australian television information archive

McLeod’s Daughters a success at Logies

Rural TV drama McLeod’s Daughters tonight proved itself as the nation’s highest-rating drama.

The Nine Network show took out four Logies from 10 nominations.

Aaron Jeffrey and Lisa Chappell won Silver Logies for most popular male and female actors.

“It’s got a good heart to it,” Chappell said of the show.

“It’s a really feel-good show, which is kind of needed at the moment.”

Chappell described the program as “a modern-day Waltons on horseback”.

“People just appreciate the family values and the fact that you can watch it and you are not going to get death and despair,” she said.

McLeod’s Daughters also won the Logie for most popular Australian drama series and the Silver Logie for most popular drama on Australian television.

The show, which is set near Gawler in South Australia, has slowly built up a strong following over the three years it has been on air.

It was created by Nine’s Posie Parker-Evans [sic], who squealed with delight when accepting an award.

Parker-Evans is also the creator of Hi-5, which won most outstanding children’s pre-school program.

“I just want to say thank you to the viewers of Australia,” she said.

“This is remarkable. This has been a journey.

“We’ve all been together for four years on this series… and this is so exciting.”

Jeffrey said the show’s cast and crew was special.

“We’ve had our own little microcosm down there,” he said.

“Mother Nature is our studio and every day is a trial.

“Special mention to (series creator) Posie (Parker-Evans) [sic] and to Susan. You are the most tenacious redhead I’ve ever known.”

A total of 130 people working to produce the hour-long weekly program including actors and production staff.

By Jonathon Moran
April 18, 2004
AAP

NZ actors clean up honours over ditch

In the grand traditional of Phar Lap, Russell Crowe and Keisha Castle-Hughes, it should be no surprise that our near neighbours’ two most popular Australian actors are actually Kiwis.

Lisa Chappell and Aaron Jeffrey were named as most popular Australian actress and actor at television’s Logie Awards, held on Sunday night at Melbourne’s Crown Casino.

Both have appeared on the popular Australian outback drama McLeod’s Daughters.

Chappell, whose character Claire died last year when her truck went over a cliff, appeared in New Zealand shows such as Gloss and Shortland Street before heading across the Tasman in the late 1990s.

With her McLeod’s Daughters character written out, she is now trying to launch a music career.

Jeffrey, who played Claire’s neighbour Alex Ryan, lived in Bucklands Beach in Auckland before heading to Australia to avoid, or so he has claimed, further police interest.

In a previous interview with the Herald he said: “I got lots and lots of tickets and there were warrants out for my arrest, so I basically skipped the country.”

McLeod’s Daughters, which also features New Zealand father-and-daughter combo Jessica and Marshall Napier, won the Logie for most popular drama and most popular programme.

Another New Zealander, former Channel Nine chief executive Sam Chisholm, was admitted to the Logie Hall of Fame.

The Gold Logie supreme award went to chat show host Rove McManus, who appears on TV3 at 10.30pm Sundays.

April 20, 2004
The New Zealand Herald