Fake (TV series)

Fake is a drama-thriller series.^[1] Inspired by the 2019 book with the same name by Stephanie Wood,^[2] the series follows a smart magazine writer who thinks she has found her ideal match when she meets a successful grazier on a dating app. The writer later discovers that he is not all that he has led her to believe.^[3][4]

The eight-part 40-minute series was filmed in Melbourne in September 2023, created by screenwriter Anya Beyersdorf and directed by Emma Freeman,^[3] Jennifer Leacey and Taylor Ferguson.^[4] Three episodes were written by Hyun Lee and Jessica Tuckwell.^[5]

The series is produced by Kindling Pictures, led by Imogen Banks and Emelyne Palmer. The series received a major production investment from Paramount ANZ and Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen.^[4]

All episodes of the series were added to Paramount+ on 4 July 2024.^[4][5] The series marked its free-to-air debut on Network 10 and 10Play on 25 May 2025.^[6]

Craig Mathieson of The Age wrote, "On an emotional level it is forensic, and the direction – set up by Emma Freeman – accentuates the acutely felt unease…It becomes a brutal, recurring cue. Fake is one gripping shock to the system after another".^[7] Luke Buckmaster of Guardian Australia described the series' narration, "There's a logic to this narration but it's almost impossible to make a sentence like that sound natural – and the show doesn’t quite master the literary qualities it's aspiring for, either".^[8] David Knox of TV Tonight wrote, "In a world of scams, bad dates and ghosting Fake is a modern cautionary tale about trust and self-worth. It's also a ripping yarn."^[9]

On 25 May 2025, Network 10 aired the show free-to-air and the first episode aired to 300,000 viewers.^[10]