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Farewell to local dramas

800 Words and Rake are about to screen last-ever episodes.

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Two local dramas will leave our screens permanently in the next week, and a third is close behind.

800 Words and Rake will both air last-ever episodes within the next 7 days.

800 Words wraps up 3 seasons tomorrow, although it feels like 4 seasons due to Seven screening it over a 4 year period.

The NZ-produced drama starring Erik Thomson has offered up some heartwarming and sometimes quirky drama without attempting to be provocative. Both Melina Vidler and Benson Jack Anthony should prove to be part of its acting legacy.

The series ends with George Turner finally about to settle down once more. About time.

Rake will wrap up 5 seasons next Sunday, screening over 9 years.

Originally due to conclude at 3 seasons, it returned for a 4th then a 5th, by shifting its Sydney legal universe to Canberra politics.

Created by Peter Duncan and star Richard Roxburgh (with a legal wrangle of its own adding Charles Waterworth as co-creator), it has enjoyed critical acclaim and a who’s who of top guest stars. The show even spawned a US adaptation with Greg Kinnear but unable to succeed beyond one season. Rake will go down as one of Roxburgh’s career performances.

Next Sunday it concludes with Fuzz (Keegan Joyce) returning from Silicon Valley and Cal
McGregor (Damien Garvey) now Prime Minister.

A Place to Call Home will also wrap up 6 seasons on Foxtel on October 21.

800 Words final 9:35pm Tuesday on Seven
Rake final 8:30pm Sunday on ABC.

11 Responses

  1. It has been on at 8:30 every Tuesday night. Surely tonight it deserved the respect to be on the earlier time and not at 9:30. Yes I know The Good Doctor is back which im rapt about but I really enjoyed 800 words.

    I am surprised that it was only 3 seasons. I thought it deserved at least 4 or even 5. I will miss the show. It was very good.

  2. 800 Words is an amazing show with so many more stories to tell. That is shameful they canceled it. I wish Netflix would pick it up like they did Sisters. I am still shocked Sisters got a new life.
    Au shows never last. They take years for seasons and then they cancel them after one or two. Very frustrating.

  3. And will Doctor Doctor, Playing for Keeps and Bite Club get renewed with their numbers? And Doctor Blake’s future is hardly certain. Glitch may the only returning drama, and that’s only because of Netflix.

  4. Can we really describe 800 words as a local drama? Because I carry an Australian passport I’m not allowed to work on it. Doesn’t feel very local to me.

  5. Sad to see the end of 800 Words. Although it was time for George to settle a bit, there were still lots of great storylines to follow as long as they stopped focusing on partnering everyone up. This season has touched on the ethics of trying to get a baby when the biological clock is ticking, spirituality in Maori culture, finding purpose in life beyond being the party girl (both Hannah and Siouxsie), and the best episodes of all – whether victims of crime can or should issue forgiveness.

    All of these were great issues, and several of them are still hanging in the air somewhat. I would have loved to see the show go forth with more of these, and less of the “who should George go with” and the underage sexual relationship.

  6. I find 7 have treated 800 Words with disrespect. Ending the final episode at 9.35pm when every other episode has started at 8.40ish. I understand The Good Doctor is returning but it just shows that for 7 it is about rarings only not Aussie dramas. They could have aired the final at 7.30 as it doesn’t have heavy content and from memory they don’t have anything that exciting on in that slot atm.

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