australian television information archive

Macpherson to trip to US if drama fails

Actor Daniel Macpherson says he's going to pack up and head to Hollywood if his latest drama, Tripping Over, isn't commissioned for a second series.

The program debuted on the Ten Network on October 9, attracting 1.29 million viewers nationally.

But audience numbers have slipped each week, last Wednesday dropping to 960,000 viewers nationally.

With the ratings figures slipping under one million viewers, industry insiders have suggested the show may not be back in 2007.

"The numbers at the end of the day are what makes the decisions," Macpherson said.

"I am going to go overseas if Tripping Over doesn't go again.

"I will probably go to the States and it is such a shame because I think people would want to stay here if they could work here."

A spokeswoman for Ten said the network was "thrilled" with Tripping Over, adding that there was potential for a second series, although no decisions had been made.

The series is an Australian/British co-production, starring Lisa McCune, Rebecca Gibney and Macpherson, and follows a bunch of enthusiastic young travellers from Australia and Britain.

The first series, consisting of six episodes, was filmed in London, Sydney, Bangkok and Melbourne.

"For so long people have been complaining that there's not enough Australian drama," said Macpherson.

"We go and make something that has had nothing but five-star reviews and now we have just got to get people to watch it - everyone that does watch it falls in love with it."

On the show, Macpherson plays Ned, an Australian soap actor who gives up his TV job to live in London.

The story isn't too far removed from Macpherson's own life, with the actor having started his career on long-running soap Neighbours.

"I wasn't part of the creative process in the early days but I was certainly able to remember some of my own experiences with this," he said.

"I have been in some of those positions and it was just crazy."

November 14, 2006
AAP