Winners & Losers
Encyclopedia
Winners & Losers is a Australian television drama series first broadcast on the Seven Network
on 22 March 2011. It was created by the producers of Packed to the Rafters
and is aired in the show's former time slot. Winners & Losers focuses on the lives of four women living in Melbourne
, after they win a large amount of money in the Oz Lotto.
. While the former is focused on family relationships, Winners and Losers concentrates on friendships and is aimed at a younger demographic. Lee said it focuses on the "fun and drama of how we all carry the inner loser inside us, no matter how much life makes a winner of us." Lee said the programme's genre is "charmedy" consisting of drama, comedy and charm.
The series revolves around the lives of four women: Jenny Gross (Melissa Bergland), Bec Gilbert (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith), Frances James (Virginia Gay
) and Sophie Wong (Melanie Vallejo
). The girls were "the losers" in high school. Ten years later, they realise they are really winners once they are reunited at their school reunion and afterwards, win the Oz Lotto. At the time of early production, the main actresses were required to spend time together off set to build believable chemistry between themselves.
A pilot episode for the programme was created and shown to a research group. Network Seven's head of drama, John Holmes, said the research produced the expectation of high ratings. The series began airing on the Seven Network
from 22 March 2011, four weeks earlier than originally planned. The fourth season of Packed to the Rafters was put on hiatus to allow Winners & Losers to air in its timeslot. The move was part of a programming strategy, with the aim of attracting a high viewing figures. The first episode gained the highest ratings of the evening, averaging at 1.7 million viewers. The Seven Network decided to air the second and third episodes back to back, securing the highest ratings once again. The programme continued to fare well with ratings in the following weeks. However the ratings for episode seven indicated that Winners and Losers had lost over four hundred thousand viewers. Though it was considered a ratings success and is among the twelve most watched programmes in Australia.
On 5 July 2011, Seven announced that it had renewed Winners & Losers for a second season in 2012. Filming for the new season began on 23 August 2011 and Lee said viewers would see big changes. He told the Herald Sun
, "We turn the girls' lives on their heads in a pretty major way in the final episode (of series one). That will give us a new launching pad for season two."
On 23 August 2011, The Sunday Telegraph
reported Winners & Losers creator, Lee, was writing a script for a potential spin-off based around Jenny's family. The paper said the writer would deliver a script to Seven executives, with the possibility of the show going into production in 2012. However, a few days later Seven revealed there are no plans to develop a separate project.
praised the series branding it a "fresh, brightly coloured, high-end soap." He deemed its characters as "some of the most engaging" roles on television. A columnist of The Advertiser attributed the show's success to its time slot and "creative force Bevan Lee." A columnist for The Age
empathised with the good response the programme generated. They said the series had "powerful themes of friendship, karma and justice for the underdog", which were portrayed in a subtle tone in comparison to other programmes. They branded it "an engaging hour of televi sion" due to inclusion on comedy and a "large cast of lively characters." However they noted some of the "fresh" storylines were similar those featured in shows such as Sex and the City
. Whilst their fellow colleague Paul Kalina said the programme had played it safe by using fimiliar elements that made Packed to the Rafters a success. Bridget McManus from the publication reflected her opinion that the programme had lost its "edge" and had started to resemble a "poor girl's Sex and the City." She noted the main problem was that "potentially interesting characters" were overlooked by the four females. McManus felt they were tired stereotypes, describing them as "the virgin, the damned whore, God's policewoman and a clown."
. The complete first season of Winners & Losers was released on DVD on 21 September 2011 in Australia.
. FremantleMedia represent the show worldwide, outside of Australia and New Zealand.
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...
on 22 March 2011. It was created by the producers of Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
and is aired in the show's former time slot. Winners & Losers focuses on the lives of four women living in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, after they win a large amount of money in the Oz Lotto.
History
Winners & Losers was created by Bevan Lee. Lee wanted to create a drama focusing on females for a number of years before the programme's creation. He also created Packed to the RaftersPacked to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
. While the former is focused on family relationships, Winners and Losers concentrates on friendships and is aimed at a younger demographic. Lee said it focuses on the "fun and drama of how we all carry the inner loser inside us, no matter how much life makes a winner of us." Lee said the programme's genre is "charmedy" consisting of drama, comedy and charm.
The series revolves around the lives of four women: Jenny Gross (Melissa Bergland), Bec Gilbert (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith), Frances James (Virginia Gay
Virginia Gay
Virginia Gay is an Australian actress most known for her work on the Australian TV dramas Winners & Losers , and All Saints .-Education:...
) and Sophie Wong (Melanie Vallejo
Melanie Vallejo
- Films :* The Sculptor .... Renee* Dying Breed .... Rebecca-TV work:* Winners and Losers .... Sophie Wong* Dance Academy ABC .... Dana Strong* Packed to the Rafters Channel 7 .... Kat...
). The girls were "the losers" in high school. Ten years later, they realise they are really winners once they are reunited at their school reunion and afterwards, win the Oz Lotto. At the time of early production, the main actresses were required to spend time together off set to build believable chemistry between themselves.
A pilot episode for the programme was created and shown to a research group. Network Seven's head of drama, John Holmes, said the research produced the expectation of high ratings. The series began airing 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...
from 22 March 2011, four weeks earlier than originally planned. The fourth season of Packed to the Rafters was put on hiatus to allow Winners & Losers to air in its timeslot. The move was part of a programming strategy, with the aim of attracting a high viewing figures. The first episode gained the highest ratings of the evening, averaging at 1.7 million viewers. The Seven Network decided to air the second and third episodes back to back, securing the highest ratings once again. The programme continued to fare well with ratings in the following weeks. However the ratings for episode seven indicated that Winners and Losers had lost over four hundred thousand viewers. Though it was considered a ratings success and is among the twelve most watched programmes in Australia.
On 5 July 2011, Seven announced that it had renewed Winners & Losers for a second season in 2012. Filming for the new season began on 23 August 2011 and Lee said viewers would see big changes. He told the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
, "We turn the girls' lives on their heads in a pretty major way in the final episode (of series one). That will give us a new launching pad for season two."
On 23 August 2011, The Sunday Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
reported Winners & Losers creator, Lee, was writing a script for a potential spin-off based around Jenny's family. The paper said the writer would deliver a script to Seven executives, with the possibility of the show going into production in 2012. However, a few days later Seven revealed there are no plans to develop a separate project.
Cast
Regular
| Actor | Character | Reference |
|---|---|---|
Recurring
| Actor | Character | Reference |
|---|---|---|
Critical reception
Jim Schembri of The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
praised the series branding it a "fresh, brightly coloured, high-end soap." He deemed its characters as "some of the most engaging" roles on television. A columnist of The Advertiser attributed the show's success to its time slot and "creative force Bevan Lee." A columnist for The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
empathised with the good response the programme generated. They said the series had "powerful themes of friendship, karma and justice for the underdog", which were portrayed in a subtle tone in comparison to other programmes. They branded it "an engaging hour of televi sion" due to inclusion on comedy and a "large cast of lively characters." However they noted some of the "fresh" storylines were similar those featured in shows such as Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
. Whilst their fellow colleague Paul Kalina said the programme had played it safe by using fimiliar elements that made Packed to the Rafters a success. Bridget McManus from the publication reflected her opinion that the programme had lost its "edge" and had started to resemble a "poor girl's Sex and the City." She noted the main problem was that "potentially interesting characters" were overlooked by the four females. McManus felt they were tired stereotypes, describing them as "the virgin, the damned whore, God's policewoman and a clown."
Home media
A CD titled Winners & Losers (Music from the Hit Series) was released on 8 July 2011. It contains songs by various artists which were used in the programme. The CD peaked at 24 in the ARIA Album ChartsARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. The complete first season of Winners & Losers was released on DVD on 21 September 2011 in Australia.
International broadcasts
In March 2011, Winners & Losers was picked up for international distribution by FremantleMedia EnterprisesFremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
. FremantleMedia represent the show worldwide, outside of Australia and New Zealand.
| Country | Channel | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | TV One | 2011– | |
| Poland | Fox Life Fox Life Fox Life is a television network, launched by the Fox Broadcasting Company, which airs across Latin America, Europe and Japan . Its basic programming include numerous television series, sitcoms and movies, among others, which includes some original programming in certain regions... |
2011– | |
| Slovenia | POP Brio | 2011– | |
| United Kingdom | ITV2 ITV2 ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the... |
2012– |
External links
- Winners & Losers at the Official Australian Website
- Winners & Losers at Fox LifeFox LifeFox Life is a television network, launched by the Fox Broadcasting Company, which airs across Latin America, Europe and Japan . Its basic programming include numerous television series, sitcoms and movies, among others, which includes some original programming in certain regions...