Amazon Greenlights Cricket Doc and True Crime Series Down Under
Prime Video has commissioned three new Australian docuseries, including a fourth season of 'The Test' that follows the national cricket team through a demanding 2026-27 schedule. The streamer also ordered 'Free Spirits: The Backpacker Poisonings,' a three-part true crime series about a tragic incident in Laos, and another series about the 2022 Wieambilla shootings. Release dates have not been announced.
The Test's fourth season arrives during a period of transition for Australian cricket, as veteran players age out while younger replacements struggle to establish themselves. The 2026-27 calendar includes tours to South Africa and India, plus the 150th Anniversary Test against England and the 2027 Ashes. The series is a co-production between Amazon MGM Studios, Cricket Australia, and Whooshka Media.
Free Spirits reconstructs the 2024 Laos tragedy through victims' own phone footage and family testimony, with six of eight backpackers dead and one survivor permanently blinded. Madness of Three examines the Wieambilla shootings through exclusive access, exploring how online conspiracy theories drove the Train family to violence. Both true crime series stream globally alongside The Test.
These commissions could strengthen Prime Video's foothold in the Australian streaming market while exporting distinctly Australian stories to global audiences. The true crime series may spark renewed public conversation about backpacker safety and online radicalization, potentially influencing how young travelers approach risk and how families discuss digital consumption. The Test could deepen cricket's cultural resonance during a transitional era for the sport.