No Activity

No Activity

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2015
Founder	Trent O'Donnell, Jason Burrows, Chloe Rickard, Phil Lloyd
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Television series
Parent	Jungle Entertainment

No Activity is a comedic television series from Australia available on the streaming service Stan, centering on two detectives engaged in a stakeout. This show marked the inaugural original production commissioned by the Australian streaming platform. The series is produced by Jungle Entertainment, a collaboration involving Trent O'Donnell, Jason Burrows, Chloe Rickard, and Phil Lloyd. Trent O'Donnell serves as both writer and director, while Jason Burrows holds the role of Executive Producer and Chloe Rickard acts as Producer.

The initial season consists of six episodes and debuted on 22 October 2015. Its follow-up season was released on 26 October 2016. Additionally, a special Christmas episode titled No Activity: The Night Before Christmas premiered exclusively on Stan in December 2018.

Primary Cast

• Patrick Brammall portrays Detective Hendy, an eager detective striving to redeem himself following an unsuccessful drug operation.
• Darren Gilshenan plays Detective Stokes, an optimistic yet inexperienced officer.
• Daniel Wyllie appears as Jimmy, a vivid personality who returned to criminal activities after an unsuccessful attempt in the hospitality industry.
• Harriet Dyer features as April, a young officer assigned to dispatch while awaiting reinstatement after a controversial taser incident.
• Genevieve Morris acts as Carol, a candid police dispatcher unhesitant to confront wrongdoing.
• David Field embodies Bruce, an older career criminal with interests in fine art and mandolin music; after skepticism regarding a kidnapping plan, he devises an alternative scheme.
• Damon Herriman joins season 2 as Bernie, a wealthy businessman whose unhappy marriage and failed charity events lead to unforeseen outcomes amid the kidnapping plot.
• Rose Byrne portrays Elizabeth in season 2, Bernie’s wife who reevaluates her life decisions during the crisis.
• Chum Ehelepola appears as Steve (season 2), an ambitious Sri Lankan-Australian criminal determined to become the nation’s foremost kidnapper.
• Anthony Hayes plays Neddy (season 2), a seasoned criminal partnered with Steve, sharing experience in brothel security.

Guest Appearances

• Sam Simmons features as Glen (season 1), who replaces Bruce.
• Tim Minchin appears as Jacob (season 1).
• Kat Stewart portrays Tanya (season 1).
• Jaxon Graham-Wilson plays Lachy, Carol’s son.
• Jake Johnson acts as Cutler (season 1).
• Kim Gyngell takes the role of Rainer (season 2), an older detective who disapproves of Stokes.
• Alan Dukes appears as Lee (season 2 and Christmas special), a disabled police dispatcher disliked by Carol.
• Susie Youssef plays Anousha (season 2), a tech-savvy dispatcher who challenges Carol’s traditional mindset and introduces her to roller derby.
• Steve Le Marquand provides voice work across three episodes.

Season One (2015)

Overall Episode No.	Season Episode No.	Title	Director	Writer	Original Air Date

Season 2 (2016)

Overall Episode No.	Season Episode No.	Episode Title	Director	Writer	Air Date

Reception

The series was met with acclaim. Justin Burke of The Australian praised it as "the funniest new comedy I’ve seen in years," while James Mitchell from The Sydney Morning Herald likened it to "the Seinfeld of Cop Shows."

Awards and nominations

No Activity holds the distinction of being the first subscription video on demand (SVOD) series to receive a Logie Award nomination in 2016.

Year	Award	Category	Nominees and Recipients	Outcome
2016	Logie Awards of 2016	Most Outstanding Supporting Actor	Dan Wylie	Template:Nom
			Tim Minchin	Template:Nom
		Most Outstanding Comedy Program	No Activity	Template:Nom

American adaptation

In October 2017, CBS revealed plans for an American adaptation of No Activity, with executive production led by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and their production company Funny or Die. The inaugural season, consisting of eight episodes, debuted on 12 November 2017 via CBS All Access. The cast features Patrick Brammall reprising his role as Detective Nick Cullen, alongside Tim Meadows as Detective Judd Tolbeck. The series also includes guest appearances from Mackenzie Davis, Jason Mantzoukas, Jesse Plemons, J.K. Simmons, Michaela Watkins, Jake Johnson—who appeared in the original Australian version—and Will Ferrell himself.

Arabic adaptation

In August 2021, OSN announced an Arabic-language adaptation of the Australian original, produced by Sally Waly and S Productions, with Trent O'Donnell and Chloe Rickard serving as executive producers. The second season comprises twelve episodes and premiered on 5 September 2021 on OSN Yahala Bil Arabi. This release marked the first comedy-drama partnership between OSN and S Productions under the title No Activity - الوضع مستقر (El Wad3 Mostaker).

The adaptation showcased prominent Egyptian comedians including Khaled Mansour, Shadi Alfons, and Sayed Ragab, delivering satirical portrayals centered on police officers and criminals.

Japanese adaptation

The Japanese version stars Etsushi Toyokawa and Tomoya Nakamura, directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa with scripts written by Jiro from the comedy duo Sissonne. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 17 December 2021.

Italian adaptation

The Italian remake, named No Activity: Niente da Segnalare, launched on Amazon Prime Video on 18 January 2024. The cast features Luca Zingaretti, Alessandro Tiberi, Emanuela Fanelli, and Carla Signoris.

Spanish adaptation

The Spanish-language version titled Sin novedad premiered on HBO Max on 19 December 2021. Its principal cast includes Omar Banana, Adriana Torrebejano, Pilar Castro, and Carlos Areces.

Flemish adaptation

The Flemish remake called Niets Te Melden debuted on Streamz on 12 October 2020. Starring Charlotte Timmers, Koen De Bouw, Barbara Sarafian, and Jonas Van Geel, it presents a localized interpretation of the series.