Today Screen Producers Australia (SPA) announced the second round of finalists for three more categories in the 20th Screen Producers Australia Awards. The Awards celebrate content produced from an extended, two-year period due to COVID-19, and champion outstanding Australian screen productions, showcasing the skill, imagination and innovative thinking of Australia’s world class production businesses.
Merman Television and Guesswork Television’s Frayed Series 1 has been named as a finalist in the category of Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year. Frayed is created by, written by and starring Sarah Kendall. Series 1 follows Sammy, a wealthy London housewife who is forced to return to her hometown in Australia, where she’s forced to confront her past and the reasons that caused her to leave years ago. As well as being written by and starring Sarah Kendall, the series also stars Diane Morgan, Robert Webb, Kerry Armstrong, Ben Mingay, George Houvardas, Matt Passmore Frazer Hadfield, Maggie Ireland-Jones, Alexandra Jensen and Trystan Go. Series 1 was directed by Shaun Wilson and Jennifer Leacey and produced by Nicole O’Donohue. The executive producers on series 1 were Clelia Mountford, Sharon Horgan, Kevin Whyte, Rick Kalowski, Que Minh Luu, Sally Riley and Morwenna Gordon.
Frayed was previously nominated for 5 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards and Sarah Kendall was nominated in the Female Performance in a Comedy Programme category in the 2020 BAFTA Television Awards. Frayed Series 2 is out now on ABC TV and coming soon to Sky.
Diane Morgan and Sarah Kendall in Frayed
The other nominees in this category were:
- Aftertaste – Closer Productions
- Fisk – Porchlight Films
- How To Stay Married (Season 3) – Princess Pictures
- Retrograde – Unless Pictures & Orange Entertainment Co
- Rosehaven (Season 5) – What Horse? & Guesswork Television
- Superwog (Series 2) – Princess Pictures
- The Moth Effect – Bunya Entertainment
Finalists in the categories Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year, Light Entertainment Series Production of the Year and Reality Series Production of the Year are now open for voting by the SPA members, with the production receiving the highest number of votes declared the award recipient.
“During an exceptionally challenging 18 months, our member’s comedy, light entertainment and reality content have provided Australians with joy, entertainment and connection that we have all sought – helping our nation to find comfort as well as reprieve from the day to day,” said SPA CEO, Matthew Deaner.
“I congratulate each of our members who are finalists who are finalists in the categories open for voting today and look forward to celebrating your achievements at SCREEN FOREVER in March 2022.”