In this month’s K7 Scriptlist, one of our favourite shows is Nowhere Boys from ABC3 Australia.
In Nowhere Boys, four teenage boys return from school to find they have entered a parallel universe in which they were never born. The boys must investigate what happened and search for a way to return to their old lives, without the help of their friends and families who no longer recognise them.
Nowhere Boys delivers, playing on a cinematic style with atmospheric shots, intelligently placed music and an interesting flashback structure.
While this premise may not exactly be groundbreaking, due to other parallel-universe dramas such as Lost, Nowhere Boys presents it in a way that feels new, exciting and addictive. In a time when younger viewers are expecting more and more from TV dramas, Nowhere Boys delivers, playing on a cinematic style with atmospheric shots, intelligently placed music and an interesting flashback structure.
Produced by Tony Ayres (The Slap), the drama doesn’t patronise and could easily appeal to an older audience, a sure-fire way to win over savvy teen viewers.
The show also includes transmedia in the form of online game The 5th Boy. One of the first of its kind in Australia, the game allows the viewer to be part of the action, helping the four main characters in their quest. The game is updated alongside the show for dedicated fans, but is not integral to enjoying the TV show.
The show also includes transmedia in the form of online game The 5th Boy. One of the first of its kind in Australia, the game allows the viewer to be part of the action.
With glowing reviews for the series, Nowhere Boys is definitely a concept with international appeal.