Overview of series and serial production

There were almost 200 adult series or serial titles shot in Australia during the 1990s, with total production budgets of $1.4 billion. More than 180 of these were Australian programs, with total budgets of $1.06 billion. Eight co-productions and 10 foreign titles made up the rest. Of the 10 foreign series:

• five were from the US, Roar, two series of Time Trax, E.A.R.T.H. Force and two episodes of Baywatch;
• three were from the UK, Minder (two episodes), Inspector Morse (one episode), Soldier, Soldier (two episodes);
• one was from Canada, Amazon (second unit); and
• one was from Germany, The Dreamboat.

In the past nine years, 158 Australian adult series or serials have been shot in Australia, as well as 11 co-productions and 13 foreign series. Of the 13 foreign productions:

• five were from the US, The Bold and the Beautiful, Monarch Cove, Ponderosa, Lost in Oz (60-minute pilot) and Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King;
• three were from the UK, The Bill and Cold Feet (both 90-minute special episodes), and two episodes of Heartbeat;
• one was from India, Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii;
• one was from Greece, You Are My Other Half;
• one was from Belgium, Thuis;
• one from the Philippines, Walang Kapalit; and
• one from China, Study Escort Daddy in Australia.

The cost per commercial broadcast hour for Australian series/serials for adults fell during the latter part of the 1990s, from $226,000 per hour in 1996/97 to $207,000 in 1999/00. It dropped further, to $199,000, in 2000/01 but rose to $242,000 in 2001/02 and has remained above $220,000 since. In 2006/07, it rose significantly to $299,000, remaining high the following year at $291,000 and reaching $313,000 in 2008/09. By comparison, the average cost per hour for the co-productions shot between July 1996 and June 2009 was $1.6 million, and for the foreign programs, $1.5 million.

The major sources of finance for Australian series and serials (both for adults or children) between 1995/96 and 1999/00 were the Australian broadcasters, including the commercial
free-to-air networks (Nine, Seven and Ten) and the government-owned public broadcasters (ABC and SBS). This was followed by production/distribution companies and foreign and government sources. The commercial free-to-air broadcasters continue to be a major source of funding for adult and children’s series and serials.

Figures in this Series/serial production section do not include those made for children: see Children’s TV drama production: Overview.