Winners Talk: Ten Pound Poms #MCTVF
At the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival this year British-Australian co-production Ten Pound Poms won the Golden Nymph for Best Series. Warren Brown who stars in the series also won the Golden Nymph for Best Actor at the Festival.
Ten Pound Poms
Created by BAFTA-winning Danny Brocklehurst, the six-part series follows a group of Brits as they leave dreary post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on a life-altering adventure on the other side of the world. For only a tenner, they have been promised a better house, better job prospects, and a better quality of life by the sea in sun-soaked Australia. But life down under isn’t exactly the idyllic dream the new arrivals have been led to believe. Struggling with their new identity as immigrants, the story follows their triumphs and pitfalls as they adapt to a new life in a new country far from Britain and familiarity.
The cast is lead by Michelle Keegan, Faye Marsay and Warren Brown, alongside Australian actors Rob Collins, Leon Ford, Declan Coyle, David Field, Stephen Curry, Hattie Hook, Finn Treacy and Emma Hamilton.
Season 1 premiered on 14th May 2023.
Ten Pound Poms is a co-production between the BBC and streaming service Stan. The two companies previously worked together on the South Australian mystery thriller The Tourist, starring Jamie Dornan which won the Golden Nymph at the Festival last year.
Yako Molhov talked to executive producer and co-founder of Eleven Film Joel Wilson about the idea behind the series, its main themes, shooting in Australia as well as the appeal of British-Australian co-productions.
Ten Pound Poms focuses on the Roberts family which leaves post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on an adventure and a new life in Australia. Could you share some details about how the idea about the series came about, is it based on a true story?
I watched a documentary about the Ten Pound Poms and it felt like a hugely exciting situation to set a drama. I spoke to Danny (Brocklehurst) about it and he loved the idea too. Then he had to do the difficult job of writing it.
The series is a co-production between Stan and the BBC, with the two broadcasters having worked previously on other projects. Did you consider/approach other broadcasters/partners for the series?
The BBC and Stan were our first choices.
Let's talk about the title: Ten Pound Poms - it is a slang term for British people coming to Australia after WWII and whose passage was subsidized by the Australian and New Zealand governments. What is the etymology of the phrase and why did you choose it as the title of the series?
No-one is quite sure why the Australians call brits Poms, but the most likely is that it is an abbreviation of “pomegranate” – either because “pomegranate” was rhyming slang for “immigrant” or because Brits went red in the sun (or both). Ten pounds was the amount the trip cost.
What are the main themes explored in the series and how do they intertwine with the personal stories of the characters?
The main theme is that no matter how far you go, you can’t escape yourself.
How was the shooting process in Australia which is notorious for its exotic wildlife? Do you have some funny or even scary stories? What about your work with the Australian cast of the series?
It was an absolute joy. The cast and crew were wonderful, though we got a little more rain than we expected.
Last year another Stan/BBC production - The Tourist, also set in Australia - won the Best Series award at the festival. How would you explain the appeal of British-Australian co-productions?
I think both are excellent shows in their own way, I’m not sure whether the Australian / British aspect is a coincidence, but there’s something epic and inspiring about Australia as a place.
The cast is lead by Michelle Keegan, Faye Marsay and Warren Brown, alongside Australian actors Rob Collins, Leon Ford, Declan Coyle, David Field, Stephen Curry, Hattie Hook, Finn Treacy and Emma Hamilton.
Season 1 premiered on 14th May 2023.
Ten Pound Poms is a co-production between the BBC and streaming service Stan. The two companies previously worked together on the South Australian mystery thriller The Tourist, starring Jamie Dornan which won the Golden Nymph at the Festival last year.
Yako Molhov talked to executive producer and co-founder of Eleven Film Joel Wilson about the idea behind the series, its main themes, shooting in Australia as well as the appeal of British-Australian co-productions.
Ten Pound Poms focuses on the Roberts family which leaves post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on an adventure and a new life in Australia. Could you share some details about how the idea about the series came about, is it based on a true story?
I watched a documentary about the Ten Pound Poms and it felt like a hugely exciting situation to set a drama. I spoke to Danny (Brocklehurst) about it and he loved the idea too. Then he had to do the difficult job of writing it.
The series is a co-production between Stan and the BBC, with the two broadcasters having worked previously on other projects. Did you consider/approach other broadcasters/partners for the series?
The BBC and Stan were our first choices.
Let's talk about the title: Ten Pound Poms - it is a slang term for British people coming to Australia after WWII and whose passage was subsidized by the Australian and New Zealand governments. What is the etymology of the phrase and why did you choose it as the title of the series?
No-one is quite sure why the Australians call brits Poms, but the most likely is that it is an abbreviation of “pomegranate” – either because “pomegranate” was rhyming slang for “immigrant” or because Brits went red in the sun (or both). Ten pounds was the amount the trip cost.
What are the main themes explored in the series and how do they intertwine with the personal stories of the characters?
The main theme is that no matter how far you go, you can’t escape yourself.
How was the shooting process in Australia which is notorious for its exotic wildlife? Do you have some funny or even scary stories? What about your work with the Australian cast of the series?
It was an absolute joy. The cast and crew were wonderful, though we got a little more rain than we expected.
Last year another Stan/BBC production - The Tourist, also set in Australia - won the Best Series award at the festival. How would you explain the appeal of British-Australian co-productions?
I think both are excellent shows in their own way, I’m not sure whether the Australian / British aspect is a coincidence, but there’s something epic and inspiring about Australia as a place.
