East of Everything

Last updated

East of Everything
Genre Drama
Written by Deb Cox
Roger Monk
Directed by Stuart McDonald
Matthew Saville
Starring Richard Roxburgh
Susie Porter
Tom Long
Gia Carides
Steve Bisley
Liana Cornell
Nick Tate
Craig Hall
Theme music composer Greg J. Walker
Opening theme"A Most Peculiar Place"
ComposerGreg J. Walker
Country of origin Australia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersMiranda Dear
Fiona Eagger
ProducersFiona Eagger
Deb Cox
Production locations Byron Bay, New South Wales
Running time60 minutes per episode
Production companyTwenty 20 Pty Ltd
Release
Original network ABC1
Original release30 March 2008 (2008-03-30) –
5 September 2009 (2009-09-05)

East of Everything is an Australian drama television drama series set in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales which screened in 2008-2009 on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television network. It was produced by Deb Cox ( SeaChange ), Fiona Eagger ( CrashBurn ) and Roger Monk ( The Secret Life of Us ). Two seasons were produced. In addition to its principal themes of families, relationships, values and small-town politics, the series pays homage to the relaxed beach lifestyle, adjacent rainforest, "hippy vibe", and potential conflicts with developers associated with its principal setting, a somewhat downmarket version of the tourist town of Byron Bay on the northern New South Wales coast.

Contents

Synopsis

The story initially revolves around Art Watkins (Richard Roxburgh), a globe-trotting travel writer who returns home for his mother's funeral to a neglected resort town, Broken Bay, on the easternmost point of Australia, where he is challenged by a crooked local council, his brother Vance who is trying to cheat him out of his inheritance, his first love who broke his heart when he was a teenager and the son he hasn't seen in ten years. As the series progresses, the life journeys of additional characters are interwoven, including (in season 2) the unexpected return of Gerry (Nick Tate), estranged father of the Watkins brothers (and original constructor of the resort). The fictional town in which the show is set is loosely based on Byron Bay, New South Wales, where the majority of filming took place, with the distinctive character of the region providing a strong supporting element. [1] According to "The Age" writer Debi Enker, the series creators (Cox and Monk) "see their multi-generational ensemble as characters bruised by life, some seeking refuge, most requiring restoration. Reaching Broken Bay, they have come as far as they can and must turn back to face their demons, confront the problems they have endeavoured to escape." [2] Of the two initial principal characters (the Watkins brothers), Cox says, "There's a group of men, children in the 1970s, who were left by their fathers and left wondering how to be men... Divorce became easier in the 70s and there were more family break-ups. Men grew up as small children with the breadwinner around and then became confused when their own fathers took a different path... We were kind of interested in the idea of fatherhood and brothers, and men's relationships to each other." [1] While season 1 is mainly about the initial ensemble characters coming to terms with, and for the most part resolving some of their problems, in season 2 some new characters are introduced and, with many demons disposed of, a somewhat lighter tone is permitted to prevail, although a range of serious themes is still addressed.

The name "Broken Bay" was chosen as a combination of the names of Byron Bay and Broken Head, the next headland down the coast. In addition to Roxburgh and Tate, the series features a number of other well-known Australian actors including Tom Long, Susie Porter, Gia Carides and Steve Bisley.

Cast

Episode list

Season 1

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAus. viewers
(millions)
11"Gross National Happiness"Stuart McDonaldDeb Cox30 March 2008 (2008-03-30)1.006
22"Voila, Baby"Stuart McDonaldRoger Monk6 April 2008 (2008-04-06)0.819
33"The Shining Path"Stuart McDonaldDeb Cox13 April 2008 (2008-04-13)0.743
44"No Way To Nirvana"Matthew SavilleRoger Monk20 April 2008 (2008-04-20)0.717
55"Save Me Some Scones"Matthew SavilleDeb Cox27 April 2008 (2008-04-27)0.655
66"Aesthetic My Arse"Matthew SavilleRoger Monk3 May 2008 (2008-05-03)0.781

Season 2

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAus. viewers
(millions)
71"Weather Man"Stuart McDonaldDeb Cox25 July 2009 (2009-07-25)0.794
82"Cumin Get It"Stuart McDonaldRoger Monk1 August 2009 (2009-08-01)0.749
93"The Golden Rule"Tony TilseDeb Cox8 August 2009 (2009-08-08)0.689
104"Secret And Lies"Tony TilseRoger Monk15 August 2009 (2009-08-15)0.628
115"Venus Rising"Tony TilseRoger Monk22 August 2009 (2009-08-22)0.615
126"Homeward Bound"Ian WatsonDeb Cox29 August 2009 (2009-08-29)0.644
137"Community Chest"Ian WatsonRoger Monk5 September 2009 (2009-09-05)0.619

Detailed plot summaries for all episodes of both series are available here and here.

Production details

Season one had six episodes, with the show airing on Sunday nights at 8.30pm. It premiered on Sunday, 30 March 2008, and the season finale aired on Sunday, 4 May 2008. Season two has seven episodes, with the show airing on Saturday nights at 7.30pm. It premiered on Saturday, 25 July 2009. Nick Tate joined the cast for the season.

In season one, the town of Byron Bay was mostly used as the real-life analogue of the fictional Broken Bay; for season two, additional locations incorporated into the "Broken Bay" streetscape included other towns with a noted "hippy vibe" in the Northern Rivers region of northern New South Wales, notably Nimbin and Mullumbimby. [3] The run-down, fictional Far Out East resort where much of the action is set was a specially constructed set on the site of the future Byron Beach Resort situated on Belongil Beach, Byron Bay. The inspiration for the "Far Out East" concept was stated to be in part from backpacker accommodation associated with the former Piggery site and music venue in Byron Bay, which still exists under its current (2021) name "the Arts Factory Lodge". [4] The contribution of the soundtrack (featuring many local and generally less well-known artists) to the story and the sense of place is discussed in an article in "Screen Sound" by Liz Giuffre. [5]

DVD and CD releases

Both seasons were released by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on DVD for home viewing, Series 1 in 2008 and Series 2 in 2009, accompanied by various extras on each 2-disc set, while the soundtracks for both series were also available on CD. [6] [7] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009 the soundtrack was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album. [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Going 'east of everything' to find a paradise lost". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "In Byron's Sway". The Age. 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "No more angst in happy hippie shake-up". Sydney Morning Herald. 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "The Arts Factory Lodge Byron Bay: where did it all begin?". nomadsworld.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "SOUNDING EAST OF EVERYTHING: Australian Television, Music and Place" (PDF). Screen Sound n1, 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "East of everything. Series 1 (videorecording)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "East of Everything: Product Listing". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  8. ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 July 2022.
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