A Place to Call Home (TV series)

A Place to Call Home
Genre Period drama
Created by Bevan Lee
Starring
Composer(s) Michael Yezerski
Country of origin Australia
Original language(s) English
No. of series 2
No. of episodes 23 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • John Holmes
  • Julie McGauran
Producer(s) Chris Martin-Jones
Location(s) Camelot (Ash Park) (34° 2'15.09"S 150°42'22.30"E)
Camden and Southern Highlands (Inverness)
Cinematography John Stokes
Running time 42–45 minutes
Production company(s) Seven Network
Distributor Seven Network
Broadcast
Original channel Seven Network (2013–14)
SoHo (2015–)
Picture format 576i (SDTV)
Audio format Stereo
Original run 28 April 2013 – present
External links
Website

A Place to Call Home is an Australian television drama series that debuted on the Seven Network on Sunday 28 April 2013.[1] Set in Country New South Wales in the period following World War II, it follows Sarah Adams (Marta Dusseldorp), who has returned to Australia after twenty years abroad to start a new life and ends up clashing with wealthy matriarch Elizabeth Bligh (Noni Hazlehurst). The main cast also consists of Brett Climo (George Bligh), Craig Hall (Dr. Jack Duncan), David Berry (James Bligh), Abby Earl (Anna Bligh), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Olivia Bligh), Aldo Mignone (Gino Poletti) and Frankie J. Holden (Roy Briggs)

It was created by Bevan Lee and has been described as a "compelling melodrama about love and loss set against the social change of the 1950s".[2]

Production

Development for A Place to Call Home began after Bevan Lee completed his "domestic trilogy" (Always Greener, Packed to the Rafters and Winners & Losers).[3] He took inspiration from film director Douglas Sirk's 1950's films such as Written on the Wind (1956) and All That Heaven Allows (1955).[4] Lee told The Age that he wanted to create a romance-driven melodrama based in the 1950s because people's lives in the present are "relatively bland". He said: "At the end of the day, conflict is drama and we live in relatively conflict-free society. I had to go to a place where there was pain and damage and hurt; after the war there was."[5] The script is co-written by Lee and Trent Atkinson.[6]

Noni Hazlehurst (Elizabeth Bligh) was the first cast member to be announced for A Place to Call Home, on 18 June 2012.[7] Marta Dusseldorp (Sarah Adams), Brett Climo (George Bligh) and Frankie J. Holden (Roy Briggs) were announced a month later, with Dusseldorp leading the overall cast.[8] Newcomers David Berry (James Bligh), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Olivia Bligh), Abby Earl (Anna Bligh) and Aldo Mignone (Gino Poletti), made up the rest of the main cast.[9]

A Place to Call Home is set in both the fictional estate Ash Park and the town of Inverness in country New South Wales.[10] Camden and the Southern Highlands in New South Wales serves as the backdrop for Inverness. Ash Park is actually Camelot, a heritage-listed property located at Kirkham, on the outskirts of Camden.[1][11][12] Filming for the first series began on 9 July 2012 and concluded on 12 December 2012.[13] Series one was shot on a Sony F65 camera, becoming the first Australian television production to do so.[14]

In June 2013, Erin McWhirter from TV Week announced that A Place to Call Home had been renewed for another season. Abby Earl told McWhirter, "We're locked in pre-production in August and then we start filming in September, so there's plenty of time for me to get back in Anna's shoes." [15] The second season started on 11 May 2014 and concluded on 13 July 2014.

TV Week confirmed that a third season had been commissioned.[16] However, one month later, the magazine reported that Channel Seven had passed on the option to renew the series and had recently told the cast and crew they wouldn't be required for a third season.[17]

On 15 October 2014, it was announced that Foxtel had finalised a deal with Channel Seven that would see a third series written by Bevan Lee, produced by Seven Productions, but aired on Foxtel.[18] On 25 October 2014, The Daily Telegraph announced that A Place to Call Home was renewed for another two seasons and would return in late 2015, airing on Foxtel channel, SoHo. It was also announced that all the original cast & crew members would return.[19]

Cast and characters

Regular

Recurring

Broadcast

When Seven Network revealed its new television series lineup for 2012, A Place to Call Home was mentioned alongside other titles.[21] Seven Network's Angus Ross said that it would potentially premiere in late 2012, but wouldn't rush the show to air by a certain date unless "casting and other elements" were right.[22] The first series of A Place to Call Home consisted of thirteen episodes.[5] The pilot episode was originally broadcast on 28 April 2013, in the 8:30 pm time slot (previously occupied by Downton Abbey).[1]

Reception

Awards and nominations

Australian Cinematographers Society Awards
Year Category Nominee(s) Episode(s) Result Ref
2014 Telefeatures, TV Drama & Mini Series Award of Distinction John Stokes Series 1, Episode 9: "Cane Toad" Won [23]
Equity Ensemble Awards
Year Category Nominee(s) Episode(s) Result Ref
2014 Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Cast Series 1 Nominated [24]
Logie Awards
Year Category Nominee Episode(s) Result Ref
2014 Most Outstanding Drama Series N/A N/A Nominated [25]
Most Popular Actress Marta Dusseldorp N/A Nominated
Most Popular New Talent Abby Earl N/A Nominated

Series Ratings

due to series three ratings being moved to foxtel's SoHo, its ratings will be based on foxtel ratings

Season # of Episodes Season
Premiere		 Season
Final		 Peak
Audience		 Average
Audience
1 13 28 April 2013 21 July 2013 1,930,000 1,474,000
2 10 11 May 2014 13 July 2014 1,302,000 1,162,000

International

Shortly after airing in Australia "A Place to Call Home" started broadcasting on TV One in New Zealand in the Sundays 8.30pm slot, moving later to 9.40 pm. The second series finale was shown on 26 October 2014.[26]

The first series began airing in Denmark on DR1 in March 2014. The show airs under the Danish title "En Ny Begyndelse", which roughly translates to "A New Beginning".

The first series began airing on BBC2 in The United Kingdom on the 17th of November 2014.[27]

The show also was on air in Israel. 2 seasons.

Home video releases

DVD
Title Set details DVD release dates Special features
Region 4[28]
A Place to Call Home — Season 1
  • Discs: 4
  • Episodes: 13
 8 August 2013
  • Interviews with the Cast
A Place to Call Home — Season 2
  • Discs: 3
  • Episodes: 10
 17 July 2014
  • Cast Interviews
  • Young to Old: Sarah's Transformation
Blu-ray
Title Set details Blu-ray Disc release dates Special features
Region B[29]
A Place to Call Home — Season 1
  • Discs: 3
  • Episodes: 13
 8 August 2013
  • Interviews with the Cast
A Place to Call Home — Season 2
  • Discs: 2
  • Episodes: 10
 17 July 2014
  • Cast Interviews
  • Young to Old: Sarah's Transformation

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Blake, Elissa (21 April 2013). "A Marta for her cause". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Knox, David (8 July 2012). "More cast for A Place to Call Home". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  3. ↑ Knox, David (18 April 2013). "A Place to Call Home Drama Launch". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Blundell, Graeme (20 April 2013). "Home truths revealed in Bevan Lee's new family drama". The Australian. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Craven, Peter (18 April 2013). "Dressed with vintage appeal". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Knox, David (25 April 2013). "A Place to Call Home". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Knox, David (18 June 2012). "Noni Hazlehurst to call Seven home again". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Idato, Michael (9 July 2012). "Marta finds a home at Seven". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Yeap, Sue (9 July 2012). "New Seven blockbuster cranks up". The West Australian. Seven West Media Limited (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts). Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  10. ↑ B, Alicia (10 June 2012). "New Seven Show - A Place to Call Home". Throng.com.au. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  11. ↑ Chancellor, Jonathan (28 April 2013). "Camelot at Camden is captivating as A Place to Call Home location on Channel 7's new 1950s drama series". Property Observer (Private Media Pty Ltd). Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  12. ↑ Leys, Nick (17 April 2013). "Seven has high hopes for Bevan Lee's A Place To Call Home". The Australian. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "A Place to Call Home production details". Inside Film. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  14. ↑ Swift, Brendan (11 March 2013). "First Aus TV drama shot with Sony F65: A Place to Call Home". Inside Film. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  15. ↑ McWhirter, Erin (22–28 June 2013). "TV Insider". TV Week (Bauer Media Group) (25): 25.
  16. ↑ Vnuk, Helen (10–16 May 2014). "Home comforts". TV Week (Bauer Media Group) (19): 97.
  17. ↑ Williams, Glen (14–20 June 2014). "No place to call home". TV Week (Bauer Media Group) (22): 11.
  18. ↑ Idato, Michael (15 October 2014). "New Place for A Place to Call Home". Sunday Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Harris, Amy (25 October 2014). "Foxtel breathes new life into A Place To Call Home after Seven signs deal to keep the show alive". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 20.9 20.10 "Characters". Yahoo!7. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  21. ↑ Knox, David (22 September 2011). "Seven Reveals 2012 Highlights". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  22. ↑ Knox, David (6 February 2012). "Programmers Wrap 2012: Seven Network". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  23. ↑ "Congratulations to all our National Award Winners". Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  24. ↑ "2014 Equity Ensemble Awards - Winners Announced". TV Tonight. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  25. ↑ Knox, David (27 April 2014). "Logie Awards 2014: Winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "A Place to Call Home - TV ONE". TV One (Television New Zealand, Ltd). Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  27. ↑ "BBC Two - A Place to Call Home - Episode guide".
  28. ↑ Australian DVD releases:
  29. ↑ Australian Blu-ray releases:

External links