Shadow Trackers premieres Thursday 27 October 8.30pm on NITV.
Our two intrepid ‘Shadow Trackers’, Hunter Page-Lochard (Cleverman) and Zac James (8MMM) encounter local storytellers and elders as they attempt to discover the truth behind the scary stories from Indigenous Australia that petrify us, guide us and teach us life’s lessons.
Join the brave duo as they hunt the lands where traditional spirits and legends roam, learning about ominous creatures and entities such as The Il-Bogan - a bunyip like creature that moves through underground tunnels in the lands of the Mununjali clan; the Muldjewangk - a water-creature lurking in the Murray River threatening to snatch young people loitering by the waters edge; The Devil Highway - a treacherous passage that taunts the Bunuba people; and finally, the Poinciana Woman - Darwin’s infamous urban legend who seeks revenge for her pain and suffering in the lands of the Larrakia Nation.
This series will have you laughing one minute and scared the next as the Shadow Trackers crisscross the continent illuminating Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders spiritual history. So sit back as Zac and Hunter investigate on the ground and in the dark finding… perhaps even the spirit itself.
Jade Christian, Senior Commission Editor, NITV said ‘Shadow Trackers is unlike anything ever before on Australian television and we are excited to broadcast it on NITV. The series offers a unique insight – at times hilarious, at times terrifying - into Aboriginal traditional spirit stories and urban legends to explain the unexplainable at the grass root level with people who have lived it.’
Shadow Trackers is written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Dena Curtis and co-produced by Veronica Fury, Principal of WildBear Entertainment.
EPISODE SYNOPSES
EPISODE ONE: IL-BOGAN, BEAUDESERT - 8.30pm, Thursday 27 October
Reconnecting with Hunter’s family, the Shadow Trackers head to Beaudesert on Mununjali land in Queensland to investigate the Il-Bogan. Hunter and Zac discover the Il-Bogan is a Bunyip which lurks in the lagoon and rivers, travelling through underwater tunnels to reach his destination. Researching and hearing stories from Uncle Bevan Page, his sister Aunty Levina Page and other loca l Elders, the Shadow Trackers set out on their investigation searching for the Il -Bogan. Will the Bunyip reveal himself to the duo or will they come face to face with another Mununjali spirit?
EPISODE TWO: THE MULDJEWANGK, MURRAY BRIDGE - 8.30pm, Thursday 3 November
Zac and Hunter travel to Ngarrindjeri land in South Australia to discover the Muldjewangk; a water creature that lives in the Murray River. A creation story to the Ngarrindjeri people , the Shadow Trackers discover that the Muldjewangk captures young men and women on the shores of the Murray River, dragging them down to his lair, eventually transforming them into versions of himself. The duo set sail down the Murray with their boat captain Bruce Carter and Elder Kevin Kropinyeri Senior as they search for the Muldjewangk and learn of his demise and cautionary tale. Armed with on-the-ground intelligence, Hunter and Zac submerse themselves into an investigation examining whether this half - man-half-fish creature continues to lurk in the depths of the Murray River.
EPISODE THREE: THE DEVIL HIGHWAY, FITZROY CROSSING – 8.30pm, Thursday 10 November
Venturing to the Kimberly, the Shadow Trackers duo, Hunter and Zac land in Bunuba country and the township of Fitzroy Crossing. A small population of about 1,000 people, this community challenges the duo to examine the legend of the Devil Highway; a short stretch of road that is a popular thoroughfare in the daylight which becomes a deserted section of bitumen once the sun goes down. Only the thrill seekers and brave dare to use this eerie track in the dark. Traditional Owners and local guide Ningali Lawford share their experiences of the Devil Highway, testing the boys’ beliefs and bravery. On nightfall, Zac and Hunter take on the challenge to walk the Devil Highway themselves. Will they encounter the spirits of the Highway or abort mission before it even begins?
EPISODE FOUR: THE POINCIANA WOMAN, DARWIN – 8.30pm, Thursday 17 November
The Shadow Trackers travel to the land of the Larrakia people in the Northern Territory to investigate the Poinciana woman - Darwin's most revered urban legend. The Poinciana Woman is a malicious spirit of a young Asian woman who roams the cliffs and lands of the East Point Reserve , terrorising men as she seeks retribution for her tragic fate. During their enquiries Hunter and Zac discover that this myth has many different accounts, elements and conclusions. After meeting with locals and learning the tales of this vindictive spirit, the duo bravely head to East Point Reserve to discover how real this fabled legend really is.
