Glamorous lady detective, Miss Phryne Fisher, swans into early 1929 Melbourne, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit. Leaving a trail of admirers in her wake, this thoroughly modern heroine knows how to enjoy every moment of her lucky life.
Created by Victorian author Kerry Greenwood in 1989, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries has been adapted for the screen, leveraging a successful creative product for broad cultural and economic benefit.
Recognising the market potential for a female led crime drama and with sixteen volumes in the book series, Victorian company Everycloud Productions brought Miss Fisher to the television screen in 2011 and has since produced three series – spending over $30 million in Victoria and employing over 600 people in the production of each series.
Each of the television series reached an average viewing audience of over 1 million, peaking at 1.7 million viewers for Series 2.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries has been sold into more than 120 international territories, including the US Netflix service and seen strong international media coverage in Vanity Fair and The Guardian, providing a global audience for the Melbourne heroine and highlighting locations across Melbourne and Victoria.
Citing multiple American pop culture writers who have professed a love for the show, The Guardian writes: “With its sumptuous interiors, beautiful clothes and badass feminist heroine who is neither an ingenue nor matron, the Australian show has won a cult following.”
Miss Fisher is an excellent example of creative content being used in different ways to deliver economic benefit across the creative industries and the broader economy. Her influence extends beyond books and screens and has inspired a travelling fashion exhibition, a line of merchandise and the inaugural ‘Festival of Phryne’, held in winter 2015.
The final episode of the third series was broadcast on the big screen at Federation Square with invited guests from a range of women’s organisations.