The Brand-New Aussie Drama Dear Life Premieres on Stan on New Year’s Day
Oh, we do love a good old emotional rollercoaster every now and again. And if you, like us, enjoy being emotionally tortured by super-sad-yet-ultimately-feel-good TV shows, you should set aside a few hours in early 2026 to smash the latest Stan Original series, Dear Life.
Got some questions before you invest your precious summer TV bingeing hours? Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s the new Stan Original drama Dear Life about?
In a nutshell, Dear Life follows a woman through her unconventional approach to grief in the aftermath of her organ-donor fiancé’s tragic death. After receiving a thank-you letter from a man who received his heart, she sets off on a morally (and legally) questionable mission to track down all of the people who are still alive because they received organs from the love of her life.
As you can imagine, this kind of, erm, intrusion is received with mixed feelings and strong reactions. One man’s deranged stalker is another’s hopeless romantic, we suppose…
The trailer’s giving us P.S. I Love You meets Eat Pray Love meets After Life vibes—a heartfelt and emotional drama with a healthy side of Aussie humour. So, if you’re planning on smashing all six episodes in quick succession, make sure you’ve got the obligatory pint of ice cream, choccies, tissues, and whatever other clichéd staples you may need close by.
Where was Dear Life filmed?
Dear Life is an all-Aussie Stan. Original production. It was filmed in various locations across Victoria, with major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen. It was written and directed by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope, who co-created and appeared in Very Small Business and Upper Middle Bogan. (Random TV trivia side-note, they’re also married in real life.)
Who is in the Dear Life cast?
You’ll see plenty of familiar faces in the Dear Life cast, including Neighbours and Black Snow alumni, Brooke Satchwell, in the lead role. Other notable Dear Life cast members include Eleanor Matsuura (The Walking Dead), Ryan Johnson (Doctor Doctor), and Ben Lawson (Firefly Lane).
When and where can I watch Dear Life?
All six episodes of Dear Life drop on New Year’s Day 2026, exclusively on Stan.
Check out the trailer below to whet your appetite, and if you need some more bingeable content to tide you over until then, take a squiz at our best shows on Stan for top picks to watch this week.