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With so many reality shows on Australian TV nowadays, there are some genres that haven't been attempted in Australia for some time. One is the soap opera, where there are just two soaps on air at the moment, the long running Neighbours (1985) and Home and Away (1988). No new Australian soaps have been attempted for years; dramas have been made with varying degrees of success, but not true soaps.
Years ago there were quite a few Australian soaps, some of which were very successful such as E Street and A Country Practice. However, there is also a mass grave of failed Australian soaps. Which are some of the failed soap operas from Oz over the years?
ARCADE (1980) - This legendary failed soap debuted on Channel 10 in 1980, and was quickly cancelled when rival networks increased their ratings after Arcade came onto the air.
HOLIDAY ISLAND (1981) - The most memorable aspect of this show was that it was set on a tropical island in Queensland, but filmed in Melbourne in the middle of winter and it was impossible to cover up the actors' breaths in the chilly air.
RICHMOND HILL (1988) - This was one of two Australian soaps debuted by Channel 7 in 1988, the other being Home and Away, but this show didn't really catch on and is largely forgotten. One unusual thing about this show was seeing the late Ross Higgins, well known for playing the bumbling bigot Ted Bullpit in Kingswood Country, in a straight humorless role as a police sergeant.
FAMILY & FRIENDS (1990) - At the start of 1990 Channel 7 had two successful soaps in Home and Away and A Country Practice, Channel 10 had two successful soaps in Neighbours and E Street, while Channel 9 had no soaps at all. Big money was spent on developing Family & Friends, which failed to rate from day 1. The show underwent a quick revamp but still nobody watched, and when it was gone before mid year there were few complaints.
PARADISE BEACH (1993-1994) - This Channel 9 show set on the Gold Coast was made specifically to break into three markets - Australia, Britain and the USA - and failed in all of them. Years later, Paradise Beach is fondly remembered as being 'So Bad It's Good', and at the time it was parodied on sketch comedy shows and breakfast radio programs. The show has never been released on DVD, but some clips are on Youtube. One comment on one of the clips stated that the viewer at first thought this was a non-erotic scene from a porno, and it is hard to disagree.
ECHO POINT (1995) - One of the major reasons this show which featured a young Rose Byrne failed was that it was pitted directly against Home and Away. However, one other reason was quite unusual, in that Echo Point had relatively realistic everyday plotlines and problems for the characters, and maybe viewers preferred the more outlandish, escapist plots of other soaps.
BREAKERS (1998-1999) - Another 1990s Australian soap set in the sun, sand and surf, and another flop. This show, remembered for some controversial storylines, aired at unusual times, mid-afternoon and late at night, which made it hard to find an audience in the essential 18-45 demographic, who were largely unable to watch it unless they bothered to record the show.
HEADLAND (2005-2006) - Channel 7 made the decision to debut this show in the summer non-ratings period during the summer of 2005-2006, which was apt as Headland was a commercial and critical failure.
Years ago there were quite a few Australian soaps, some of which were very successful such as E Street and A Country Practice. However, there is also a mass grave of failed Australian soaps. Which are some of the failed soap operas from Oz over the years?
ARCADE (1980) - This legendary failed soap debuted on Channel 10 in 1980, and was quickly cancelled when rival networks increased their ratings after Arcade came onto the air.
HOLIDAY ISLAND (1981) - The most memorable aspect of this show was that it was set on a tropical island in Queensland, but filmed in Melbourne in the middle of winter and it was impossible to cover up the actors' breaths in the chilly air.
RICHMOND HILL (1988) - This was one of two Australian soaps debuted by Channel 7 in 1988, the other being Home and Away, but this show didn't really catch on and is largely forgotten. One unusual thing about this show was seeing the late Ross Higgins, well known for playing the bumbling bigot Ted Bullpit in Kingswood Country, in a straight humorless role as a police sergeant.
FAMILY & FRIENDS (1990) - At the start of 1990 Channel 7 had two successful soaps in Home and Away and A Country Practice, Channel 10 had two successful soaps in Neighbours and E Street, while Channel 9 had no soaps at all. Big money was spent on developing Family & Friends, which failed to rate from day 1. The show underwent a quick revamp but still nobody watched, and when it was gone before mid year there were few complaints.
PARADISE BEACH (1993-1994) - This Channel 9 show set on the Gold Coast was made specifically to break into three markets - Australia, Britain and the USA - and failed in all of them. Years later, Paradise Beach is fondly remembered as being 'So Bad It's Good', and at the time it was parodied on sketch comedy shows and breakfast radio programs. The show has never been released on DVD, but some clips are on Youtube. One comment on one of the clips stated that the viewer at first thought this was a non-erotic scene from a porno, and it is hard to disagree.
ECHO POINT (1995) - One of the major reasons this show which featured a young Rose Byrne failed was that it was pitted directly against Home and Away. However, one other reason was quite unusual, in that Echo Point had relatively realistic everyday plotlines and problems for the characters, and maybe viewers preferred the more outlandish, escapist plots of other soaps.
BREAKERS (1998-1999) - Another 1990s Australian soap set in the sun, sand and surf, and another flop. This show, remembered for some controversial storylines, aired at unusual times, mid-afternoon and late at night, which made it hard to find an audience in the essential 18-45 demographic, who were largely unable to watch it unless they bothered to record the show.
HEADLAND (2005-2006) - Channel 7 made the decision to debut this show in the summer non-ratings period during the summer of 2005-2006, which was apt as Headland was a commercial and critical failure.