Operation Buffalo: behind the scenes

The co-creator of Rake is back with a new six-part series Operation Buffalo about the atomic bomb tests in Maralinga in the 1950s.

When Peter Duncan was approached by producer Tanya Phegan to write his take on the atomic bomb tests in Maralinga, he immediately knew the tone he needed to take to capture the madness of this period in time.

“What attracted me to the project was making a Cold War drama into which I could inject a little bit of satire.”

Peter discusses the challenges he faced in being faithful to the Indigenous Australians of the land, keeping in line with the time period of the 1950s and how his working relationship with cinematographer Martin McGrath helped the production.

Operation Buffalo screens Sunday nights on ABC and on ABC iview.