The Messenger (TV series)

The Messenger is an Australian television series, based on the eponymous novel written by Markus Zusak, broadcast on ABC. The eight-part series - which follows the titular character, Ed Kennedy, as he begins to be left playing cards with addresses on them at his home, and the repercussions his decision to follow these directions has on his group of friends - was released on May 14, 2023.

Cast

 * William McKenna as Ed Kennedy, a meek 19-year-old cab driver whose incongruous actions in helping to solve a store robbery result in him receiving playing cards with mysterious riddles, that completely upend his outlook on life.
 * Alexandra Jensen as Audrey Singer, a precocious young woman who is reluctant to move away from her home town and engage in long-term relationships due to enduring feelings for Ed, while combatting her hatred that fuels her revenge against her absent father.
 * Chris Alosio as Marv Leota, a curious, but loyal, stoic and steadfast, young man working at his father's construction firm who has a peculiar obsession with winning plush toys from grabber machines.
 * Kartanya Maynard as Ritchie Moran, a troubled young woman who seeks to live as normal a life she can through her mental illness, via the decision to avoid taking her medicaiton.
 * Justin Smith as Snr Sergeant Hal Kaine, a police officer who demonstrates peculiar behaviour towards Ed as he solves the messages he has been set.
 * Maggie Dence as Milla Roseby, an elderly woman who confuses Ed for her late husband Jimmy, but nevertheless enjoys his company and enables him to learn lessons about the importance of friendship.
 * Guy Edmonds as Gavin Rose

Production
The Messenger's commission was announced in May 2022, as part of a suite of new original programming for ABC's 90th anniversary year, with production beginning in June 2022. The series was co-produced by FabFiction, a 'scripted co-production initiative' between three German public service broadcasters.

The series received investment from Screen Australia and Screen NSW, and is a Lingo Pictures production (part of ITV Studios). International sales are managed by All3Media International.

Producer Jason Stephens spoke of the "delight" at obtaining the rights to the book, which were "much sought after for years" by American producers. Zusak had been reluctant for years to allow an adaptation of the book, but was keen to have it take place in Australia, and allowed those working on the show a heavy degree of creative freedom, embracing the differences between the original book and the show, commenting that it was "a really dangerous path to be too loyal" to the source material and praised the writers for using the book as a "step-off to greater heights".

Episodes
The series began on May 14, 2023, in a 8:20pm timeslot, with all episodes were available to stream via ABC iView from that date.

Due to low viewership, the series was moved to a later 9:30pm slot from its fourth episode.

Reception
The show had a mixed critical reception, with the acting being praised, but the plotting criticised.

In a four-star review of the first four episodes, The Guardians Luke Buckmaster said that it took him time to "get accustomed to The Messengers idiosyncratic rhythms, but soon I relished returning to this world", noting a "strange alchemy between setting and character", with "lean and uncluttered" plotting. He praised the directors and screenwriters for "deftly balanc[ing] comedy and drama, creating a subtle and strange quirkiness", and for "trust[ing] in the nature and strength of the story and the cast, allowing scenes to breathe while keeping things progressing at a good pace", as well as the efforts by the programme's cinematographer to ensure "retro flavour is baked into the show's aesthetic".

TV Tonight's David Knox, in a three-and-a-half star review of the first two episodes, said the series "effectively asks you to leave your logic at the door and go with its heightened mix of drama, dark comedy and magic realism", praising McKenna as a "likeable lead", and that the series impressed upon him an attempt by ABC to appeal to younger viewers, doubtful it "will connect with core ABC viewers, and perhaps it might be best framed as premium YA content".

Mel Campbell, for ScreenHub, was more critical. In a two-and-a-half star review of the first four episodes, she opined that the series "often seems to deliberately withhold sense-making from the audience in pursuit of its air of mystery", and found the series flipping between what she saw as "realist drama or magical realism", and inconsistent motivations of the characters, as exasperating, yet nevertheless said "the cast do their best with this flawed material".