The Secret Life of Us

The Secret Life of Us traces the lives of eight people sharing a Melbourne apartment block - and a rich existence of love, heartache and vodka shots.

Miranda (Abi Tucker) is an actress with big ambitions but low self-esteem. Her actor boyfriend Richie (Spencer McLaren) is on the verge of his Big Break, which could lead to a big break on the home front. They share a flat with Will (Joel Edgerton), a scaffolder still hankering after his ex - who also thinks Hamlet is crap.

Alex (Claudia Karvan) is a gorgeous, smart doctor who's riddled with insecurities (naturally). Her flat-mate Evan (Samuel Johnson) is a would-be writer - well, when he gets around to doing it. Into their lives comes new flat-mate Kelly (Deborah Mailman), a sweet-natured optimist with an endless list of theories.

Alex's childhood friend Gabrielle (Sybilla Budd) lives upstairs with partner Jason (Damian De Montemas). Jason's a lawyer with a social conscience that's crumbling under the weight of the world. He and Gabrielle are about to get married for all the wrong reasons, but he hasn't quite told her yet.

Whatever the crisis, each character is searching for pretty much the same things - love, sex, money and success. Whether they'll find them, of course, is another matter. In this world, as Evan says: "You never know what'll happen next, or who it will happen with. All you can do is hope that it comes out okay - and that you remember most of it."

In the opening episode, Evan finally starts writing his novel, not easy with limpet-like Andrena hanging around the house. Kelly is in between homes, jobs and ill-advised affairs. But when the flat-share comes up trumps, it looks like at least one part of her 'tri-factor' dream has come together.

Miranda auditions for Ophelia in Hamlet but doesn't get the part. It's the latest in a long line of rejections and Richie doesn't have the heart to tell her he's been cast as the lead in a mini-series.

Will's ex-girlfriend Leah, the love of his life who went overseas and left his heart in tatters, is back. He's falling under her spell again and is convinced that they'll get back together - so why does no one else seem happy to have her back?

Meanwhile, Alex's insecurities about her boyfriend-less status are dominating her life. Perhaps that's what makes her vulnerable to Jason's unexpected advances while Gabrielle's out of town...