| Genre: | Comedy Drama |
| Creator: | Sarah Scheller |
| Starring: | Asher Keddie |
| Composer: | Piers Burbrook de Vere |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 16 |
| Executive Producer: | Sarah Scheller |
| Cinematography: | Rob Marsh |
| Company: | Kindling Pictures |
| Network: | Binge |
| Last Aired: | present |
Strife is an Australian comedy drama series written and produced by Sarah Scheller. The Binge Original series stars Asher Keddie. It debuted on 6 December 2023.
Strife is set around year 2012 and follows Eve (Keddie), who is running Eve, a new women's web site. Her personal life is beset by problems; she has abandoned her marriage and marital home, but is struggling to pay the rent on her city apartment. Meanwhile she navigates co-parenting teenage children with her estranged husband, Jon (Day).
Her fortunes and those of the nascent website change when she writes a confessional column, “I ended my marriage over a flat white” that goes viral.[1]
The first season of Strife began production in March 2023, produced by Bruna Papandrea's production company Made Up Stories. The series is inspired by the memoir, Work, Strife, Balance by Mia Freedman. The first season was written and adapted for screen by Sarah Scheller and directed by Stuart Bowen, with Papandrea, Jodi Matterson, Steve Hutensky, Mia Freedman, Asher Keddie, Scheller and Alison Hurbert-Burns serving as executive producers.[2]
The series was renewed for a second season in January 2024, which is currently in production. The second season is directed by Neil Sharma, produced by Lorelle Adamson for Made Up Stories and Fifth Season, with executive producers for the second season including Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Katie Amos, Mia Freedman, Sarah Scheller, Alison Hurbert-Burns, Lana Greenhalgh and Asher Keddie.[3]
All eight episodes of the first season of the series were added to Binge in Australia on 6 December 2023.[4] All eight episodes of the first season of the series were added to ThreeNow in New Zealand on 18 February 2024.[5]
The show broke streaming records for Binge, with the streamer announcing that it had unseated Colin From Accounts in becoming its most successful launch for first day and first week viewing.[6]
Debi Enker from The Sydney Morning Herald praised the series: "Vibrant and richly textured, Strife is keenly in tune with its times even though it's set a decade ago. And Keddie has again fashioned a messy, multi-faceted character who can be as irritating as she is compelling."[7]
Michelle Arrow from The Conversation criticised the series: "Despite claiming to be a "feminist publisher", Evelyn shoots down most politically and socially aware story ideas because they won't "get clicks"." "Perhaps if Evelyn was more willing to confront her own shortcomings we'd have the making of real drama."