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Packed to the Rafters ending confirmed

It's official. Packed to the Rafters will come to an end next month with a two-hour finale.

2013-06-10_1750It’s official.

Packed to the Rafters will come to an end next month after six successful seasons on Seven.

The rumours and speculation have been flying about for months, with Seven careful to avoid clarity for its much-loved show in case it impacted on current ratings.

But Rebecca Gibney told TV Week, “The cast, writers and producers have always said that we wanted to keep Rafters as one of the most-watched shows on TV.

“If we ever felt like we were losing too many cast members, we needed to end on a high.

“We can say that season six winds up an aspect of the Rafter family and there is a sense of finality to it.”

Rafters will wrap with a two hour finale in July, including appearances from Hugh Sheridan and Jessica Marais, but the ending is left open-ended. Gibney is in discussions with the network on new projects.

In April Erik Thomson told TV Tonight, “We’ve reached a conclusion that could be the end. There are talks that it might continue in a different format, telemovies or miniseries or whatever.

“I don’t think the franchise is necessarily dead but the series, as it stands, looks like it might have resolved.

“It’s sort of in the hands of the network at this stage.”

Don’t be surprised if Seven confirms a second season of A Place to Call Home soon, to take the edge off this news and focus on the positive.

Seven has also hinted at another chapter for the family according to AAP, but Seven also made similar ovations for City Homicide to have a potential afterlife as telemovies. That never eventuated (to this day the network still has not officially “axed” that show). Once a cast and key crew disperses and sets are no more, it’s almost impossible to resurrect a drama.

Packed to the Rafters deserves to go out in style as arguably the most successful local drama of the last decade.

33 Responses

  1. We’ve watched Rafters from go to whoa. Like all series that introduce new characters at the expense of much loved ones, there have been highs and lows. Really missed Hugh Sheridan’s character. But looks like it may go out on a high with the storyline for Michael Caton’s character. Well done Rafters and well done Ch7 for showing faith and sticking pretty consistently to a timeslot.

  2. I agree that the show seems to have come to an end now. I remember it starting out with story lines such as physical abuse and drugs. Somehow it became a “nice family show” over the years and any attempt to introduce something gritty was met with uproar. Ironically people now complain that the stories and characters have become bland.

  3. So is the ending a sort of ending or a true finale for all the loyal viewers? It will be disappointing if it’s just an open ended farewell, despite the “spin off” rumours.

  4. Packed to the Rafters was the most embarrassingly cringeworthy show ever to come out of Australia. Such an unrealistic view of our society. Do people like that really exist?

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