About Helium
Bold stories for a global stage.
At HELIUM, we create distinctive, premium stories for global audiences. Across scripted, factual and unscripted, we bring together creative vision and deep production expertise to develop content that resonates locally and travels internationally. Guided by inclusivity, diversity and responsible production, our stories reflect the richness and complexity of the world we share.
History
HELIUM was founded in 2021 by Australian producer Mark Fennessy.
Internationally respected as an innovator, entrepreneur and creative leader, Mark has created and overseen premium content across every facet of the television industry. From his early independent success with Crackerjack through senior leadership roles at Fremantle, Shine and Endemol Shine, he has built an extraordinary portfolio of global television franchises and super brands — spanning acclaimed scripted series, landmark factual productions and blockbuster unscripted hits.
HELIUM represents the next bold chapter in that journey.
As a truly independent production label, Helium combines creative innovation with proven expertise in premium scripted, factual and unscripted content. With deep experience navigating both domestic and international markets, the company is uniquely positioned to develop distinctive stories that resonate with audiences around the world.
From concept to execution, Helium’s selective, quality-driven approach ensures every project meets the highest creative and production standards.
Mark Fennessy
Mark Fennessy is one of Australia’s most influential producers — an innovator, entrepreneur and creative leader whose career has helped shape the modern landscape of Australian television.
A founding force behind Crackerjack, FremantleMedia Australia and Shine Australia, and a key architect of the landmark EndemolShine merger, Mark has overseen an extraordinary portfolio of global television franchises and super brands. His work spans acclaimed scripted drama, premium factual storytelling and blockbuster unscripted hits, defined by a rare ability to combine bold creative ambition with sustained commercial success. In recognition of his cultural impact on Australia’s screen industry, Mark was ranked No.1 on the Australian Financial Review’s Cultural Power List.
In 2021, Mark founded HELIUM Pictures, a premium independent production company built around ambitious, internationally resonant storytelling. In just a few years, Helium has established itself as a dynamic force in premium drama, producing bold contemporary stories for Australian and international audiences.
Today, Helium continues to build momentum as one of Australia’s most exciting independent production companies, developing premium screen stories designed to resonate locally and travel globally.
Previous Work
RFDS
RFDS is an Australian drama television series which centres around the lives of workers for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
Lambs of God
Lambs of God is a dark, gothic tale about three nuns, each a generation apart, living in an isolated convent by the coast, and an unwelcome visitor who enters their lives and changes their world forever.
Wake in Fright
A young schoolteacher finds himself marooned in a small mining town in the outback, where a string of dangerous events render him a broken, desperate man.
Sisters
It follows the story of three women who discover that they are sisters. Julia finds out that her Nobel prize winning father secretly used his own sperm in a number of "In Vitro Fertilisation" procedures.
Blue Murder: Killer Cop
The series follows Roger Rogerson, post Blue Murder (1995), showing how he met his wife Anne and the murder of Jamie Gao that led to his arrest and murder conviction.
The Beautiful Lie
Anna is happily married. She has the perfect family. But one man will change it all.
Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door
The two part mini-series tells the remarkable story of Peter Allen's rise from country New South Wales to the Hollywood Hills, becoming part of American royalty along the way.
Catching Milat
Follows the life of Ivan Milat, the backpacker killer.
Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS
The story of INXS, their personal lives and their rise to fame from Australian pubs to stadiums all around the world.
Offspring
The story of the impossible loves of 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her fabulously messy family.
The King
The King is the story of Graham Kennedy, Australia's first and greatest home grown TV superstar. It traces his rise and rise, from working class Balaclava kid, through radio, TV, film, and back to TV again.