Packed To The Rafters: one of the family
Jo Porter knows what Australian families want so it’s no surprise that the Seven Network producer has strick gold with the most successful local drama in recent years. Miguel Gonzalez writes.
Statistics show that more and more young Australians are choosing, and sometimes being forced to stay at or return to the family home. What could be seen as a worrying effect of a challenging economy, has also been a blessing for Seven, which needed a new drama and saw considerable potential in the topical story of the Rafters, whose children return home just when they thought they’d finally be on their own.
Conceived by Seven’s network script executive Bevan Lee and developed in conjunction with producer Jo Porter and script producer Antony Ellis, Packed to the Rafters became a runaway hit. The show’s performance has been outstanding since its 2008 debut, consistently ranking as the number one program on Tuesday nights and averaging 1.9 million viewers during the first series and 1.85 million halfway through series two.
The same team experienced similar success with the award-winning Always Greener, which premiered to a record 2.06 million in late 2001 but shrunk to 1.2 million by mid 2003, suffering a premature cancellation only weeks after the unfulfilled announcement of a third series. It’s understandable that Porter felt nervous that it would happen again and, working with the network, nobody would rest on their laurels.
“Greener was a victim of an assumed success; it was thought the audience would simply find us again come series two without a relaunch strategy,” she explained.
This time, Seven was determined to look after the show as an important franchise, and kept it in its Tuesday timeslot to consolidate it as Rafters night. It would seem like a contradiction; at a time when audiences want everything on demand and free from network-imposed schedules, but they’re still willing to commit to a program.
“People were predicting the end of drama series like this, saying we’d never see them again,” she said. “Rafters and Underbelly have defied the trend and redefined appointment TV; which shows that audiences are completely hooked into following a great story.”
But it’s not just about offering timeslot continuity; Porter knew that to avoid ‘jumping the shark’, the story would have to follow a natural evolution. According to her, the creative team has not taken for granted their success and make an effort to always remember who they’re making the show for. Last, but not least, is avoiding drastic cuts that might jeopardise the level of production values.
“The network recognised that, so our budget is intact, but people would still be surprised at how low it is!”
With a permanent shooting crew of about 50, two episodes are shot over 12 day blocks, to produce a 22- episode series. The producer believes that the efficiency of TV production in Australia is in part encouraged by smaller budgets and shorter shoots, which create “an energy that comes through on the screen”.
Working directly for the network, says Porter, has its advantages, such as the end-user’s “immediate emotional investment” in making the program work, and having fewer filtering processes.
“There is no ‘us’ versus ‘them’; we’re all an ‘us’.”
A FAMILY WITH LONG LEGS
There are no second chances in television; shows have to perform soon or suffer the consequences. The pressure has always been on and Porter says it’s the only way she’s known it to be, but that window of opportunity to guarantee a show’s survival is diminishing.
“The network was a bit more generous when we did All Saints; giving us a bit longer to find our feet,” she recalls. “The [increased] pressure focuses everybody’s attention on coming out of the gates with a show that takes the audience right into the world you’re creating.”
At press time, series three had not been officially green lit, but Porter admits they’re confident that it will happen, and they’ve already started scripting.
“We’re certainly hoping that we can maintain audience interest into series four, five and beyond. “The challenge is finding the right show that has natural legs.”
A show that had very long legs was All Saints, which wrapped production recently. Porter was not involved anymore, but the emotional connection was still there.
“Programs are part of your personal history and I’ll always have a soft spot for All Saints in my heart. Sometimes the network makes the decision for you to move on to another show, but I hope it’s not the time for me to leave Rafters yet, I won’t go willingly.”
The series is yet to be released on DVD, but it’s found an audience in Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa. Seven is also in discussions with an American network to sell the format rights. ■
