Episode 3
Sunday 30 June 8.30pm
A catalogue photoshoot brings tensions to the boil between Magda and Mrs Ambrose and precipitates a crisis in Fay’s marriage. Lisa and Angela’s escapades with borrowed bikinis lead to both disappointment and new hope.
Preparation for the Goodes Summer Catalogue brings tensions between Magda and Mrs Ambrose to boiling point. Magda’s convinced that a vibrant and youthful direction is needed to save the store. Mrs Ambrose and her co-conspirator, Mackenzie, are confident they can use Magda’s over-reach to have her sacked. They put the wheels in motion.
Fay becomes the reluctant confidante of a beautiful model, who unloads about her affair with a married man. The unwanted revelations increasingly point towards Rudi being unfaithful. When Marlow emerges as Rudi’s new business partner, Fay finds herself beset by uncertainty. Who can she trust? The husband who is betraying her, or the ex-lover who has lied before.
Lisa’s determination to be published by her university crush, Richard, sees her caught with her hands in the bikini jar. The price of Fay’s silence is Lisa taking Magda’s step-son, George, to a ‘Bikini Wars’ photoshoot. Angela is a surprise addition to the outing once she learns that George is the hot pianist who has recently serenaded her. Lisa’s embarrassment at the hands of the ‘in crowd’ brings Angela and George to her defence, sparking an attraction between them.
Elias puts his job on the line to protect his young friend, Adam from the lecherous Mackenzie. Elias’ success has the happy side-effect of taking out Mrs Ambrose’s main ally. Magda’s risky take-over of the catalogue shoot pays dividends, and she emerges in a stronger position than ever. Lisa finds a controversial way to stake her claim on the bikini wars article.
This is a strange one! What was going on at the ABC yesterday … women dressed in black throughout the day? Starting with Bridget (Breakfast), then Kath (AM) and Joanna )PM). I thought it was it was just coincidence as Lorna then wore all red, but then Tamara (7.00 Vic) was all in black and so was Laura Tingle (7.30). Am I missing something? Did someone die, or was this a subtle stratagem to advertise the upcoming “Ladies in Black”, starting this Sunday? And today, both Kath (AM) and Ruby (PM) have again been dressed in black … so maybe it’s just a Sydney thing where the show is depicted?
As if.
Just standard wear for most people.
Episode 4
Sunday 7 July 8.30pm
Spring racing carnival draws fresh battle lines between Magda and Ambrose over youth fashion. Lisa and Angela’s friendship is tested by a shocking revelation. Fay is misled into making a catastrophic mistake.
Magda experiments with a new range of clothing for ‘Young Sophisticates’. Mrs Ambrose is determined to sabotage it, before the crowds of ‘working girls’ can impact on her wealthy wives buying big for racing season. At Magda’s suggestion Lisa and Angela wear young, sophisticated outfits on the town.
Lisa challenges her mousy reputation by springing a surprise revelation the university crowd – to pleasing effect. Lisa is winning the respect and possibly more of her ‘crush’, Richard. Angela’s good intentions melt away as she and George become more deeply involved. Lisa and Angela’s friendship faces a huge test when Magda’s plan to uncover the Goodes design thief confronts Lisa with a very uncomfortable truth.
Mrs Ambrose helps young and ambitious Adam move from loading dock to the sales floor, but the price she extracts may drive a wedge between Adam and Elias. Facing eviction, Elias finds a home with Lisa and a new soulmate in Lisa’s mother Dorothy. But is Lisa ready for a friendship between her staid mother and her flamboyant colleague?
With Rudi increasingly ‘working late’ with frozen foods, Fay reconnects with old friends from her dancing days. The ever-closer business relationship between Rudi and Marlow throws her off balance, especially when she and Rudi are offered the keys to the corporate kingdom by Marlow. A swanky dinner leads to awkward overtures from both Marlow and his wife. When Fay joins with Mrs Ambrose’ clandestine operation at the Spring Carnival, events lead her to a catastrophic error with awful implications.
What a big disappointment this show was! Really loved the movie and IMO they should have left a ‘good thing’ alone. It’s easy to tell it’s not set in Sydney, filming it in Adelaide was a huge mistake. The acting is ‘patchy’ and the use of music is all wrong. As a music person from the time, early 60’s, this series is set there are some glaring mistakes of using music released well after this time. The most jarring was David Bowie’s ‘Modern Love’ released at least 20 years after the time this series was set. All in all a big disappointment from the ABC after the wonderful ‘Austin’.
.
Well it is set in Sydney but I guess they couldn’t find enough buildings that look the same 60 years later in Sydney.
I meant you can tell it’s not Sydney! I just watched it all I know it’s supposed to be Sydney! Like other things in this production, sloppy!
I am sure there are 1960s buildings in Sydney that could have been used, but not without CGI effects added in.
But Adelaide is still stuck in the 60s. 
The movie even had scenes of early 60’s trams and crowd scenes. This version shows the building the store is in but it’s just a pic. Just a sloppy production IMO. Even though the movie was a bit ‘soapy’ it was very enjoyable. Was looking forward to this because of the movie. I did however binge it all. 
Retired people have lots of time on their hands! I also found Todd McKenney’s role cringeworthy because of past history and wonder why he took the role.
Todd has acted in other TV series (Significant Others and Winners & Losers) and many theatre productions.
It’s the Bridgerton effect, using contemporary music in a period show.
I know Todd McKenney has played many different roles in his career. Maybe watch the series and you’ll understand what I mean. It’s got nothing to do with his acting abilities or skills more personal life.
Episode 5
Sunday 14 July 8.30pm
Magda’s attempt to capitalise on her success with a celebrity wedding dress leads to a risky experiment with men’s bikini briefs. Lisa, Angela, George and Richard are caught in the fallout. Fay confronts marital disaster.
Fay struggles to keep her secret while repairing the damage of her terrible mistake, but Marlow offers her a deal with the devil – he will ensure the success of Rudi’s business but only if Fay reignites their affair. Fay is trapped between Marlow and Rudi and an awful truth that could destroy everything she loves. How can she do what is best, when she doesn’t know what that is?
Magda invites Stefan to move home, and he offers her a way to recover her dream of her own boutique. However, George remains unresolved. Having burnt his bridges with Fay and on thin ice with Angela, he has no choice but to accept humiliation from Magda. Admitting vulnerability may be his first step to reconciliation.
Determined to capitalise on her success with a celebrity wedding dress, Magda plans a promotion that will challenge the traditional image of Goodes. Her praise for Angela’s contribution to the wedding dress design blinds Angela to the growing risk her divided loyalties will be exposed.
Lisa and Angela paper over the cracks in their friendship by going all in with Magda’s plans. Lisa also sees a chance to win points with Richard, and get her first story published, but in the messy cross-over between sex and ambition it is unclear who is taking advantage of whom.
The line between adventurous new direction and destroying Goodes reputation also proves to be treacherous. The subterranean split within the store forces friends, including Elias and Adam, apart.
Although the launch of the male bikini brief seems a success at first, it precipitates a series of revelations that splits the ladies in black irrevocably and sees one of them sacked.
Episode 6 - final
Sunday 21 July 8.30pm
A family wedding. A broken vow. A scandalous newspaper article. The ladies in black realise their need to work together as they confront threats at home and at work that could damage each of them irrevocably.
Bitter over her sacking, Angela succumbs to family pressure and agrees to recreate Goodes most exclusive design for her sister-in-law’s wedding dress. With her mother back from Beirut and the family full steam ahead on wedding preparations, Angela has to lie about catching up with Lisa in order to find time and space to continue her affair with George. When Lisa finally discovers them together, her revelation of George’s behaviour at Fay’s forces George to confront the necessity of sorting out his relationship with Stefan before he can offer love to anyone else.
Lisa’s intertwined personal and professional relationship with Richard is full steam ahead, but be careful what you wish for. Richard’s plans for the future aren’t exactly aligned to Lisa’s big dreams.
Utterly routed by Mrs Ambrose, Magda’s last days at Goodes are spent planning an exclusive showing of Ambrose’s favoured designs and planning for her new boutique. Angela is stunned when Magda suggests that they might work together on a new Australian range. The clothes created by Angela and her family come into their own when Mrs Ambrose is convinced to change tack and offer Magda a chance to win back her place at Goodes.
Fay’s desperate attempt to enlist Mrs Marlow fails, but opens the door to Mrs Ambrose, who encourages Fay to rely on the truth to save her marriage. Will Fay break her husband’s heart in order to ease her conscience?
When Lisa and Angela find themselves out of their depth emotionally, both girls’ mothers must intervene to clarify the implications of becoming too dependent upon others. Strengthened by the triumph of an exclusive showing that combines the visions of Ambrose, Magda and Angela, Angela and Lisa make hard decisions that will keep their dreams alive.