NPS - Australian and co-productions: TV drama: Production activity

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Australian and co-productions: TV drama: Production activity

The value of the Australian and co-production TV drama slate (as measured by budget expenditure in Australia) was $308 million, up on last year’s $257 million and above the five-year average of $245 million.

Hours produced dropped to 646 from 691 last year, but remained above the five-year average of 631. The decrease was in series/serials for adults, which had risen in 2007/08 with the introduction of the serial Out of the Blue, since cancelled. Co-productions for children also dropped back after last year’s increase, but local children’s drama was up by 45 per cent.

Once again there were no adult TV dramas made as co-productions.

In-house drama activity by Australian broadcasters was similar to last year, with four series/serials by the Seven Network (All Saints, City Homicide, Home and Away and Packed to the Rafters) totalling 206 hours, compared to four in-house series/serials and one telemovie (206 hours) in 2007/08.

Australian and co-production TV drama, 2004/05–2008/09

	Australian¹				Co-production¹				Total
	No.	Hours²	Total budgets ($m)	Spend in Aust. ($m)	No.	Hours²	Total budgets ($m)	Spend in Aust. ($m)	No.	Hours²	Total budgets ($m)	Spend in Aust. ($m)
Programs for adults³
2004/05	22	521	156	156	2	6	12	9	24	527	168	165
2005/06	25	415	116	116	3	29	15	11	28	444	132	127
2006/07	32	506	193	192	0	0	0	0	32	506	193	192
2007/08	28	519	189	188	0	0	0	0	28	519	189	188
2008/09	27	486	205	205	0	0	0	0	27	486	205	205
5-yr av.	27	489	172	171	1	7	5	4	28	496	177	175
Programs for children³
2004/05	7	66	40	33	2	26	11	4	9	92	50	37
2005/06	10	102	71	66	4	38	23	12	14	139	94	78
2006/07	9	75	55	50	4	34	24	11	13	109	78	61
2007/08	8	88	53	41	7	85	62	27	15	172	115	69
2008/09	12	128	96	90	3	33	27	13	15	161	123	103
5-yr av.	9	92	63	56	4	43	29	14	13	135	92	70
Total TV drama slate³
2004/05	29	588	196	189	4	32	23	13	33	620	219	202
2005/06	35	516	188	182	7	67	38	23	42	583	226	205
2006/07	41	581	248	242	4	34	24	11	45	615	271	253
2007/08	36	606	242	229	7	85	62	27	43	691	304	257
2008/09	39	614	301	294	3	33	27	13	42	646	327	308
5-yr av.	36	581	235	227	5	50	35	18	41	631	269	245

Notes:
Figures may not total exactly due to rounding.
1. See Key terms for definitions of Australian and co-production.
2. Commercial broadcast hours rather than actual running time. Individual program duration has been rounded to 15, 30 or 60 minutes as appropriate (including commercial breaks).
3. The annual slate is defined as productions that started principal photography during the year.