While the Men Are Away

Ended

2023 · 1 season · 8 episodes · 27 min

With men away at war, a rural Australian farm becomes a place where women take on unfamiliar work and discover unexpected freedoms. New recruits…Read more +Read less −

With men away at war, a rural Australian farm becomes a place where women take on unfamiliar work and discover unexpected freedoms. New recruits join those already keeping the property going, bringing different backgrounds, assumptions and desires into close quarters. As the apple harvest approaches, practical problems sit alongside private questions about sexuality and the lives each person might choose outside the rules. This wartime dramedy uses an ensemble of outsiders to explore queer possibility, friendship and the uneasy distance between social expectations and personal truth.

Drama Comedy History

Sapphic characters & cast

Max McKenna

as Gwen

Main sapphic character

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

Jana Zvedeniuk

as Esther

Main sapphic character

Performer portrait via TVmaze; photographer and reuse rights unconfirmed

BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: Australia
Language: English
Premiere: 2023-09-27
Finale: 2023-09-27
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
Runtime: 27 minutes

Season-specific Western TV draft; supporting arcs distinguished from central romance.

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Series promotional artwork via TVmaze; rights holder unconfirmed

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (4)

Last researched 2026-10-27. Editorially approved.

year: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
genres: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
country: Matching series production-country evidence, checked 2026-10-27. Production origin kept separate from distribution territory.
language: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
description: S1 (2023): women’s queer lives are substantial within the wartime farm ensemble; Gwen’s romantic exploration included. Avoid assigning performer Max McKenna as a character. Checked 2026-10-27.
finale date: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
watch links: Official series destination checked 2026-10-27; current account playback and subtitle availability not tested
season count: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
western cast: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
episode count: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
premiere date: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
runtime minutes: Matching series identity, original premiere, episode catalogue and cast; checked 2026-10-27
classification note: S1 (2023): women’s queer lives are substantial within the wartime farm ensemble; Gwen’s romantic exploration included. Avoid assigning performer Max McKenna as a character. Checked 2026-10-27.
representation type: S1 (2023): women’s queer lives are substantial within the wartime farm ensemble; Gwen’s romantic exploration included. Avoid assigning performer Max McKenna as a character. Checked 2026-10-27.