FIRST LOOK TRAILER: HERE
Warm, funny and utterly gripping, The Unusual Suspectsis a compelling heist caper about female friendship and empowerment. Filmed and set in Sydney's glamourous Eastern Suburbs, this four-part drama series event fromAquarius Filmsstarts Thursday June 3 at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand, with all episodes available to stream at the same time of the premiere.
When a $16 million necklace is taken from self-made businesswoman Roxanne Waters' (Michelle Vergara Moore) home in an elaborate heist, the ensuing police investigation exposes cracks in Eastern Sydney's sparkling fa ade. With the stakes higher than ever, can the masterminds stop themselves from turning on each other, or will they discover a friendship worth more than diamonds?
Aina Dumlao (Sanzaru, Ballers, MacGyver), AACTA award-winner Miranda Otto (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Homeland, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Michelle Vergara Moore (Condor, The Time of Our Lives) headline the outstanding ensemble cast.
Both entertaining and enthralling, the series uses the hook of the heist genre to unpack the complex relationships between a diverse group of women. The Unusual Suspects marks the first major representation of Filipino-Australians on Australian television and continues SBS's legacy of delivering exceptional drama exploring the rich diversity of Australia in an authentic and nuanced way.
Aina Dumlao said: The Unusual Suspects is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's a crazy ride with lots of twists and turns but, at the heart of it, it's about female friendship. Underneath the wrapper of a crazy heist, it's a story about empathy and finding common ground.
Miranda Otto said: What attracted me to the story is the joyful, colourful sense of fun. This high-pitched zany caper felt really fresh as an Australian project. It's also a wonderful window into a culture that exists here that people probably don't know a lot about.
Michelle Vergara Moore said: There's suspense, intrigue and mystery but it's also very funny. We had such a blast shooting it, so I really hope everyone enjoys watching it. As the daughter of Filipino immigrants, shooting this role with this amazing cast of women has been one of the highlights of my career.
Joining the impressive cast are Otto and Moore's real-life partners, Peter O'Brien (Wentworth, Tidelands, The Killing Field) and Toby Leonard Moore (Billions, Mank, Daredevil, Condor), Matt Day (Rake, Wolf Creek, A Place to Call Home), Lena Cruz (Shortland Street), Susana Downes (Dead Lucky), Ari Boyland (Shortland Street, Power Rangers RPM), Heather Mitchell (A Place to Call Home, Janet King), James Lugton (Hacksaw Ridge), Renee Lim (The Invisible Man, Secret City), Susie Porter (Hungry Ghosts, Wentworth), Sandy Gore (Australia, Brides of Christ, Prisoner), Megan Smart (Between Two Worlds) and Andrea Demetriades (The Commons, Janet King).
Miguel Castro, Darcey O'Brien, Emma Cleland, Liam Cleland, Blake Santos, Avery Santos and Danielle David will also appear in their first major television roles.
The series is produced by award-winning filmmaking duo Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford,whose recent credits include Lion, nominated for six Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards as well as Berlin Syndrome, Dirt Music, The Other Guy and The Unlisted. They are joined by Vonne Patiag (Halal Gurls) as Associate Producer. Written by series creator Jessica Redenbach (Spirited, Rush), Roger Monk (Nowhere Boys, The Secret Life of Us) and co-writer Vonne Patiag, with Margarett Cortez as Script Consultant. In the directors' chairs are Emmy Award-winning Natalie Bailey (Retrograde, Run, Avenue 5, The Thick of It) and Melvin Montalban (Rope Burn, Cupid).
To mark the launch, SBS will be celebrating across its platforms with a curated collection of content across the network celebrating both women and Filipino culture. The Feed's Alice Matthews will also present a special half-hour program - Unwrapped - featuring the cast and creatives discussing gender, race and representation. It will be available on SBS On Demand following the series premiere.
The Unusual Suspects is an Aquarius Films production for SBS with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW and About Premium Content, which also handles international distribution. The series is financed with support from Cutting Edge Post.
The Unusual Suspects will be subtitled in Filipino, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Korean and Hindi and will be added to the subtitled collection on SBS On Demand. The series will also be available with audio description for audiences who are blind or vision impaired.
The Unusual Suspects premieres Thursday June 3 at 8:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand (full-series drop).
For screeners and more images, please visit our Screening Room
To read a PDF version of this media release, click here.
Asia, Australia & Oceanic Stories
21/04/2026
Applications open for 2026 AISF and Screen Australia Writer/Director Virtual Ses...
20/04/2026
Register now - Market & Audience Department Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session 11 February 2026
Screen Australia Head of Market & Audience Rakel Tansley
Talking to...
20/04/2026
Screen Australia announces funding for 44 documentary projects that reflect a s...
20/04/2026
Screen Australia appoints Tanya Phegan as Narrative Content Head of Development 17 March 2026
Tanya Phegan
Screen Australia has today announced the appointmen...
20/04/2026
Applications Open for Skip Ahead 11 19 March 2026
Past Skip Ahead recipients (L-R): Macfarlane Bros, Rainbow Bop, Lyanna Kea.
Screen Australia and YouTube Aus...
20/04/2026
Screen Australia empowers the next games generation, including new creatives fro...
20/04/2026
Official Co-production Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session 26 March 2026
Image (L-R): Mix Tape, Michele McDonald, Flower & Flour.
Interested in international Co-pro...
20/04/2026
Screen Australia announces Narrative Content funding for 91 projects, including ...
20/04/2026
Production Infrastructure and Capacity Analysis (PICA) pinpoints four key workfo...
20/04/2026
Australians in Film and Screen Australia Announce the 2026 Participants in the T...
20/04/2026
Screen Australia relaunches website with new tools and improved user experience 16 April 2026
Screen Australia relaunches website
Screen Australia has relaun...
16/04/2026
SBS reveals all-star alumni team to celebrate 70 years of the Eurovision Song Co...
02/04/2026
SBS Welcomes Back Cup Fever! For The Biggest FIFA World Cup Ever
2 April, 2026
Media releases
Santo Cilauro, Ed Kavalee and a host of special guests retur...
02/04/2026
Truth. Power. Perspective: NITV's Flagship Current Affairs Programs Return t...
27/03/2026
NITV to broadcast farewell to Rhoda Roberts AO with special coverage and week-lo...
21/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnect highlights how we all deserve t...
21/03/2026
Statement regarding Rhoda Roberts AO
21 March, 2026
Media releases
SBS is deeply saddened by the passing of Widjabul Wieybal woman from the Bundjalung Na...
20/03/2026
Feast for cycling fans as SBS extends road cycling broadcasts to include all Gra...
19/03/2026
Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand
19 March, 2026
Media releases
From one of the writer/producers of Succession...
19/03/2026
SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual ...
19/03/2026
Clarification from SBS regarding Western Sydney expansion
19 March, 2026
Media releases
From an SBS spokesperson:
SBS wishes to clarify some media coverag...
19/03/2026
Techtel announces inctrl : web-based production control for content creators, co...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
12/03/2026
AFL and NITV partner to launch new First Nations led program Inside the Huddle&...
06/03/2026
Statement on the appointment of Dr Nicholas Pappas AM as SBS Chair
6 March, 2026
Media releases
The SBS Board and Executive have welcomed the appointment o...
05/03/2026
SBS and Mint Pictures to chronicle the Bondi terror attack in major feature docu...
05/03/2026
Winter Olympic stars return to the ice for ISU World Figure Skating Championship...
04/03/2026
100 Days to Go: SBS Unveils World Class Team for The Greatest Show on Earth -The...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
2 March, 2026
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednes...
02/03/2026
Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative 2 March 2026
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (UK), a new init...
27/02/2026
Screen Australia announces Rachel Perkins as Director of First Nations Strategy 27 February 2026
Screen Australia has today announced the appointment of Rachel...
18/02/2026
SBS brings Australians together to mark Ramadan and Eid with communities nationw...
16/02/2026
SBS's Powerhouse Current Affairs Line-up is Back with the Conversations and ...
12/02/2026
Our Medicine S2: Frontline Medicine Through A Blak Lens
12 February, 2026
Media releases
A Bigger, Bolder Second Series showcasing First Nations Frontline ...
11/02/2026
ABS Strengthens Ku-Band Capacity and Expands Regional Reach Through Strategic Pa...
10/02/2026
World-first opt-out function now fully integrated on SBS On Demand
10 February, 2026
Media releases
SBS has announced a suite of audience-first enhancement...
09/02/2026
SBS Media Sustainability Challenge returns for 2026
9 February, 2026
Media releases
The challenge offers brands and agencies $500,000 in advertising invent...
04/02/2026
Queer Renegades: SBS Audio's new podcast reclaiming Australia's queer hi...
03/02/2026
The smash-hit series The Hospital: In the Deep End returns to shine a spotlight ...
02/02/2026
SBS's High-Flying Drama The Airport Chaplain casts Hugo Weaving alongside Th...
30/01/2026
Introducing the NEW Techtel.tv! | FEB 5% OFF Offer
30 Jan Written By Suzanne Costello
Our Website & Online Store: Now Unified for a Seamless Experience.We&#...
28/01/2026
28 01 2026 - Media release Screen Australia refreshes Market & Audience approach...
26/01/2026
NAIDOC launches 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly , marks major milestone
25 January, 2026
Media releases
The National NAIDOC Committee has today unveiled its...
23/01/2026
FY2025 Full Year Results...
22/01/2026
A New Voice, New Places and the Real Australia as Brooke Blurton joins Ernie Din...
21/01/2026
Australia's Greatest Conman? premieres 24 February on SBS and SBS On Demand
Media releases
The $900 million dollar mystery that fooled our nation Austra...
FIRST LOOK TRAILER: HERE
