Next week, 10 unlocks the door to its new Aussie drama Five Bedrooms, but is it worth checking in?
The pilot of Five Bedrooms opens at a wedding, but we aren’t here for the happy couple. Instead, we are sitting at the back of the room on the singles table, with Ainsley (Katie Robertson, Wanted), a real estate agent who’s in love with her co-worker Lachlan (Hugh Sheridan, Packed to the Rafters); Liz (Kat Stewart, Offspring), a lawyer whose professional life is blossoming while her personal life isn’t; Ben (Stephen Peacocke, Home and Away), a happy-go-lucky tadie who lives in a caravan; and Harry (Roy Joseph), Liz’s best friend who hasn’t found the courage to come out to his mum (Kumd Merani).
After a few too many drinks and a little help from Ainsley’s landlord Heather (Dois Younane, McLeod’s Daughters), the table decides it’d be a great idea to pitch in and get a house together. Not just any house, a really big house – one that’s beyond the reach of any of their married friends. It’s a crazy idea, they’re really drunk, and chances are they’ll forget about the whole thing in the morning. Right? Wrong.
Can these five very different people co-exist and find their own happiness? Only time will tell, though there’s quite a few speedbumps ahead in the opening hour.
The pilot script, penned by Michael Lucas (Party Tricks and Offpsring) and Christine Bartlett (The Wrong Girl), wastes no time in setting up the premise of the series, giving each characters their own voices and stories without losing the viewer.
The casting is superb with a nice mix of established names and newer faces. There’s nothing to fault with everyone ensuring you’ll be glued to the screen as their new living situation unfolds.
If the pilot is any indication, I’m signing up for the long haul. This is a new Aussie drama that you definitely need to check in with.
5/5 Stars
Five Bedrooms premieres 8:30pm Wednesday on 10.
