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In praise of Aussie drama

"What comes around goes around," says David Gyngell, as he gets behind Australian dramas on Free to Air commercial networks.

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Further to his speech at the Nine drama celebration last week, Nine CEO David Gyngell writes an opinion piece in The Australian today, in which he again gets behind Australian drama -on Free to Air commercial networks.

“I apparently caused some mild surprise the other day by paying tribute to the Seven Network’s John Holmes as an incredible driving force in Australian drama over many years,” he writes.

“You need only think of Packed to the Rafters, City Homicide and Home and Away among a host of others to appreciate his skill.

“So credit where it’s due. Likewise to the Ten Network for Rush. And to Nine’s own head of drama Jo Horsburgh — she of Underbelly fame and the slate I’ve mentioned above — whom I happen to think leads Australia’s best drama team right now.

“My point was this: commercial rivalries notwithstanding, when it comes to producing quality local drama, what’s good for the industry is good for all of us — the producers, the actors, the wider industry, the networks and, above all, our television audiences.

“What comes around goes around. The same goes for local content generally, and Nine is poised to introduce more of that on Australia’s most successful multi-channel, GO.”

It’s a rarity for a Network CEO to acknowledge the work of competitors. Gyngell certainly gets brownie points for this.

While Underbelly still isn’t matching the quality of the first series (East West 101 leaves it behind), it’s pulled in good enough numbers in the modern landscape. Eddie McGuire won acknowledgment for his pivotal role in greenlighting the first series at the launch for the 2008 series. He seems to have been forgotten since then…

Nine’s drama slate is certainly buoyant right now.

The next thing it needs to do is come up with its own light equivalent of Rafters. Jo Horsburgh should draw a line in the sand on police / procedurals for now.

And then they can all scratch their heads and wonder how they will ever tackle new comedies. Yikes.

Source: The Australian

7 Responses

  2. There are pockets of good drama being produced across commercial TV but my gaze keeps shifting to Pay for tightly scripted, well performed, directed and original (okay, less derivative) stories … series 2 of Tangle continues its brilliance and just wait till you get a load of Spirited! Offspring may offer some hope too.

  4. It’s a bit weird to have a drama launch and not launch anything. It’s also bit weird to take the opportunity to spend time praising John Holmes – of course that’s going to get picked up by the press . Sadly, no one gives Jo Horsburgh the credit for identifying the potential of Underbelly, but she has to take the credit for the disappointing outcomes. The ratings have been fine but they have ultimately destroyed the franchise with its gratuitous sex and violence and tabloid approach to storytelling. By the way David, Nine do have a family style drama in development – a Lisa McCune vehicle, no surprises there either.

  5. Home and Away is drama? I’ve always considered it a (very poor) soap opera. If Nine choose to define any old crap as drama then their slate is indeed full at the moment, but if you are talking about quality drama then their glass is not even close to half full.

  6. i think gyngell is getting a bit carried away, his network still has the least drama of all 3 big networks. you can’t give a miniseries the same weighting as a 120hour/year soap. last year they only did 39hours to ch7’s 150+ hours with ten not far behind.

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