The next instalment of the Top End franchise is here – this time we’re five years on from Lauran and Ned’s wedding.
The TV series follow-up sees Lauren and Ned heading back to Darwin after Lauren’s sister Ronelle tragically dies in a car accident.
They’re thrown into further chaos with Lauren’s parents, Daffy and Trevor, and are faced with their next challenge as a couple: unexpectedly becoming the guardians of Ronelle’s daughter, Taya.
But the continuation of the story wasn’t always the plan after the hit 2019 film Top End Wedding.
Actress, writer, and creator Miranda Tapsell, 37, confesses to New Idea that she wasn’t interested in doing it – until co-creator Joshua Tyler convinced her.
“It was back in lockdown in 2020 – sorry to bring up COVID (laughs) – Josh and I were both stuck in our homes. We were both living in Victoria, and Josh was saying we should explore a sequel. And I was like, No, I wanna do something completely new and fresh with you. And he said no, I reckon like there’s more in this story – we should continue it,” she tells us.
The proud Larrakia and Tiwi woman from Darwin reveals she’s “so glad” they did.
The opportunity caught her at a time when she was at her own crossroads.
“Before everything got shut down, I was considering moving to LA, trying to make a goal of the American industry. I was not thinking about having a kid – I was like, no, I’ve still got a little bit of time. I was able to take everything that I was thinking about in my own life and put it on the page, and I wrote this story with Josh,” she says proudly.
Miranda revealed that she also wanted to write Top End Bub because the First Nations representation in the show is an authentic portrayal of what her “normal everyday existence looks like”.
“I think there’s always ebbs and flows with shows, and sometimes there’s just like this big boom, you know, black fellas are everywhere [in media]. And then there are other times when you don’t see them at all on TV shows. So hopefully we can find some sort of equilibrium where – and this is why I wanted to write, Top End Bub, because that’s just not how life is. My dad, my husband, they’re not indigenous, but they’ve been brought into the fold, into the family unit. And so, it just makes sense to me that Trevor and Ned are just as much of part of the furniture as Daffy is,” she tells New Idea.
She says she thinks “more shows could certainly be like that”.
Speaking on playing his character Ned, British actor Gwilym Lee tells New Idea it’s a “real privilege” to work within a culture he didn’t grow up with.
“There were days where I’d be like sat around in the green room with these amazing actors, and a lot of aboriginal actors, and the loudness and the raucous humor… It’s just a real privilege to be brought into that warm embrace. And we show that on screen, don’t we? That kind of slightly wild, crazy, anarchic, joy and love. And I think that’s what this show has in bucket loads. And I think it’s what people are gonna love,” he says.
The 41-year-old admits that this isn’t something he expected from his career.
“Six years ago, I would never have thought that I’d be. Out in the Northern Territory telling these stories, but what a joy and what a privilege to be able to do,” he tells us.
Miranda assures him that he’s “become an Aussie”.
“Have I?” he asks back.
“Yeah. You have!” Miranda says.
“Territorian specifically,” he says.
“Territorian, absolutely!” Miranda adds.
In terms of whether we’ll be seeing a Top End Bub season two, Miranda reveals they’ve “only scratched the surface” and would love to continue the story.
“I feel like there’s so much more to see, now that they’ve gotten into the groove of raising Taya as well. What do they do now as parents? It’s exciting to think about,” she says.
“There’s a pretty rich friendship with Leroy and Ned, which would be really fun to explore,” Gwilym adds.
Watch Top End Bub on Prime Video now.
