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CHANNEL 10's banking on the success of homegrown drama to lure viewers back to the network with another new series heading into production.

First it was Wonderland, starring Brooke Satchwell and Jessica Tovey, now Secrets and Lies, a thriller set in Brisbane, began filming this week.

New Zealand actor Martin Henderson plays the lead role of Ben Gundelach, a man who discovers the body of a dead boy and finds himself the prime suspect in his murder.

It's Henderson's first job back in Australia in 15 years after he relocated to the US and worked with Naomi Watts in The Ring and Cate Blanchett in Little Fish. He says it was the meatiness of the role which lured him back.

``It's fun to be finally back here,'' he says. ``I was chomping at the bit to get down here to do it.

``It's nice emotional stuff you can really get into and it's really well written. All the characters are really well-formed, very relatable and regular people.''

Also starring in the drama is Adrienne Pickering (The Reef), Anthony Hayes (Devil's Dust), Diana Glenn (Jack Irish: Black Tide), Ben Lawson, Damon Gameau and Philippa Coulthard.

BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning production company Hoodlum is behind the series.

Henderson said the Brisbane location was refreshing.

``It is really nice, a tropical version of where I grew up in New Zealand,'' he says.

``I am hoping to get some time to pop down to Sydney while I am here and also over to see some family back home as well.''

Henderson's last Australian drama was Big Sky in 1997 opposite Gary Sweet, another Ten production
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