Glitch (Australian TV series)

Lore & Background

The series begins when small-town policeman James Hayes is called to the local cemetery in Yoorana, Victoria, and discovers several people who have risen from the dead in perfect health but with no memory of their identities or past. With the help of local doctor Elishia McKellar, James struggles to keep the mysterious case hidden from his colleagues, family, and the world. The risen individuals are all linked in some way, and the search begins for someone who knows the truth about how and why they have returned.

Although the show bears remarkable similarity to the 2012 French series Les Revenants (broadcast internationally as The Returned), the writers insist Glitch was not influenced by it, stating that 'the first script was written before I even saw the French film of The Returned.' The first series was awarded Best Television Drama Series at the 2016 AACTA Awards and also won Most Outstanding Drama Series at the 2016 Logie Awards.

The second series follows James and the Risen as they begin to unravel the mystery of how and why they are back, though their journey of reconciliation, romance, and revenge is soon disrupted by a new and even more lethal threat. The show concluded with the third season, which premiered on 25 August 2019.

Reader's Guide

Glitch is significant as an Australian supernatural drama that achieved critical recognition early in its run, winning major national awards for its first series. Its premise—people returning from the dead with no memory—drew comparisons to the French series Les Revenants, though the creators maintained the script predated their awareness of that work. The series was distributed globally on Netflix, with the first series made available on 15 October 2016, and subsequent seasons premiering internationally on the platform. Reception was mixed: season 1 and season 2 each earned an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five reviews each, while season 3 was poorly received, with the final episode in particular getting the lowest rating of all. The show's legacy includes its contribution to the international trend of resurrection-themed dramas and its representation of Australian television on a global streaming platform.

The Premise & Narrative Architecture

Glitch, developed by Tony Ayres and Louise Fox, is anchored in the fictional Victorian country town of Yoorana, where an impossible event shatters the community's sense of normalcy. Seven individuals rise from their graves in full physical health, yet each is a blank slate—stripped of every memory of who they were or what they had lived. The town has no explanation for the phenomenon, and no one outside the small circle of those in the know can be trusted with the truth.

The narrative engine is driven by Sergeant James Hayes, a local policeman who is summoned to the cemetery in the dead of night and stumbles upon the Risen. His central task becomes twofold: help the returned figures piece together their identities while simultaneously shielding the entire episode from his colleagues, his family, and the wider world. Local physician Elishia McKellar stands as his essential ally in this delicate concealment. A crucial narrative thread is that all seven Risen are connected in some as-yet-undiscovered way, and the story's momentum comes from the collective search for the one person who holds the key to how and why they came back.

Critical Reception & Award Recognition

Glitch earned strong institutional recognition early in its run. Its first season took home Best Television Drama Series at the 2016 AACTA Awards and was named Most Outstanding Drama Series at the 2016 Logie Awards, cementing its status as one of Australia's most celebrated dramatic productions of that year. The series also received an international showcase, being screened at the Roma Fiction Fest in 2015.

On the review-aggregator front, Rotten Tomatoes reflects a broadly positive but not uniformly enthusiastic response. Both Season 1 and Season 2 sit at an 80% approval rating, though each is based on just five critic reviews. Season 3, by contrast, drew noticeably weaker feedback, with the series finale singled out as the lowest-rated episode in the entire run.

A persistent point of discussion surrounds the show's striking resemblance to the 2012 French series Les Revenants, which was distributed internationally under the title The Returned and later adapted into an American series of the same name. The Glitch writers have firmly pushed back against any suggestion of influence, with one noting that the first script was completed before they had even seen the French production.

The Ensemble Cast & Character Evolution

At the heart of Glitch sits a tightly woven ensemble that shifts and expands across three seasons. Patrick Brammall anchors the series as Sergeant James Hayes, the small-town cop who discovers the Risen and carries the burden of secrecy. Genevieve O'Reilly brings warmth and medical pragmatism as Dr. Elishia McKellar, though her role is confined to the first two seasons.

The Risen themselves are a rotating constellation of talent. Emma Booth plays Kate Willis, while Emily Barclay, Ned Dennehy, Sean Keenan, Hannah Monson, Aaron McGrath, and Rodger Corser round out the original group of the returned. Daniela Farinacci appears as Maria Rose Massola in the first season, and Andrew McFarlane as Vic Eastley through the first two.

As the story broadens, new faces join the fold. Luke Arnold, Rob Collins, and Pernilla August enter in Season 2, bringing characters Owen Nillson, Phil Holden, and Nicola Heysen who persist into the final season. Season 3 introduces Jessica Faulkner as Belle Donohue, Harry Tseng as Tam Chi Wai, and Dustin Clare as Mark Clayton-Stone, signalling a fresh chapter in the mystery. A supporting cast of recurring and guest performers adds further depth to the Yoorana landscape.

Production Timeline & Global Streaming Journey

Glitch first hit Australian screens on 9 July 2015 via the ABC, and the network moved quickly to secure a future for the show, renewing it for a six-episode second series just three months later on 26 October 2015. That second season did not arrive until 14 September 2017, a gap of nearly two years that gave the production team time to develop the next chapter. In it, James and the Risen push deeper into the mystery of their return, navigating reconciliation, romance, and revenge before an entirely new and more dangerous threat upends their fragile progress.

The series' global footprint expanded through Netflix. Season 1 became available for international streaming on 15 October 2016, less than four months after its Australian broadcast. Season 2 followed on the platform on 28 November 2017. The story reached its conclusion with a third season, which premiered on ABC on 25 August 2019 and was released globally on Netflix on 25 September 2019, giving audiences worldwide a near-simultaneous window into the final act.