The UK's Channel 4 has boarded Australian production outfit Southern Star Entertainment's The Secret Life Of Us, marking its first pre-production commitment to a long-running Australian series.

Australia's Network Ten and pay-TV entity Optus Television are also partners in the 22-hour $5.3m (A$9m) series. Southern Star describes it as "a cutting-edge drama about a group of stylish young city dwellers looking for love, sex, romance, money and success."

Channel 4, Ten and Optus funded the pilot and are now financing the series, making it a risk free venture for Southern Star. Leading the cast are Claudia Karvan, Deborah Mailman, Abi Tucker and Joel Edgerton. Producers are John Edwards and Amanda Higgs. Southern Star will launch the series at next year's MIPTV.