Author(s): ABC

DVD

The story initially revolves around Art Watkins (Richard Roxburgh), a globe-trotting travel writer who returns home for his mother's funeral to a neglected resort town, Broken Bay, on the easternmost point of Australia, where he is challenged by a crooked local council, his brother Vance who is trying to cheat him out of his inheritance, his first love who broke his heart when he was a teenager and the son he hasn't seen in ten years. As the series progresses, the life journeys of additional characters are interwoven, including (in season 2) the unexpected return of Gerry (Nick Tate), estranged father of the Watkins brothers (and original constructor of the resort). The fictional town in which the show is set is loosely based on Byron Bay, New South Wales, where the majority of filming took place, with the distinctive character of the region providing a strong supporting element.[1] According to "The Age" writer Debi Enker, the series creators (Cox and Monk) "see their multi-generational ensemble as characters bruised by life, some seeking refuge, most requiring restoration. Reaching Broken Bay, they have come as far as they can and must turn back to face their demons, confront the problems they have endeavoured to escape."[2] Of the two initial principal characters (the Watkins brothers), Cox says, "There's a group of men, children in the 1970s, who were left by their fathers and left wondering how to be men... Divorce became easier in the 70s and there were more family break-ups. Men grew up as small children with the breadwinner around and then became confused when their own fathers took a different path... We were kind of interested in the idea of fatherhood and brothers, and men's relationships to each other."[1] While season 1 is mainly about the initial ensemble characters coming to terms with, and for the most part resolving some of their problems, in season 2 some new characters are introduced and, with many demons disposed of, a somewhat lighter tone is permitted to prevail, although a range of serious themes is still addressed.

The name "Broken Bay" was chosen as a combination of the names of Byron Bay and Broken Head, the next headland down the coast. In addition to Roxburgh and Tate, the series features a number of other well-known Australian actors including Tom Long, Susie Porter, Gia Carides and Steve Bisley.