The Wrong Girl

Not necessarily chick-lit but there are a lot of shows which are female-centric being produced by all networks.

And there are too many shows that are built around one main character. It worked for Offspring but now it seems like every show is like that. The Wrong Girl, Wanted, Winter, The Secret Daughter, Janet King. Even the blokey shows on Nine are doing it with Doctor Doctor and Hyde and Seek basically centred around one character (and 800 Words too).

I’d rather they create shows based on an ensemble cast, as we had in the past with Packed to the Rafters, Blue Heelers, All Saints, Water Rats, Stingers, A Country Practice, Neighbours etc.

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Unfortunately short length dramas don’t have the freedom to find their feet. I might still give this a go over summer.

Which are more expensive to produce. Having to find budgets for dramas on Australian commercial tv with relatively small audiences is quite difficult.

Apart from the main storyline of her love triangle with the boyfriend of a few weeks with her best friend. Is it really a drama though?

What is the difference between the price to produce a show like Wrong Girl and one like Packed to the Rafters. The cost is not that much difference. Unless the seasons are longer. Offspring + Wrong Girl would be more or about the same as 22 episodes of Packed to the Rafters.

Huh? :tired_face: What are you talking about? We’re already producing the dramas.

I’m talking about the focus being equal across the whole cast rather than one main player in the cast.

And in regards to the cost of scripted dramas and comedies, they can make their returns many times over if they are sold into markets overseas. They also have a longer shelf life since they can be repeated endlessly on the network’s channels and be often repeated by pay tv and streaming services.

The contracts to sign each cast member are drastically more expensive. The number of hours each actor has to work increases a lot when a show becomes ensemble or soapy. With a single character focused show it’s really just one expensive contract and then the rest (obviously depending on the status of the actor etc.) are relatively small.

Where is the evidence of this though? I think you would fine the only thing keeping Wrong Girl down in price is the fact it has funding at the moment. Offspring is extremely expensive to produce now that the funding has gone away.

Yeah I agree that in Australia there aren’t that many published examples. But there are plenty overseas; the daytime soaps, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost etc. all feature huge casting budgets compared to most single character driven shows, although ultimately they manage to save by being mostly set-based and have savings elsewhere.

I’m only considering casting budgets rather than anything else.

Well Australian costs and American costs are completely different. As many actors say if they want money thats where they need to be. As others have said there arent many shows without a main character. Maybe it is time to give it another shot.

How?

Actors command a lot more money in America.

You’re really barking up the wrong tree. I’m not talking about contracts or getting really high paid actors for a series. And I’m not talking about short series vs long form series or soapies.

I’m talking about the nature of the series. Making the shows about all the characters not just single character focused. A shows like Packed to the Rafters had two standout lead actors but the show was about all five family members. Shows like Wentworth are an ensemble cast.

A Place To Call Home was too. Then in the second season they tried to make it all about Sarah (Marta Dusseldorp) and it faltered and Seven axed it. They then went back to focussing on all the characters equally again and now its still going strong.

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Naturally, in doing so, the cast would have to work an increased number of hours compared to a single character focused show, therefore bringing up costs. I don’t see how at all that wouldn’t happen.

I totally agree with what you’re both saying; Australian television recently has had too much of an emphasis on these protagonist driven shows, and I too would like that to change. Yet issues of cost still remain for networks.

I’m simply saying the choice of utilising an ensemble cast isn’t purely a creative decision.

Regular cast members don’t usually get paid based on the amount of hours they work. It has a lot more to do with their negotiating skills, experience and their popularity with viewers. In an ensemble, the actors could work very similar hours and get paid lots of different rates.

There are soapie stars who get paid five times or more what a newbie does and they can only appear in a couple of episodes per week. There have been many cases where actors leave the show and it is announced that they are able to hire two or three new actors in their place.

If a show is centred on one actor, like The Wrong Girl, they end dominating the screen time and often get overworked and end up exhausted. The producers may be getting their money’s worth out of the actor but they risk more.

I’m not saying they shouldn’t ever make these type of shows. Rake and offspring are brilliant examples of shows that do it well. I’m just saying I’d like to see more of a balance.

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At the end of the day if it is a 42 minute show there is the same amount of air time… I still notice the cast of Offspring filming a lot of stories. Not just Asher Keedie. I just dont really get that conclusion. Sorry.

Wrong Girl also technically films in house since its using its own channel 10 studios. If they wanted to give storylines to the breakfast bar people then it would feel more of an ensemble piece imo

Yes, The Breakfast Bar studio scenes. But, as was pointed out at TV Tonight, the office scenes were shot in the same building where Utopia was made, which is not Ten Melbourne.

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But they basically use 3 main locations and a few other places. it wouldnt be as much in location costs as say cast costs and Zoe would be getting quite the kickback

Its great they can find ways to cut on costs without removing production or cast.

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