The true story behind POPULATION 11
THE NEW SERIES IS BASED ON AN UNSOLVED CRIME IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY
When Paddy Moriarty and his dog, Kellie, vanished from their home in the remote Northern Territory town of Larrimah on December 16, 2017, the tiny community was left reeling.
With a population of just 11, 70-year-old Paddy – who was last seen when he left the Larrimah Hotel – still managed to find someone to feud with.
It came out in 2022 at Paddy’s inquest that he and his neighbours had a long history of disagreements, with allegations of poisoned plants, a stolen umbrella and a kangaroo carcass being dragged onto one of their properties.
Coroner Greg Cavanagh said evidence showed that Paddy and his dog had both died the evening they went missing.
To this day, his body has never been found.
“Paddy was killed in the context of and likely due to the ongoing feud he had with his nearest neighbours,” Cavanagh said.
His neighbours have always denied having anything to do with Paddy’s disappearance and police have never named a person of interest.
Now, the cold case has served as inspiration for a new Stan series,
Population 11.
The show follows Andy
– played by Mad Men star Ben Feldman – a mild-mannered man from Cincinnati, who travels from the US to the fictional Bidgeegud,
‘His body has never
been found’
a tiny outback town of only 12 residents, to find his estranged father Hugo.
But when he arrives, Hugo has vanished, leaving behind only a videotape
alleging that he’s been abducted by aliens.
In his quest to find his father, Andy teams up with another outsider, Cassie, who comes to his aid and together they find themselves in danger as they delve into the secrets of the outback town, where everyone is a suspect.
The comedic crime thriller, created by AACTA Award-winner Phil Lloyd, is “inspired by true events”.
“Those early news reports about Paddy going missing in 2017 really caught my eye,” Phil told The Sydney Morning Herald. “I found it a fascinating premise: This guy just vanishes off the face of the Earth, and no-one knows anything.
“But what struck me most about the original story on Larrimah was that people would choose to live in a tiny far-flung hamlet out in the middle of nowhere, away from the eyes of the world.”
At any other time, the Prince and Princess of Wales popping to the local shops to pick up their groceries wouldn’t bat a single eyelid in Windsor.
After all, the couple moved to the country hamlet to enjoy a normal family life, and locals are accustomed to seeing them go about their daily business unhindered.
But the latest sighting of the pair – a blurry video of Prince William and Kate carrying their groceries – couldn’t have been more laden with meaning.
The sighting comes after weeks of relentless conspiracy theories about the princess. Kate, 42, has been on sick leave since undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-january.
Kensington Palace’s communications team failed to get hold of the online rumour mill, and insiders say it’s done “untold damage”