“Did sound like a giant chicken breaking out of your car, Gregor?”
“Don’t be stupid.”

Coolum Beach, Queensland. A sleepy seaside village used as a quiet getaway for backpackers, holiday makers and an eclectic mix of locals. A picture postcard by day, but at night there are eerie things afoot as Constable Toby Banks (Toby Truslove) soon learns. Welcome to The Strange Calls.

Banks has been sent to Coolum in disgrace. To rub salt into the wound, he’s got the “high profile” job of answering the night watch from the derelict Police caravan on the edge of town. The Sargent Neil Lloyd (Patrick Brammall) isn’t going to take any crap from Banks either. Nothing much happens in Coolum, except… Gregor (Barry Crocker), the town’s self-appointed night guard, who is a believer. He sees all and knows all, and is willing to believe everything supernatural is possible. At least Toby might have a chance for love with local girl Kath (Katherine Hicks)… if he can ever summon the courage to talk to her.

The stellar cast for this six-part series deliver each episode with aplomb. Creator/director Daley Pearson, working with the Hoodlum team, offer stories suitably obtuse and surreal. The performances note-perfect, and each episode looks stunning – especially the exterior location shots actually filmed in Coolum. It’s a very funny series with a very quirky heart.

As part of the promotional stint for the series, Daley Pearson spoke with MolksTVTalk about the process of creating and collaborating for The Strange Calls; the multi-platform environment that supports it across its website, Facebook and Twitter; trying to get Barry Crocker to stop swearing; and the fact that Toby Truslove isn’t really as fat as all the gags in the show suggest.

The Strange Calls – Tue 9:30pm, ABC2.
Series available on ABC iview from today.