Is The Survivors based on a true story? Explained
The first season of The Survivors aired on Netflix on June 6, 2025. Tony Ayres created the show, which takes place in the fictional town of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania. Kieran Elliott returns to Evelyn Bay 15 years after an accident that killed his brother Finn and best friend Toby. The show shows how Kieran Elliott tries to deal with his past and a new murder that scares the whole town.
The Survivors is not based on a real-life event. The storyline of the show is based on Jane Harper's 2020 novel under the same name. The story and characters are not based on real people or events, but everyone can relate to the themes of loss and trauma.
The Survivors is adapted from a murder mystery novel by Jane Harper
While The Survivors is a fictional show, it was based on a book by Jane Harper with the same name. Tony Ayres, who runs the show, got ideas from Harper's 2020 murder mystery book, which is about a community that is torn apart by a tragedy. The basic idea of the show comes from the book, but Ayres stressed that it's more about the characters' emotional journey than just solving the murder.
In an interview with Tudum on June 6, 2025, Ayres explained the same.
“I often describe the show as a Trojan horse. It’s a family melodrama disguised as a murder mystery. Because the things that are really at its heart are things like a son wanting his mother’s love and the mother who just cannot afford to give it because her whole world might fall apart,” said Ayres.
Harper researched a lot to make sure that every part of the story felt as real as possible, even though most of the characters, events, and places are made up. For instance, she made the town of Evelyn Bay after visiting Tasmania and getting a feel for the place. She used what she knew as a mother to help her write about Kieran Elliott's life as a young father.
What happened in The Survivors?
In The Survivors, Kieran Elliott returns to Evelyn Bay with his girlfriend Mia and their young daughter Audrey after 15 years. People in the town are still deeply affected by the deaths of Finn Elliott, Kieran Elliott's brother, and Toby Elliott, Toby's friend. They died in a storm while trying to save Kieran Elliott from a cave. The people in the town believe Kieran Elliott is responsible for their death, and his return makes things worse, especially with his mother, Verity.
A new waitress in town named Bronte Laidler starts to look into what happened to Mia's childhood friend, Gabby Birch, who went missing the same night as the storm. This makes things more complicated.
Bronte goes to the caves by the sea to find out what happened to Gabby. She finds Gabby's name carved into a rock, which brings her closer to the truth. However, her investigation leads to her being killed by Kieran Elliott's old friend Sean Gilroy, who was also responsible for Gabby's death.
Long-hidden secrets are revealed as the investigation into Bronte's murder continues. For example, Sean left Gabby to drown in the caves and then hid the fact that she had died. Despite knowing the truth, Julian, Sean's dad, chose to keep his son safe. Finally, the truth about both deaths comes out, forcing Kieran Elliott to face his past while trying to fix his troubled relationship with his mother.
The Survivors is available to stream on Netflix.
