AUSTRALIAN Mini-series
Number PRODUCED, HOURS, budgets, SPEND AND AVERAGE COST PER HOUR, 1990/91–2020/21
Next update December 2022
The number of Australian TV drama mini-series, made for general audience viewing, was relatively consistent in the twenty years from 1990/91. In the 2010s, average Australian mini-series production more than tripled.
1990s - an average of four were shot in Australia each year, generating an average of 22 hours of content. The average cost of an Australian mini-series in this period was $6.25 million, or $1.35 million per hour.
2000s - the average number of titles rose slightly to five per year, with average hours increasing to 40. The average cost rose to $8.20 million per title, or $1.22 million per hour.
2010s - there was a significant increase in the number of mini-series shot in this decade. The average number of titles produced each year was 17, with a yearly average of 133 hours. The average cost to produce an Australian mini-series in the 2010s was $10.06 million, or $1.31 million per hour.
Twenty foreign TV drama mini-series have been shot in Australia since 1990/91. Due to the small sample size, they are not included in the table below. For foreign TV drama figures see: All TV drama formats.
In 2020/21, there were 11 Australian mini-series made for general TV audiences, generating 64 hours of content with budgets of $111 million, or $1.74 million per hour.
For a list of mini-series shot in Australia since 1990/91, see Titles produced.
