There is nothing quite like the Australian war story, writes streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

From the tragic ending of 1981’s Gallipoli to the intensity of more recent films such as Danger Close, the tales of bravery and tragedy that emerge from Australia’s military history hold a special place in film and television.

A new series streaming on Amazon Prime Video now adds another story to that canon.

It’s called The Narrow Road to the Deep North, based on the award-winning 2013 novel of the same name by Richard Flanagan.

This series stars Brisbane-born actor Jacob Elordi as Dorrigo Evans, an army surgeon who becomes a Japanese prisoner during World War II, forced into building the Burma railway.

The series takes place over five episodes and is split into three different eras of Evans’ life.

The first chapter recounts his years before the war, marked by a passionate affair that ignites with his uncle’s wife.

The memories haunt Evans as he is shipped overseas into service, a time that becomes marked by tragedy and turmoil as he experiences the full brutality of existence as a prisoner of war.

The third act takes place in the aftermath. Evans, now an old man (played by Ciaran Hinds) is trying to come to terms with the past as feelings of failure and guilt clash with the heroic status he now holds.

The structure of this story offers a perspective into the mind of someone whose life was consumed by the war thrust upon him.

Elordi brings his A-game with what is his most human performance yet and it’s backed up by Hinds in the emotional third act.

On paper these two actors look nothing alike, but here they absolutely feel like the same person.

A powerful and sombre experience, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is Aussie drama at its best.

NOW to the realm of the fictional, and a new Star Wars series has just hit Disney Plus.

Ever since the franchise got Disney-fied it feels like its been dying a slow death.

Endless sequels, spin-offs and TV shows have watered down the magic of the classic sci-fi saga and it’s left even diehard fans feeling fatigued.

The outlook for the galaxy far, far away has looked grim for quite a while now.

Then, in 2022 Andor was released.

For the first time since the house of mouse acquired the rights to George Lucas’ creation, it felt like someone was doing something truly original with the franchise.

Andor was a gritty, political and bold, new take that followed a motley crew of revolutionaries fighting to overthrow the empire.

The show’s titular Cassian Andor, charismatically played by Diego Luna, is an outcast who knows he could help in the fight against evil but is frightened to do so.

It makes him one of the most flawed and therefore most interesting characters of the saga, one so memorable it was like he had come from the classic originals.

All of this made fans realise they weren’t sick of Star Wars, they were sick of lacklustre writing.

Andor not only became the best new entry in the franchise but also became widely recognised as one of the best shows of 2022.

Now it’s back for a second and what will, sadly, be its last season.

Disney has opted for a different approach to episodes, releasing three every week. An interesting move, but perhaps a nice compromise between an all-out binge or being forced to wait for a new entry a week.

The story of the second season will take place over multiple years in the Star Wars universe.

While it’s a shame not to get more Andor after this, it is refreshing to see the show be unafraid to skip to the best parts and go out on a high, rather than milking every shred of lore they possibly can in a bid to sell as many Disney subscriptions as possible.

This is what will make Andor stand out. In 30 years time, when the franchise probably gets its umpteenth reboot, Andor will be what fans fondly look back upon in this era as “classic” Star Wars.