A soap opera, daytime drama, or soap for short, is typically a long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers. The term was preceded by "horse opera", a derogatory term for low-budget Westerns.
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera, which was broadcast on Network Ten from February 27 (Melbourne) and February 26 (Sydney) 1979 to December 1986 (Melbourne), running eight seasons and 692 episodes.
Reginald James Watson was an Australian television producer and screenwriter and executive.
Cop Shop is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes.
Punishment is an Australian television soap opera made by the Reg Grundy Organisation for Network Ten in 1981.
Richmond Hill is an Australian prime time television soap opera made in 1988 by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Ten Network. It was devised by Reg Watson who also created Neighbours. It debuted on 27 January 1988 in a two-hour episode on Network 10 at 7.30pm. The series was only moderately successful and was cancelled on 22 June 1988. A total of 92 episodes were produced. As of March 2021, there has been no DVD Release of Richmond Hill.
Starting Out is an Australian television soap opera made for the Nine Network by the Reg Grundy Organisation in 1983.
Prime Time is an Australian soap opera drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that aired on the Nine Network in from January 1986 to January 1987. Prime Time was the last Australian soap produced with exterior location scenes shot on film and interior scenes shot on videotape. The series was not a popular success and was cancelled after sixty episodes.
Taurus Rising is an Australian soap opera produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Nine Network in 1982. Originally intended by the network to be a replacement for The Sullivans, the series was one of a number of attempts to provide an Australian alternative to the glossy American supersoaps Dallas and Dynasty and featured two wealthy Sydney-based feuding families, the Brents and the Drysdales. To this end, it represented something of a stylistic departure for Grundy's. Unlike most other Australian soap operas which were recorded on videotape, Taurus Rising was shot entirely on film. The series began at 8.30pm time-slot in a two hour movie pilot and continued for a couple of weeks on Tuesday nights. Due to a decline in ratings it was delegated to Friday nights at 10pm by the time of the finale during 1982. Taurus Rising has never screened on Nine Network since the original screening.
Until Tomorrow is an Australian television soap opera created by Reg Watson. The series was produced in colour by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Seven Network in 1975. It was the second soap opera made by the Reg Grundy Organisation, the first having been Class of '74. It is notable for having been made in Brisbane as opposed to Sydney or Melbourne, and was one of the few Australian soap operas produced for a daytime slot, screning at 2.30 pm in Sydney and 1.30pm in Melbourne.
Echo Point is an Australian television soap opera produced by Southern Star Group for Network Ten on 1 June 1995 until 1 December 1995.
Natalie Louise Blair is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Carmella Cammeniti on the Australian television soap opera drama series Neighbours.
Charlene Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours played by Kylie Minogue. Charlene was introduced to the show along with several new characters, as part of a revamp by Network Ten to increase ratings. Minogue auditioned for the role in 1985, shortly after finishing her high school exams. She attended the audition dressed as the character and casting director Jan Russ cast her in the role. Minogue was initially contracted for a week, but this was later extended through to mid-1988. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 17 April 1986.
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap Sons and Daughters. Although successful in Melbourne, Neighbours underperformed in the Sydney market and was cancelled by Seven four months after it began airing. It was immediately commissioned by rival Network Ten for a second production season, which began screening on 20 January 1986. Neighbours became the longest-running drama series in Australian television history. In 2005, it was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.
Danny Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by David Clencie. He made his first appearance during the serial's debut episode broadcast on 18 March 1985. Danny was the first character to speak in the show. Danny's storylines focused on his troubled relationship with his father Max and his subsequent discovery that Tim Duncan is his real father, his friendship with Scott Robinson and his job as a bank teller. Danny moved away from Ramsay Street on 31 July 1986. In 2005, Clencie reprised his role as Danny for a cameo in Annalise Hartman's documentary on Ramsay Street.
Law of the Land is an Australian television drama series that screened on the Nine Network from 1993–1999. The series was set in the fictional country town of Merringanee and centered on the unique way that locals dealt with and enforced the law. Storylines in Law of the Land were serialized, with one larger plot covering the season.
Canal Road is an Australian television drama series on the Nine Network. The series was produced in-house, under producer Susan Bower, in collaboration with writers Sarah Smith, John Ridley and Dave Warner, and directed by Kevin Carlin. It was filmed at Channel Nine's GTV Studio 11 and on location in and around Melbourne. The series reportedly cost A$10 million to produce.
The Ramsay family is a fictional family from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. The family were one of three central families created by Reg Watson and introduced in the first episode of Neighbours in March 1985. Watson wanted the Ramsays to be humorous and rougher than the Robinson family. Ramsay Street, a cul-de-sac which is the central setting of the series, is named after the family. In 2001, the last Ramsay, Madge, departed the series. Eight years later, a new generation of the Ramsay family was introduced.
Kris Noble is an Australian retired television executive, best known for his extensive work in the Australian television industry and for his work on American co-productions Moby Dick and Farscape.
