Remembering Great Melbourne TV Dramas
written by: Yvonne Aoll
“WINNERS & LOSERS,” “OFFSPRING,” “HOUSE HUSBANDS,” “SISTERS”
Over the years, Melbourne has proven its worth in salt when it comes to top-notch Australian TV production. Much to the relish of millions of viewers nation-wide, the “most liveable city,” has given viewers down under superior, memorable TV dramas that were worth running home for.
Showcasing the best of Melbourne’s architecture, suburbs, apartments, roads, trams, trains, taxis, hospitals, malls, parks and beaches, these shows not only showed off in Aussie lingo and local slang, but also in the city’s famous vibrant culture.
So, looking for something delicious to binge-watch? Here are some great TV drama suggestions that were set and filmed in Melbourne:
I. Winners & Losers
Nominated for several Logie Awards, Winners and Losers was not only spectacular, but it was also enjoyable, memorable and relatable.
Created by Bevan Lee, the TV drama followed four best friends as they transformed from being high school losers to adult life winners. The show starred Melanie Vallejo, Mellissa Bergland, Virginia Gay and Zoe Tuckwell-Smith as Sophie, Jenny, Frances and Bec respectively.
The writing, acting, directing, and producing of the show was so skillful that it made it easy for viewers to get attached to the characters and storylines. And what about those catchy soundtracks the show used on almost every episode…? They were shazam-able.
Airing on Channel 10, Tuesday nights were never the same with Winners & Losers.
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Seasons: 5 (2011 – 2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
II. Offspring
Named Australia’s favourite drama of the decade, Offspring was a fun and flavour-full TV comedy-drama that captivated audiences around the nation.
Airing on Channel 10 and later picked up by streaming giant Netflix, Offspring followed the life of a 30-something-year-old Melbourne obstetrician who was struggling to juggle the professional, romantic and (chaotic) family aspects of her life.
Asher Keddie, the star of the show, (and who was brilliantly cast in Nicole Kidman’s Nine Perfect Strangers miniseries) acted as the eccentric and endearing Nina Proudman. However, it wasn’t just Nina’s character that enthralled audiences, it was also her style that made fans go wild.
So many became taken with Nina’s Fitzroy home and her fashion sense, that there were even websites created for viewers to discuss Nina’s attire on the episode of the week. Where could they get those boots she had on, that scarf she wore, the jewellery they saw? It was an obsession, understandably so.
Keddie’s fellow Offspring cast members included, among others, Kat Stewart, Deborah Mailman, Mathew Le Nevez and Eddie Perfect as Billie, Cherie, Patrick and Mick.
Release Date: August 15, 2010
Seasons: 7 (2010 – 2017)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
III. House Husbands
Setting a ratings record for Channel Nine, House Husbands was a unique, about-time, comedy-drama that depicted the lives of four men who were in charge of their households and families.
Starring Rhys Muldoon, Gary Sweet, Gyton Grantley and Firass Dirani, as Mark, Lewis, Kane, and Justin, the show took viewers through the challenges of modern-day fatherhood, and highlighted the four stars’ efforts in trying to attain the often-evasive work-life balance.
Included to make the show a much fuller experience to enjoy were co-stars, Julia Morris, Natalie Saleeba, Anna McGahan & Edwina Royce as Gemma, Natalie, Lucy and Stella.
Julia Morris, one of Australia’s most famous comedians (and who also won as Australia’s first Celebrity Apprentice), impressively showed off her fine acting chops on the show. Then there’s Natalie Saleeba, all that sass and flair she has in her carried and shone through so well in her acting.
Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted drama to watch, a family-based show to binge or just some good fun Aussie TV to get into, this stellar Ellie Beaumont and Drew Proffit production could be the one to go for.
Release Date: September 2, 2012
Seasons: 5 (2012 – 2017)
Genre: Drama
IV. Sisters
“Why wasn’t it renewed? When is it coming back?” If there’s a show lovers of Australian TV drama want answers to, it’s Sisters.
An excellent dramedy (part drama, part comedy), Sisters focused on Julia, an only child who finds out that her father, a pioneering fertility doctor and Nobel prize winner, used his own sperm for IVF treatments. The result? She may have hundreds of siblings out there somewhere. Everything unravels from this discovery before it’s established that Julia has two siblings, Roxy and Edie – as far as they know. The three sisters go on to navigate this new reality in their own messy yet interesting ways.
Controversial, extreme, horrifying, smart, different, funny and sad all at the same time, the MA15+ show was almost indescribably great. Starring Maria Angelico, Lucy Durack and Antonia Prebble as Julia, Roxy and Edie, the show left viewers wanting for more long after the weekly episodes had aired.
Created by Jonathan Gavin and Imogen Banks, Sisters ended up inspiring a US-based spin-off, Almost Family.
But will Aussie fans ever see a Season 2 of Sisters? We can only hope.
Release Date: October 25, 2017
Seasons: 1 (2017- )
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Yvonne Aoll is a writer and a Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) student at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Her writing has been featured on Australia’s national SBS Network among other media publications. An avid reader, her favourite books include: Educated (Tara Westover), Mastery (Robert Greene) and The Other Side of Me (Sidney Sheldon).
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Remembering Great Melbourne TV Dramas
Remembering Great Melbourne TV Dramas
written by: Yvonne Aoll
“WINNERS & LOSERS,” “OFFSPRING,” “HOUSE HUSBANDS,” “SISTERS”
Over the years, Melbourne has proven its worth in salt when it comes to top-notch Australian TV production. Much to the relish of millions of viewers nation-wide, the “most liveable city,” has given viewers down under superior, memorable TV dramas that were worth running home for.
Showcasing the best of Melbourne’s architecture, suburbs, apartments, roads, trams, trains, taxis, hospitals, malls, parks and beaches, these shows not only showed off in Aussie lingo and local slang, but also in the city’s famous vibrant culture.
So, looking for something delicious to binge-watch? Here are some great TV drama suggestions that were set and filmed in Melbourne:
I. Winners & Losers
Nominated for several Logie Awards, Winners and Losers was not only spectacular, but it was also enjoyable, memorable and relatable.
Created by Bevan Lee, the TV drama followed four best friends as they transformed from being high school losers to adult life winners. The show starred Melanie Vallejo, Mellissa Bergland, Virginia Gay and Zoe Tuckwell-Smith as Sophie, Jenny, Frances and Bec respectively.
The writing, acting, directing, and producing of the show was so skillful that it made it easy for viewers to get attached to the characters and storylines. And what about those catchy soundtracks the show used on almost every episode…? They were shazam-able.
Airing on Channel 10, Tuesday nights were never the same with Winners & Losers.
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Seasons: 5 (2011 – 2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
II. Offspring
Named Australia’s favourite drama of the decade, Offspring was a fun and flavour-full TV comedy-drama that captivated audiences around the nation.
Airing on Channel 10 and later picked up by streaming giant Netflix, Offspring followed the life of a 30-something-year-old Melbourne obstetrician who was struggling to juggle the professional, romantic and (chaotic) family aspects of her life.
Asher Keddie, the star of the show, (and who was brilliantly cast in Nicole Kidman’s Nine Perfect Strangers miniseries) acted as the eccentric and endearing Nina Proudman. However, it wasn’t just Nina’s character that enthralled audiences, it was also her style that made fans go wild.
So many became taken with Nina’s Fitzroy home and her fashion sense, that there were even websites created for viewers to discuss Nina’s attire on the episode of the week. Where could they get those boots she had on, that scarf she wore, the jewellery they saw? It was an obsession, understandably so.
Keddie’s fellow Offspring cast members included, among others, Kat Stewart, Deborah Mailman, Mathew Le Nevez and Eddie Perfect as Billie, Cherie, Patrick and Mick.
Release Date: August 15, 2010
Seasons: 7 (2010 – 2017)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
III. House Husbands
Setting a ratings record for Channel Nine, House Husbands was a unique, about-time, comedy-drama that depicted the lives of four men who were in charge of their households and families.
Starring Rhys Muldoon, Gary Sweet, Gyton Grantley and Firass Dirani, as Mark, Lewis, Kane, and Justin, the show took viewers through the challenges of modern-day fatherhood, and highlighted the four stars’ efforts in trying to attain the often-evasive work-life balance.
Included to make the show a much fuller experience to enjoy were co-stars, Julia Morris, Natalie Saleeba, Anna McGahan & Edwina Royce as Gemma, Natalie, Lucy and Stella.
Julia Morris, one of Australia’s most famous comedians (and who also won as Australia’s first Celebrity Apprentice), impressively showed off her fine acting chops on the show. Then there’s Natalie Saleeba, all that sass and flair she has in her carried and shone through so well in her acting.
Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted drama to watch, a family-based show to binge or just some good fun Aussie TV to get into, this stellar Ellie Beaumont and Drew Proffit production could be the one to go for.
Release Date: September 2, 2012
Seasons: 5 (2012 – 2017)
Genre: Drama
IV. Sisters
“Why wasn’t it renewed? When is it coming back?” If there’s a show lovers of Australian TV drama want answers to, it’s Sisters.
An excellent dramedy (part drama, part comedy), Sisters focused on Julia, an only child who finds out that her father, a pioneering fertility doctor and Nobel prize winner, used his own sperm for IVF treatments. The result? She may have hundreds of siblings out there somewhere. Everything unravels from this discovery before it’s established that Julia has two siblings, Roxy and Edie – as far as they know. The three sisters go on to navigate this new reality in their own messy yet interesting ways.
Controversial, extreme, horrifying, smart, different, funny and sad all at the same time, the MA15+ show was almost indescribably great. Starring Maria Angelico, Lucy Durack and Antonia Prebble as Julia, Roxy and Edie, the show left viewers wanting for more long after the weekly episodes had aired.
Created by Jonathan Gavin and Imogen Banks, Sisters ended up inspiring a US-based spin-off, Almost Family.
But will Aussie fans ever see a Season 2 of Sisters? We can only hope.
Release Date: October 25, 2017
Seasons: 1 (2017- )
Genre: Comedy, Drama