TelevisionBanished

According to SMH.com.au shooting for Banished begins in Sydney on April 7th. 

And Banished, the first local commission, about the early days of Australia's penal colony, begins filming in Sydney on April 7.

Several articles about Banished appeared in the last couple of days, as the broadcast plans for the new BBC channel for Australia were announced. 

The Australian Telegraph is reporting that local talent scouts are looking for people to appear in the new BBC production, which will begin filming next month at Manly Dam. They also shared another photo of the Banished set being constructed.

A BBC spokeswoman said scouts would be searching Manly for people aged 15-65 to appear as extras. The roles would be marines and convicts.

The spokeswoman said anyone interested in an extras role could contact the producers via extrasfilm manly@gmail.com.

Filming at Manly Dam will run for five weeks, as part of eight weeks’ filming in Sydney.

According to this article, Banished is the first commision for BBC First channel, which broadcasts in Australia.

The series described as fast-paced, “epic and ambitious” by the BBC will open in 1788 New South Wales and focus on the lives, loves and relationships of the exiled convicts and the marines who guarded them in the early days of settlement. BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand and BBC Two have co-commissioned the series to screen on BBC First next year. Filming will start in Sydney in April and then move to Manchester in the UK.

A great article in The Hollywood Reporter reveals more casting and production details for Joseph's new project Banished. 

David Wenham (Top of The Lake) stars as Governor Arthur Phillip, the pragmatic idealist who wanted to turn the ramshackle settlement of Sydney from a penal colony into land of opportunity, while his nemesis Major Ross played by Joseph Millson (Holby City) thinks the only chance of survival is to rule with an iron fist. STORY: Screen Australia Provides Three Female Producers With Business Backing Alongside, bonds of love and friendship are forged between convicts: Elizabeth Quinn (Myanna Buring), Tommy Barrett (Julian Rhind-Tutt) and James Freeman (Russell Tovey). But their shared devotion is destined to challenge the doctrines on which the fledging colony has been founded.

Fantastic news for Joseph - he is about to start filming a leading role, Major Ross, in the new BBC 2 drama Banished, by Jimmy McGovern. The 8 part historical drama will film in UK and Australia, until June this year.