Redfern Now

 ( Redfernnow : Official Website ) 

Australia's distinct colonial history means that representations of Aboriginal people on television screens have traditionally been distorted and tokenistic, and contributed to perpetuating racist cultural stereotypes.Langton, Marcia. "Section Two: The Politics of Aboriginal Representation." In Well, I Heard it on the Radio and I Saw it on the Television: An Essay for the Australian Film Commission on the Politics and Aesthetics of Filmmaking by and about Aboriginal People and Things, 24, Sydney: Australian Film Commission, 1993. This results from non-Aboriginal people historically being positioned behind the camera as storywriters, producers and directors, who objectify Aboriginal actors in front of the camera.Langton, Marcia. "Section Two: The Politics of Aboriginal Representation." In Well, I Heard it on the Radio and I Saw it on the Television: An Essay for the Australian Film Commission on the Politics and Aesthetics of Filmmaking by and about Aboriginal People and Things, 40, Sydney: Australian Film Commission, 1993. There has been a clear distinction between the authors and subjects of creative works.

The concept of Aboriginality itself is a dynamic "social thing", that is shaped through intercultural experiences and dialogue between non-indigenous and Indigenous Australians. As Aboriginal scholar Marcia Langton suggests, the predominant interactions that non-aboriginal audiences have with Aboriginal people is through what they observe on television. So, it is essential that these representations are authentic and do not convey colonial tropes.Langton, Marcia. "Section Two: The Politics of Aboriginal Representation." In Well, I Heard it on the Radio and I Saw it on the Television: An Essay for the Australian Film Commission on the Politics and Aesthetics of Filmmaking by and about Aboriginal People and Things, 31, Sydney: Australian Film Commission, 1993.

The 1991 National Inquiry into Racist Violence, conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, expressed concerns about the lack of diversity on Australian Screens and encouraged increased recruitment of Indigenous people in the Australian media. Since then, representation has improved so that while Aboriginal people make up 3% of the Australian population, they make up 5% of people in Australian television dramas. Departments such as the government funded Screen Australia, and the ABC's Indigenous Department, have been dedicated to leading the way in improving diverse representation.

Redfern Now is centred around an Aboriginal community, as opposed to previous representations on television where Aboriginal people are cast as the friend or supporting actor. Aboriginal directors, producers and writers worked on the series, meaning that characters could 'play roles written by them, not for them'. Scholar Felicity Collins believes that it is these genuine representations which create an atmosphere of openness, that allow for audience engagement in the process of intercultural dialogue.

Since Redfern Now, the ABC's Indigenous department have created other comedies and dramas of a similar nature. Shows like The Gods of Wheat Street (2014), Black Comedy (2014), 8MMM (2015), and Cleverman (2016) were inspired by the success of Redfern Now.

The series concluded with a telemovie titled Redfern Now: Promise Me, directed by Rachel Perkins, which aired on 9 April 2015.

The series was bought by Netflix for certain regions. It has resonated with international audiences, being sold to France Televisions.

Redfern Now received criticism from some Conservatism. They questioned the shows separation of the identity of Aboriginal people living in Urban area settings, from the perceived 'authentic' Outback Aboriginal identity.

Generally feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, with The Sydney Morning Herald calling the first airing a "landmark moment" for Australian television. Metro Magazine noted that the themes explored did not appear like tokenistic tropes, as they often have on other shows which explore Aboriginal issues. They reviewed that the dark themes only existed in the background, and at the foreground were deep character explorations which assisted in presenting a rich and diverse culture. The show did not appear overly political, because of a greater focus on domestic, emotive scenes.

Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising its "superb cast" and saying "the series concludes at the peak of its power".

Graham Blundell, Australian actor and writer, admitted to expecting "something grim and grey in tone" for a series set in Redfern.Collins, Felicity. "Blackfella Films: Decolonising urban Aboriginality in Redfern Now." Studies in Australasian Cinema 7, 2–3 (January 2014): 217, doi: 10.1386/sac.7.2-3.215_1 Instead, he noted in a review that the series was "stylised and quite beautiful to look at". Mark Wareham and Jules O'Loughlin have presented Redfern as a bright, sensory and vibrant place. Attributing to this sense of Redfern as a multidimensional place, is the diverse settings which includes schools, homes, streets, alleys and cafes.

Both series won an Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

• Blackstone, a Canada television program with a similar theme

• @ the ABC. There are behind the scenes snippets for all episodes here.