Offspring

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Offspring (TV series)

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Offspring
Offspring TVSeries Logo.jpg
Current promotional logo
Genre Drama
Created by Debra Oswald with John Edwards and Imogen Banks
Starring Asher Keddie
Kat Stewart
Don Hany
Deborah Mailman
Eddie Perfect
Linda Cropper
Richard Davies
John Waters
Matthew Le Nevez
Narrated by Asher Keddie
Opening theme "When We Swam" by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
Country of origin Australia
Language(s) English
No. of series 3
No. of episodes 28 (including Telemovie) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) John Edwards and Imogen Banks
Location(s) Melbourne, Victoria
Running time 60 minutes
Production company(s) Southern Star Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel Network Ten
Picture format 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1
Original run 15 August 2010 – present
External links
Website

Offspring is an Australian television comedy-drama series which premiered on Network Ten in Australia on 15 August 2010. Offspring is centred around 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her family, as they navigate the chaos of modern life.[1] The show mixes conventional narrative drama with flashbacks, graphic animation and fantasy sequences.

Debra Oswald wrote the series with John Edwards and Imogen Banks producing with Southern Star Entertainment.[2][3] Offspring was originally conceived as a two hour telemovie for Ten, but was spun off into a 13 episodes series after television executives were impressed by the quality of the telemovie. The second season began on 16 May 2011 with a double episode premiere.

A third season was aired in April 2012.

Contents

Cast

Main Cast

Season 1 Cast
  • Asher Keddie as Nina Proudman - a 30-something obstetrician, known for her incredibly capable and caring nature. However, despite her proficiencies in her work-life, Nina constantly struggles with bouts of uncertainty, which both helps and hinders her in her quest for love, fulfillment and balance in the chaos of modern life.
  • Don Hany as Chris Havel (Season 1, Guest Starring in Season 2) - introduced as the new paediatrician at the Neonatal ward in which Nina works. Initially sparks fly between Chris and Nina, but their relationship becomes complicated on the arrival of Chris' estranged wife. The relationship ultimately ends on the conclusion of season 2.
  • Kat Stewart as Billie Proudman - Nina's boisterous older sister, she is bold, brassy, and incapable of lying. At constant war with Nina's golden girl image within the family, Billie who was once the wild child, is determined to put her wayward youth behind her, and become something great.
  • Deborah Mailman as Cherie Butterfield - a colleague of Nina's, Cherie is a nurse. She is thrust into the Proudman family spotlight when it is discovered that Darcy is the father of her soon to be born child. Previously coming from a strict Catholic upbringing she finds herself very much a member of the Proudmans.
  • Eddie Perfect as Mick Holland - Mick is a hard working, fun-loving guy, who spends half his time labouring and other half making music. His idea of happiness is a day spent with the woman he loves, and his dog. When Billie and Mick plan to start a family, Mick's forced to confront his demons and contact his estranged brother. Mick's best friend is Billie's and Nina's younger brother Jimmy.
  • Richard Davies as Jimmy Proudman - is a free spirit, and has a thirst for experience. Unfortunately for Jimmy his yearning to live a life of good times can sometimes clash with the rest of the Proudman clan. The introduction of Tammie sees Jimmy make the decision to settle down, however this is short lived. After a fling with Zara, a nurse at the hospital, Jimmy is forced to reassess his life.
  • Linda Cropper as Geraldine Proudman - mother to the three eldest Proudman children. Geraldine works as an architectural model maker and is a creative and intelligent woman. She is passionately connected to each of her children, but is also committed to making the most of her own life.
  • John Waters as Darcy Proudman - charming, devoted and passionate, Darcy is Billie and Jimmy's father. He also loves women. He was never the type of man who could settle down forever with one person, loving women is too much a part of who he is, and hence Geraldine and Darcy have been separated for some time. However after suffering a serious heart attack his willingness to commit to Geraldine is rekindled. He owns a real estate agency in which Billie also works.
  • Matthew Le Nevez as Patrick Reed (Season 2) - the good-hearted, recently hired anaesthetist at the hospital. When Patrick and Nina first meet they engage each other in regular niggles, as a result of Nina's misjudgement of Patrick. However a relationship slowly evolves. They are thrown into turmoil on the arrival of Chris Havel, Nina's old flame.

Supporting Cast

Actor Role Season(s)
Jane Harber Zara Perkich 1-present
Alicia Gardiner Kim Akerholt 1-present
Lachy Hulme Dr Martin Clegg 1-present
Jay Ryan Fraser King 2
Emma Griffin Tammy 2
Dan Spielman Andrew Holland 2-present

Production

The series is produced by John Edwards and Imogen Banks who also co-produce Tangle. John Edwards was responsible for such successes as Police Rescue, The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way and Dangerous - also produced with Imogen Banks, and has more recently been producing Rush for Network TEN.

Offspring: The Nurses

A web series titled Offspring: The Nurses began in 2010 on the official Offspring website.[4] It follows nurses Kim (Alicia Gardiner) and Zara (Jane Harber) from the original series and also stars Benedict Hardie, Julia Grace, Laura Gilham, Carl Nilsson Polias, Jodie Sheehy and Matthew Heyward as fellow staff members of the Hospital. Some cast members from the original series have also starred as well.

A second web series follows Zara (Jane Harber) and this time Justina Noble as Nurse Tyra. Series 2 also starred Benedict Hardie, Harry Milas, Josh Price, Natalie Kaplan, Sonja Kowanjko and Kate Hopkins. While Richard Davies and Lachy Hulme also made guest appearances.

Awards

Australian Film Institute Awards

2010

  • AFI Award For Best Guest Or Supporting Actress In A Television Drama

Deborah Mailman (Won)

  • AFI Award For Best Guest Or Supporting Actor In A Television Drama

John Waters (Nominations)

TV Week Logie Awards

In April 2011, the nominations for the TV Week Logie Awards were announced, with the event taking place on 3 May 2011.

2011

  • Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, Asher Keddie (Nominated)
  • Most Popular Actor, Don Hany (Nominated)
  • Most Popular Actress, Asher Keddie (Won)
  • Most Popular New Male Talent, Eddie Perfect (Nominated)
  • Most Popular Australian Drama (Nominated)
  • Most Outstanding Actress, Asher Keddie (Nominated)
  • Most Outstanding Actress, Kat Stewart (Nominated)
  • Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent, Richard Davies (Nominated)

Ratings

Offspring premiered on 15 August 2010, with a two hour telemovie, which attracted 1,124,000 viewers, coming in 7th place for the night.[5] The first season concluded with a two hour finale 21 November 2010 at its normal time slot at 8:30pm, with the seasons final episode at 9:30pm. The 8:30pm telecast averaged 929,000 viewers and 9:30pm averaged 860,000, the series second lowest ratings so far.[6]

DVD releases

DVD Season #
Episodes
#
Disc(s)
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 Special Features
The Complete First Series
and Feature-Length Telemovie
13
(+ Telemovie)
5 N/A N/A 1 December 2010[7]
  • Original Feature-length Telemovie
  • Offspring: The Nurses (Series 1 Webisodes)
The Complete
Second Series
13 4 N/A N/A 14 September 2011[8]
  • Offspring: The Nurses (Series 2 Webisodes)

International distribution

Country Channel Year Notes
 Ireland RTÉ One 2012 Sundays
 Netherlands TLC Netherlands 2011 July
 New Zealand TV One 2011 Sundays 9:30pm[9]
 Norway TLC Norway 2011
 Russia TLC Russia 2011 Sundays beginning from 29 May
 Spain Sony TV 2011 Spanish title: Descubriendo a Nina
 Sweden TLC Sweden 2011 Thursdays 9pm

References


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