Secret Bridesmaids Business: When To Air And Watch

Secret Bridesmaids' Business is a 2019 six-part Australian television miniseries, produced by Seven Studios for the Seven Network. The series, directed by Tori Garrett and Jennifer Perrott, stars Abbie Cornish, Katie McGrath, and Georgina Haig. The show follows three best friends whose relationships are tested by secrets and harsh truths, triggering a destructive chain reaction that blows open a hidden world of secrets.

Plot

Secret Bridesmaids' Business is a 2019 six-part Australian television miniseries. The series follows three best friends—Melanie Heyward, Saskia de Merindol, and Olivia Cotterill—and explores how their relationships with each other change as a result of life-threatening situations, secrets, and dangerous obsessions.

Melanie, played by Abbie Cornish, is a mother, wife, and successful career woman. However, her idyllic life is turned upside down when she faces some harsh truths, and her world starts to spiral out of control. Saskia, played by Katie McGrath, is a fast-rising lawyer, who is intelligent and fiercely loyal to her best friend, Olivia. Saskia is also bisexual and holds a secret that could threaten her friendship with Olivia. Olivia, played by Georgina Haig, is a vibrant, witty, and optimistic woman who had a near-death experience with leukaemia. This experience has made her determined to follow her dreams. However, when she discovers something dark about a loved one, she chooses to bury her own secret to protect those around her.

As the series unfolds, the three women's lives become entangled in a web of secrets and lies. Saskia and Alex go to extreme lengths to hide damning lies from the past, while Olivia wrestles with her life-threatening secret. Melanie's marriage is in trouble after she has an affair, and she becomes obsessed with saving another woman from Jakob's harassment. Meanwhile, Olivia discovers Alex's darkest secret, and Saskia's unexpected relationship history is revealed, leaving her vulnerable to a vicious attack.

As Olivia's wedding day approaches, none of the women realise that Melanie is still in danger, as Jakob is hell-bent on revenge.

Characters

The 2019 Australian miniseries *Secret Bridesmaids' Business* centres on three main characters: Olivia Cotterill, Melanie Heyward, and Saskia de Merindol. The series follows the three best friends in the weeks leading up to Olivia's wedding.

Olivia Cotterill is played by Georgina Haig. She is a cancer survivor and the owner of a winery. She is engaged to Alex Blake, played by Oliver Ackland, who cheats on her with her cancer nurse.

Melanie Heyward is played by Abbie Cornish. She is a mother of two and a hairdresser. She has an affair with Jakob Novak, played by Alexander England, but later ends it. Jakob then begins to stalk her.

Saskia de Merindol is played by Katie McGrath. She is a bisexual high-powered lawyer. She discovers that Alex cheated on Olivia with her cancer nurse, and she is also revealed to have a $200,000 embezzlement to hide. She is in love with Olivia, but their orientations are incompatible.

Other characters include Michael Heyward (Dan Spielman), Melanie's husband; Colleen Cotterill (Annie Jones), Bill Cotterill (Nicholas Bell), and Kerri Lane (Jacquie Brennan).

Cast

The cast of the 2019 Australian TV miniseries "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" includes:

• Abbie Cornish as Melanie Heyward
• Katie McGrath as Saskia de Merindol
• Georgina Haig as Olivia Cotterill
• Alexander England as Jakob Novak
• Dan Spielman as Michael Heyward
• Oliver Ackland as Alex Blake
• Annie Jones as Colleen Cotterill
• Nicholas Bell as Bill Cotterill
• Jacquie Brennan as Kerri Lane
• Artemis Ioannides as Uzma Abbassi
• Jackson Tozer as Oscar Kayo
• Emily Taheny as Nicole Vrisaki
• Hannah Bath as Janine Antonia
• Roz Hammond as Ginger Connor

The series also features performances by Chelsea Cassio, Alli Parker, Shanti Gudgeon, David Hannam, and more.

Production

The production of "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" began in May 2019, with Australia's Seven Studios starting principal photography on the series. The show is directed by Tori Garrett and Jennifer Perrott, and executive produced by MaryAnne Carroll. The series is produced by Amanda Crittenden, with Andrew Anastasios and David Hannam serving as script producers and writers.

The cast of "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" includes Abbie Cornish, Katie McGrath, and Georgina Haig, who play the three leads, Melanie, Saskia, and Olivia, respectively. The show also stars Alexander England, Dan Spielman, Oliver Ackland, Annie Jones, and Nicholas Bell.

The series is based on the stage play of the same name, written by Elizabeth Coleman. Film Victoria provided the principal production investment. "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" is a Seven Studios production for the Seven Network and was commissioned as part of the studio's strategy to produce series for Australian and international markets.

The show's CEO, Therese Hegarty, expressed delight at securing outstanding actors, attributing it to the storytelling and craftsmanship of the scripts, which blend secrets, lies, wit, and compelling friendships.

"Secret Bridesmaids' Business" premiered in September 2019 in Australia, and the DVD was released in February 2020.

Critical reception

The 2019 six-part Australian television miniseries "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. While some praised the show for its intriguing plot and strong performances, others criticised its weak ending and sloppy direction.

One reviewer called the series an incredibly tense watch that got progressively tenser and tenser to the point where [they] were holding [their] breath in anticipation. They highlighted the performances of the four lead actors, Abbie Cornish, Katie McGrath, Georgina Haig, and Alexander England, as a particular standout, with England's portrayal of Jakob Novak being characterised as terrifying. The reviewer also noted the similarities between the series and other popular shows such as "Big Little Lies" and "You," adding that the mix of wedding preparations and intense stalking made for a compelling watch.

Another reviewer on Amazon.com gave the show a five-star rating, describing it as "part thriller, part soul-sister wedding shenanigans." They praised the complex and funny portrayals of female friendship and the performances of the three lead actresses, Cornish, McGrath, and Haig.

However, one IMDb user criticised the show for its weak ending, stating that the last two episodes were poorly executed. They noted that an important character's disappearance was not adequately addressed, and the final episode felt disjointed. This reviewer attributed the issues to sloppy direction and a poor script, concluding that it spoiled what was otherwise a good series.

Overall, while "Secret Bridesmaids' Business" received some positive reviews for its tense storytelling and strong performances, criticisms of its ending and direction suggest that it could have benefited from tighter storytelling in its final act.

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