Offspring (TV series)

Last updated

Offspring
Offspring Logo.jpg
Offspring title card
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Debra Oswald
John Edwards
Imogen Banks
Starring Asher Keddie
Kat Stewart
Don Hany
Deborah Mailman
Eddie Perfect
Linda Cropper
Richard Davies
Matthew Le Nevez
Lachy Hulme
John Waters
Jane Harber
Ido Drent
Ben Barrington
Patrick Brammall
Alexander England
Alicia Gardiner
TJ Power
Narrated by Asher Keddie
Theme music composer Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
Opening theme"When We Swam"
Ending theme"When We Swam" (instrumental)
ComposerJohn Lee
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series7
No. of episodes85 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersRick Maier
Rory Callaghan
ProducersJohn Edwards
Imogen Banks
Production locations Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Camera setupNicholas Owens
Running time45 minutes
Production companies Endemol Australia (Then branded as Southern Star Entertainment) (series 1–5)
Endemol Shine Australia (series 6–7)
Original release
Network Network Ten
Release15 August 2010 (2010-08-15) 
30 August 2017 (2017-08-30)

Offspring is an Australian television comedy-drama program that aired Network Ten from 2010 to 2017. Offspring is centred on 30-something obstetrician Nina Proudman and her family and friends as they navigate the chaos of modern life. Filmed in Melbourne's inner north, [1] the series mixes conventional narrative drama and comedy with flashbacks, graphic animation, and fantasy sequences. [2]

Contents

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Pilot 15 August 2010 (2010-08-15)
1 1322 August 2010 (2010-08-22)21 November 2010 (2010-11-21)
2 1316 May 2011 (2011-05-16)20 July 2011 (2011-07-20)
3 1318 April 2012 (2012-04-18)11 July 2012 (2012-07-11)
4 1322 May 2013 (2013-05-22)14 August 2013 (2013-08-14)
5 1314 May 2014 (2014-05-14)6 August 2014 (2014-08-06)
6 1029 June 2016 (2016-06-29)14 September 2016 (2016-09-14)
7 1028 June 2017 (2017-06-28)30 August 2017 (2017-08-30)

Cast

Main

ActorCharacterSeason
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Asher Keddie Dr Nina Proudman Main
Kat Stewart Billie ProudmanMain
Deborah Mailman Cherie ButterfieldMain
Richard Davies Jimmy ProudmanMain
Linda Cropper Geraldine ProudmanMain
Eddie Perfect Mick HollandMainRecurring
John Waters Darcy ProudmanMainRecurring
Don Hany Dr Chris HavelMainGuest
Alicia Gardiner Kim AkerholtRecurringMain
Lachy Hulme Dr Martin CleggRecurringMainRecurring
Jane Harber Zara Perkich-ProudmanRecurringMain
Matthew Le Nevez Dr Patrick ReidMainGuest
Ido Drent Dr. Lawrence PethbridgeRecurringMainGuest
Ben Barrington Thomas BuchdahlMain
Patrick Brammall Leo TaylorMainRecurring
Alexander England Harry CreweRecurringMain
TJ Power Will BowenRecurringMain

Supporting cast

Production

Debra Oswald wrote the series with John Edwards and Imogen Banks producing with Southern Star Entertainment. [3] Offspring was originally conceived as a two-hour telemovie for Ten, but was spun off into a 13-episode 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.

On 3 October 2014, shortly after the fifth series finale aired, John Edwards confirmed that Offspring would not return for a sixth series due to Ten's cost-cutting measures in its production division. [4] In 2015, the series was picked up for another series, with production commencing on 25 April 2016 and running through to June 2016. [5] Most of the original cast returned alongside new cast members. [6] The seventh series filmed in Melbourne from March 2017 [7] and premiered on 28 June 2017. [8]

In November 2017, Network Ten chose not to renew the show as part of its 2018 season, although did not officially cancel the program. [9]

The series was filmed in Melbourne's inner-north around the suburb of Fitzroy and was produced by John Edwards and Imogen Banks, who also co-produced 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 Rush for Seriously Ten.

Offspring: The Nurses

A web series titled Offspring: The Nurses began in 2010 on the official Offspring website. [10] 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 and nominations

Australian Film Institute Awards

YearNomineeAwardResult
2010 Deborah Mailman Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama Won
John Waters Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Nominated

TV Week Logie Awards

YearNomineeAwardResult
2011 Asher Keddie Most Popular Actress Won
Offspring Most Popular Drama Series Nominated
Don Hany Most Popular Actor Nominated
Eddie Perfect Most Popular New Male Talent Nominated
Richard Davies Most Outstanding New Talent Nominated
Asher Keddie Most Outstanding Actress Nominated
Kat Stewart Most Outstanding ActressNominated
2012 Asher KeddieMost Popular ActressWon
Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian TV Nominated
Eddie PerfectMost Popular ActorNominated
OffspringMost Popular Drama SeriesNominated
Kat StewartMost Outstanding ActressNominated
Offspring Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie Nominated
2013 Asher KeddieGold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian TVWon
Most Popular ActressWon
Matthew Le Nevez Most Popular ActorNominated
Clare Bowditch Most Popular New Female Talent Nominated
OffspringMost Popular Australian DramaNominated
Most Outstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2014 Asher KeddieGold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian TVNominated
Most Popular ActressWon
Matthew Le NevezMost Popular ActorNominated
Asher KeddieMost Outstanding ActressWon
Kat StewartNominated
OffspringMost Popular Drama ProgramNominated
2015 [11] Asher KeddieGold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian TVNominated
Most Popular ActressWon
OffspringMost Popular Drama ProgramNominated

Equity Ensemble Awards

YearCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
2013 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Series 1 castNominated
2012Series 2 castNominated
2013 [12] Series 3 castNominated
2014 [13] Series 4 castNominated

Series viewership

Season# of EpisodesSeason
Premiere
Season
Final
Average
Audience

(millions)
Drama Rank
1 1415 August 201021 November 20101.071 [14] #4 [14]
2 1316 May 201120 July 20111.072 [14] #6 [14]
3 1318 April 201211 July 20121.014 [14] #8 [14]
4 1322 May 201314 August 20130.954 [14] #9 [14]
5 1314 May 20146 August 20141.027 [14] #9 [14]
6 1029 June 201614 September 20160.921 [15] #10

Episodes

DVD releases

The entire series of Offspring has been released on Region 4 DVD via Madman Entertainment. The first and second seasons were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively in box set packaging. In 2012, both sets received a re-release in standard-case packaging, which became the norm for each subsequent season set. Multiple season sets have additionally been made available from Madman Entertainment.

DVD Title# Episodes# DiscsRelease date ACB ratingNotesRef
Region 4
The Complete First Season13 (+ Telemovie)51 December 2010 M
Features
  • 725 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
  • Re-released in standard-case packaging (1 August 2012)
  • Special features:
    • Original feature-length telemovie
    • Offspring: The Nurses (Series 1 webisodes)
[16]
The Complete Second Season13414 September 2011 M
Features
  • 616 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
  • Re-released in standard-case packaging (1 August 2012)
  • Special features:
    • Offspring: The Nurses (Series 2 webisodes)
[17]
The Complete Third Season1341 August 2012 M
Features
  • 546 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
[18]
The Complete Fourth Season1344 September 2013 M
Features
  • 570 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
[19]
The Complete Fifth Season13417 September 2014 M
Features
  • 570 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
[20]
Season Six1032 November 2016 M
Features
  • 456 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
[21]
Season Seven1038 November 2017 M
Features
  • 439 minutes
  • 1.78:1 (16:9)
  • Dolby Digital 2.0
[22]

International distribution

Offspring has been broadcast in several countries, including New Zealand, where it was screened from 2010 on TV One on Sundays at 8:30pm. [23] In 2012, it appeared on the GNT network in Brazil and both HOT VOD and HOT3 in Israel, while it was included on Netflix in the United States in 2017. [24] In 2011 it was picked up by Sony Entertainment Television in Spain, under the title "Descubriendo a Nina", AXN White in Portugal, as "Descobrindo Nina", and by the TLC network for Norway, Netherlands in July, Russia, screening on Sundays, and Sweden, where it was aired on Thursdays at 9:00pm, while in 2012, it debuted on RTÉ One and was available in Ireland in a late Sunday night time slot, 2013 on YLE TV2 in Finland Mondays at 10:05pm, and additionally, it appeared in the United Kingdom on Netflix in 2017. [24]

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