Tidelands (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series follows Cal McTeer, who served ten years in prison for an alleged murder while a teenager, and returns to the small fishing village of Orphelin Bay. She encounters a group of dangerous siren–human hybrids called 'Tidelanders', the result of occasional sexual relations between sirens and marine fishermen. The plotlines pit the Tidelanders, who largely occupy a communal settlement ruled by a matriarch named Adrielle Cuthbert, against the Orphelin Bay townspeople, many of whom are aware of the Tidelanders' origins and power over centuries, and of the existence of secretive sirens. The townsfolk are paid off or choose to keep their knowledge to themselves, since the Tidelanders are dangerous, and the local fishing cooperative benefits from a lucrative drug trade, recuperating and selling drugs imported and hidden offshore by the Tidelanders' dealers.

Reader's Guide

Tidelands was released on Netflix on 14 December 2018 and consists of eight episodes. Filming began in Brisbane and continued through southeastern Queensland, with much of the filming taking place in and around Moreton Bay. Aerial shots of the fictional Orphelin Bay were filmed in Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island. The main cast includes Charlotte Best as Cal McTeer, Aaron Jakubenko as Augie McTeer, Marco Pigossi as Dylan Seager, Richard Davies as Colton Raxter, Dalip Sondhi as Lamar Cloutier, Mattias Inwood as Corey Welch, Jacek Koman as Gregori Stolin, and Elsa Pataky as Adrielle Cuthbert. Series 1 left some issues unresolved, but as of 2025, no plans have emerged to film a second series. The series explores themes of power, identity, and supernatural conflict within a coastal Australian setting.

Did You Know?

• The series was released on Netflix on 14 December 2018.
• Filming took place in and around Moreton Bay, close to Brisbane in South East Queensland.
• The main character Cal McTeer is played by Charlotte Best.
• As of 2025, no plans have emerged to film a second series.