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A Sydney Scorcher

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

You're going to see lots of familiar faces in Nine's new telemovie Scorched. Georgie Parker is there, Vince Colosimo, Rachael Carpani and Cameron Daddo. Each has a principle role representing the government, medical, media and emergency services in a story about Sydney under siege.

Even the supporting cast has Les Hill, Libby Tanner, Bob Morley, Anita Hegh, Kathryn Beck and Ben Oxenbould. It's great to see some of these actors back on screen.

Set in the year 2012, Scorched is an old-fashioned disaster movie with a futuristic spin. Sydney hasn't had any rain for 247 days and suddenly a series of bushfires begins to encircle the suburbs. The fire crews have a monumental battle with nature on their hands.

Director Tony Tilse says it's, “basically a true story, it just hasn't happened yet.”

Telemovies were once a format Aussie producers visited with repetition, but this year only TEN's Emerald Falls and ABC's Valentine's Day spring to mind. Interestingly, Scorched is written by the same screenwriter as Emerald Falls, Tim Pye. The ABC recently produced Stepfather of the Bride but largely focuses on six-hour dramas (East of Everything and Bastard Boys). Later this year TEN will also screen The Informant starring William McInnes.

In launching Scorched, Nine has also devoted a huge chunk of its marketing to an online platform, where viewers can see 60 minutes of additional content in two- and three-minute prequel/sequels. They are screening both before and after the television broadcast.

Fans can interact with characters from online characters in a parallel storyline. 'Cassie Hoffman' is an 18-year-old girl in Bourke who diarises her life as one of the few remaining teenagers in her dying town. She is played online by actress Kate Bell. Bell also has a cameo role in the telemovie itself. Most of the online clips emanate from CPN News, the fictional TV News centre in Scorched. Here you may recognise the faces of Mark Ferguson and Michael Usher giving convincing faux news reports of Sydney's “fatal day.”

The online portal for Scorched is the largest online site Nine has ever mounted for one of its shows. Given they've done this for a one-off telemovie, rather than an on-going franchise such as The Strip, it is a curious choice.

Scorched will also have some tough competition. It will compete with Seven's Dancing with the Stars premiere and TEN's Australian Idol - at least in its first hour.

If you love those old disaster movies where it looks like man has no hope against nature, check it out.

Scorched premieres 8:30pm Sunday 31, August on Nine.

David Knox for Citysearch, August 2008

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