BBC acquires Treasure & Dirt from Sphere Abacus
November 21, 2025
The BBC has acquired an adaptation of Treasure & Dirt, the crime novel by Scrublands writer Chris Hammer, for BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sphere Abacus.
Set in a dying opal town in the middle of the desert, when a miner is found beheaded and left to decompose in the depths of his own small claim, big-city homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate. Assigned to him is rural detective Nell Buchanan, who knows how this place really works – and how it warps people. Together, they’re drawn into a labyrinth of secrets, greed, and old sins that won’t stay buried.
The cast oincludes Michael Dorman (Territory, For All Mankind), Liv Hewson (Yellowjackets, He Had It Coming), Sarah Peirse (The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer, Under the Vines), Thomas M. Wright (Wolfram, The Stranger), Mark Mitchinson (Mystery Road, Uproar), Eamon Farren (Twin Peaks, The Witcher) and more.
Sue Deeks, Head of Scripted Pre-buy Acquisitions at the BBC, commented: “Treasure & Dirt is an atmospheric, multi-layered, psychological thriller where the isolation, heat and barren landscape add to the many challenges the investigative team must overcome to solve a rivetingly complex crime.”
Ian Collie and Rob Gibson, Executive Producers for Easy Tiger, said: “Treasure & Dirt is a gripping, must-watch thriller and continues our partnership with Chris Hammer, arguably one of Australia’s best crime writers. We are delighted to be working with the ABC on this production and thrilled to be filming again in South Australia, with the support of the South Australian Film Corporation as well as our international partners Sphere Abacus, and the BBC. Adapted for the screen by fellow Executive Producer Matt Cameron, the incredible Treasure & Dirt team is led by director Madeleine Gottlieb and producer Rebecca Summerton. We can’t wait for audiences in Australia and around the globe to meet Detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan and the colourful characters of Nulla, as well as showcasing the amazing locations of South Australia, including the arid deserts and the underground tunnels of the unique Coober Pedy.”
Treasure & Dirt (6 x 58) is an Easy Tiger Production for the ABC in association with the BBC and the South Australian Film Corporation. It is supported by the South Australian Film Corporation and ABC TV. The Executive Producers are Ian Collie and Rob Gibson (Colin From Accounts, The Twelve, Scrublands), and Matt Cameron (The Clearing, Prosper), who also adapted the series. It is produced by Rebecca Summerton and directed by Madeleine Gottlieb. Worldwide distribution is handled by Sphere Abacus.
The novel was released under the title Treasure & Dirt in Australia, and Opal Country in the UK.
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