australian television information archive

Green light for Always Greener

The Seven Network today commissioned the third series of Always Greener. Production commences later this year—with the programme returning to Seven in 2004.

Always Greener forms a key element in Seven’s leadership in the production of Australian drama series—together with Home and Away, which in its 16th season, continues to lead its 7:00pm weeknight timeslot, Blue Heelers, which has dominated its timeslot for a decade, and All Saints, now in its sixth season and delivering an audience of 1.5 million Australians in one of the most competitive drama timeslots on television.

The commissioning of the next series for the programme was announced today by Chief Executive, Mr David Leckie, and Director of Programming and Production, Mr Tim Worner.

Mr Leckie said: “We are putting in place the cornerstones for our television network in 2004—and the commissioning of Always Greener underlines not only the programme’s performance in a competitive timeslot but also our intention to clearly build on our network’s strengths.”

Mr Worner said: “Always Greener is an important programme for Seven. We see it as a key franchise for us—a programme we believe will continue to build in its third season and further confirm our leadership in the production of Australian programmes.”

Always Greener was created by Bevan Lee. John Holmes is executive producer and series producer is Jo Porter.

The programme has also been recognised with an International Emmy award nomination in 2002, the first for an Australian drama in more than a decade. The programme has a growing fan base overseas—having been sold throughout the world including France, Africa, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, USA, Malta, Macedonia, Slovenia, Ireland and New Zealand.

All the favourite characters from Always Greener will return for Series 3. Logie Award winning actors, John Howard and Anne Tenney will return to Inverness, playing John and Liz Taylor. AFI Award winners Clayton Watson and Nathaniel Dean cause havoc in the country and Michala Banas, Scott Major, Natasha Lee, Daniel Bowden, Caitlin McDougall, Bree Walters, and Abe Forsythe continue the much loved quirky humour for which Always Greener is renowned.

July 01, 2003
Press release

Grass is getting greener

CHANNEL Seven's homegrown drama Always Greener has been given the green light for another season.

There has been some doubt as to whether the quirky series would survive another year.

An announcement yesterday by chief executive David Leckie confirmed that John Howard, Anne Tenney, Georgie Shew, Michala Banas and the rest of the cast would be back in 2004.

Leckie described the show, created by Bevan Lee, as one of the "cornerstones" of the network's future programming.

"We are putting in place the cornerstones for our television network in 2004," he said.

"The commissioning of Always Greener underlines not only the program's performance in a competitive time slot, but also our intention to clearly build on our network's strengths."

The premiere episode of Always Greener was the highest rating debut for an Australian TV drama series, rating more than two million viewers in 2001.

It has also been recognised with an International Emmy award nomination in 2002, the first for an Australian drama in more than a decade.

Programming and production director Tim Worner said Always Greener was a key franchise for Seven.

July 01, 2003
The Daily Telegraph