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The Secret Life of Us

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The Secret Life of Us
GenreDrama
Created byJohn Edwards
Amanda Higgs
StarringClaudia Karvan
Samuel Johnson
Deborah Mailman
Abi Tucker
Joel Edgerton
Sibylla Budd
David Tredinnick
Spencer McLaren
Damian De Montemas
Michael Dorman
Narrated bySamuel Johnson
Deborah Mailman
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series4
No. of episodes86 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJohn Edwards
Amanda Higgs
Production locationsSt Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria
Running time45 minutes
Production companySouthern Star Entertainment
Original release
NetworkNetwork Ten
Release16 July 2001 –
28 December 2005

The Secret Life of Us was a three-time silver Logie Award-winning Australian television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Group and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK. Initially co-funded by the two networks, Channel 4 pulled out after the third series and the fourth series was not aired in the UK. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments.

It has been shown in other countries such as New Zealand (TV3), Ireland (RTÉ Two), Canada (SuperChannel3), the Netherlands (Yorin), France (Canal Plus, France 4), Estonia (ETV, Kanal 11), Norway (NRK), Serbia (B92, TV Avala), Russia (TNT, Muz TV), Israel (Channel 2), and United States (Hulu).

Plot

The show revolves around a group of friends in their mid twenties to early thirties who live in a St Kilda block of flats (the actual block is 14A Acland Street and the rooftop is at the Belvedere Flats on the Esplanade). Their interaction with one another, relationships with other friends and romantic interests, along with their personal and career development, are featured.

History and popularity

Initially, the series was immensely popular in Australia, and had a devoted cult following in the UK.

The inclusion of a prominent Aboriginal character (Kelly Lewis, played by Deborah Mailman) attracted comment at the time of the series' broadcast,[1] and has since been cited as a landmark in the history of media representations of Indigenous Australians.[2]

The show's ratings began to dwindle following the departure of several main characters and the introduction of new characters. It began in the second series with the departure of Joel Edgerton and Damian De Montemas. It was however the third series that featured a particularly high character turnover, and included the departure of key original cast members Claudia Karvan and Abi Tucker.

Five main cast members - Sibylla Budd, Spencer McLaren, Dan Spielman, Nina Liu and Gigi Edgley - left at the end of season three and original lead Samuel Johnson left early in season four. Cast members Deborah Mailman, David Tredinnick and Michael Dorman continued, and five new regular characters were added for season four. The changes were part of a larger overhaul which saw the arrival of a new producer, new script producer, and a new writing team.[3] By the end of the fourth (and last) season, only Mailman and Tredinnick remained from the original cast.

Cast and characters

Series ratings

Season Episodes Originally aired Viewers (in millions) Rating Drama Rank
Season premiere Season finale
1 22 23 July 2001 26 November 2001 0.977[4] 7.4[4] #10[4]
2 22 18 February 2002 5 August 2002 1.177[4] 8.9[4] #7[4]
3 22 10 February 2003 11 August 2003 0.994[4] 7.4[4] #9[4]
4 20 18 February 2004 11 January 2006 0.581[5] 4.3[5] #7[5]

Cancellation

Production ended in 2004 with the completion of the fourth series.

The decision had been made to discontinue production after the first three episodes of the fourth series aired in Australia to disastrously low ratings. At that time the program was removed from its prime-time slot.

The unscreened episodes from that final series were broadcast with little publicity in late 2005.[citation needed]

The show is rated R16 in New Zealand for offensive language and sex scenes.

DVD releases

Series Date Released # Of Episodes # Of Discs Special Features
The Complete Series 10 November 2010[6] 88 25
  • Behind the Scenes Documentary: ‘The Secret Life of The Secret Life of Us’
  • Interviews: Talking with Claudia Karvan, Talking with Joel Edgerton, Talking with Judi McCrossin, Talking with Spencer McClaren and David Tredinnick, Talking with Deborah Mailman, Talking with Sibylla Budd and Damien de Montemas
  • Exclusive Interview with Samuel Johnson, Exclusive Interview with Abi Tucker
  • Photo Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Moses, Alexa (26 April 2002). "Aboriginal actors want share of the action". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  2. ^ King, Andrew S. (2009). "Romance and Reconciliation: The secret life of indigenous sexuality on Australian television drama". Journal of Australian Studies. 33 (1): 37–50. doi:10.1080/14443050802672528. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  3. ^ Browne, Rachel (14 September 2003). "The secret life of . . . who?". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/archmrrateseriesall.aspx
  5. ^ a b c http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/research/statistics/archmrrateseries.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/Product/ProductView/DAVID2118
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