A “gripping” Australian thriller about a romance scam has been confirmed for an ITV release in the UK.
Fake premiered in its home country last year, and focuses on a feature writer called Birdie Bell (Nine Perfect Strangers’ Asher Keddie) who matches with a successful rancher called Joe (Lord of the Rings’ David Wenham) on a dating app.
While she thinks she’s found the perfect match, Birdie begins to be torn between Joe’s magnetic pull and the feeling that’s he’s not all that he seems.
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ITV has now announced that Fake will drop all eight episodes to stream on ITVX on Sunday, April 20, and will air weekly on ITV1 on Saturday evenings from April 26.
Created by The Twelve’s Anya Beyersdorf and based on the 2019 book by Stephanie Wood, the series was described as “a gripping thriller” that is “made for binge watching” by ITV’s head of content acquisitions Sasha Breslau.
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“We’ve got a great track record with Australian drama on ITVX, Anya Beyersdorf’s work on The Twelve is a shining example of how well it resonates with our audiences, so we’re really looking forward to bringing her newest offering Fake to the UK in 2025,” Breslau added.
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Lionsgate Television’s president of international television and digital distribution Agapy Kapouranis added: “We’re excited to partner with ITVX to bring this series to UK audiences.
“With a powerhouse cast led by Asher Keddie and David Wenham, Fake is an enthralling psychological drama that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.”
This isn’t the only series that ITV has acquired recently, with the broadcaster dropping Australian and British show North Shore last year.
Starring Joanne Froggatt, the series follows "the clash of cultures when a British and an Australian detective team up to solve a complex murder mystery and uncover a conspiracy with international political consequences".
Fake will stream on ITVX from Sunday, April 20, and airs weekly on ITV1 on Saturday evenings from April 26.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
