seasons of streaming hits NINE PERFECT STRANGERS and STRIFE, in addition to the new series THE LAST ANNIVERSARY and this year, the company released the film ADDITION. Upcoming in 2026, Made Up Stories is releasing Peacock’s THE GOOD DAUGHTER, their second collaboration with best-selling author Karin Slaughter.
Additional Made Up Stories credits include: ROAR; LONG SLOW EXHALE; WOLF LIKE ME; TELL ME YOUR SECRETS; PENGUIN BLOOM; UNDRESSED; FORCE OF NATURE: THE DRY 2; THE NIGHTINGALE; and LITTLE MONSTERS.
