Nowhere Boys

Nowhere Boys

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	7 November 2013
Founder	Tony Ayres
Area served	Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, New Zealand
Products	Television series, film

Nowhere Boys is an Australian fantasy teen drama series created by Tony Ayres, which first aired on ABC3 (currently ABC Entertains) on 7 November 2013. The initial two seasons follow the lives of four distinct adolescent boys: the goth Felix Ferne (Dougie Baldwin), the intellectual Andrew "Andy" Lau (Joel Lok), the exemplary Sam Conte (Rahart Adams), and the dominant athlete Jake Riles (Matt Testro). The series was renewed for a second season that premiered on 23 November 2014. An 80-minute feature film titled Nowhere Boys: The Book of Shadows, inspired by the show, was released in select Australian theaters on 1 January 2016. The third season, Two Moons Rising (2016), introduced a new ensemble cast, replacing the original characters. The fourth and final season, Battle For Negative Space, began broadcasting on 3 December 2018.

Premise

Following a school trip, four boys—Felix Ferne, Andy Lau, Sam Conte, and Jake Riles—find themselves trapped in an alternate dimension where no one recognizes them. They must face supernatural dangers and demons as they attempt to find their way back.

A week after returning to their world, the boys discover they possess unique elemental abilities. Their newfound calm is shattered when they realize others have also crossed from the alternate reality.

When a new student named Luke enrolls at Bremin High, he encounters Ben, Heath, Nicco, and Jesse. Suspicious of Ben at first, they soon uncover their shared supernatural powers and unite to battle a creature known as the "Mega-Demon."

Cast and characters

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3	4
Main
Dougie Baldwin	Felix Ferne	colspan="2" Template:CMain
Joel Lok	Andrew "Andy" Lau	colspan="2" Template:CMain
Rahart Adams	Sam Conte	colspan="2" Template:CMain
Matt Testro	Jake Riles	colspan="2" Template:CMain		Template:CRecurring
Kamil Ellis	Luke Hamill			colspan="2" Template:CMain
Joe Klocek	Heath Buckland			colspan="2" Template:CMain
Jordie Race-Coldrey	Jesse Banda			colspan="2" Template:CMain
Luca Sardelis	Niccolina "Nicco" Pandelis			colspan="2" Template:CMain
William McKenna	Ben Ripley			colspan="2" Template:CMain

! scope="row" colspan="8" style="background-color:#ccccff;" | Notable supporting cast

Development

On 26 October 2011, Matchbox Pictures along with the producers behind The Slap announced plans to develop a thirteen-episode youth drama for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation originally titled The Lost Boys. Due to copyright conflicts, the series was retitled Nowhere Boys. Creator Tony Ayres designed the concept to attract a male teenage audience following ABC's success with Dance Academy. Ayres worked alongside writers such as Roger Monk and Craig Irvin, acting as producer and showrunner together with Beth Frey. Executive producers included Michael McMahon and Helen Panckhurst, though Panckhurst exited after the first season.

Funding for the debut season came from the Australian Children's Television Foundation, Film Victoria, ABC3, and Screen Australia. Filming took place in Melbourne, Victoria between 18 February and 23 May 2013. Shooting locations featured Montmorency and Greensborough. The first four episodes were showcased at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2013.

On 4 April 2014, Film Victoria provided financing for a second thirteen-episode season. Funding support was received from ABC Television, Film Victoria, and the BBC. Producers Frey and McMahon returned in their roles while Ayres took over executive producer duties from Panckhurst. Production occurred in Melbourne from 7 July to 17 September 2014. Notably, actress Rachel Griffiths made her television directorial debut during this season.

In November 2015, ABC revealed plans for a third season set to air in 2016 featuring an entirely new cast and characters, replacing those from previous seasons. Filming commenced in May 2016 with storylines positioned several years after season two.

On 19 June 2017, Film Victoria approved funding for a fourth thirteen-episode installment. Production began on 25 January 2018.

Casting

In April 2013, the roles of the four teenage protagonists were filled by Dougie Baldwin, Joel Lok, Rahart Adams, and Matt Testro. Lok takes on the character of Andy, a science enthusiast with Singaporean heritage. Ayres, having previously collaborated with Lok, personally selected him for this part. Testro embodies Jake, the dominant athlete, while Adams portrays Sam, the skateboarder. Both actors underwent six auditions and initially tried out for each other's characters. Baldwin plays Felix, a Goth fascinated by magic. Sean Rees-Wemyss was cast as Oscar, Felix's younger brother who faces bullying and social exclusion due to a disability; he originally auditioned for Felix but was considered too young for that role. Darci McDonald appears as Ellen, Felix's closest friend; Tamala Shelton plays Mia, Sam's girlfriend; and Michala Banas features as Phoebe, the enigmatic owner of a magic shop. Jake’s parents, Sarah and Gary, are portrayed by Libby Tanner and Damien Richardson respectively, while Heidi Arena plays Kathy, Felix's mother.

In November 2015, it was revealed that the third season would introduce a fresh cast to replace the original ensemble. By May 2016, Kamil Ellis, William McKenna, Jordie Race-Coldrey, Joe Klocek, and Luca Sardelis had joined the lineup. Ellis portrays Luke, a tech-savvy nerd; McKenna takes on Ben; Race-Coldrey is cast as Jesse, a musical theatre enthusiast; Klocek plays Heath, the school’s rebellious figure; and Sardelis debuts as Nicco, recognized as the first "Nowhere Girl."

Critical response

Nowhere Boys garnered largely favorable critiques. David Knox from TV Tonight rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars, commending its high production values and performances while emphasizing its male leads in contrast to ABC3’s predominantly female-oriented series such as Dance Academy and Dead Gorgeous. He observed that the show "achieves its goal immediately through a smart blend of drama and mystery." Rebecca Marshall of the Sunshine Coast Daily praised the series’ fusion of fantasy elements with mystery, dark magic, and drama, applauding ABC for fostering opportunities for emerging young actors.

Melinda Houston from the Sydney Morning Herald awarded it 3 out of 4 stars, highlighting the robust behind-the-scenes production that supports its youthful cast and concluding that it will satisfy both its intended demographic and a wider audience. Myke Bartlett of The Weekly Review noted the brisk and sharp writing style that resonates with children as well as older viewers, citing it as a compelling reason to watch ABC3. Luke Buckmaster of Crikey described the initial episodes as "compulsively watchable" for both adults and teens alike, pointing out its tempo, presentation, and thought-provoking existential themes. Dianne Butler from News.com.au characterized the premiere episode as "amusing yet somewhat unsettling," reflecting its engaging narrative tone.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2014	AACTA Awards	Best Children's Television Series	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
		Best Original Music Score in Television	Series 1, Episode 1	Template:Nom
	Logie Awards	Most Outstanding Children's Program	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
	Australian Director's Guild Awards	Best Direction in a Children's TV Program	Peter Carstairs for Series 1, Episode 7	Template:Nom
		Best Direction in a Children's TV Program	Craig Irvin for Series 1, Episode 8	Template:Nom
	Prix Jeunesse	12–15 Fiction/Non-Fiction	Nowhere Boys	Template:Nom
		International Youth Jury Prize		Template:Won
	Banff World Media Festival Rockie Awards	Youth Fiction	Nowhere Boys	Template:Nom
	AWGIE Awards	Children's Television	Craig Irvin for Series 1, Episode 3	Template:Won
	Screen Producers Australia Awards	Children's Television Production of the Year	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
		Interactive Production of the Year	Nowhere Boys: The 5th Boy	Template:Nom
	TV Tonight Awards	Best Kid's Show	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
	International Emmy Kids Awards	Best Series	Nowhere Boys	Template:Nom
2015	Kidscreen Awards	Best New Series – Tweens/Teens category	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
	iKids Awards	Best Website	Nowhere Boys: The 5th Boy	Template:Won
	Logie Awards	Most Outstanding Children's Program	Nowhere Boys	Template:Won
	Australian Director's Guild Awards	Best Direction in a Children's TV Program	Peter Salmon for Series 2, Episode 1	Template:Nom
		Best Direction in a Children's TV Program	Craig Irvin for Series 2, Episode 7	Template:Won
	Banff World Media Festival Rockie Awards	Youth Fiction	'Nowhere Boys'	'Template:Won'
	AWGIE Awards	"Children's Television – C Classification"	"Pete McTighe for Series 2, Episode 7"	"Template:Nom"
	"Screen Producers Australia Awards"	"Children's Television Production"	"Nowhere Boys"	"Template:Won"
	"British Academy Children's Awards"	"International"	"Nowhere Boys"	"Template:Nom"
	"AACTA Awards"	"Best Children's TV"	"Nowhere Boys"	"Template:Nom"
2016"	"International Emmy Kids Awards"	"Kids: Series"	"Nowhere Boys"	"Template:Won"
"British Academy Children's Awards"	"International"	"Nowhere Boys"	"Template:Nominated"

Broadcast

The distribution of Nowhere Boys across Australia and New Zealand is managed by the Australian Children's Television Foundation. The inaugural season debuted on ABC3 on 7 November 2013, with episodes airing Thursdays at 6:30 pm, concluding on 30 January 2014. For the second season, the broadcast shifted to Sunday evenings at the same time, launching simultaneously on ABC, ABC3, and ABC iview on 23 November 2014 with a double episode premiere. Additionally, a special mini-episode bridging episodes six and seven of the second season was featured during ABC's New Year's Eve event on 31 December 2014.

International broadcasts

Globally, Nowhere Boys is represented by NBCUniversal for international sales. In the United Kingdom, the series was secured by the BBC for airing on their children's channel CBBC, with its first episode broadcast on 1 September 2014. The BBC also pre-acquired the second season, with CBBC's Head of Acquisitions emphasizing the program’s status as a premium international drama that complements their domestic offerings. In Canada, the show began airing on the Family Channel in October 2015. The United States saw Nowhere Boys debut as part of Universal Kids’ initial programming lineup on 9 September 2017. Moreover, since 2016, Netflix LATAM has streamed the series featuring original audio accompanied by Spanish subtitles and Latin American Spanish dubbing.

Home release

The first season of Nowhere Boys was made available on DVD in Australia on 5 February 2014, shortly after the conclusion of its initial broadcast. This was followed by the release of the second season DVD on 4 March 2015, and subsequently the third season DVD was issued on 1 March 2017.

Online game

An interactive online game titled Nowhere Boys: The 5th Boy launched concurrently with the first season. Developed collaboratively by Matchbox Pictures and Melbourne-based studio Millipede, it premiered on the ABC3 website on 7 November 2013. This game enabled players to embody a fifth "nowhere boy" exploring an unfamiliar world, with gameplay elements affecting objects that appeared within the television series, thereby enhancing cross-platform viewer engagement.

Movie

On 23 December 2014, Screen Australia announced funding for a feature film adaptation initially named Nowhere Boys: The Rise of the Bear. By July 2015, this title was revised to Nowhere Boys: The Book of Shadows. Directed by David Caesar and scripted by Tony Ayres, Rhys Graham, and Craig Irvin, the film runs for approximately 80 minutes and was produced by Beth Frey with executive producers Tony Ayres and Michael McMahon.

Set one year after the boys' dimensional crossing and their confrontation with supernatural forces, the plot follows Felix as he discovers a sealed Book of Shadows that unleashes havoc, prompting the group to reunite to face this new menace.

The principal cast — Dougie Baldwin, Joel Lok, Rahart Adams, Matt Testro, and Sean Rees-Wemyss — returned to their roles. Series regulars Darci McDonald, Michala Banas, Victoria Thaine, Ben Keller, Tamala Shelton, and Michelle Gerster also reprised their characters, with Angourie Rice joining the ensemble. Filming commenced in Melbourne in July 2015. The movie had limited theatrical screenings across Australia starting 1 January 2016 and premiered on ABC3 on 6 March 2016.

External links

• Official site
• Nowhere Boys IMDb page