A modern Aussie classic is making its return to the screen, championing a fresh series format, a familiar-faced cast and its beloved Darwin backdrop for a second instalment.
Top End Bub follows in the footsteps of its precursor Top End Wedding, starring Miranda Tapsell and honing in on the cultural and natural splendour of Australia’s Northern Territory.
This time, Tapsell’s character Lauren is called back to her home when she and new husband Ned unexpectedly become the guardians of her 8-year-old niece.
With a bub in the mix and a multicultural family behind her, the series sparks conversations about kinship, heritage and responsibility, as well as their roles in both Aboriginal and Indigenous cultures and communities worldwide.
The Herald’s Megan Watts headed to the Top End last year to check out the Darwin-based film set, chat to some of the show’s big names and learn a little bit more about the upcoming Amazon Prime series.
The mum and daughter duo in the series, played by acting heavyweights Tapsell and Ursula Yovich, admit to a sweet symmetry with the series. The pair reveal that their relationship, both on and off the screen, felt a lot like family.
Reflecting on when she first met her co-star, Yovich says: “For some reason, Miranda and Charla, my daughter, I just saw them as very similar. So I always felt like she was like a surrogate daughter.
“I’ve always felt a really lovely connection with her.
“The first time I heard of Miranda, I was doing a play called Yibiyung and I got pregnant with Charla,” she says. “Then Miranda came in and she took that part on.”
The pair have known each other for a “long time”, with Tapsell estimating that it’s been “15 years” since they first met. “And we’ve been connected ever since.”
However, a sweet moment of reflection saw Tapsell reveal: “She is the reason for my career.”
“No, you are,” argues Yovich. “Because someone can give you an opportunity but at the end of the day you have to deliver.”
Both Tapsell and Yovich grew up in Darwin, with the Australia actress admitting she met Tapsell’s mum long before she met Tapsell.
“Darwin is so small,” she adds. “Everyone knows everybody.”
Top End Bub spotlights its Darwin setting, featuring its community’s distinct sense of humour, weather tendencies and natural landscapes throughout the series.
However, some of the cast members were reminded of Darwin’s wild side when filming the show’s prequel Top End Wedding a few years ago.
Huw Higginson, who plays Trevor, and Gwilym Lee, who plays Ned, both have a shared affinity for fishing.
“Gwilym and I had a day off when we were doing the film and we both fish,” Higginson says.
The pair ended up going down to the harbour where they were joined by other fishermen who were enjoying a day out by the sea.
After a few lines were thrown by all, the group made their way to the top of the rocks when something, for lack of a better word, seemed “fishy”.
One of the fishermen pointed out a “big long shadow” in the water. Not being able to see the shadow, Higginson moved higher on the rocks to get a good look.
“Is that moving?’ one of the fishermen asked, and sure enough, it started to move, which prompted Higginson and Lee to make haste and “think twice” about where they fish.
It turns out, a woman was fishing in a similar spot a few years ago when she was nabbed by a croc - a cautionary reminder of Darwin’s wild side and local wildlife.
Similar to its prequel film Top End Wedding, Top End Bub’s central theme is around the characters’ Aboriginal roots and how they bring family and friends together.
As the lead characters pair step into their new role as parents, while juggling the tribulations of married life, Lauren must face her responsibilities within her culture as she takes on the role as linchpin of her family.
However, what is at the forefront of the series is the idea of kinship in Aboriginal culture and the importance of duty and connection to family. The message is that it takes a village to raise a kid and it takes one child to bring a community together.
Lee, who portrays Ned in the series, says, “What I realised about the film when it was shared with the world was, on paper, it’s a very particular story about a really small part of Australia, a very particular part of culture and Indigenous culture like Tiwi.
“But in telling these really kind of narrow, specific stories, you can actually tap into universal ideas of your heritage, your family, your roots and who you are and where you come from”, he says.
“Aboriginal Indigenous culture is specific to this country but there are parallels throughout the world that anyone can find connection with.”
While the show shines a spotlight on its Australian setting and heritage, the themes – as shared by Lee – are universal, as are the characters in the series.
When talking about her role as Daffy, Yovich says: “She’s all the mums that we know,” emphasising the relatability of her complex character.
The series sheds light on a corner of reality that isn’t often shown on screen, such as navigating marriage in your elder years and approaching parenthood through the lens of your heritage.
By tapping into lesser-discussed obstacles of the real world, the show makes itself relatable and offers us glimpses of our own lives.
Higginson thinks the show’s setting will make Kiwis feel right at home, too.
“There’s an awful lot of country and an awful lot of beautiful country. It’s very open to the elements,” he says of filming in the Northern Territory.
Comparing New Zealand’s wide open spaces to that of the Top End, he says: “While the countries are very different to look at, the appeal to Kiwis would be: ‘here’s another kind of wild country.’
“There’s a similarity but a huge difference.”
It is this insight by Higginson that captures the essence of Top End Bub. The series enlightens its audience with a culture, a story and a backdrop that we may not recognise or understand, but that can teach us a lot about our own.
Top End Bub is streaming now on Prime Video.