WTFN announces new series Police Strike Force for Channel Seven

Independent production company WTFN has announced its new series for Channel Seven, Police Strike Force, following another new commission, Code 1: Minute by Minute.

Police Strike Force, which will premiere on Channel Seven and 7Plus on Wednesday, March 2, will tell the inside story of police investigations, stings, and taskforce operations as told by the men and women who broke each case and who were there when it all came crashing down.

The show will use actual video and sound captured by the New South Wales Police Media Unit, along with surveillance, search and interview footage taken by the investigating units, and provide a compelling insight into dramatic law enforcement takedowns.

The show, made in partnership with the New South Wales Police Force Public Affairs Branch, is the first-ever time that an Australian police force has worked so hand-in-hand with a production company.

Not only did the police supply privileged access to people and cases, but they also provided much of their own footage for the series – helping to deliver an unprecedented, front-row seat to their dramatic, difficult, and often dangerous job.

Code 1: Minute by Minute breaks down the hours, minutes, and seconds of the biggest and most tragic recent news events to impact Australia and profiles the people from all walks of life who will forever be connected, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Each episode is meticulously researched and dedicated to a different event, the programmes break down in forensic detail exactly how these people came to cross paths. For many, it was a combination of sliding door moments and fateful decisions that set them on a tragic path. Some became survivors, some became victims and others were accidental heroes.

Last year, the network aired an episode that looked into the tragic 2017 Bourke Street Mall tragedy in Melbourne, when James Gargasoulas deliberately ploughed his car into the mall killing six people and seriously injuring 27.

The full series will be broadcast on Channel Seven later this year.

WTFN’s head of development Stephen Peters, who developed both shows and served as executive producer for Code 1: Minute by Minute, said: "We are delighted that the team at Seven Network has put such faith in us with these two new series and we look forward to continuing this partnership and delivering further exciting new shows for its viewers.

"Access and relationships were important in creating both new series, but we are particularly indebted to the New South Wales Police who placed a huge amount of trust in WTFN and our ability to deliver a truly authentic programme that accurately reflects their work.

"No Australian police force has ever been quite so generous with their time and access to privileged materials, and we believe that this really shows on screen. We have created a dynamic and balanced series that puts viewers in the heart of the action like never before," he added.

Police Strike Force, which will be marketed as Strike Force, and Code 1: Minute by Minute will be launched into the global TV market by Fred Media, the international distributor owned by WTFN. The series will jointly spearhead the company’s spring slate. 

Roger Vanderspikken, general manager of Fred Media, added: "WTFN’s ability to gain extraordinary access, work sympathetically with its subjects, and tell fascinating stories, has once again delivered uniquely Australian programming that will work well internationally.

"We have every confidence that Strike Force and Code 1: Minute by Minute will quickly resonate with global buyers and follow the overseas success of returning WTFN access series such as Paramedics and Emergency.'