For viewers outside WA, the title of ABC’s newest TV show KGB makes the series seem exotic and foreboding. Is it a companion piece to Foxtel’s dour-yet-compelling Chernobyl? A Nordic noir where a phlegmatic detective is driven mad by a gruesome murder?

Nothing so grim. It’s a sitcom whose detectives are more Brooklyn 99 than The Bridge and for those readers who grew up in Perth, yes, the title is a reference to the suburbs of Koondoola, Girrawheen and Balga — which was sometimes referred to as “KGB”.

The series is the brainchild of WA indigenous filmmakers Luke and Dan Riches, brothers who have made it their business to change the way Aboriginal Australians are portrayed on screen.

KGB follows two rookie detectives, tough guy Jack (Clarence Ryan) and gentle giant Nigel (Bjorn Stewart), as they deal with the chaos of their new jobs, no-nonsense boss, work rivals, drug dealers and suspects who consistently turn out to be family.

Despite battling their own insecurities and the fact that Jack bullied Nigel in high school, these two might just turn out to be KGB’s finest detectives.

The cast includes Mark Coles Smith (Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mad as Hell), WAAPA graduate Jesse Phillips, Oz comedy veteran Genevieve Morris and Aaron McGrath (Mystery Road).

The genesis of the series came from Luke and Dan’s desire to address the lack of roles available to Aboriginal actors. The pair had watched plenty of TV shows with native trackers and kindly farmhands which were always supporting characters to the white stars.

“We wanted to put an indigenous person in a cop role in a setting where he would be surrounded by a lot of indigenous people,” Luke says.

“We created this character called Jack and he needed a dynamic offsider to complement his characteristics.

“He’s got a bit off small-man syndrome about him. So we put him alongside Nigel, who is a gentle giant.”

Camera Icon KGB was created by brothers Dan and Luke Riches. Credit: Mad Kids

The first-time directors were incredibly grateful for the trust they received from their cast, as well as a willingness to improvise.

“It would mean we could have a bit more fun with things. Let the actors have a bit of fun and have a bit of ownership,” Luke says.

Luke and Dan moved to Koondoola from the Kimberley’s remote community of One Arm Point in 1998. When the ABC green-lit their pitch for a sitcom set in WA, the location seemed obvious.

“We found Koondoola at certain moments shared the same ‘paused in time’ feeling as the Kimberley and soon made ourselves at home,” Luke says.

“KGB is a concept we feel belongs to a community that’s been awaiting filmmakers to absorb, interpret and portray on screen.

“The streets can be seemingly ordinary at first glance but you soon find there’s a fun, and at times dangerous, spirit that drives the local community.”

Luke recounts a conversation with McGrath that perfectly encapsulates the serious message KGB hopes to deliver amid its hilarity.

“Aaron told us when he grew up there were no indigenous heroes that he could look to on screen,” Luke says.

“Part of the goals he wants to achieve is to be a role model and show the next generation of indigenous people that you can be on TV and play an important role.”

KGB premieres on ABC iview today and airs nightly on ABC COMEDY from tomorrow until Friday, July 12 as part of NAIDOC Week.