Australian tv dramas
by dfle3 | created - 16 Jan 2014 | updated - 3 months ago | PublicOriginally intended to be the basis of a "Greatest?" poll, I dropped that once it became clear that only polls which had "The dark knight" as a voting option got approved to go live on this site. So, I've now surpassed the limit of 35 titles for polls to be more exhaustive.
Titles in alphabetical order.
I'm not including series which had a short story arc, like "Janus" and "Phoenix", which appear in my List for Australian mini-series and short run series. Series which may have only run for one or two years and were axed will be included here too.
Some useful links:
http://www.australiantelevision.net/
http://classicaustraliantv.com/
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Adventures of the Seaspray (1966– )
30 min | Adventure, Family
The story centred on widowed journalist Dan Wells, who is sailing the Pacific with on his 25-metre schooner "Seaspray", with his three children Mike, Noah and Sue, assisted by their Fijian crewman.
Stars: Susanne Haworth, Gary Gray, Leoni Lesinawi, Walter Brown
Votes: 84
2. A Place to Call Home (2013–2018)
Not Rated | 60 min | Drama
Sarah Adams returns to Australia post World War II to start anew. She begins working in a hospital, much to the dismay of Elizabeth Bligh, a wealthy matriarch.
Stars: Marta Dusseldorp, Noni Hazlehurst, Brett Climo, Craig Hall
Votes: 6,296
Wikipedia states that a 3rd series of this show had been commissioned by the Seven Network (according to TV Week magazine) but that they changed their mind and are now axing the show (either that or the TV Week story that the series had been commissioned for a 3rd series was false. TV Week ran both stories!).
3. Autumn Affair (1958–1959)
15 min | Drama
A soap opera about a middle-aged woman in a love-triangle with two men.
Stars: Queenie Ashton, Owen Weingott, Diana Perryman, Janette Craig
According to Wikipedia, a soap opera having a 156 episode run, which ended in 1959 (!). The National Film and Sound Archive has many episodes of this series.
4. Bellbird (1967–1977)
60 min | Drama
Stars: Carmel Millhouse, Carl Bleazby, Peter Aanensen, Maurie Fields
Votes: 39
5. Blue Heelers (1994–2006)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The series primarily focuses on the daily lives of Victorian police officers working at a police station in the fictional small town of Mount Thomas.
Stars: Julie Nihill, John Wood, Martin Sacks, Paul Bishop
Votes: 1,695
6. Bluey (1976–1977)
90 min | Drama
Bluey was set at Melbourne's Russell Street Police Headquarters (Victoria, Australia), with "Bluey" Hills heading his own squad ("Department B"), due to his inability to work within the existing police squads.
Stars: Lucky Grills, Gerda Nicolson, John Diedrich, Ken Goodlet
Votes: 80
7. Boney (1972–1973)
60 min | Crime
Drama series set in outback Australia about aboriginal policeman Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. Based on the books by Arthur Upfield.
Stars: James Laurenson, Kate Fitzpatrick, David Gulpilil, Ken Goodlet
Votes: 192
The concept was revived with "Bony", starring...a white Australian! Cameron Daddo, from memory. However, even this original series (based on the novels, presumably, of Arthur Upfield...as in, I'm not sure how closely this series followed the books, if at all, not having read the books) had some controversy...the titular character, an Aboriginal tracker, was played by a New Zealand Maori.
8. Bony (1992)
60 min | Crime
Stars: Cameron Daddo, Terence Cooper, Christian Kohlund, Burnham Burnham
Votes: 28
Finding this title at this site I see that it was also a 1990 movie...which Wikipedia states was a "pilot movie".
Starred Cameron Daddo as "Bony". In the novels by Arthur Upfield, Bony is meant to be an Aboriginal. Wikipedia states for this reboot that Bony is a descendent of the original Bony, from the novels.
Even the original series of "Boney" seems to have been somewhat controversial...with the titular character being played by I New Zealand Maori, I believe.
9. The Box (1974–1977)
50 min | Comedy, Drama
Examines the day-to-day running of Melbourne television station UCV-12, the professional and personal lives of its staff, both in front of, and behind, the camera.
Stars: Fred Betts, Ken James, Barrie Barkla, Judy Nunn
Votes: 63
10. Carson's Law (1983–1984)
50 min | Crime, Drama
Set in the 1920s. A female lawyer faces prejudice when she marries into a influentual family law firm. On top of this she has to bring up three children when her husband is killed in a plane crash.
Stars: Lorraine Bayly, Kevin Miles, Christine Amor, Irene Inescort
Votes: 86
11. Certain Women (1973–1977)
50 min | Drama
Stars: Matthew Crosby, Joan Bruce, June Salter, Queenie Ashton
Votes: 15
12. Cop Shop (1977–1984)
50 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Life in a suburban Australian police station.
Stars: Paula Duncan, Gregory Ross, Gil Tucker, John Orcsik
Votes: 148
13. A Country Practice (1981–1993)
60 min | Drama, Romance
The highs and lows of the Wandin Valley residents, from the patients and staff at the rural town's hospital, to the locals and their everyday lives.
Stars: Shane Porteous, Brian Wenzel, Lorrae Desmond, Joyce Jacobs
Votes: 697
14. Division 4 (1969–1975)
50 min | Crime, Drama
This series was about the wide variety of cases dealt with by the Criminal Investigation and Uniform branches at Melbourne's fictional Yarra Central police station.
Stars: Gerard Kennedy, Chuck Faulkner, Frank Taylor, Terence Donovan
Votes: 110
15. East West 101 (2007–2011)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
East West 101 is set around the Major Crime Squad in metropolitan Sydney. It is based upon the experiences of actual detectives in a crime unit in Sydney's western suburbs.
Stars: Don Hany, Susie Porter, Aaron Fa'aoso, Daniela Farinacci
Votes: 651
16. Emergency (1959)
30 min | Drama
One of the earliest ever medical series, this Australian drama takes place in the Emergency Ward of a hospital, and was an early protype for series such as Emergency Ward 10 and Casualty.
Stars: Brian James, Syd Conabere, Judith Godden, Natalie Raine
Votes: 13
GTV 9. 16 episodes (discontinued due to sponsorship withdrawal, according to Wikipedia).
17. E Street (1989–1993)
50 min | Drama
An Australian soap opera, set in a tough fictional inner-city district called Westside. The stories revolve around the local community there.
Stars: Cecily Polson, Les Dayman, Tony Martin, Vic Rooney
Votes: 167
18. The Fast Lane (1985–1987)
Comedy, Crime
Two private investigators, Bryce and Ken operate a business known as The Excelsior Research Foundation.
Stars: Terry Bader, Richard Healy, Debra Lawrance, Peter Hosking
Votes: 37
Comedy drama by the successful writers John Clarke (of "Clarke & Dawe) fame as well as Andrew Knight. Hard to get info on this short run series (19 episodes)...one site mentions one episode being just over 51 minutes in length, making it a candidate for this list over my Australian sit-com list.
19. The Flying Doctor (1959– )
30 min | Drama
Stars: Richard Denning, Jill Adams, Alan White, Peter Madden
Votes: 35
Was unaware of this programme. Only IMDB has information on it:
It's listed as an Australia/UK production and
39 episodes (30 minutes each).
Unfortunately no details on what channel it screened on here, if it did at all.
20. The Flying Doctors (1986–1992)
50 min | Drama
Follows the lives of a group of medical professions working for the Flying Doctors Service in the remote Australian outback.
Stars: Lenore Smith, Maurie Fields, Robert Grubb, Val Jellay
Votes: 1,039
Finding this entry I see that it was also a mini-series...which I'll have to add to that list of mine as well!
21. G.P. (1989–1996)
58 min | Drama
Set around a fictional Ross St Surgery medical practice in inner Sydney explored both the personal and professional lives of the general practitioners working together, and the other doctors and staff who worked in the clinic.
Stars: Denise Roberts, Michael Craig, Michael O'Neill, Brian Rooney
Votes: 163
22. Glenview High (1977–1979)
50 min | Drama
Set in a Sydney secondary school located in a tough, under-privileged suburb; Greg Walker, the new English teacher has just transferred in from a country school.
Stars: Grigor Taylor, Rebecca Gilling, Elaine Lee, Ken James
Votes: 16
23. Heartbreak High (1994–1999)
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama, Romance
A crash course in the turbulence of being a teen is always on the schedule for the students at Hartley High School in this 1990s series set in Sydney.
Stars: Callan Mulvey, Lara Cox, Emma Roche, Ada Nicodemou
Votes: 3,592
24. Heartbreak High (2022– )
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama, Romance
A fresh look at Hartley High over 20 years on. With her new friends - outsiders Quinni and Darren - Amerie must repair her reputation, while navigating love, sex, and heartbreak.
Stars: Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chloe Hayden, Asher Yasbincek
Votes: 12,334
25. Home and Away (1988– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Drama, Romance
This show chronicles the lives, loves, happiness, and heartbreaks of the residents of Summer Bay, a small coastal town jon the upper Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Stars: Ray Meagher, Lynne McGranger, Emily Symons, Ada Nicodemou
Votes: 6,488
26. Homicide (1964–1977)
120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The cases and crimes actioned by the Victoria (Australia) homicide squad, with many cases based of true events.
Stars: Leonard Teale, George Mallaby, John Fegan, Alwyn Kurts
Votes: 138
27. House Husbands (2012–2017)
45 min | Drama
The lives of four Australian men who are raising their children.
Stars: Firass Dirani, Rhys Muldoon, Gary Sweet, Julia Morris
Votes: 956
A comedy drama. Since it poses a problem as to whether put this in my drama list or my comedy series list I'll just introduce this new categorisation rule: comedy dramas which take up an hour long slot on commercial tv go to the drama list and those which take up a 30 minute slot on commercial tv will go onto my comedy list.
28. Love Child (2014–2017)
45 min | Drama
The lives of staff and residents at the fictional Kings Cross Hospital and Stanton House in Sydney in 1969.
Stars: Jessica Marais, Mandy McElhinney, Miranda Tapsell, Sophie Bloom
Votes: 1,578
29. Love My Way (2004–2007)
TV-14 | 50 min | Drama, Romance
A story about a group of thirty-somethings dealing with the ups and downs of life.
Stars: Claudia Karvan, Asher Keddie, Brendan Cowell, Dan Wyllie
Votes: 1,320
30. Matlock Police (1971–1976)
50 min | Crime, Drama
Policing in a small rural town, popular in its day.
Stars: Vic Gordon, Paul Cronin, Michael Pate, Tom Richards
Votes: 94
31. MDA (2002–2005)
50 min | Drama
Medical Defence Australia, a team of lawyers and doctors who defend doctors charged with malpractice, ranging from Botox injections gone wrong to spinal cord injuries.
Stars: Shane Bourne, Angus Grant, Petra Yared, Jason Donovan
Votes: 73
32. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, History
A female sleuth sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.
Stars: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings
Votes: 17,735
33. Mr & Mrs Murder (2013)
TV-14 | 613 min | Comedy, Mystery
The series follows the adventures of married couple Nicola and Charlie Buchanan, who run an industrial cleaning business while solving the most baffling murder mysteries.
Stars: Shaun Micallef, Kat Stewart, Jonny Pasvolsky, Lucy Velik
Votes: 1,587
See "House husbands" for why this comedy drama makes this list instead of "comedy". The fact that I don't know whether this show got renewed also complicates matters...as in perhaps it should go into my "mini-series/short series" list? If the show got axed, it goes here, but if it was designed as a short run series then perhaps I should put it in my other list (i.e. "short series").
34. Neighbours (1985– )
TV-G | 22 min | Drama, Romance
Australian soap opera exploring the lives and relationships of the residents of Ramsay Street in a suburb of Melbourne called Erinsborough.
Stars: Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Jackie Woodburne, Ryan Moloney
Votes: 6,362
35. Number 96 (1972–1977)
25 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Follows the lives and relationships of residents in a Sydney apartment building, exploring adult themes and featuring risky content like sex scenes.
Stars: Pat McDonald, Jeff Kevin, Joe Hasham, Elaine Lee
Votes: 142
36. Offspring (2010–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The story of the impossible loves of 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her fabulously messy family.
Stars: Asher Keddie, Kat Stewart, Richard Davies, Linda Cropper
Votes: 5,497
37. The Outsiders (1976–1977)
60 min | Adventure
Charlie Cole and his grandson Pete Jarrett travel around outback Australia in a beaten-up ute, finding itinerant work along the way. In each place they befriend locals and become involved ... See full summary »
Stars: Andrew Keir, Sascha Hehn, Herbert Tiede, Vincent Ball
Votes: 43
38. Packed to the Rafters (2008–2013)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Meet Dave and Julie Rafter: just your average Australians with three adult children. On the eve of their 25th wedding anniversary it seems that they're about to have their house to themselves at long last.
Stars: Rebecca Gibney, Erik Thomson, Michael Caton, George Houvardas
Votes: 2,523
39. Prisoner (1979–1986)
TV-14 | 50 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of the staff and inmates of a women's prison.
Stars: Elspeth Ballantyne, Barbara Jungwirth, Betty Bobbitt, Sheila Florance
Votes: 2,241
a.k.a. "Prisoner Cell Block H" in overseas markets...oh, "Caged women" too! Saucy Canadians!
N.B. this series has been 'rebooted' in recent years as "Wentworth" and that is near the end of my list here, due to alphabeticising this list.
40. Puberty Blues (2012–2014)
Unrated | 45 min | Comedy, Drama
Teen best friends Debbie and Sue grow up and find love and freedom on the beaches of Sydney's Sutherland Shire during the tumultuous 1970s.
Stars: Brenna Harding, Ashleigh Cummings, Sean Keenan, Charlotte Best
Votes: 2,252
Not to be confused with the earlier movie of the same name.
41. Rake (2010–2018)
Not Rated | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
Cleaver Greene is a drug addict who has a massive gambling debt with some very shady characters and is in love with a prostitute. He's also a very good criminal lawyer, capable of winning unwinnable cases.
Stars: Richard Roxburgh, Matt Day, Kate Box, Caroline Brazier
Votes: 8,676
42. Redfern Now (2012–2013)
60 min | Drama
The troubled lives of struggling indigenous Australians in the tough, rundown neighborhood of the inner suburb of Redfern in Sydney.
Stars: Wayne Blair, Leo Stripp, Richard Green, Jenny Munro
Votes: 654
43. Return to Eden (1986)
45 min | Drama
Glossy Australian soap opera, where the beautiful, dynamic Stephanie Harper battles her enemies to gain sole control of the family company, Harper Mining Limited.
Stars: Rebecca Gilling, James Smillie, Peta Toppano, Daniel Abineri
Votes: 631
Not to be confused with the successful mini-series which prompted its serialisation.
44. Riptide (1969)
60 min | Adventure
A charter boat operator who happens to be an American is also a bit of a Private Investigator!
Stars: Ty Hardin, Sue Costin, Jonathan Sweet, Slim DeGrey
Votes: 63
I searched Wikipedia for Jackie Weaver's work and this came up. Unfortunately it had no information on this show...the link to it was for the wrong show (linked to a decades later US show of this name).
Wikipedia states:
"The show featured foreign actors and a foreign producer, similar in approach to The Outsiders"
as well as the reception for the series being lukewarm, meaning it wasn't renewed.
45. Rush (1974–1976)
50 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Stories of the lives of people living in and around the goldfields in the Australian bush during the 1850's.
Stars: John Waters, Max Meldrum, Alain Doutey, Vincent Ball
Votes: 87
Set during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s.
46. Rush (2008–2011)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
They are trained to be smarter, tactically superior and technologically advantaged - Melbourne's answer for a cutting edge trend in policing worldwide.
Stars: Rodger Corser, Callan Mulvey, Nicole da Silva, Ashley Zukerman
Votes: 2,003
Modern police drama.
47. SeaChange (1998–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A big city lawyer is prompted to undergo a 'seachange' with her children and becomes the magistrate at the small coastal town of Pearl Bay, where the family comes to love its people and the quality time with each other.
Stars: John Howard, Sigrid Thornton, Kerry Armstrong, Kevin Harrington
Votes: 1,203
48. The Secret Life of Us (2001–2006)
60 min | Drama
This iconic Australian series follows eight people living in St Kilda, Melbourne who are all looking for the same things: love, sex, romance, success, and anything else that's worth pursuing.
Stars: Deborah Mailman, David Tredinnick, Samuel Johnson, Sibylla Budd
Votes: 1,481
49. Silent Number (1974–1976)
60 min | Crime
"Silent Number" was an Australian television series about a police doctor played by Grigor Taylor.
Stars: Grigor Taylor, Deryck Barnes, Tony Wager, Elizabeth Alexander
Votes: 13
Not much information via Wikipedia but there is an extensive entry on classicaustraliantv.com.
50. Skippy (1968–1970)
25 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Sonny and his kangaroo Skippy live in Waratah National Park in New South Wales. Matt Hammond, Sonny's father is the park ranger. Skippy saves the day in many adventures.
Stars: Ed Devereaux, Tony Bonner, Ken James, Garry Pankhurst
Votes: 1,170
51. Skirts (1990–1991)
50 min | Action, Drama
A short lived Australian drama series centered around a community policing squad. Due to the high volume of female officers the squad is nicknamed "Skirts".
Stars: Tracy Mann, Karen Davitt, Nicholas Bell, Mary Coustas
Votes: 9
Wikipedia statest that this series about female police officers (the "skirts") was not renewed after its first series.
52. Skyways (1979–1981)
50 min | Drama
Pacific International Airport has five million passengers a year, and 800 people who work there; with Paul MacFarlane who is in charge.
Stars: Kylie Minogue, Bill Stalker, Ken James, Tina Bursill
Votes: 55
53. Spyforce (1971–1972)
50 min | Drama, Thriller, War
Australian Intelligence Officers during World War 2.
Stars: Jack Thompson, Peter Sumner, Redmond Phillips, Katy Wild
Votes: 95
Perhaps this series should be in my mini-series List. Wikipedia lists this as being Jack Thompson's first lead role and also had a seven year old Russell Crowe make a brief appearance in one episode. Fact based series.
54. The Story of Peter Grey (1961–1962)
15 min | Drama
Soap about the life and adventures of a clergyman.
Stars: James Condon, Diana Perryman, Stewart Ginn, Lou Vernon
Wikipedia states:
Seven Network soap opera, 156 x 15 minute episodes. The National Film and Sound Archive has a large number of episodes from this series and "Autumn affair".
55. The Sullivans (1976–1983)
30 min | Drama
Follows the Sullivan family from Melbourne, Australia during the Second World War.
Stars: Paul Cronin, Steven Tandy, Reg Gorman, Vikki Hammond
Votes: 524
56. Sweet and Sour (1984)
Drama, Music
A young band, The Takeaways, try to succeed in the music business.
Stars: Tracy Mann, David Reyne, Ric Herbert, Sandie Lillingston
Votes: 80
20 x 30m episodes on ABC TV. An account of the fictional music band "The takeaways" which features music by the likes of Deborah Conway and Sharon O'Neill, according to Wikipedia. Actors pretended to sing some of those songs though. The album of the series went platinum in Australia (70,000 sales).
57. Tidelands (2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
After an ex-con returns to her fishing village, a dead body leads her to uncover the secrets of the town and its half-siren, half-human residents.
Stars: Charlotte Best, Marco Pigossi, Aaron Jakubenko, Mattias Inwood
Votes: 8,930
Wikipedia states: "Tidelands is an Australian web television series. The eight-part series is written and created by Stephen M. Irwin and Leigh McGrath, and is produced by Hoodlum Entertainment. It was released on 14 December 2018 on Netflix".
58. The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014)
54 min | Drama
The lives of family and friends who go through a variety of ups and downs.
Stars: Justine Clarke, Shane Jacobson, William McInnes, Stephen Curry
Votes: 801
59. Wentworth (2013–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The confronting look into the lives of the inmates and prison staff of Wentworth Correctional Centre as they navigate the ups and downs of their lives in the prison system.
Stars: Kate Atkinson, Katrina Milosevic, Robbie Magasiva, Jacquie Brennan
Votes: 24,637
a.k.a. "Wentworth prison". The 'reboot' of "Prisoner".
60. Whiplash (1960–1961)
30 min | Western
The story of American Christopher Cobb and his foundation of Australia's first coach-line, which he established in the colony of New South Wales, Australia.
Stars: Peter Graves, Tony Wickert, Robert Tudawali, Phillip Ross
Votes: 89
Wikipedia states: "Whiplash is a British/Australian television series in the Australian Western genre produced by the Seven Network, ATV, and ITC Entertainment, starring Peter Graves. Filmed in 1959-60, the series was first broadcast in September 1960 in the United Kingdom followed by Australia in February 1961".
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