Austin (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | June 9, 2024 |
| Headquarters | Australia, United Kingdom |
| Products | Television series |
Austin is a comedy-drama series co-produced by Australian and British teams. Its debut season, consisting of eight episodes, aired on ABC TV in Australia starting 9 June 2024. Later that year, the BBC broadcast the show after acquiring it from ITV Studios. The principal cast features Australian newcomer Michael Theo alongside British actors Ben Miller and Sally Phillips. The second season launched on 27 July 2025 in Australia.
Synopsis
The storyline of Austin centers on Julian, an English children’s author whose career has recently ended. While on a book tour in Canberra, he meets Austin, a 28-year-old autistic man from London who claims to be Julian’s biological son. Austin, who lives with his mother and grandfather, offers Julian an opportunity for personal redemption.
Cast
Michael Theo, previously seen on the reality show Love on the Spectrum, makes his acting debut portraying Austin. The ensemble includes Ben Miller as Julian, Sally Phillips as Ingrid, Gia Carides playing Mel (Austin’s mother), Roy Billing as Bill (grandfather), Kate Elliott as Heidi, Zahra Newman as Monica, Charlotte Nicdao as Yolanda, and Billie Piper appearing as herself.
Production
Filming for the eight-episode series took place in both Canberra, Australia, beginning November 2023, and locations across England. Production companies involved were Northern Pictures and Lincoln Pictures.
Funding and support were provided by the ACT Government, Screen Australia, ITV Studios, and Screen Canberra.
The executive producing team includes Catherine Nebauer, Darren Ashton, along with cast members Ben Miller and Sally Phillips, as well as Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker, and Peter Anderson. Joe Weatherstone served as producer.
On 11 September 2024, ABC revealed plans for a second season in development alongside Ladies in Black. This was followed on 22 November by an official renewal announcement for season two.
Broadcast
Austin first aired on 9 June 2024 via ABC TV and was also available on iview across Australia. The sophomore season premiered on the same platform on 27 July 2025.
In the UK, the series was acquired by the BBC on 11 July 2024 for broadcast across its channels and iPlayer service. This followed an earlier statement that it would be shown on ITV later in 2024.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced on 19 September 2024 that it had obtained rights from ITV to stream the series on its CBC Gem platform starting 18 October 2024.
Season 2 (2025)
| No. overall | No. In season | Episode Title | Release date | IView release date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Episode 1" | 27 July 2025 | 27 July 2025 | 512,000 |
| 10 | 2 | "Episode 2" | 3 August 2025 | 27 July 2025 | 450,000 |
| 11 | 3 | "Episode 3" | 10 August 2025 | 27 July 2025 | 420,000 |
| 12 | 4 | "Episode 4" | 17 August 2025 | 27 July 2025 | |
| 13 | 5 | "Episode 5" | 24 August 2025 | 27 July 2025 | |
| 14 | 6 | "Episode 6" | 31 August 2025 | 27 July 2025 | |
| 15 | 7 | "Episode 7" | 7 September 2025 | 27 July 2025 | |
| 16 | 8 | "Episode 8" | 14 September 2025 | 27 July 2025 |
Reception
David Knox from TV Tonight awarded the show 3.5 out of 5 stars, commending Michael Theo for his genuine and humorous portrayal of a neurodivergent character, and highlighting his excellent comedic timing alongside seasoned cast members. Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald also gave the series a 3.5-star rating, pointing out that although the lead character is autistic, the narrative primarily centers on the father-son dynamic between Julian and Austin. Anthony Morris from ScreenHub assigned a 3-star rating, acknowledging the somewhat predictable plot but applauding the performances of Miller, Phillips, Carides, Roy Billing, and particularly Theo, who serves as both the emotional core and comedic highlight. Luke Buckmaster of Guardian Australia rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, praising its sharp wit and writing, despite some lighthearted absurdity in the storyline surrounding Julian’s documentary.