Critics agree: All Saints ends an Aussie era
As its cast shortly face their final day -and in one of this site's most important articles- TV critics from around the country tell TV Tonight what the death of All Saints really means to the future of drama.
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The final shoot for the team at All Saints nears, bringing to a close 12 seasons over 11 years for the Seven medical soap.
In that time it has brought us many memorable actors including Georgie Parker, John Howard, Libby Tanner, Erik Thomson, Christopher Gabardi, Wil Traval, Joelene Anderson, Conrad Coleby, Chris Vance and the late Mark Priestley.
Judith McGrath remains the only cast member to have worked on the show from beginning to end.
Despite still delivering good ratings, the show is a victim of increased production costs, and being one of four in-house dramas at Seven that seemingly had to budge.
But with the end of its run, does it also signal the “death” of the long-running drama in Australian television? Notwithstanding our two surviving serials, is the one-hour prime-time drama now a casualty of shifting audience trends and network costs? Australian television, which has seen many long-running TV dramas is now left with one-hour dramas all less than 4 years old.
TV Tonight turned to critics and commentators to ask whether we will ever see another drama series that reaches such double figures? Should we now re-define the term “long-running drama” in the TV history books?
Richard Clune, from the Sunday Telegraph agrees that drama runs of the past are just that. He says viewers are embracing subscription TV and the net for entertainment and are becoming more ‘commitment-phobic.’
“Currently many dramas – whether they are local or imported – seem to wane after 4 or so seasons, a dramatic reduction when you look at the runs of the past – 12 seasons for All Saints, 13 for Heelers, 8 for McLeod’s.
“That said you may well see dramas hitting the 6 year mark – they just need to evolve with their audience. But I imagine six years would be the highest end for a dramatic run these days.”
Melinda Houston from The Sunday Age, concurs, saying, “We’re unlikely to see those long-running series again. I think a portion of the audience will always like the familiar, but its the nature of anything that we become habituated and I think its television execs as much as anything who are unwilling to tolerate steady performers or slow slides.”
The Australian‘s Amanda Meade says the end of All Saints feels like the end of an era.
“It’s a little sad if we do lose the long running drama because the characters become so embedded in our minds and hearts and become part of our popular culture,” she says. “The longer they’re around the more familiar they are, but we also tire of them.
“Just as we need new genres and formats to excite audiences, perhaps we need new stories too, and shorter run series can offer this.”
James Manning of Media Week is reticent to write off long-running dramas just yet.
“I’m always reluctant to say we might have seen the end of anything because all series are different and their longevity is based on different factors you can’t measure, which is why so many things fail. Nobody knows how to produce the perfect show,” he says.
The Herald Sun’s Colin Vickery says no-one should underestimate the success story that All Saints has been.
“Police and medical dramas seem to have the best chance of being stayers – look at Law and Order (18 years and counting) and The Bill (25 years plus) and the just-finished ER (15 years).
“Most of the successful shows have been re-tooled at some stage. Sometimes that gives a show a new lease of life and sometimes it doesn’t.”
But not everyone was happy with the revamp of All Saints this year, which added a Medical Response Unit headed up by Mike Vlasek (John Waters).
TV Week columnist and author of the comprehensive Super Aussie Soaps, Andrew Mercado says the All Saints revamp ‘shortsold’ its audience.
“You can’t add a helicopter in the opening credits then downgrade it to a 4WD ambulance within a few weeks,” he says.
Others associate the death of the soap to cast changes.
“Blue Heelers wasn’t the same after Lisa McCune left,” says Vickery. “McLeod’s Daughters was another one hit by multiple cast leaving. ER was weakened when George Clooney left, CSI has been weakened by William Petersen moving on.
“Packed to the Rafters couldn’t survive Rebecca Gibney leaving and the loss of Jessica Marais, who has ambitions to work in the US, would be a big blow.”
Richard Clune agrees Rafters‘ life is tied to its central characters.
“It’s hard to predict its length but given the strong returns at the moment Seven will look to drain every last drop from it. It’s run, I feel, is also dependent on just how long Jessica Marais sticks around before heading for The States?”
Dianne Butler of The Courier Mail likens our commitment to TV drama to marriage.
“Time was, they lasted forever, on and on, years past their prime, long after everybody involved had lost interest in the outcome. The modern television show / relationship is shorter now, much shorter. Not necessarily any more satisfying though,” she says.
“There is no compulsion anymore to stick with something just because we should. Husband or TV show. Blame our seen-it-all ennui. As life has become more interesting, with more options, more money, more drama, television has become less enticing. We’ve either done it ourselves or watched other people do it – online and in real time.”
Green Guide (The Age) editor Nicole Brady says axing All Saints is a surprising move.
“I think it is fascinating that Seven is axing a drama that still comfortably pulls over a million viewers a week in a climate in which other local shows, indeed other networks, would walk over hot coals for such consistent figures,” she says.
“The decision to euthanise All Saints says a lot about the economic environment the networks are operating in at the moment and the fact drama is expensive to make. As such, time is not on your side if you are a weekly drama. The days of shows running for many years seem to be over.”
Even at the ABC the days of long-running, internal drama production are long gone.
“Long form drama ended on the ABC years ago when the broadcaster simply could no longer afford to keep a drama on air 40 weeks a year,” says Amanda Meade. “We will never see another GP. Now all the ABC does are short bursts of series, maybe renewing them a second time.”
Sunday Age‘s Melinda Houston is a fan of short-run drama. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. One of the reasons Oz drama is flourishing is thanks to a focus on quality rather than churning out hours and hours of the stuff purely to fulfill quota obligations. I have no problem with mini series and short runs for ongoing series – it provides time to develop ideas and scripts properly, among other things.”
Few commentators believed any of our newer dramas including such hits as Packed to the Rafters, Underbelly or City Homicide would come close to the run of All Saints.
“Packed to the Rafters might be around in 10 years, but many of the audience will be watching on their laptops, tablets or mobile phones,” says Media Week‘s James Manning.
Concurrent with the end of the Seven soap is another network decision to cut the 40-week production runs of one-hour dramas to about 26 episodes a week. It signals another major shift in Australian drama.
Richard Clune observes, “Yes, the 40 episodes of drama per year is to become extinct. Budgets just can’t stretch to that length anymore and departments, eager to get as much out of the few dollars there are, are looking at shorter season runs. We’re competing with The States and ultimately we need to produce slick products that can stand-up to them – as such, the available money will be driven into fewer episodes to try and achieve this.”
Andrew Mercado says, “The future of the 40 hour drama does look rather bleak for now in favor of shorter run series. However, if Neighbours or perish the thought Home & Away ever got the axe, the network might have to return to the 40 hour drama model to make up their drama points.”
Colin Vickery says the producers of Rafters are clever to keep the quality up by having fewer episodes and to leave the public wanting more.
As All Saints ends its 12 seasons he remains respectful of its achievements.
“In this environment, any Australian drama that makes it to air – let alone lasts for years – is a massive achievement.”
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- Tagged with A Country Practice, All Saints, Bellbird, Blue Heelers, City Homicide, CSI, ER, GP, Law and Order, McLeod's Daughters, Packed to the Rafters, Prisoner, The Bill, Underbelly
32 Responses
Maybe if Australian dramas were more then just cop shows, hospital shows, lawyer shows and family dramas more people would tune in. I’d rather watch something with a different and interesting premise for 3 seasons then the same old crap for seasons on end.
I still can’t get over seven blaming the axing for production costs. What the hell were they thinking when the MRU was approved? Like come on!
I have a feeling “production costs” are not the real reason for its axing. I heard of the possibility of John Howard leaving the series, which could have led to their decision.
Or it could be all to do with the new home for 7 Sydney when they move to their new studios and the whole “possible not enough room for the All Saints set”.
I think there is more to this than what 7 were letting on, and I agree it is a sad day for Aussie drama but although it ran for 11 years, they still has many storylines that could have been done with great production of the series just got rid of that darn MRU and they cut the episode order.
Good article.
@ Mike, I completely agree. It’s sad that All Saints as cancelled just because it’s Seven least favourite drama.
40 week seasons work. The more episodes produced, the less each episode will cost. I don’t understand how you can produce multiple shows with multiple staff, yet get the most out your money.
It’s a copout to say viewers can’t commit anymore. Produce something new that can sustain 40 weeks and viewers will watch it. No one has produced anything lately, so you can’t just write off the format.
@ Andrew ..ACP wrapped up 1000+ episodes (roughly 80 a year)
Never got into All Saints as I’ve never liked medical dramas with the exception of House which is more a dramedy. did love ACP though that wasn’t a pure medical drama.
Anyway whilst I agree generally we must remember that 10 + year running shows were rare even in tvs heyday. Classics like Sons & Daughters (6 years)The Restless Years (5 years)The Sullivans(6 years) etc were well below that mark.
Todays dramas like Sea Patrol,City Homicide,Rescue,Rush will be lucky to make 6 years.
Sad that it is at an end but remember They have all those American Medical Dramas that could easily fill the spot of All Saints come 2010.
it’s a pity All Saints has gone this long and so close to beating the record for weekly series episodes set by Homicide – 510 episodes – which was equalled by Blue Heelers. But All Saints I think comes in just under 500. Could Seven not have kept it going a few more weeks to break the record?
Critics can say all they like and have all the opinions in the world, more often than not they’re wrong. Even cable dramas aim at multiple seasons (Dexter, Sopranos, Six Feet Under). It is not good business to do short runs, full stop. Yes series do seem to wane after 4 series, will networks aim to keep them under this, no as a series in most cases becomes cheaper as time goes on, largely due to international sales with life of series commitments. Drama is expensive, short run is the most expensive of the lot with no real way of ever making your investment back.
Sadly i think City Homicide could be heading to the finish line already. It’s what season 2 or 3 and Daniel Macpherson is leaving and they’ve already introduced 2 more detectives. They shoudl have just copied CSI and done a spin off with these new detectives. I love the show, but don’t be quick to move in new people and get rid of others.
Seven have really done it havent they. All Saints should have continued into 2010. Its a sad day in Television history. I really cant believe that this show will be wrapping up it just is a crazy decision by Seven. It is still rating its socks off and yet final shooting is today.
I feel for all the actors which will be out of work. You know they could have done a crossover with City Homicide somehow i was thinking about this earlier this year but now that will never happen.
RIP All Saints we will miss you 🙁
What a sad day. The end of a great Australian drama that I have watched since it began. Yet it still rates well and channel 7 just want to ditch it. Its there fault ratings dropped earlier on in the year by trying to bring in the MRU. All they had to do was drop that, go back to the ED and they would have saved heaps of money. Anyway I just feel sorry for the actors and people who worked on the show who are now out of work.
Or they could have done what they do with City Homicide and show it for half a year. Thankyou All Saints I really will miss it on tuesday nights. I hope 7 have someting good up there sleeve to replace it with and can rate as well. Or put it on thursday nights at 8:30. 7 always get beaten thursday nights. Anyway goodbye All Saints. Hope that finale is outstanding.
It really is an end of an era. All Saints still has a lot of life left in it, as evidenced by its demos, it winning its timeslot and still pulling great figures for a 9:30 drama. What’s even more depressing is that a high quality Australian drama is no doubt going to be replaced by cheap American imports that won’t even last three years. All those jobs lost just because Seven didn’t want to manage the accounting books.
Richo you didn’t sign up to a contract to watch 40 episodes of something a year, so why do you feel like you would have to watch all of the episodes?
40 Episode runs gives the audience a chance to settle into characters and it has proven that quality does not mean little quantity (as evidence by Stingers, Blue Heelers, Wildside, G.P., Headstart).
Also shorter run television series are laziest form of making tv drama (little creative effort, maximum monetary gains), especially when they rely on the crux of the argument less is more and quality over quantity (one does not have to be sacrificed).
Neil, you know they simply could have moved All Saints to another slot, Rafters does nothing for it. It was still pulling the exact same figures in the 8:30 slot.
City Homicide has a very short shelf life indeed, as evidence by it loosing it’s impressive audience to dwindle around 1.3. After less than two years the writing is on the wall for that one [Seven agrees, ‘encores’ for this gem].
Rafters does not have longevity. It is already tired and stale after 1 and a half seasons and it relies on the family unit. Once that family unit goes and the viewers realise what fluff it is (Exactly how many contrived romances must the Rafter children have. An endless supply says Marieke Hardy). Seven really don’t know anything about loyalty, longevity and the days after tomorrow. Willing to chop a long running Australian drama with years of proven results to a newbie show that is showing signs of struggling after two years. Enjoy your success while it lasts Seven, because I doubt you’ll see these highs ever again.
Some very interesting comments here and a very good postscript to one of the best produced and acted dramas Australian TV has given us.
There was never a dull episode and I enjoyed the shift from hopsital drama to emergency drama to rescue drama – it kept the acting fresh and the storylines while a little daring, surprisingly original!.
I will miss Vonnie and her constant Fraaaaaaaank whenever she was cross with him.
RIP All Saints – you will be sadly missed!
I don’t like how people think Rafters will go down hill once Jessica Marais leaves. I think the show will survive without her – she hasn’t got a huge role in the show anyway. I think if it lose either parent it might start to struggle – obviously losing one character might give it a dip but not anything dramatic like some are suggesting.
“The standard of interviews on this site can be at times surprisingly good”
hmm i think that’s a compliment David..?
Cheers for that. Thanks to all those who participated in this interview. Might have to revisit this format again…
I’m still annoyed at 7 for axing Always Greener. This is nothing like that as it really has had it’s run and the high ratings are inflated by PTTR. The show could have kicked along for a few more years to have the glory of being longest ever but it’s really run it’s course.
The standard of interviews on this site can be at times surprisingly good. This is up there with one of the best I’ve seen.
No offence to the All Saints people, but shows run their course and this one did years ago. We don’t really need a The Bill style show which drags on forever because it can. Let’s leave medical drama and the cliche stories and healthy actors pretending to be very sick (very badly) to history (for a while) and try something innovative which could involve people other than whitebread stereotypes saying “yeah maate” 50 times an episode
Great interview and a great diversity of opinions there.
I’m a fan of quality over quantity. When writers know they ‘only’ have 10 to 20 hours to tell the story, they make sure all the story goes in the show.
If they have to stretch it to 40 eps a year, and no knowing when it will finish – the story becomes a bit thin as they ‘hold back’, pacing themselves so they don’t run out of story.
In the states they are moving towards more 13 ep season from their traditional 22 eps. 40 is just way too much and not just for production cost. It doesn’t allow the fans time to miss the show and when was the last time any local drama worked in re-runs on FTA? it’s a high cost for a once off showing. Maybe with the new digital channels this will change and they will get a run on FTA again from the start?
Great interview David! Great to see what the other commentators think on a particular TV issue. This could become a format occurring from time to time.
If Robert Fidgeon and Ross Warneke were still alive today, I wonder what they would have thought of All Saints’ demise?
Great story David.
I don’t think we should look at this as an axing.
I think creatively after 11 seasons, it’s the right time to end the series. It’s given everything it can. It’s run it’s course. I mean, if a movie is a blockbuster do you do 11 sequels? You stop at 4. When the story-telling is done, and you go out on a high.
I know many people are saying “Why axe All Saints when it is still rating so well”, well – again, I think it is best to go out on a high. Rather than let in dwindle and die a slow death. I’d rather see the show go out on a high, rather than let it drop to 800,000 viewers or so, and then axe it when it;s dying.
11 years is an amazing run. Congrats to All Saints. But I think Australian drama has become a bit more sophisticated with Underbelly, Love my Way etc.
We would not have wanted Seinfeld or X Files or Sex and The City to go on forever and ever. They become shadows of what they once were. Much better to end on a high.
Very interestring reading indeed David.
Totally agree about what many have to say in regards to Rafters – the show simply could not survive without either of the two parents, the dynamics would just be far too altered to work. Same goes with Jess Marais, as losing her would leave a massive void in the series. You would assume she’ll stick around until the end of next season at the very least, though Seven will be desperate to keep her on as long as possible.
In the end though, All Saints marks the end of what was, the long-running tradition of the weekly, one-hour drama. Now we’re seeing the networks split into smaller seasons and shorter commitment times – not one drama on Nine in the past two years has run any longer than 13 episodes within a season.
AS does well, but not well enough for what it is. Seven need to strike whilst Rafters is hot and the chance at launching another big series off the back of that audience cannot be forgotten about.
I’m definitely a fan of the shorter series. The UK model seems to work well with less episodes per season and it crosses over, in $$$ terms, into the DVD on TV market…. the casual viewer is more likely to buy a DVD with 8 or 12 eps than 24.
Having said that, I think the franchise will continue to be the backbone of American television for a while yet. People still want procedurals they can dip in and out of.
(great article by the way, David!)
The attention span of us, the viewer isn’t what it used to be. The show sadly doesn’t go on for ever, anymore. Times change. All Saints will be misssed but like the dinosaurs before them we will find it repeated somewhere soon. As for the new shows. I admit to being hooked on Rafters but in all honesty can’t see myself watching it to far into the future, there isn’t anything that I would regard as a must watch tv show for me, the world has got smaller and we have moved on from the tv in many ways for entertainment.
I for one cannot be bothered with a series that is aired 40 weeks in a year…life’s too short to throw it away like that. That’s the same reason I don’t bother with shows like H&A, Neighbours, etc every night. While I enjoy keeping up to date with news, etc. daily I could care less about the latest sensationalised plot on Ramsay Street or the caravan park with all the H&A kids. A series like MasterChef is different as its short-run and only for a few weeks. I reckon reality series like this and those ever-present factuals will continue to dominate the Aus TV industry for years to come.
That said, Dianne Butler (while using a somewhat transparent metaphor… I wonder if she’s married?) raised a good point. TV is simply less enticing to people now that there’s so many other things on offer (new media, internet). And with media convergence, people (especially those born in/after the 90s) no longer have to watch series the way the networks want them to (Hulu, iTunes, downloads)