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ABC announces new ob doc series

ABC TV has commissioned a new 8 x 30’ observational series – Outback ER.

Set in and around the hospital and emergency services of the unofficial capital of the outback – Broken Hill – the series begins pre-production this week and is produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company.

In the heart of an unforgiving desert landscape and the home of Mad Max, Broken Hill Base Hospital is in a rare geographical location. The emergency department averages over 2,000 presentations a month including high speed car accidents, mining injuries, farming accidents and the result of tourist misadventures.

The main base for the Royal Flying Doctors Service, Broken Hill is home to a diverse population including a substantial mining workforce – tough men and women who work the mines 24 hours a day, and no nonsense locals who live hard and play hard. Mix this with a constant transient group of tourists, young and old, and you have an emergency department where every day is different, every hour is different, and just when they think they’ve seen it all a new emergency presents itself.

“We are delighted to be able to highlight the extraordinary contribution the men and women of this rural emergency department make to help, not only the local community but visitors alike,” said Simon Steel, Head of Factual for Screentime. “Given its remote location, the cases that present to this emergency department are both unique and unbelievable” he continued.

ABC TV’s Head of Factual, Phil Craig said “For some time we have wanted to commission a ‘blue light’ series with a difference. Outback ER is an exciting and involving way to explore life in the Australia that exists beyond suburbia. We’ll meet some extraordinary characters and witness some real human drama but we’ll also learn about many important challenges facing our rural and mining communities."

Outback ER is a Screentime, a Banijay Group company, production for ABC TV, made with the assistance of Screen Australia, and executive produced by Screentime’s Jennifer Collins and Simon Steel, and ABC TV’s Commissioning Editor is Andrea Ulbrick.