Sons & Daughters Watching/rewatching/discussing The Aussie Hit Show

[Carrie Fairchild]

But season three, oh yes that's essential S&D viewing.

Thanks for the heads up. I knew we were heading into exploding wheelchair territory, so I was cautious about it but the prospect of peak-Patricia is very enticing.

 

[Willie Oleson]

exploding wheelchair territory,

Yeah, it's one of those iconically infamous soap antics, which made it all the more surprising to see how well it was done (all things considered).
I hope you're going to enjoy the rest of the journey as much as I did.
And when the time comes maybe you'll be strong enough to welcome Alison Carr.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm currently working my way through British sitcom In Sickness & In Health, and I've reached some Australian-set episodes. Look who's shown up in one of them:

Complex as the relationships on S&D may be, the idea of Fiona as a relative-by-marriage of Alf Garnett has blown my mind a little (her character was the mother-in-law of Alf's brother-in-law-to-be).

Looking at her IMDb, this was the last acting work Pat McDonald did. The episode aired in October 1990, just a few months before Pat died.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

A short S&D segment from some Aussie TV retrospective.

 

[Willie Oleson]

S&D had (many) great bitch-slaps and the one from season 4 is downright epic. It's so nice when a character lashes out on behalf of the viewer.

 

[Jock Og]

Some DALLAS; DYNASTY, FALCON CREST and KNOTS LANDING in an Australian package. S&D should have went on beyond December 1987. Things got out of hand in the closing year. However grounding could've happened and should've happened. It's time for one of my favourite SONS AND DAUGHTERS episodes:

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It's time for one of my favourite SONS AND DAUGHTERS episodes

By quite some margin, this episode won our battle of the season finales over in the S&D Top Ten thread (a thread I'd forgotten all about until now, but have today been re-reading in full, smiling with nostalgia as I walk down memory lane).

S&D should have went on beyond December 1987.

At the time it was made, it would have been unthinkable for it to go on for years and years, since all Aussie soaps had a finite lifespan.

It's strange to think that Neighbours and Home and Away began, respectively, while S&D was still in production and immediately afterwards (H&A was really S&D's replacement on the same network, and even inherited some of its props, like that stripey sofa), and yet both are still in production today. Neighbours really did change the landscape for Aussie soap.

In a different world, I'm sure S&D could have been through some retooling to bring it on track for a run of several decades in the same kind of way. It's interesting to think about, but the series had pretty much done everything, and as patchy as the last couple of years were, I fear it would have got even worse while they figured out a way back.

As it is, I'm glad it was confined to the Eighties, in a rewatchable number of episodes that came in, did its thing and then wrapped the story up. And I'm equally glad the ending stayed as the ending, rather than retrospectively tarnishing it with a Neighbours-style reprieve.

 

[Andyanger]

H&A really was a replacement, I've seen the Australian final episode of S&D on You tube and at the end of the credits it talks about a new show starting that he hopes we'll enjoy.... Home and Away. Personally can't see that lasting lol

and if we want to talk about blasts from the past.... I remember watching the final episode of the Young Doctors on Yorkshire TV (I got Yorkshire and Central regions).... after it ended, the opening credits started again... and I was like wow they are advertising they are going to repeat the show...but no after a few bars of the music and pictures the picture was replaced with Shortland Street A&E , how can can I help you..... and still remember the disappointment to this day!

Shortland Street originally adapted the Young Docs scripts... but you can see the characters in it Dr Rothewell - Chris Warner, Gail Henderson, Dr Fleming, Sister Scott - Carrie. Dennis J- the Male nurse Steve Mills

 

[Andyanger]

replying to this.... sorry didn't quote
I wonder how it impacted on international screenings as well. If the Central TV screening of Prisoner was limited to 3 runs before they had to pay actors, does that mean some royalties were paid by Grundy for the first three runs under that contract? Or have I got it backwards? S&D was shown in so many different countries that if royalties were paid for the first three screenings in each country it would have cost them a fair bit, so I'm thinking it related to domestic (Australian) repeats.


From memory and this is a long time ago. When Central started to repeat the show...they did about a year before they took it off (the old back after Christmas...and then never came back) That I think they said meant it would be the last run and I'm pretty sure they couldn't show it again from the start due to royalties. (though a region could pick it up from when Central stopped)
However, we know C5 a few years later did...so no idea why that was ok,
Unless it's as simple as C5 re-bought the show and paid up?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I've seen the Australian final episode of S&D on You tube and at the end of the credits it talks about a new show starting that he hopes we'll enjoy.... Home and Away. Personally can't see that lasting lol

Oh wow! I'd like to see that sometime. I just had a quick look and couldn't find it, so perhaps it's been taken down (unless I'm using the wrong key words).

From memory and this is a long time ago. When Central started to repeat the show...they did about a year before they took it off (the old back after Christmas...and then never came back) That I think they said meant it would be the last run and I'm pretty sure they couldn't show it again from the start due to royalties. (though a region could pick it up from when Central stopped)

Another piece of the puzzle.

However, we know C5 a few years later did...so no idea why that was ok,
Unless it's as simple as C5 re-bought the show and paid up?

Could be. I don't know how deep C5's pockets are, but they do seem to be prepared to pay for the current Aussie soaps. And they probably know that Prisoner has a decent enough fanbase.

replying to this.... sorry didn't quote

No worries at all.

If ever you do want to quote, the easiest way is to just hit the "Reply" button at the bottom right of the post in question. You can also quote multiple quotes using the "+Quote" button. Follow this link for more details (with pictures).

 

[Andyanger]

Oh wow! I'd like to see that sometime. I just had a quick look and couldn't find it, so perhaps it's been taken down (unless I'm using the wrong key words).






Another piece of the puzzle.





Could be. I don't know how deep C5's pockets are, but they do seem to be prepared to pay for the current Aussie soaps. And they probably know that Prisoner has a decent enough fanbase.








No worries at all.

If ever you do want to quote, the easiest way is to just hit the "Reply" button at the bottom right of the post in question. You can also quote multiple quotes using the "+Quote" button. Follow this link for more details (with pictures).

Ta, I naively hit the quote button thinking...it would quote lol....remember originally prisoner was put on sort of prime time on C5. I can't quite remember how prime time but maybe it was 10pm.... and of course S&D was 2pm ish...what a shock that was when I saw it in the paper..shame neither lasted in those slots...but that's what we had videos for.
I'll search for the YouTube vid on S&D

 

[Andyanger]

haha just found clip of Tom and Pippa acting together in sons and daughters... hospital scene

 

[Andyanger]

not found it yet...but has anyone seen this before?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

not found it yet...but has anyone seen this before?

If I have seen it, I can't remember it. As always with these reunions, it's great fun and the affection the actors have towards the series and one another comes across.

I had no idea Oriana was so... enthusiastic and high energy. That was a surprise. Paul Dawber seems a class act and very humble about his contribution to the series. Ian told that same story about his rearing stallion entrance on an audio commentary, and it's good to hear it again here, with the reactions of his castmates. Tom, of course, is always solid and reliable.

Between this and the more recent reunion with Tom and Steve Comey in the wake of Leila's death, something that comes across strongly is how highly regarded Brian Blain was. Everyone is always so enthusiastic and consistent in their praise of him, I get the sense he was one of the easiest people to work and get along with. The praise for his quick humour makes me wish there were more interviews besides that TV-am one.

 

[Lockardian]

Here’s the link to the final episode of S&D as shown in Sydney in 1987. I think it’s been blocked in some countries on copyright grounds:

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Here’s the link to the final episode of S&D as shown in Sydney in 1987. I think it’s been blocked in some countries on copyright grounds

Britain being one of those countries, unfortunately.

Are there notable differences between this and what's on the DVD or international screenings?

 

[Lockardian]

Not really. There is a short recap of moments from the previous episode before the opening titles, ending with Alison on the phone to arrange Wayne’s accident. The recap after the titles is the same as we saw in episode 971. Some of the ad breaks come at different points though, including one after the very first scene. There is no commercial break where episode 971 ends and 972 begins - the “join” is exactly as we saw it after the recap scene at the start of the half-hour episode 972.

The end credits include the names of guest artists in both 971 and 972 understandably, but for some reason the budgie is credited as Num-Num rather than Wedgewood (or was it the other way round?!)