# The Killings at Parrish Station
**The Killings at Parrish Station** is an [Australian English](https://www.edgepedia.org/australian-english)-language crime drama television series, a Stan Original that premiered on 24 June 2026, streaming only on Stan in Australia.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) Created and written by Ben Jenkins, it consists of one season of six episodes and follows a murder mystery spanning 37 years: the 1987 massacre of four scientists at a remote Australian desert research station, and identical murders in 2024.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) • [2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/) Screen Australia's production registry titles the series "The Killings: Parrish Station", while Stan, HBO Max, Variety, The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald all use "The Killings at Parrish Station".[2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 6 x 60-minute TV drama; genres drama, mystery, thriller; production completion 2026[2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/) |
| Premiere | 24 June 2026, streaming only on Stan in Australia as a Stan Original[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) |
| Key creatives | Created and written by Ben Jenkins; directed by Daniel Nettheim; produced by Kerrie Mainwaring[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) |
| Lead cast | Mia Wasikowska as Detective Georgia Cooke, Xavier Samuel as Detective Michael Thorne, Heather Mitchell as the older Georgia[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) |
| Premise | A 1987 massacre of four scientists at a remote desert research station and identical murders 37 years later, in 2024[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) |
| Financing | Helium Pictures production for Stan with major production investment from Screen Australia and Stan, in association with ITV Studios, supported by Screen NSW's Made in NSW Fund[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) |
| International reach | Distributed internationally by ITV Studios; acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery for HBO Max; also listed on Prime Video[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) • [3](https://au.variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-killings-at-parrish-station-stan-acquired-hbo-max-38027/) • [4](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0FKNJTKRSKE3XS1THQUNUC72WB) |
## Premise and setting
The story opens in 1987, when Detective Georgia Cooke ([Mia Wasikowska](https://www.edgepedia.org/mia-wasikowska)) is called in to investigate the massacre of four scientists murdered in inexplicable ways at a remote Australian desert research station, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect and a case entangled in mania, ritual, and the occult.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) • [5](https://heliumpictures.com/productions/the-killings-parrish-station/) The Guardian places the 1987 action at a space research location deep in remote desert.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/24/the-killings-at-parrish-station-review-tv-show-mystery-drama-stan-australia) Thirty-seven years later, in 2024, a series of identical murders forces Cooke to confront a mystery that was never truly solved.[7](https://www.hbomax.com/gb/en/show/7148c86d-5990-4d3e-8885-3bd4007e830b)
According to [The Sydney Morning Herald](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-sydney-morning-herald), the plot centers on a wealthy mining family's son, whose family's uranium mine appears to be connected both to the station's radio telescope and to The Bone Gospel, a 15th-century book, while the contemporary storyline also offers a critical take on true-crime podcasts.[8](https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/the-cult-russian-cold-case-inspired-an-outback-murder-mystery-20260619-p608em.html) Stan's synopsis describes horrors across the two timelines of 1987 and 2024, dragging Detective Cooke into a decades-long spiral of obsession and estrangement.[9](https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-killings-at-parrish-station)
## Origins and development
Creator Ben Jenkins conceived the series during [COVID-19 lockdowns](https://www.edgepedia.org/covid-19-lockdowns) in Sydney after researching the [Dyatlov Pass incident](https://www.edgepedia.org/dyatlov-pass-incident), the baffling 1959 cold case in which nine experienced hikers died in the Soviet Union's Ural Mountains.[8](https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/the-cult-russian-cold-case-inspired-an-outback-murder-mystery-20260619-p608em.html) Screen Australia describes the series as growing from Jenkins's interest in Soviet urban myths and its development with Helium and Stan.[10](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/how-the-killings-at-parrish-station-stuck-to-their-creative-guns/)
## Production and credits
Daniel Nettheim directed the series; the writing credits are Benjamin (Ben) Jenkins, Yolanda Ramke, and Catherine Smyth-McMullen, with Tim Pye as writer and script producer.[2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/) • [1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) Kerrie Mainwaring and Ben Jenkins produced, with Mark Fennessy as executive producer (joined by Donna Chang and Andy Ryan per Stan's release); Nicola Daley was director of photography and Scott Bird production designer.[2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/) • [1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan)
The production companies are Kaps Productions Pty Ltd and Helium Pictures Pty Ltd.[2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/) Helium's own page lists Stan as the platform, ITV as international distributor and Ben Jenkins as creator.[5](https://heliumpictures.com/productions/the-killings-parrish-station/) Filming took place around [Broken Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/broken-hill) in outback [New South Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-south-wales).[8](https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/the-cult-russian-cold-case-inspired-an-outback-murder-mystery-20260619-p608em.html) No production budget has been disclosed.
The cast is led by Mia Wasikowska as Detective Georgia Cooke and [Xavier Samuel](https://www.edgepedia.org/xavier-samuel) as Detective Michael Thorne, with Heather Mitchell playing the older Georgia and Doris Younane as Millie Farah.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) The dual-timeline structure pairs each detective across eras: Screen Australia notes Georgia Cooke played by Wasikowska and Mitchell, and Michael Thorne by Samuel and [Robert Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-taylor).[10](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/how-the-killings-at-parrish-station-stuck-to-their-creative-guns/) The ensemble also includes [Alan Dale](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-dale), Emma Lung, Kat Hoyos, Nic English, Alex Malone, Geoff Morrell, Rob Carlton, Alex Lee, Cameron James, and newcomer Grace Owens.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan)
## Genre and style
The series is not a conventional police procedural. Variety characterizes it as a mystery thriller in which cold case crime, investigative drama, and soft horror intertwine across two timelines.[3](https://au.variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-killings-at-parrish-station-stan-acquired-hbo-max-38027/) The Guardian's review, published on premiere day, describes it as pulpy and lurid, loaded with twists and turns, and at times like "an episode of The X-Files on steroids", with a mystery reaching toward paranormal phenomena, conspiracies, rituals, and splashes of biblical symbolism.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/24/the-killings-at-parrish-station-review-tv-show-mystery-drama-stan-australia)
## Broadcast and international distribution
The series premiered on 24 June 2026 on Stan, which lists it as a 2026 crime drama rated MA 15+ with one season.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) • [9](https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-killings-at-parrish-station) [ITV Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/itv-studios) holds international distribution rights.[1](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan) [Warner Bros. Discovery](https://www.edgepedia.org/warner-bros-discovery) subsequently acquired the series from ITV Studios for HBO Max, where it is listed as one season of six episodes in the drama, thrillers, crime, and mystery and suspense categories.[3](https://au.variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-killings-at-parrish-station-stan-acquired-hbo-max-38027/) • [7](https://www.hbomax.com/gb/en/show/7148c86d-5990-4d3e-8885-3bd4007e830b) Prime Video also lists Season 1, indicating additional digital distribution.[4](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0FKNJTKRSKE3XS1THQUNUC72WB) No renewal or cancellation decision beyond the first season has been reported.
## Reception
Formal aggregate review scores and awards are not yet recorded for the series, which premiered in June 2026. The available critical response is qualitative: The Guardian's review praised a juicy, twist-driven mystery while noting its pulpy register.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/24/the-killings-at-parrish-station-review-tv-show-mystery-drama-stan-australia) The aggregator [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) reports a 6.4/10 audience rating from about 1,000 users and a 70% score, and placed the series at number 662 on its Daily Streaming Charts in the United Kingdom at the time of retrieval; the same listing gives a 48-minute runtime per episode, against Screen Australia's registry format of 6 x 60 minutes.[11](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/the-killings-at-parrish-station) • [2](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/)
## References
1. [Stan press release: The Killings at Parrish Station premiering June 24](https://www.stan.news/a-gripping-decades-long-murder-mystery-is-unearthed-and-a-chilling-conspiracy-collides-in-the-stan-original-drama-the-killings-at-parrish-station-premiering-june-24-streaming-only-on-stan)
2. [The Killings: Parrish Station (2026), The Screen Guide, Screen Australia](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/the-killings--parrish-station-2026/43174/)
3. [Variety Australia: Stan Thriller 'The Killings at Parrish Station' Acquired for HBO Max](https://au.variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-killings-at-parrish-station-stan-acquired-hbo-max-38027/)
4. [Prime Video: The Killings at Parrish Station, Season 1](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0FKNJTKRSKE3XS1THQUNUC72WB)
5. [Helium Pictures: The Killings at Parrish Station](https://heliumpictures.com/productions/the-killings-parrish-station/)
6. [The Guardian review of The Killings at Parrish Station (24 June 2026)](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jun/24/the-killings-at-parrish-station-review-tv-show-mystery-drama-stan-australia)
7. [HBO Max: The Killings at Parrish Station](https://www.hbomax.com/gb/en/show/7148c86d-5990-4d3e-8885-3bd4007e830b)
8. [Sydney Morning Herald: How a cult Russian cold case inspired an outback murder mystery](https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/the-cult-russian-cold-case-inspired-an-outback-murder-mystery-20260619-p608em.html)
9. [Stan: Watch The Killings at Parrish Station](https://www.stan.com.au/watch/the-killings-at-parrish-station)
10. [Screen Australia: How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck to their creative guns](https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/how-the-killings-at-parrish-station-stuck-to-their-creative-guns/)
11. [JustWatch: The Killings at Parrish Station](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/the-killings-at-parrish-station)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Drama and prestige series (individual series) › Crime and thriller series › Police and detective procedurals*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license