The Twelve on Foxtel: Australian Jury Drama and Hidden Secrets Exposed
Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The Twelve, which premiered on Foxtel in 2022 and delivered one of Australia’s most compelling courtroom dramas with a unique focus on the jury rather than the lawyers.
The Twelve premiered on Fox Showcase on June 21, 2022, featuring ten episodes running approximately one hour each. The series stars Kate Mulvany, Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, and Brendan Cowell in this adaptation of the acclaimed 2019 Belgian miniseries “De twaalf.” The second season aired on July 11, 2024, and the series was renewed for a third season premiering on August 4, 2025, demonstrating Foxtel’s confidence in this original Australian production.
Adapted from the Belgian series created by Sanne Nuyens and Bert Van Dael, The Twelve follows the story of Kate Lawson, who is on trial for the alleged murder of her niece, and explores how the twelve jurors bring their personal lives and prejudices to the courtroom. The series combines legal drama with psychological character study, offering viewers both courtroom intrigue and deep exploration of how personal experiences shape our judgments of others. What makes this show particularly compelling is its focus on the jury members themselves, revealing how their own secrets and traumas influence their perception of guilt and innocence.
The Trial Begins: When Personal Lives Meet Legal Justice
The Twelve centers on twelve ordinary Australians selected for jury duty in a high-profile murder trial where Kate Lawson stands accused of killing her young niece. The central premise revolves around how each juror’s personal history, current struggles, and hidden secrets influence their interpretation of the evidence presented. The series doesn’t shy away from exploring how prejudice, trauma, and personal experience can compromise the supposedly objective nature of jury deliberation.
Each episode builds the complexity of both the murder case and the individual jurors’ stories, creating a narrative that feels equally invested in solving the central mystery and understanding how ordinary people make extraordinary decisions about another person’s fate. The show expertly balances courtroom drama with intimate character development, making viewers question their own assumptions about justice and judgment.
Kate Lawson: Kate Mulvany’s Accused Teacher
Kate Mulvany stars as Kate Lawson, the defendant accused of murdering her niece, delivering a performance that maintains ambiguity about her character’s guilt or innocence throughout the series. Mulvany brings both vulnerability and strength to this complex role, creating someone who could believably be either victim or perpetrator depending on the viewer’s interpretation. Her portrayal captures the psychological pressure of facing a murder charge while dealing with personal grief and family complications.
Kate’s character serves as the focal point around which all the jury’s deliberations revolve, with Mulvany’s performance providing just enough complexity to keep viewers guessing about the truth while maintaining sympathy for someone caught in an impossible situation.
Brett Colby SC: Sam Neill’s Seasoned Barrister
Sam Neill plays Brett Colby SC, the experienced barrister prosecuting the case, bringing his legendary screen presence to this pivotal role. Neill delivers a commanding performance that captures both the legal expertise and personal investment required to prosecute such a sensitive case. His portrayal shows a lawyer who believes in the system while recognizing its limitations and the human complexities involved in seeking justice.
Neill’s presence adds gravitas to the courtroom scenes while his character serves as a professional counterpoint to the emotional chaos surrounding the jurors’ personal lives.
The Jurors: Brooke Satchwell and the Ensemble Cast
Brooke Satchwell shines as juror Georgina, delivering what critics praised as one of the series’ standout performances. Her portrayal of wrestling with personal circumstances while trying to focus on the trial perfectly captures the show’s central theme about how impossible it is to separate our personal lives from our public duties. The ensemble cast, including Brendan Cowell, Pallavi Sharda, Hazem Shammas, and Ngali Shaw, creates authentic portrayals of ordinary Australians dealing with extraordinary circumstances.
Each juror brings distinct personal baggage that affects their perception of the case, with the ensemble cast successfully creating twelve unique individuals whose interactions drive both the legal and personal drama forward.
The Verdict Revealed: When Justice Meets Human Nature
The series builds toward a dramatic conclusion where the jury must decide Kate’s fate while dealing with the revelation of their own secrets and the impact of their personal lives on their judgment. Without spoiling specific details, the final episodes successfully explore how the pursuit of justice becomes complicated when the people making decisions are dealing with their own moral compromises and personal traumas.
These climactic moments demonstrate how The Twelve uses the courtroom setting to examine deeper questions about human nature, moral judgment, and whether true objectivity is possible when human beings are involved in determining guilt or innocence.
Success on Foxtel and Binge
The Twelve holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb and has become one of Foxtel’s most successful original dramas, earning critical acclaim and strong viewer engagement that led to quick renewal for multiple seasons. The series has been praised for its authentic Australian setting, exceptional ensemble acting, and its unique approach to courtroom drama that focuses on the jury rather than the legal professionals. The show’s success on both Foxtel and Binge demonstrates the platform’s commitment to high-quality original Australian content.
The Perfect Courtroom Drama
If you love legal dramas with psychological depth and authentic Australian storytelling, The Twelve is the perfect series to binge on Foxtel and Binge. The show successfully combines compelling courtroom mystery with deep character exploration while examining how personal experiences shape our ability to judge others fairly.
Tags: Sam Neill, Australian drama, Foxtel original, jury deliberation, courtroom thriller
Why This Series Redefines Legal Drama
The Twelve represents everything innovative about modern courtroom television by shifting focus from lawyers and judges to the ordinary people who ultimately decide guilt or innocence. This isn’t just another legal procedural, it’s a profound examination of how personal trauma, prejudice, and hidden secrets influence our capacity for fair judgment.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 10 episodes per season (Season 3 premiering August 4, 2025)
Platform: Fox Showcase (Foxtel) and Binge
Release Year: 2022-2025
Current IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Genre: Legal Drama, Psychological Thriller, Crime
Status: Season 3 premiering August 4, 2025
Protagonists: Kate Lawson (Kate Mulvany), Brett Colby SC (Sam Neill), Jury members (Brooke Satchwell, Brendan Cowell, ensemble cast)
Antagonist: The murder case itself and the personal secrets threatening the jurors’ objectivity