A Place To Call Home: episode guide


The Prodigal Daughter

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Episode 1.01
Sunday, April 28, 2013
1.768 million viewers (4th)
Written by Trent Atkinson, Bevan Lee
Directed by Roger Hodgman

Set in rural australia in the 1950s, A Place to Call Home is a sweeping and romantic drama of one woman's journey to heal her soul and of a privileged family's confrontation with a changing era. Marta Dusseldorp leads the cast as Sarah Adams, a woman with a mysterious past who returns to Australia after 20 years abroad. Tragic news is about to cause her to make the long-delayed journey back home.

Working her passage home aboard an ocean liner, Sarah becomes involved in the lives of the Blighs, a wealthy Australian family. She develops an immediate connection with handsome and charming widower George (Brett Climo), as well as his modern young daughter Anna (Abby Earl) and withdrawn daughter-in-law Olivia (Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood).

But it is when Sarah unwittingly discovers a potentially scandalous Bligh family secret that her future becomes forever linked with theirs. Only the uncompromising matriarch of the family, Elizabeth (Noni Hazlehurst), and her grandson James (David Berry) know Sarah has uncovered this family skeleton. Elizabeth is determined to keep it that way — and Sarah at arm's length.

But Sarah's involvement with the Blighs only intensifies when, after her attempt at reconciliation with her mother goes awry, she accepts an offer from George to come and work in Inverness, the picturesque country town near the beautiful estate of Ash Park where the family resides.

Starring: Marta Dusseldorp as Sarah Adams, Noni Hazlehurst as Elizabeth Bligh, Brett Climo as George Bligh, Craig Hall as Jack Duncan, David Berry as James Bligh, Abby Earl as Anna Bligh, Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood as Olivia Bligh, Aldo Mignone as Gino Poletti, Frankie J. Holden as Roy Briggs

Guest Cast: Judi Farr as Peg Maloney, Krew Boylan as Amy Polson, Kris McQuade as Grace Stevens, Scott Grimley as Norman Parker; Ship's Band: Ray Beadie, Shanley Del Gregory, Ben Elliot, James Gillard, Gary Steel

The Welcome Mat

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Episode 1.02
Sunday, May 05, 2013
1.305 million viewers (6th)
Written by Trent Atkinson
Directed by Lynn-Maree Danzey

While Olivia remains feeling unwell and disconcerted by James's continued distance, it's Elizabeth who's the most put out — irritated by the fact that Sarah continues to be the talk of the dinner table. Meanwhile, in an effort to separate her social status from the Blighs, Sarah places an unsuspecting Roy in between her and the wealthy family. Elizabeth is clearly unimpressed, but the simmering hostility takes a back seat when Olivia's health takes a turn for the worse.

Guest Cast: Deborah Kennedy as Doris Collins, Judi Farr as Peg Maloney, Angelo D'Angelo as Amo Poletti, Jacinta Acevski as Alma Grey, Nicole Shostak as Maude Carvolth, Dave Proust as Bob McReadie, Emily Miller as Young Woman, Scott Grimley as Norman Parker, Jeremy Lewis Hubbard as Clem

Truth Will Out

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Episode 1.03
Sunday, May 12, 2013
1.180 million viewers (7th)
Written by Trent Atkinson
Directed by Lynn-Maree Danzey

Sarah's annoyance at the invasion of her privacy turns to anger when she's questioned by Jack about what was discovered in her room: that Sarah is not her real name. She refuses to answer his questions, unwilling to be drawn into a defence of her character when she is the one who has had her privacy invaded. When Jack persists in demanding an explanation, Sarah does the one thing he never would have expected — and quits.

Guest Cast: Deborah Kennedy as Doris Collins, Dina Panozzo as Carla Poletti, Angelo D'Angelo as Amo Poletti, Siena Elchaar as Gilda Poletti, Sam Haft as Barry Ninham, Anthony Martin as Station Master

The Mona Lisa Smile

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Episode 1.04
Sunday, May 19, 2013
1.147 million viewers (6th)
Written by Trent Atkinson
Directed by Mark Joffe

The horrors of the war cast a long, unwelcome shadow over Inverness as Jack heads out around town with Sarah on her first day at work. Unable to stop wondering about the woman James admitted to loving in Europe, Olivia searches for any memento he may have kept of her. It is in her wedding album that she makes the shocking discovery of who the person he loved is.

Guest Cast: Deborah Kennedy as Doris Collins, Lisa Peers as Miriam Goldberg, Martin Sacks as Itzaak Goldberg, Jacinta Acevski as Alma Gray, Scott Grimley as Norman Parker, Avital Greenberg-Teplitsky as Leah Goldberg, Paul Holmes as Reverend Green [uncredited]

Day of Atonement

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Episode 1.05
Sunday, May 26, 2013
1.160 million viewers (6th)
Written by Rick Held
Directed by Mark Joffe

Yom Kippur is approaching and Sarah performs a mikveh in the local creek — a spiritual, cleansing ritual that's unfortunately witnessed by Doris Collins. But while Sarah finds it hard to deal with Doris' reaction to her nudity, it is Sarah's own, personal demons that she is struggling with most. The wealthy Swanson family visit inverness as Andrew, their handsome and extremely eligible son, hopes to impress Anna.

Guest Cast: Deborah Kennedy as Doris Collins, Sean Taylor as Henry Swanson, Heather Mitchell as Prudence Swanson, Matt Levett as Andrew Swanson, Michael Sheasby as Bert Ford, Justin McGrath as Davo, Krew Boylan as Amy Polson, Paul Holmes as Reverend Green, Adam Gray as Rene Nordmann

That's Amore

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Episode 1.06
Sunday, June 02, 2013
1.229 million viewers (5th)
Written by Hamilton Budd
Directed by Lynn Hegarty

Anna and Gino's romance continues to blossom as they sneak off to spend time together, even though it's clear that something about their secret trysts is playing on Gino's mind. At Ash Park, Olivia and James's relationship is at breaking point as Olivia struggles with the identity of James' lover.

Guest Cast: Erica Lovell as Eve Walker, Dina Panozzo as Carla Poletti, Angelo D'Angelo as Amo Poletti, Michael Sheasby as Bert Ford, Tristan Maxwell as Colin Walker, Justin McGrath as Davo, Krew Boylan as Amy Polson, Russell Queay as William Brackley, Mathew Hill as Steve

Boom!

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Episode 1.07
Sunday, June 09, 2013
1.094 million viewers (6th)
Written by Tony Morphett
Directed by Lynn Hegarty

Receiving word that her mother is gravely ill, Sarah gets a lift to Sydney with George and Anna. Elizabeth takes the decision to reveal her deepest, darkest secret in the hope that it can help James and Olivia see that there is hope for their marriage, but Olivia reacts badly to the revelation. Meanwhile, Anna asks her Aunt Carolyn for help in procuring contraception for her and Gino. Sir Henry Swanson asks George to receive a Japanese trade delegation at Ash Park.

Guest Cast: Sara Wiseman as Carolyn Bligh, Dina Panozzo as Carla Poletti, Judy Farr as Peg Maloney, Kris McQuade as Grace Stevens, Krew Boylan as Amy Polson, Dominic Allburn as Harry Polson, Sean Taylor as Henry Swanson, Alan Dearth as Robert Menzies, Alyson Standen as Dr Helen Campbell, Rupert Degas as Father Pat, Jacinta Acevski as Alma Gray, Tristan Maxwell as Colin Walker

Episodes 1.08 - 1.13