Lost Uber bag inspired hit SBS series about airport chaplain
A lost Uber bag sparked the SBS series The Airport Chaplain, based on chaplain Martyn Scrimshaw's stories.
A lost Uber bag in August 2023 sparked one of the year's best TV shows. Producer Jude Troy left her laptop, phone and belongings in a ride heading back to Sydney after a Melbourne screening.
A federal police officer connected her with Martyn Scrimshaw, the chaplain at Melbourne Airport. Scrimshaw helped retrieve her bag and walked her through the airport for two hours, sharing stories of people he supports: passengers dying on planes, workers in crisis, and the vulnerable people he encounters daily.
By that evening, Troy was on a flight home with her bag. The next morning she called co-writer Elise McCredie.
They decided to make a series. The resulting show, The Airport Chaplain, now plays on SBS.
- August 2023
- Date of incident
- Martyn Scrimshaw, Melbourne Airport
- Chaplain
- Jude Troy, Wooden Horse company
- Producer
- Elise McCredie
- Co-writer
Why it mattersThe show highlights the chaplaincy role most people don't see and the quiet work of supporting vulnerable travellers and airport workers.
