The AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series is a television award handed out by the

Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) is a professional organisation of film and television practitioners in Australia. The Academy's aim is "to identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements i ...

(AACTA). It was previously awarded by the

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...

(AFI), from 1991 to 2010, and will continue to be presented by the Academy. It is awarded to a dramatic television series of no fewer than five episodes. It can be a series of self-contained stories which can be screened in any order or a number of interweaving and overlapping plots continuing from one episode to the next. Between 1991 and 2001, only individual episodes were awarded. The award has changed its name several times, and between 1993 and 2001, it became two separate categories; from 1991 to 1992, the award was called Best Episode in a Television Drama, Series or Serial; from 1993 to 2001 the award was split into Best Episode in a Television Drama Series and Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial and; from 1998 to 2001 Best Episode in a Drama Serial was changed to Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (Long). In 2002 the awards was combined to make Best Drama Series. The award is usually presented to the producer(s) of a series, but between 1991 and 2001, the award went to the producer of a specific episode. Over the years,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

have won sixteen of twenty-nine awards. ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...

'' have won four awards, more than any other television programme. If the Best Episode categories aren't taken into account, then ''Home and Away's'' wins are discounted and ''

Love My Way ''Love My Way'' is an Australian television drama series. It won the AFI award for Best Television Drama Series for each of its three seasons (2004–2007). Premise Set in Sydney, ''Love My Way'' was about a group of 30-somethings dealing wit ...

'' would have the record of three.

Rules

Potential nominees must submit two episodes from a drama series, which will be judged as a single entry, and a fee of A$1,125. The television program must be produced and broadcast in Australia for

free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the FTA Receiver, appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring ...

subscription television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, but ...

channels, but excludes broadcasts on community television.

Winners and nominees

Best Episode in a Television Drama Series or Serial (1991-1992)

Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (1993-2001)

Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial (1993-2001)

Best Television Drama Series (2002-current)

Notes

:A: In 1993, and then from 1995 to 2001, the award was split into two categories: Best Episode in a Television Drama, Series or Serial and Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial (the latter was changed to Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (Long) in 1998). This means that two awards were presented for both categories each year, bringing the total of awards presented to twenty-nine. :B: Awarded for Best Episode in a Television Drama, Series or Serial. :C: Awarded for Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial (1993–1997). The category then changed to Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (Long) (1998–2001). :D: Awarded for Best Episode in a Television Drama Series. :E: ''

The Damnation of Harvey McHugh ''The Damnation of Harvey McHugh'' was an Australian television miniseries made by the ABC. The series consists of 12 episodes and was first broadcast on the ABC in 1994 from 2 June to 18 August of that year. Overview Cast and crew The series was ...

'' and ''

Heartland Heartland or Heartlands may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution * Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States * Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization i ...

'' were joint winners for Best Episode in a Television Drama Series at the 1994 awards.

References

;General * * ;Specific

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Film Institute Award For Best Drama Series

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...