Darby and Joan is an Australian cozy murder mystery, crime comedy drama television series starring Bryan Brown and Greta Scacchi about a retired Australian detective and an English nurse who work together to solve the mystery of her husband's recent death.[2] The title alludes to the proverbial mutually devoted couple Darby and Joan. The series was announced in 2021 and began streaming on Acorn TV from 8 August 2022. The eight part series was created by Glenys Rowe and Phillip Gwynne and filmed in Queensland across the Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Redland City, North Stradbroke Island, Mount Isa and Cairns.[3][4]
| Darby and Joan | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Phillip Gwynne Glenys Rowe |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Kate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall[1] |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Queensland, Australia |
| Original release | |
| Network | Acorn TV |
| Release | 8 August – 29 August 2022 |
Synopsis edit
Widowed English nurse Joan Kirkhope (Greta Scacchi) is on a quest to find answers about her husband's mysterious death, while ex-detective Jack Darby (Bryan Brown) has taken to the open road to escape his past. But when they collide in the Australian outback and become drawn into a series of mysteries, this unlikely investigative duo soon realize the most intriguing puzzle they face is each other.
Cast edit
Main edit
- Greta Scacchi as Joan Kirkhope
- Bryan Brown as Jack Darby
- Anna McGahan as Rebecca Kirkhope, Joan's daughter
- John Waters as Ian Kirkhope (in flashbacks), Joan's deceased husband
Guests edit
- Jolene Anderson as Detective Inspector Liz Darby, Jack Darby's daughter (4 episodes).
- Heather Mitchell as Rosemary, Jack Darby’s ex-fiancée (3 episodes)
- Kerry Armstrong as Summer (2 episodes)
- Christopher James Baker as Curtis (2 episodes)
- Caroline Gillmer as Denise (2 episodes)
- Robert Coleby as Ascher (1 episode)
- Peter O'Brien as Chris (1 episode)
- Steve Bisley as Declan Kemp (1 episode)
- Casey Donovan as voice of Australian Sat Nav
- Rachel Ward as English Sat Nav (1 episode)
- Rarriwuy Hick as Tegan (1 episode)
- Adrienne Pickering as Lucy Kirkhope (1 episode)
- Todd Lasance as Riley Harrington (1 episode)
- Kaarin Fairfax as Heidi (1 episode)
Episodes edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | David Caesar | Keith Thompson & Paul Bennett | 8 August 2022 | |
| A shock collision forces Jack and Joan to travel together as her search for answers begins at a beachside paradise. But all is not as it seems when they realise that what appears to be a tragic accident is in fact, murder! | |||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | David Caesar | Andrew Anastasios | 8 August 2022 | |
| Jack takes a detour to help an mate recover some stolen guns, whilst Joan begins to suspect that there’s more to Jack then he’s letting on. | |||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Ben C. Lucas | Giula Sandler | 15 August 2022 | |
| Overwhelmed by new details about her late husband, Joan finds herself alone and in danger during a spate of thefts at a caravan park. | |||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Ben C. Lucas | David Hannam | 15 August 2022 | |
| It’s Joan’s first Australian Christmas, and Jack and Joan quickly find themselves uncovering the truth of a scuba dive gone wrong. | |||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Mairi Cameron | Paul Bennett | 22 August 2022 | |
| Sparks fly in a small town pub where Jack and Joan find themselves working on New Year’s Eve. When a blaze breaks out, Jack and Joan are determined to discover who really to blame. | |||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Mairi Cameron | Adam Zwar | 22 August 2022 | |
| Jack and Joan come face to face with Jack’s past when he’s asked to investigate a sports doping scandal. Meanwhile an increasing concerned Rebecca takes drastic action for answers. | |||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Jovita O'Shaughnessy | Beck Cole | 29 August 2022 | |
| Jack and Joan search for a missing boy is complicated by the arrival of Joan’s daughter and visions of a lost little girl. | |||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Jovita O'Shaughnessy | Ainslie Clouston | 29 August 2022 | |
| The return of familiar faces leave Jack in hospital and enables Joan to put together the truth about her late husband. As one mystery is solved, an ominous threat from Jack’s policing days begins another. | |||||
References edit
- ^ "Darby & Joan production details", Screen Australia
- ^ Malone, Michael (9 August 2022). "Aussie Road-Trip Series Darby and Joan on Acorn TV". Nexttv.com. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (5 August 2021). "Darby & Joan local mystery drama for Acorn TV". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (15 July 2022). "Airdate: Darby and Joan". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
