If you love Death in Paradise then you may need to add this brand new BBC One show to your watch list. 

The beloved Australian series Austin started on the channel last night and stars none other than Ben Miller. With only one episode out, it is yet to have a cohort of devoted followers but if reviews from Down Under are anything to go by then it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss. 

Aussie fans have dubbed the programme “hilarious” with one writing on X: “Oh my god! If you can watch @ABCTV’s Austin- DO IT.  It’s incredibly well-written and hilarious!  Michael Theo from Love on the Spectrum is the lead. Congratulations to everyone involved!” when the show aired in June last year. 

A second added: “Hi Ben, Have just binged all episodes of Austin on ABCTV iView. What a beautiful, warm-hearted, delightful program. Thank you for your part in it. 

Meanwhile, a third penned: “Dear @ABCTV #Austin is absolutely gorgeous… All actors great especially the adorable Michael Theo.”

What is Austin about?

The show is a British-Australian sitcom starring Ben Miller, who also co-wrote the series, as a successful children’s book author who is ‘cancelled’ after accidentally retweeting a white supremacist. 

Ben’s character Julian then goes on to find out he has a 28-year-old neurodivergent son. 

Ben previously said he was inspired to write the show after watching  Love on the Spectrum – a Netflix show following people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the world of dating and even cast the breakout star from the Australian dating show, Michael Theo, as the lead.

Talking about choosing to cast Michael, for whom Austin will be his first-ever acting job, Ben told the Radio Times: “Michael’s autism is not the story. He’s a very talented actor.

“I saw him on Love on the Spectrum and I thought it would be fun to lark about with him. My aim was just to make a funny show, not to campaign, not to be worthy. I’m allergic to things like that.”

Bridget Jones star Sally Phillips plays Ingrid, Ben’s character Julian’s wife. Talking about having Sally on board, he said: “I’d seen her do it before, and she seemed a natural choice. I’d wanted to work with Sally for decades. 

“She came on board really early, and for a while it was just the three of us, working out what the story was. It ended up being really close to Michael’s life, as he embarks on his journey through the world, finding out who he really is.”