Netflix isn’t just about your favorite Marvel dramas Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Luke Cage or sci-fi hits like Sense8 and Stranger Things. The streaming site also features some great animated originals like BoJack Horseman, and now their library is getting another boost with the new series Pacific Heat. Set in Australia’s Gold Coast—a glitzy, sun-drenched paradise for tourists—the series offers up a satirical take on your run-of-the-mill cop shows.
It centers on a covert group of highly trained operatives who are sent in to investigate the flourishing crime scene fostered by everyone from “drug smugglers and biker gangs to eco-terrorists and the person who invented frozen yogurt.” The series was created by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch from the animation company Working Dog.
In honor of the show’s debut, we spoke to Sitch about why he wanted to co-create the show, as well as how many women are involved.
TMS (Keisha): What made you want to do this show?
Rob Sitch: Sending up dramatic cliches have always made us laugh. Most comedians are observers and we do it to amuse ourselves but occasionally you feel the need to point out just how silly it’s got. The self importance of imaginary crime fighting has got very silly.
TMS: What are you most excited for people to see?
RS: I think we give too much respect to “authorities”. It’s fun to point out that they’re just as big idiots as the rest of us.
TMS: Because this takes place in Australia, how integral will that location be to the part of the show? Will there be special nods for Aussies?
RS: Our greatest influence for this series as American Cop dramas. We grew up on them. In fact we’re old enough to have seen Hawaii Five 0 and Charlie’s Angels in different centuries! It’s more the genre than the nationality.
TMS: What is your favorite thing about this crop of characters?
RS: I like villains. The western world tends to rotate its villains. Russian to Middle Eastern to Chinese to South Americans and so forth. Evil Geniuses rarely come out of the Mid West!
TMS: Are there a lot of women involved behind the scenes? If not, are you hoping there will be more in the future?
RS: Our producer, Deb Herman, has overseen everything we’ve done for 20 years. We recently did a TV production where every department head was female. It wasn’t by design and it didn’t occur to me until I was writing thank you cards!
TMS: Was it straightforward to do animation?
RS: No!! Most people have the vague impression that you can buy it off the shelf. It’s surprising with all th ecomputer power that there isn’t an app! Amination still has to be hand made to fit the writing.
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Pacific Heat is now available to stream on Netflix.
(image via screencap)
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