SBS On Demand – quick links
Britannia Seasons 1-3 – 1 March
Series. The year is 43AD. At the far edges of the Roman Empire lies a land of powerful Druids and warrior queens. A country Julius Caesar had tried and failed to conquer a hundred years ago. A place which lies tantalisingly close to the Roman Empire’s grasp and has almost mythic status: Britannia.
The Romans’ arrival will forever change the lives of the Celts and Druids. Under General Aulus (David Morrissey, Daddy Issues), 400 ships containing 20,000 men land on Britannia’s shores in the name of the Roman Emperor Claudius (Steve Pemberton). They will take the island and anything they want from it. Britannia will be conquered. Britannia will be ‘civilised’. But since when did anyone want to be civilised?
Britannia was created by Jez Butterworth (James Bond: Spectre, Ford v Ferrari), Tom Butterworth (Tin Star) and James Richardson (Monsters 2010). The supporting cast includes Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Detectorists, Pirates of the Caribbean) Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter series), and Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone).
Prisoner 951 – 4 March
Series. Prisoner 951 is a new five-episode drama based on the extraordinary true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (Narges Rashidi), a British-Iranian citizen who was imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian state for six years, and her husband Richard Ratcliffe (Joseph Fiennes), who campaigned for justice and her return.
Torn from her baby daughter and accused of espionage, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe faces years of imprisonment in Iran. Thousands of miles away, in London, her husband Richard refuses to give up hope. When it is revealed that Nazanin is a pawn in a decades-old political dispute, Richard is forced to battle tyranny abroad and seeming indifference at home.
Spanning six harrowing years, this powerful true story charts one family’s extraordinary courage and resilience: a mother’s nightmare, a husband’s mission, and a family’s unbreakable bond.
Tokyo Story – 4 March
Film (1953). An ageing couple travel from their quiet seaside town to Tokyo to visit their grown children, only to discover how distance has settled between them. As obligations and modern life crowd out intimacy, it is their widowed daughter-in-law who offers unexpected tenderness. A profound meditation on generational change, duty, and the quiet ache of familial love, the film is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in world cinema.
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara, and Haruko Sugimura.
Aracadia – 4 March
Film (2024). In this Greek drama, Neurologist Katerina accompanies Yannis, a once-respected retired doctor, to a desolate seaside resort where he must identify the victim of a tragic car accident. As they traverse sandy dunes in autumn’s wind, an unsettling silence mirrors the emotional weight of their task. Drawn inexplicably to a mysterious, rustic beach bar called Arcadia, Katerina begins to piece together a haunting tapestry of love, loss, acceptance, and letting go.
Directed by Yorgos Zois and starring Vangelis Mourikis, Angeliki Papoulia, and Daphné Patakia.
The Hospital: In The Deep End Season 2 – 5 March
Series. In the compelling new season of The Hospital: In the Deep End, three new iconic Australians step onto the frontline where the stakes are high, and compassion is critical. The series return expands its lens to explore a wider range of departments than ever before across not one, but two of the busiest and most well-known hospitals in the country.
Award-winning food journalist, best-selling cookbook author, radio presenter and international TV personality Matt Preston; former professional tennis player, broadcaster and public speaker Jelena Dokic; and Hollywood actor, producer, and activist Ruby Rose, each arrive with a deeply personal connection to the public health system, but nothing has prepared them for the emotional and eye-opening experiences ahead.
Returning to St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, and, for the first time, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the series has unprecedented access to the inner workings of these two major public hospitals. It’s an unfiltered, intimate glimpse beyond the hospital corridors, where raw vulnerability and strength meet in life-changing moments, taking audiences inside the pressure points testing our health system. From the high-stress environment of the operating theatre to the emotional toll of treating the critically ill to occupational violence, the series bears witness to the extraordinary challenges frontline staff face every single day.
Hudson & Rex Season 8 – 9 March
Series. Hudson & Rex is an action-packed one-hour police procedural drama focused on the partnership between a dedicated Police detective and his extraordinary former K9 dog, named Rex.
In the eighth season, Detective Mark Hudson (Luke Roberts) joins the team. A veteran of canine units in the Canadian Forces and the Halifax PD, Mark becomes Rex’s new partner and a smart and strong team leader. Mark and Rex place complete trust in each other and in the extended team as they face intense new challenges.
With Rex by their side, Superintendent Joe Donovan (Kevin Hanchard), Dr. Sarah Truong (Mayko Nguyen), and tech specialist Jesse Mills (Justin Kelly) work together to solve even the most puzzling crimes unfolding in St. John’s.
The Great Gatsby – 9 March
Film (2013). Revisit Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. Aspiring writer Nick Carraway becomes captivated by his enigmatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby, whose extravagant parties mask an obsessive attempt to reclaim a lost love with Daisy Buchanan.
Against the shimmering backdrop of the Jazz Age, Gatsby’s dream collides with class divides and harsh realities, revealing the tension between illusion and desire. Luhrmann’s vibrant adaptation reimagines the American Dream with dazzling spectacle and poignant tragedy. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire.
Our Medicine Season 2 – 15 March
Series. This NITV Original series delivers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the frontline of Australia’s strained medical services. The new season of Our Medicine goes deeper into high-stakes emergency care, cultural healing practices, and emotionally resonant patient journeys on Country and in community.
Expanding its reach across ambulance services, major hospitals, youth justice and remote healing centres, the series captures the intensity of emergency medicine alongside the quieter, powerful work of cultural healing and continuity of care. This season continues to bring viewers insider access to major health institutions and community-led services, including the Queensland Ambulance Service, Cairns Hospital, Joyce Palmer Health Service, the Bwgcolman Healing Service on Palm Island, the Akeyulerre Healing Centre in Alice Springs, and NSW Youth Justice.
Northern Exposure Seasons 1-6 – 19 March
Series. This Emmy-winning series might have been unavailable to audiences for years, but its warm-hearted charms are ready to be discovered again. The series stars Rob Morrow (Quiz Show, Numbers) as a recent med school graduate who owes four years of medical service to Alaska because of a condition of his student loans. After relocating to the remote town of Cicely to settle his debt, it isn’t long before the brash New York City native realises the unique eccentricities of the town’s inhabitants.
Northern Exposure had an indelible impact on TV and culture at large. It laid the groundwork for offbeat series like Gilmore Girls and Schitt’s Creek, featured one of TV’s first gay weddings, and was lauded for its nuanced and celebratory depiction of Native American characters, informed by consultants and cast members.
Its impact even extends into music with Bon Iver deriving his stage name from a phrase he heard during his binge of the series while he was sick with glandular fever. This hilarious and beautifully written dramedy also stars John Corbett (United States of Tara, Sex and the City) and Janine Turner (Steel Magnolias, Cliffhanger).
Nepobaby – 19 March
Series. In this Norwegian Succession-style family comedy, a single day completely changes Emma’s (Vivild Falk Berg, Porni) life. She learns she’s an heir to one of Norway’s oldest and wealthiest shipping dynasties. Her estranged father, who recently passed, secretly added her to his will and the family business.
What do you do when you find out you’re the daughter of one of Norway’s richest men? And get the thing you’ve always wanted most: a family? And what if the siblings you’ve wished for your entire life want nothing to do with you?
Also starring Nicolai Cleve Broch (Ammo, Operation Arctic and The Sandhamn Murders), and Henriette Steenstrup (Porni).
Eid Collection – 19 March
Collection. SBS On Demand marks Eid al-Fitr with a selection of films, series and documentaries that span the diverse cultures and languages of Muslim communities around the world. Eid Mubarak! Titles include:
Raised by Refugees Seasons 1-2 – written and created by comedian Pax Assadi, Raised By Refugees is a 12-episode coming-of-age comedy with authenticity and humour in spades.
Americanish – in this romantic comedy film, three young Pakistani-American women – career-focused sisters Maryam and Sam Khan and their just-off-the-boat cousin Ameera – try to find a rich husband in Queens, New York.
Lunch With Us Season 1 – In this six-part series, filmmakers travel across Asia to explore the locals’ favourite lunch dishes, and uncover stories behind their midday meals.
Coroner Seasons 1-4 – 22 March
Series. This character-driven, one-hour procedural drama from Canada is based on the Jenny Cooper crime novels by M. R. Hall, following Dr Jenny Cooper (Serinda Swan), a recently widowed new coroner who investigates any suspicious, unnatural, or sudden deaths in Toronto.
Jenny taps into her intuition as much as her intellect and heart as she solves cases along with the help of Homicide Detective Donovan McAvoy (Roger Cross), a man who isn’t afraid of challenging status quo; pathologist Dr Dwayne Allen (Lovell Adams-Gray), his assistant River Baitz (Kiley May); and Alison Trent (Tamara Podemski), Jenny’s assistant who keeps it real.
And while Jenny solves mysterious deaths, she also deals with clinical anxiety, a teenage son, Ross (Ehren Kassam), who is still grieving the death of his father, and the prospect of starting a new relationship with the enigmatic Liam (Éric Bruneau), who is her neighbour and handyman.
Empty Nets – 24 March
Film (2023). On Iran’s northern coast, Amir struggles to secure steady work in the fishing industry while pursuing a secret romance with Narges, whose family expects greater stability. Economic precarity and social norms create tension, forcing their relationship into risk and quiet compromise.
Directed by Behrooz Karamizade and starring Ali Rezaei, Sara Ahmadi, and Reza Karimi.
Fallen Leaves – 25 March
Film (2023). In contemporary Helsinki, solitary workers Ansa and Holappa meet by chance and begin a tentative romance. With minimalist, deadpan style, the film captures loneliness, resilience, and the subtle possibilities of love, winning the Jury Prize at Cannes and reaffirming Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki’s signature humanistic vision.
Starring Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, and Janne Hyytiäinen.
Homebodies – 28 March
Series. A world premiere, this heartfelt new Australian drama stars Claudia Karvan, Luke Wiltshire, Jazi Dall, and Roxie Mohebbi.
When trans man Darcy reluctantly returns to his regional hometown to care for his estranged mother, Nora, he’s shocked to discover that she has secretly been living with Dee – the ghost of his pretransition self – who manifested two years earlier.
Nora hopes Darcy’s arrival might help them all move forward. Trapped in the house with her mum, Dee is a powder keg of teen emotions, which manifest in flickering lights and electrical short circuits. However, Darcy and Dee clash, competing for their mother’s attention.
On the outer, feeling replaced, Darcy accuses Nora of manifesting Dee. Through a misguided exorcism, Darcy unwittingly unlocks Dee’s ability to leave the property, and she flees to town. When he finally tracks her down, he is horrified to discover that she can now be seen by others.
This ghost is becoming more and more real, but he is slowly losing his own reflection. Is Darcy at risk of fading altogether?
