Netflix’s ‘Pacific Heat’: Trailer, plot, cast & release date

Netflix debuted the first official trailer for its upcoming animated series ‘Pacific Heat.’ The Australian comedy show will be available in its entirety on the streaming platform starting on December 2.

The first trailer for ‘Pacific Heat’ follows the news of Netflix picking up the show back in late September. The media giant ordered a first season of thirteen episodes with a renewal option depending on its performance among viewers.

‘Pacific Heat’ comes from the acclaimed group Working Dog Productions, a household name in the Australian comedy scene. The animated series will air on Netflix for North American and U.K. audiences exclusively.

Working Dogs Productions Logo. Image: Working Dog Productions website.
Working Dogs Productions Logo. Image: Working Dog Productions website.

‘Pacific Heat’ is a modern take on Australian crime

Perhaps the most distinctive quality of ‘Pacific Heat’ is its original setting. It is an animated show like many but set on the unique Gold Coast of Queensland in Australia.

This magnificent beach on the Oceanside is not exactly a paradise, though, since it is a spot for crimes as petty as littering and as big as international drug trafficking.

A dedicated police task force works undercover to investigate and bring justice to the Gold Coast, and that is what ‘Pacific Heat’ is all about. Netflix describes the series as “unconventional, uncompromising, and unafraid to operate outside the law.’

‘Pacific Heat’ looks eerily similar to FX’s ‘Archer,’ but it is not

Pacific Heat characters.
Pacific Heat photo. Image: YouTube.

‘Pacific Heat’ has been under development ever since 2014. When Netflix recently picked it up for an international debut on its streaming platform, people instantly drew comparisons between the show and FX’s ‘Archer.’

The animation style and character design certainly have a striking resemblance, and the plot of both series does not fall short of similarities either. ‘Archer’ is about an international spy agency, ‘Pacific Heat’ is somewhat smaller in its local approach staying Australia.

However, the creators of the show quickly addressed this issue back in early October. Santo Cilauro of Working Dog Productions sat down with The Sydney Morning Herald to talk about the show and the online accusations about copying ‘Archer.’

“In a way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the makers of Scooby Doo got upset,” said Cilauro at the time. “I don’t know about Archer, but I’ve always thought this is a little bit CSI Miami, a little bit Scooby Doo,” he added.

The showrunner admitted to knowing about ‘Archer’ and even being familiar with the art style of the show, but he simply said the style of ‘Pacific Heat’ came down to “the way we pictured in our heads.”

‘Pacific Heat’: Cast and Premiere date

‘Pacific Heat’ stars Rob Sitch as the voice of Special Agent Todd Sommerville, the team’s young and restless detective. Santo Cilauro plays Agent Zac, while Tom Gleisner is the Chief overseeing the activities of the Australian police force.

Rebecca Massey and Lucia Mastrantone provide the voices for Special Agents Maddie Rigs and Veronica V.J. Delane respectively. Neither Netflix nor Working Dog have given any other details about the upcoming show’s cast.

‘Pacific Heat’ premieres first on Australian television on the local channel Foxtel the 27th of November. Netflix will launch the first season on its streaming service on December 2.

Viewers can catch ‘Pacific Heat’ on Netflix only in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland.

Source: Netflix YouTube Channel