australian television information archive

A Working Dog Production

Created by: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch
Executive Producer: Michael Hirsh
Series Producer: Debra Herman
Producers: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch
Writers: Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch
Director: Rob Sitch

Airing: July - October 2008 (ABC)

The Hollowmen is a comedy-drama set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, a special think tank personally set up by the Prime Minister to help him in the most important job of all — getting re-elected. Their brief is "long term vision"; to stop worrying about tomorrow's headlines, and focus on next week's. The series examines the rise of a new class in Canberra - that of the professional advisor. In the past it was politicians, guided by public servants, who made the decisions. Today they have 'staffers', dozens of paid advisors. We don't vote for them, we don't even know their names, and we're not quite sure what they do. But they wield enormous influence. They are very much the power behind the power. They are The Hollowmen.