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Australian Drama released on television

Number of programs, Australian free-to-air television, 1996–2014

Next update April 2016

Adult TV drama | Children’s TV drama

Adult TV drama

An average of 31 Australian TV drama programs for adults (telemovies, mini-series, series and serials, including co-productions) have received first-release screenings on Australian free-to-air television each year since 1996.

Series/serials make up the majority of these (around 60 per cent). An average of 19 new series/serial titles screened each year between 1996 and 2014, including one-off series such as the ABC’s Jonah from Tonga and long-running serials such as Seven’s Home and Away.

First-run screenings of telemovies and mini-series fluctuate annually with an average of six new titles per year in the last 19 years.

  Telemovies Mini-series Series/serials Total
Total 1996–2014 117 118 352 587
Annual av. 1996–2014 6 6 19 31
1996 6 7 20 33
1997 11 3 21 35
1998 4 7 20 31
1999 5 4 17 26
2000 7 2 18 27
2001 5 6 23 34
2002 10 1 24 35
2003 4 3 21 28
2004 9 2 20 31
2005 10 1 15 26
2006 7 4 14 25
2007 5 5 17 27
2008 5 7 20 32
2009 3 9 17 29
2010 4 5 19 28
2011 5 9 15 29
2012 9 13 15 37
2013 2 15 16 34
2014 6 15 21 42

Source: Compiled by Screen Australia

Notes:
Includes Australian productions, official co-productions and other productions with overseas partners where creative control is shared (i.e. with a mix of Australians in key creative positions).
Based on first recorded screenings.
Telemovie figures include both one-offs and series or anthologies. 
Series/serials figures include only the initial release; subsequent series of the same title are excluded.

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Children’s TV drama

An average of 16 Australian TV drama programs for children (including co-productions) receive a first release on Australian free-to-air television each year. This is about half the number of new drama programs for adults released annually. An average of six mini-series for children received a first release screening each year between 1996 and 2014, compared to nine series/serials. Telemovies for children are less common than for adults, with an average of only one new release per year. They are often Christmas specials.

  Telemovies Mini-series Series/serials Total
Total 1996–2014 14 113 176 303
Annual av. 1996–2014 1 6 9 16
1996 1 8 3 12
1997 0 12 7 19
1998 0 11 10 21
1999 1 7 7 15
2000 2 8 5 15
2001 4 10 4 18
2002 1 9 6 16
2003 1 5 7 13
2004 0 6 9 15
2005 1 7 7 15
2006 1 7 6 14
2007 1 6 9 16
2008 1 2 15 18
2009 0 2 18 20
2010 0 3 10 13
2011 0 3 13 16
2012 0 3 15 18
2013 0 2 12 14
2014 0 2 13 15

Source: Compiled by Screen Australia.

Notes:
Includes Australian productions, official co-productions and other productions with overseas partners where creative control is shared (i.e. with a mix of Australians in key creative positions).
Based on first recorded screenings.
Telemovie figures include both one-offs and series or anthologies.
Series/serials figures include only the initial release; subsequent series of the same title are excluded.

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