The Airport Chaplain
| The Airport Chaplain | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by |
|
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Jude Troy |
| Cinematography |
|
| Production company | Wooden Horse |
| Original release | |
| Network | SBS |
| Release | 26 August 2026 – present |
The Airport Chaplain is a 2026 Australian television drama series for SBS Television. Created by Elise McCredie and Jude Troy, the series focuses on Tobias Wallace, the airport "fixer", who thinks the airport cannot run without him, played by Hugo Weaving. Also starring are Shabana Azeez, Claudia Karvan, Thomas Weatherall, and Arka Das. The eight-part series aired from 26 August on SBS Television and SBS on Demand in Australia, and on Netflix in all regions outside Australia on the same day.
Plot
[edit source]Tobias Wallace, the airport fixer, has an unusual but effective approach to dealing with the daily crises unfolding in the terminal. However, his new boss, Mira, calls him a liability. A power clash sees an effect that ripples through the airport and its staff.[1]
Cast
[edit source]- Hugo Weaving as Tobias Wallace
- Shabana Azeez as Mira Ansari-Cole
- Claudia Karvan as Cath Barnes
- Thomas Weatherall as Johnny Flick
- Arka Das as Sami Rahman
- Erroll Shand as Lex Pascoe
- Claude Jabbour as Anthony Cole
- Kavitha Anandasivam as Asha Chawla
Episodes
[edit source]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [a] | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "God Complex" | Bonnie Moir | Elise McCredie | 26 August 2026 | 0.239[3] |
| 2 | "Declaration" | Bonnie Moir | Sarah Bassiuoni & Elise McCredie | 26 August 2026 | 0.239[3] |
| 3 | "Excess Baggage" | Bonnie Moir | Elise McCredie | 2 September 2026 | TBD |
| 4 | "Forever My Friend" | Bonnie Moir | Mithila Gupta | 2 September 2026 | TBD |
| 5 | "Upstairs Downstairs" | Tig Terera | Sarah Bassiuoni | 9 September 2026 | TBD |
| 6 | "Life is War" | Tig Terera | Elise McCredie & Vidya Rajan | 9 September 2026 | TBD |
| 7 | "Running" | Tig Terera | Elise McCredie | 16 September 2026 | TBD |
| 8 | "Prepare for Landing" | Tig Terera | Vidya Rajan | 16 September 2026 | TBD |
Production
[edit source]On 4 September 2025, SBS announced that the series had entered pre-production. Then titled The Chaplain and It, the series was based on a real-life encounter from series creators Elise McCredie and Jude Troy.[4] It was filmed in Melbourne.[5]
On 2 February 2026, SBS announced the series had gone into production in and around Melbourne using purpose-built sets, securing funding from Screen Australia and VicScreen, creating over 150 local jobs for cast and crew.[6] On the same date, the cast for the series was announced.[7]
The Airport Chaplain was co-created and executive produced by Elise McCredie and Jude Troy for Wooden Horse Production. It was written by McCredie, Sarah Bassiuoni, Mithila Gupta, and Vidya Rajan, and directed by Bonnie Moir and Tig Terera.[2] Terera, who was born in Zimbabwe and is based in Melbourne, previously created the 2024 SBS drama miniseries Swift Street.[8][9] Bonnie Moir directed season 2 of Love Me and the 2024 television series Exposure.[10]
Cinematography was by Alex Cardy and Sky Davies.[11]
Release
[edit source]The world premiere of the series took place at the Melbourne International Film Festival,[12] where three episodes were screened[11] on 15 August 2026, with Bonnie Moir, Jude Troy, Elise McCredie, Hugo Weaving, Claudia Karvan, and Thomas Weatherall in attendance.[12]
The eight-part series of half-hour episodes[13] was released on SBS Television and SBS on Demand on 26 August 2026.[14][2] It is also going to stream on Netflix in all regions outside Australia on the same day, reaching over 190 countries and regions,[2] making it the first SBS Original drama to launch simultaneously on Netflix outside Australia.[13]
Reception
[edit source]Based on the first four episodes, Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald gave the series 4 out of 5 stars,[15] as did Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian. Buckmaster praises the performances, in particular Weaving, and describes the series as "thoroughly bingeable".[16] Stephen A. Russell of ScreenHub Australia gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, based on the first three episodes. He praises the performances of many of the actors, as well as the cinematography, and notes that "the fractious relationship between Tobias and Mira, with Azeez a grand sparring partner and the kinks in their working relationship, [make] for great TV".[11]
RMIT University digital communication lecturer Alexa Scarlata called the series "perfection", "a triumph for local television, and also on a global scale as the public broadcaster's global Netflix debut". She writes in The Conversation that it "effectively and engagingly uses the cultural melting pot of the airport setting to fulfil the broadcaster's multicultural remit".[13]
David Knox of TV Tonight called the show "a welcome addition to the drama pantheon", praises the sets, and writes "Hugo Weaving brings gravitas, tenderness and humour to the chaos of an airport".[17]
Notes
[edit source]- ↑ All episodes became available on 26 August 2026 on SBS on Demand[2]
References
[edit source]- ↑ "SBS drama 'The Airport Chaplain' casts Hugo Weaving alongside 'The Pitt' star Shabana Azeez". SBS What's On. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Premiere date revealed for SBS Original drama The Airport Chaplain, starring Hugo Weaving and Shabana Azeez". SBS About. 30 July 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- 1 2 Knox, David (27 August 2026). "SBS checks in with Airport Chaplain, Alone Australia. | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- ↑ "Airport chaplain inspires SBS drama series". Northern. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ Knox, David (4 September 2025). "How The Chaplain became an SBS drama". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ Writer, Staff. "Victoria Lands Star Studded New Airport Drama Series". MirageNews.com. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ Knox, David (2 February 2026). "SBS drama The Airport Chaplain filming in Melbourne". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ↑ "Tig Terera: Creating Swift Street". Screen Australia. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Kolarkar, Suraj (3 October 2024). "Tig Terera on the creative journey from Zimbabwe to Swift Street" (audio + text). SBS Audio. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bonnie Moir". Exit Films. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Russell, Stephen A (26 August 2026). "The Airport Chaplain review: flying high with Hugo Weaving". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The Airport Chaplain". MIFF 2026. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Scarlata, Alexa (26 August 2026), The Airport Chaplain: SBS's global Netflix debut is heartfelt TV that will blow you away, The Conversation, doi:10.64628/aa.5e74dfuft
- ↑ Knox, David (29 July 2026). "Airdate: The Airport Chaplain". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ Mathieson, Craig (19 August 2026). "The Airport Chaplain review: Hugo Weaving shines in this compelling and timely new Australian drama". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (26 August 2026). "The Airport Chaplain review – thoroughly bingeable TV about 'Batman in a hi-vis vest'". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Knox, David (25 August 2026). "The Airport Chaplain". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
External links
[edit source]- The Airport Chaplain at IMDb
- Rosso, Jason Di; Ma, Wenlei (25 August 2026). "The Couch: What's the verdict on The Airport Chaplain and Sterling Point?" (audio, 15m). ABC listen.