On June 1, SundanceTV will launch Cleverman, a new original drama series that is slated to be one of the most creatively unique shows in recent memory! The series was produced in partnership with Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which will air the series in Australia beginning on June 2.
Cleverman was created by Ryan Griffen, and it takes place in the near future as humanity shares the world with Hairypeople, a race that was previously believed to be only a myth. Despite outward appearances, Hairypeople are not human. They live over twice as long as humans and they are much faster and stronger than any man or woman. As their name suggests, they are also very, very hairy…but they can pass for human if they shave off their excess hair.
The Hairypeople who don’t shave their hair to blend in find themselves socially oppressed by humanity and stuck living in The Zone, a rare sanctuary that has a community attempting to find a common bond between humans and Hairypeople. However, a series of grizzly murders have been blamed on the Hairypeople, and the fragile peace is crumbling by the day.
Only the Cleverman can bring the humans and Hairypeople together. In Aboriginal culture, the Cleverman is a man of power in the tribe who serves as a conduit between reality and the Dreaming. In this show, the role of the Cleverman comes down to two half-brothers: Koen and Waruu West, and they couldn’t hate each other more…until one of them is chosen at the other’s expense.
Ahead of Cleverman’s premiere, CraveOnline is proud to present this exclusive gallery from the series, along with some additional information about the main characters!
Photo Credits: Australian Broadcasting Corporation/SundanceTV
Cleverman
-
Koen West (Hunter Page-Lochard)
Meet your new Cleverman, the so-called chosen being who can bridge the gap between humanity and the Hairies...
Too bad Koen West is anything but a hero when we meet him. He's a bit of a con artist, really. But he's gonna have to grow into his role...and fast.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Waruu West (Rob Collins)
Waruu is Koen's nemesis, and his brother! For most of his life, Waruu believed it was his destiny to be the Cleverman. And he won't stand to his brother take that which is rightfully "his."
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Jarrod Slade (Iain Glen)
Outwardly, Jarrod Slade is a self-made millionaire and philanthropist. But he also has his own agenda for the Hairies that may not be in their best interest...
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Jarrod Slade, Koen West, and Waruu West
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Uncle Jimmy (Jack Charles)
Uncle Jimmy is the father figure for Koen West and Waruu West who finds himself working for Jarrod Slade and sharing more secrets than he should. To make amends, he'll call upon the Cleverman.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
The Family
In this series, the Hairies don't have family names. But this is the primary Hairy family of the series.
From left-to right: Jirra, Latani, Boondee, Araluen, and Djukara.Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Djukara (Tysan Towney)
Djukara is the only son of the lead Hairy family, and a bit of a rebel who appears to be getting more radicalized by the oppression that he and his people receive on a daily basis.
Unlike his parents, Djukara isn't content to wait for things to get better. But he may be too rash for his own good.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Boondee (Tony Briggs) and Djukara (Tysan Towney)
Unlike his son, Djukara, Boondee is willing to shave off his excess hair and pass for human while waiting for their people to be accepted.
He's more patient than Djukara, and probably more naive.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Latani (Rarriwuy Hick) and Djukara (Tysan Towney)
Latani takes after her father, and she even forms friendships with humans. This makes her a believer in peaceful co-existence. But that's not a belief that Djukara shares...
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Charlotte Cleary (Frances O’Connor)
Charlotte Cleary is a doctor who is married to Jarrod Slade. And she is definitely devoted to him. But she soon has reason to question Slade's motives towards the Hairies...
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Blair Finch (Ryan Corr)
Blair is Koen's best friend and the co-owner of the bar they share. But unfortunately, that's not all they share...
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Ash Kerry (Stef Dawson)
Ash is a friend and co-worker with Koen and Blair. But her romance with Blair might be threatened by the mutual attraction between Ash and Koen.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Aunty Linda (Deborah Mailman)
Aunty Linda is the mother figure of Koen and Waruu, who has seemingly been rejected by both men despite her love for them. Her trials are just getting started...
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
-
Geoff Matthews (Andrew McFarlane)
Geoff Matthews is a politician who presents himself as having everyone's best interests at heart.
But he is not that man...and his inner darkness will become apparent very quickly.
Photo Credit: ABC/SundanceTV
