Always Greener
Encyclopedia
Always Greener was an Australian television
drama
/comedy
series that aired on the Seven Network
which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves. It ran from 2001 until 2003, when it was cancelled after declining ratings and concerns over the cost of production.
song "Side
", which features the phrase as part of the chorus. The show was broadcast overseas in New Zealand
on TV ONE. In 2006 reruns started airing on TV2. The series has since been released on DVD.
The Southern Star Group
owns the rights to distribute Always Greener internationally.
, and the Todd family who live on a farm just outside the rural New South Wales
town of Inverness. Each faced with problems of their own, John Taylor pays his sister Sandra Todd a Christmas
visit to her farm. Joking that they should consider switching houses for a change in their life, the move becomes a reality when John discovers that his daughter Marissa is on drugs and Sandra can't pay the bills. Always Greener was noted for both dealing with serious issues as well as putting an often humorous touch to episodes. Fantasy sequences (such as a song and dance number when John mulls over having a vasectomy
) were common and often added to the charm of the series.
's award for "Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama" for his work on Always Greener in 2002. The show was also nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2002 and Always Greener and its cast have been nominated for several Logies
during its run.
Logie Awards
ASSG Australian Screen Sound Awards
APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards
Australian Film Institute Television Awards
International Emmy Awards
Australian Writers' Guild Awards
Rumours were that the cancellation was due to falling ratings. The show began with over 2 million viewers in 2001, but ratings never recovered from the disastrous decision to début the second season in the low rating Easter period of 2002 - Against stronger competition in both '60 Minutes' and 'Big Brother'. In 2002 the show moved from Sunday to Monday and then back to Sunday by 2003. Always Greener was rating around 1.0 million when cancelled. However, Seven cited "cost management" as the reason for dropping the series.
At the time, Worner was reported as saying that the decision was purely based on cost, because the 22 episodes were to cost $10 million, and he said that was far too much.
In late 2005 Seven aired reruns of the show in the early morning 9.30am timeslot and again in Seven's popular reruns timeslot at 12.00pm.
Presently it currently airs on Seven HD
, Saturdays at 4pm and sporadically on Universal Channel
The first season of Always Greener have been released on DVD
in Region 4 (Australia) format; the second is upcoming. The DVDs are distributed by Madman Entertainment
under the label of VIA Vision Entertainment. A photo gallery is included in Season 1 (Vol. 2) and Season 1 (Complete). Special features on the second season is unknown at present.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
/comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series that aired on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves. It ran from 2001 until 2003, when it was cancelled after declining ratings and concerns over the cost of production.
History
The name of the show stems from the phrase "The grass is always greener on the other side". Promotion of the show's premiere episode used the TravisTravis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
song "Side
Side (single)
"Side" is the second single taken from Indie band Travis' third studio album, The Invisible Band. The single peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart.-Music video:...
", which features the phrase as part of the chorus. The show was broadcast overseas in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on TV ONE. In 2006 reruns started airing on TV2. The series has since been released on DVD.
The Southern Star Group
Southern Star Group
Southern Star Group is Australia's largest independent television production and distribution group....
owns the rights to distribute Always Greener internationally.
Premise
The series mainly revolved around the members of two families, the Taylors, who live in suburban SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and the Todd family who live on a farm just outside the rural New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
town of Inverness. Each faced with problems of their own, John Taylor pays his sister Sandra Todd a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
visit to her farm. Joking that they should consider switching houses for a change in their life, the move becomes a reality when John discovers that his daughter Marissa is on drugs and Sandra can't pay the bills. Always Greener was noted for both dealing with serious issues as well as putting an often humorous touch to episodes. Fantasy sequences (such as a song and dance number when John mulls over having a vasectomy
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
) were common and often added to the charm of the series.
Cast
The Taylor family
- John HowardJohn Howard (Australian actor)John Howard is an Australian stage and screen actor. Howard is best known for his appearances in the film The Club, and the television series SeaChange, Always Greener, All Saints and Packed To The Rafters.-Film:Howard's first role was in 1978's My Boys Are Good Boys, in a minor role...
- John Taylor - Anne TenneyAnne TenneyAnne Tenney is an Australian film and television actress, probably best known for her role as Molly Jones in the television drama A Country Practice and as Sal Kerrigan in The Castle.-Career:...
- Liz Taylor - Michala BanasMichala BanasMichala Elizabeth Laurinda Banas is a New Zealand television actress, and singer now living in Australia.-Career:Born in Wellington, New Zealand, she starred in her first commercial at only 18 months of age....
- Marissa Taylor - Daniel Bowden - Jason Taylor
- Natasha LeeNatasha LeeNatasha Lee is an Australian actress and journalist. She is best known for appearing on the Australian television series Always Greener as Kimberly Taylor....
- Kimberley Taylor
The Todd family
- Caitlin McDougallCaitlin McDougallCaitlin McDougall is an Australian actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Always Greener and The Alice.McDougall is married to actor Erik Thomson and they have a daughter called Eilish...
- Sandra Todd - Bree Walters - Pip Todd
- Abe ForsytheAbe ForsytheAbe Forsythe is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe.-Career:He first appeared on the TV series The Miraculous Mellops...
- Campbell Todd
Other characters
- Scott MajorScott MajorScott Major is an Australian actor. Major's acting début was playing Murray on Home and Away in the 1990s. He joined the Neighbours cast for a brief period in 1993 as the original Darren Stark. and then was a part of the Heartbreak High cast as "Rivers" from 1994–1995...
- Tom Morgan - Andrew ClarkeAndrew Clarke (actor)Andrew Clarke in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, is an Australian actor most known for his television work. Andrew Clarke was one of the most popular Australian actors in the 1980s and 1990s. He is also a two-time Logie winner.-Career:...
- Derek Unn - Merridy Eastman - Eileen Unn
- Denise RobertsDenise RobertsDenise Roberts is an Australian actor and director who has worked in theatre, film and television since 1980. She gained initial fame when she played Julie Winters in the ABC-TV medical drama G.P. from 1989 to 1996. Denise's mentor was Hayes Gordon, with whom she studied solidly for three years...
- Isabelle Turnbull - Georgie Shew - Katy Turnbull
- Peter Corbett - Bert Adams
- Grant BowlerGrant BowlerGrant Bowler is a New Zealand actor who has worked in American, Australian and New Zealand films and television.He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson in Blue Heelers and also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty.In November 2010, he was...
- Greg Steele (Episodes 1-27) - Clayton WatsonClayton WatsonClayton Watson is an Australian producer, actor, writer, and director. He grew up in the Australian outback on a sheep station close to Morgan, a small town in South Australia...
- Mickey Steele - Bree DesboroughBree DesboroughBree Desborough is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Justine Welles in the soap opera Home and Away.-Career:...
- Shelley Southall
Awards
Clayton Watson won the Australian Film InstituteAustralian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
's award for "Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama" for his work on Always Greener in 2002. The show was also nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2002 and Always Greener and its cast have been nominated for several Logies
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
during its run.
Logie Awards
- 2003 Nominee: Most Outstanding Drama Series
- 2003 Nominee: Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (John Howard)
- 2002 Nominee: Most Outstanding Drama Series
- 2002 Nominee: Most Popular New Female Talent (Michala Banas)
ASSG Australian Screen Sound Awards
- 2003 Nominee: Best Achievement in Sound for a Television Drama ("Episode 50")
APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards
- 2002 Nominee: Best Music For A Television Series Or Serial (Paul Healy and Trent Williamson)
Australian Film Institute Television Awards
Australian Film Institute Television Awards
The Australian Film Institute Television Awards are annual awards presented for excellence in Australian television annually as part of the AFI Awards by the Australian Film Institute. The AFI Awards cover non-feature films, films, television, and special awards...
- 2002 Winner: Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama (Clayton Watson)
International Emmy Awards
- 2002 Nominee: Always Greener Series 1 - Eps. 1 & 3
Australian Writers' Guild Awards
- 2002 Nominee: Television (Series): "The Good Woman's Guide To A Happy Home" (Sue Hore)
Cancellation
On 6 July 2003, Seven's Director of Programming and Production, Tim Worner announced the renewal of Always Greener saying: "Always Greener is an important program for Seven. We see it as a key franchise for us, a program we believe will continue to build in its third season." Then in September, the decision was reversed. News was broken to cast and crew as the first script meetings for the new series were already being held.Rumours were that the cancellation was due to falling ratings. The show began with over 2 million viewers in 2001, but ratings never recovered from the disastrous decision to début the second season in the low rating Easter period of 2002 - Against stronger competition in both '60 Minutes' and 'Big Brother'. In 2002 the show moved from Sunday to Monday and then back to Sunday by 2003. Always Greener was rating around 1.0 million when cancelled. However, Seven cited "cost management" as the reason for dropping the series.
At the time, Worner was reported as saying that the decision was purely based on cost, because the 22 episodes were to cost $10 million, and he said that was far too much.
In late 2005 Seven aired reruns of the show in the early morning 9.30am timeslot and again in Seven's popular reruns timeslot at 12.00pm.
Presently it currently airs on Seven HD
Seven HD
Seven HD was an Australian television channel, owned by the Seven Media Group, that launched on 15 October 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan areas, Tasmania and Regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations, as well...
, Saturdays at 4pm and sporadically on Universal Channel
DVD release
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in Region 4 (Australia) format; the second is upcoming. The DVDs are distributed by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
under the label of VIA Vision Entertainment. A photo gallery is included in Season 1 (Vol. 2) and Season 1 (Complete). Special features on the second season is unknown at present.
| |
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| DVD Name | Release Date | Episodes | Rating | Discs | Runtime |
| Season 1 (Volume 1) | 7 March 2007 | Episodes 1 - 11 | M | 3 | 472 minutes |
| Season 1 (Volume 2) | 7 March 2007 | Episodes 12 - 22 | M | 3 | 484 minutes |
| Season 1 (Complete) | 10 October 2007 | Episodes 1 - 22 | M | 6 | 956 minutes |
| Season 2 (Volume 1) | Unreleased | Episodes 23 - 36 | M | 3 | TBA |
| Season 2 (Volume 2) | Unreleased | Episodes 37 - 50 | M | 3 | TBA |
External links
- Always Greener at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Always Greener at the Australian Television Information Archive
- Always Greener at the National Film and Sound Archive