Newly announced Stan original series The Commons will be your next must-watch TV show.

If Australian TV lovers could have one wish right now, it would be to wind forward the clocks to 2020 when our new must-watch series The Commons will launch onto our screens.

In news that’s just as exciting as discovering a new episode of Younger has dropped, Stan and Screen Australia, in association with Create New South Wales, announced today that new Stan Original series The Commons will commence production in Sydney and its surrounds next week, before arriving on our screens next year.

The Commons is a juicy and character-driven thriller set in the very near future. It’s best described as a heady mix of relationship drama and intense mystery, all which plays out at the very intersection of climate change and the cutting edge of biotechnology.

This new series will put a personal spin on what’s at stake for both humanity and the planet in our near future and shines a light on how heroes can rise up at the very worst of times.

The eight-hour drama was created and written by showrunner Shelley Birse (The Code) and Matt Ford (House Husbands), Michael Miller (Cleverman) and Matt Cameron (Bloom) and is sure to have that unmistakable flavour of intrigue, wit and warmth that makes up a great Australian drama.

Stepping into the lead role of The Commons, is Golden Globe Winner and three-time Emmy Nominee, Joanne Froggatt. The celebrated actress is best-known for her scene-stealing performance as lady’s maid Anna Bates in Downton Abbey, a role she will return to later this year for the release of the highly anticipated feature film of the beloved period drama.

Also co-starring in the new drama will be Damon Herriman (Once Upon A Time in Hollywood) in a supporting role.

Stan’s Chief Content Officer, Nick Forward, said The Commons reaffirmed Stan's position as the company at the forefront of creating original Australian productions.

“The pairing of Shelley Birse and the legendary Graham Yost is such an exciting prospect. And with actors of the caliber of Joanne Froggatt and Damon Herriman joining the cast, alongside a stellar creative team," Mr. Forward said.

"The Commons continues to demonstrate our ambition as the home of original Australian productions. Thank you to Screen Australia, Create NSW and our partners at Playmaker and Sony Pictures Television for helping us bring Shelley’s incredible vision to the screen."

The Commons is a Stan Original Series produced by Playmaker with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW. Financed with support from Stan, Sony Pictures Television will handle worldwide sales of the series, which is set to premiere in 2020.

However, if you're itching to get your eyes on some other stellar Stan original offerings while you wait with bated breath for The Commons to be released, there's plenty there for you to choose from.

Laura Brodnik and Kee Reece unpack all the drama from The Commons on our Mamamia reviews podcast. Post continues after audio...

There is the dreamlike drama Bloom which stars Phoebe Tonkin, Jacki Weaver and Ryan Corr as a group of people in a small Australian community whose lives are changed forever when they are given the chance to fix their greatest regrets thanks to the mysterious plant that appears after a flood.

There is also The Other Guy, the laugh-until-you-snort comedy starring Matt Okine as a successful radio host who finds himself unexpectedly back in the dating pool for the first time in a decade, supported by his raucous best friend Stevie (Harriet Dyer).

You could also opt for the brilliant yet fear-inducing Wolf Creek which stars John Jarratt in his most iconic role as Mick Taylor or if you're looking for something that's more likely to tickle your funny-bone then you can't go past the wickedly hilarious No Activity. 

The Commons will air on Stan in 2020. You can watch every Stan Original Series on Stan.