A new three-part documentary series, The Kimberley, narrated by and featuring actor Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin), is coming to the ABC in 2025. Showcasing the spectacular landscape and history of the North-Western corner of Australia, the natural history series will capture a a year in the lives of the unique wildlife that call the region home.
The series, from Wild Pacific Media (Australia’s Wild Odyssey, Documentary Emmy Award-winning Puff: Wonders of the Reef), follows the Aboriginal custodians and passionate experts working to save the biodiversity of the Kimberley, a region which stretches over 400,000 square kilometres and contains sprawling savannahs, towering gorges, rivers, tropical coastlines and desert. The rugged geology of the region has provided a last refuge for countless mammals, reptiles and birds: from the world’s smallest marsupial to the world’s largest (and fiercest) reptile.
The Kimberley is written and produced by Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers and Mark Coles Smith, and also directed by Robinson.
Mark Coles Smith, an award-winning actor, musician, producer and proud Nyikina man, was born and grew up in the Kimberley. He was the first Indigenous actor ever to be nominated for a Gold Logie (in 2023) and has also featured as narrator and interviewer in the documentary Keeping Hope, directed by fellow Kimberley resident Tyson Mowarin, examining the high rates of suicide in Indigenous communities in the Kimberley.
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Director and producer Nick Robinson says: ‘Of all the places I’ve been in the world, the Kimberley stands out as the wildest and most beautiful. It’s been an enormous privilege to witness the incredible work being done by the Traditional Owners who welcomed us on to their Country, and the ecologists contributing to vital conservation work on the ground.
‘There are wonderful universal values in the message that the Kimberley people have to share about the natural world, I hope that’s what will really stand out about this series.’
ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist, Susie Jones says, ‘The Kimberley promises viewers an extraordinary journey through this incredible region, guided and narrated by Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith.
‘With this series, ABC continues its legacy of bringing world class Australian Natural History to audiences here and around the world. A visually spectacular journey through the tumultuous seasons, this series invites Australians to celebrate our unique wildlife and the people who dedicate their lives to protecting it.’
Screen Australia Head of Documentary Richard Huddleston says, ‘The alchemy provided by this leading natural history producer, the prodigious talent that is Nyikina man, Mark Coles Smith, the majestic Kimberley landscape and all that live in it is a magical result. It will captivate audiences and help further Australia’s reputation as a world leader in natural history documentary.’
The Kimberley Production Credit
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The Kimberley is a Wild Pacific Media production for the ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the ABC. Financed with support from Screen NSW. The series has been produced in association with international broadcasters Love Nature and Arte France. Blue Ant Studios will manage international sales. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Directed by Nick Robinson. Narrated by Mark Coles Smith. Written and produced by Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers and Mark Coles Smith. Executive Producers Electra Manikakis and Nick Robinson. Director of Photography Jack Riley. Editors Bobbi Hansel, Caspar Mazzotti and Jack Riley. ABC Commissioning Editor Stephen Oliver. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist Susie Jones.
