The Australian team behind the US version of TV show Love on the Spectrum has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.
“It’s just such a great recognition of how skilful our production team is and I’m just so proud of everybody,” Karina Holden from Sydney production company Northern Pictures told AAP.
The US series, which follows young people on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating and relationships, was made by the same team that produced the original two seasons of Love on the Spectrum in Australia.
It’s a rare occasion when a local format of a reality TV show is successfully exported to international audiences, rather than the other way around.
The series has been nominated for editing, casting and unstructured reality show awards, and Ms Holden said nothing will stop her making it to the US to walk the red carpet in September.
“It would be an absolute necessity for us to be there, there’s no time in your career like being an Emmy nominee to hit the carpet and do the meetings in Los Angeles,” she said.
The US and Australian versions of the show, both airing on Netflix, are currently top ten programs in the US, UK, Scandinavia and South Korea.
Ms Holden said the streaming giant trusted the Australian production team to produce, shoot and edit the series when the idea was unproven in the local market.
“So not needing to tweak anything in order to make it more American or dumb it down or dial it up or do any of those things you might expect,” she said.
Finding people on the autism spectrum who were keen to be involved as they ventured into the world of dating wasn’t easy, with director Cian O’Clery moving to the US six months before shooting started to begin the casting process.
Even if they don‘t win an Emmy or three, the pair have become successful matchmakers, with two couples from the US series forming long-term relationships.
Ms Holden said she was constantly aware of the potential for exploitation that comes with the reality format, and the producers developed robust protocols to protect participants.
“It’s making sure you’re working with people who really want to be on that journey, and that you’re not finding someone and convincing them,” she said.
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on September 12.
