8 July 2020
Now it’s coronavirus – the TV series. ABC tonight premieres a coronavirus-themed telly show developed, filmed and edited under lockdown regulations, reports The New Daily.
According to the online paper, Retrograde tells a story that’s mirrored across the country: life-changing plans are thrown into disarray with the arrival of a global pandemic.
At the heart of the show is Maddie, a 30-something Brisbane woman who is on the cusp of taking a leap to work and live in Seoul, South Korea, leaving behind a listless life for new adventures. Then enter: COVID-19.
Suddenly Maddie’s dreams come crashing down.
The immediacy of the pandemic mirrors our own reality: one day everything was normal, the next day it wasn’t.
Another character Ramsay is already out prowling the streets searching for toilet paper – struggling to find that or hand sanitiser anywhere.
Retrograde was a quick turnaround: filming began in mid-June and the first episode hits screens tonight — which, says The New Daily, “is remarkable regardless of the unprecedented circumstances under which it was made.
“For those viewing in Victoria, the themes of impending lockdown and uncertainty will grate a bit too close to home. But there’s a comfort in knowing that these strange times did indeed happen to everyone.
“The forced pause the pandemic brought to our lives means there has been a lot of time for self-reflection. People are reprioritising what’s important to them, making big life changes, like ending a long-term relationship or leaving the city behind and moving to the country.”
This energy was something series co-creator Meg O’Connell tried to capture.
“The COVID-19 lockdown means the characters in Retrograde are finally having the existential crises they put off having in their 20s,” O’Connell was quoted in The New Daily.
“They’re being forced to look at their reflections in the mirror (or video call) and are asking themselves: ‘Do I like what I see?’.”
Retrograde premieres on ABC TV and iView today, July 8, at 9.30pm.