# Secret City (2016)

> A senior political journalist in Canberra uncovers a web of interlocked conspiracies as rising China-America tensions put lives at risk, her own included.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58517

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, thriller, crime
- Created by: Steve Lewis, Chris Uhlmann
- Network: showcase, FOX Showcase
- Cast: Anna Torv, Justin Smith, Dan Wyllie, Marcus Graham, Sacha Horler, Aleks Mikic, Jacki Weaver, Alan Dale
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4976512/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: mild
- Tone: tense, paranoid, sober, grounded, suspenseful

## What critics say

Reviewers broadly praise the tense political conspiracy plotting and Anna Torv's lead performance, though the series is considered a sober, slow-building drama rather than a crowd-pleaser.

## Synopsis

Secret City (2016-2019) is an Australian political thriller created by Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann. Anna Torv plays senior political journalist Harriet Dunkley, who pursues a story beneath the calm surface of Canberra while the rivalry between China and America tightens around the city. Her investigation draws her toward a network of interlocked conspiracies, and every lead carries danger for innocent people and for her own safety. Justin Smith plays William Vaughn, one of the powerful insiders whose ties and motives she must weigh, while Jacki Weaver and Marcus Graham add pressure as figures caught in the same web. Across two seasons of tightly plotted, serialized episodes, the show builds suspense through meetings in corridors, quiet compromises, and the constant risk of exposure. Its tone is tense, paranoid and grounded, with a cool, restrained visual register that makes official Canberra feel both ordinary and menacing. Viewers who enjoy Homeland, State of Play or Scandal will find resonance in its blend of political intrigue, investigative journalism and geopolitical unease, delivered as a sober adult drama with a strong sense of place.

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