Netflix's Territory is a Succession-like drama full of family rivalry and betrayal set in the Australian outback

Netflix's Australian commissioning team has had a pretty good run over the last 12 months. In January, the adaptation of Trent Dalton's novel Boy Swallows Universe proved to be the most successful Australian series to date, garnering 7.6 million views worldwide in its first two weeks.

A few months later, the second season of the streamer's reboot of Heartbreak High debuted at number one in Australia and remained on the global top 10 English TV series list for three consecutive weeks.

Will Netflix's latest Australian series – one without any connection to a well-known book or TV show – be as well received? Luckily for the streamer, its new six-part outback Western Territory has already been described as “epic,” “unforgettable” and “rollicking television.”

First class bush family drama

The series is set in the Northern Territory, on the “largest cattle ranch in the world”. The fictional Marianne train station is about the size of Belgium.

The once great dynasty of its owners, the Lawson family, falls into doubt when their heir to the throne dies in the first episode. The Top End's most powerful players – billionaire miners, rival cattle barons, desert gangsters and indigenous elders – immediately begin circling.

Although this is an original concept from creators Timothy Lee and Ben Davies, one might feel a sense of déjà vu as Territory is equal parts Succession and Yellowstone. I can imagine Netflix executives quantifying the returns on these two hits and saying, “Let's put some money into it.” And boy, did they.

No expense was spared on hats and helicopters

Directed by Wolf Creek heavyweight Greg McLean. According to him, this is it

largest South Australian TV production of all time. Possibly one of the biggest TV productions in Australia just in terms of the amount of crew (and) the incredible support we had to get to the locations we went to.

As Netflix put it, Bondi Beach is not that. While the interior scenes were filmed in South Australia, half of the series was filmed in stunning, remote locations across the NT.

As a result, the show looks like the most ambitious and sophisticated Tourism Australia advert you've ever seen. The wildlife! The panoramic drone shots! The hat budget! The rest of the world might assume we ride kangaroos to work and assume we all have our own helicopters.

The show looks just as expensive as it sounds, but is still a bit soapy. The irony of this story is that everyone is dirty, but no one ever sweats.

Territory was originally announced as “Desert King.” It was smart to change the name. The landscape is pretty lush for the most part – and not in a “look at this oasis we stumbled upon” kind of way. I counted a fly.

desert queens

While the male characters are brilliant sources of humor and violence, in Territory it's the ladies who bring the heart.

Anna Torv leads the series as Emily Lawson. Emily is the wife of the nearest but constantly drunk Graham (Michael Dorman). She is also the girl from the neighboring property and belongs to the rival Hodge family – a somewhat shady bunch who are known to steal the Lawsons' livestock.

Torv was the perfect choice to portray Emily as a long-suffering wife, despised daughter-in-law, loving sister and resentful mother. Her poker face kept me guessing. She may not be a Lawson by blood, but her cunning makes her a great addition to this powerful family.

Kylah Day plays Sharnie Kennedy, a young kid who fools around (and fools around) with a few Top End bandits. It was fun – if a little frustrating – to watch her figure out her loyalties and boundaries.

Finally, Sara Wiseman plays Sandra Kirby, a disgustingly wealthy and ruthless land developer who is also the quintessential villain. Sandra plays everyone – even her own son. Her merciless manipulation of aspiring Indigenous cattle baron Nolan Brannock (Clarence Ryan) hurts, even if it feels pretty heavy-handed.

Whose land and whose heritage?

Territory does a great job of building up a simmering tension between the traditional owners of the land and the families and companies that have taken possession of it.

But for a show so focused on the struggle for power in the Top End, the storylines dealing with the theme of dispossession are frustratingly slow.

Perhaps this is intended to appeal to a global audience that likely lacks the context that local viewers have. And perhaps for Australian viewers, the continued subordination and struggle of the original landowners is the intended escape.

Ultimately, Territory is an ambitious and attractive series. It was wonderful to see so many resources put into a new concept, filmed and set in a part of Australia that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.

Territory is streaming on Netflix today.