''Always Greener'' was an Australian

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

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 ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

series that aired on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves. It ran from 2001 until 2003, when it was cancelled after declining ratings and concerns over the cost of production.

History

The name of the show stems from the phrase "The grass is always greener on the other side". Promotion of the show's premiere episode used the Travis song "

Side Side or Sides may refer to: Geometry * Edge (geometry) of a polygon (two-dimensional shape) * Face (geometry) of a polyhedron (three-dimensional shape) Places * Side (Ainis), a town of Ainis, ancient Thessaly, Greece * Side (Caria), a town of ...

", which features the phrase as part of the chorus. The show was broadcast overseas in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

on TV ONE. In 2006 reruns started airing on

TV2 Channel 2 or TV 2 may refer to: Television networks, channels and stations *Channel 2 (Iran), operated by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting *Channel 2 (Israel), a commercial television station *, entertainment and music television in Latvia * ...

. The series has since been released on DVD. The Southern Star Group owns the rights to distribute ''Always Greener'' internationally.

Premise

The series mainly revolved around the members of two families, the Taylors, who live in suburban

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, and the Todd family who live on a farm just outside the rural

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

town of Inverness. Each faced with problems of their own, John Taylor pays his sister Sandra Todd a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

visit to her farm. Joking that they should consider switching houses for a change in their life, the move becomes a reality when John discovers that his daughter Marissa is on drugs and Sandra can't pay the bills. ''Always Greener'' was noted for both dealing with serious issues as well as putting an often humorous touch to episodes. Fantasy sequences (such as a song and dance number when John mulls over having a vasectomy) were common and often added to the charm of the series.

Cast

The Taylor family

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

- John Taylor *

Anne Tenney Anne Tenney (born 1954) is an Australian film, television and theatre actress, perhaps best known for her role as Melissa "Molly" Jones in the television drama ''A Country Practice'', Liz Taylor in ''Always Greener'' and Sal Kerrigan opposite Mi ...

- Liz Taylor *

Michala Banas Michala Elizabeth Laurinda Banas (born 14 November 1978) is a New Zealand television actress and singer. Life and career Born in Wellington, New Zealand into a family of German descent, she starred in her first advert at only 18 months of age. ...

- Marissa Taylor *Daniel Bowden - Jason Taylor *

Natasha Lee Natasha (russian: Наташа) is a name of Slavic origin. The Slavic name is the diminutive form of Natalia. Notable people * Natasha, the subject of '' Natasha's Story'', a 1994 nonfiction book * Natasha Aguilar (1970–2016), Costa Rican s ...

- Kimberley Taylor

The Todd family

Caitlin McDougall __NOTOC__ Caitlin McDougall is an Australian actress who is best known for her roles in the television series ''Always Greener'' and '' The Alice''. Early life and education McDougall was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and grew up in regional Sou ...

- Sandra Todd *

Bree Walters Bree Walters (born 13 February 1976) is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Pippa Todd in Always Greener. She was born and raised in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. References External links * Australian television actre ...

- Pip Todd *

Abe Forsythe Abraham Forsythe (born 26 July 1981) is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe. Career He first appeared on the TV series ''The Miraculous Mellops (TV series), Th ...

- Campbell Todd

Other main characters

* Scott Major - Tom Morgan *

Andrew Clarke Andrew Clarke may refer to: *Andrew Clarke (British Army officer, born 1793) (1793–1847), Governor of Western Australia *Sir Andrew Clarke (British Army officer, born 1824) (1824–1902), Governor of the Straits Settlements, son of the above *And ...

- Derek Unn * Merridy Eastman - Eileen Unn *

Denise Roberts Denise Roberts (born in Glasgow, Scotland), is an Australian actress and director who has worked in theatre, film and television since 1980. She gained initial fame when she played Julie Winters in the ABC-TV medical drama ''G.P.'' from 1989 to 19 ...

- Isabelle Turnbull *

Georgie Shew Georgie may refer to: People * Georgie Born (b. 1955), British musician and academic * Georgie Davis (b. 1969), artist name of the Dutch singer Kees Rietveld * Georgie Friedrichs, Australian rugby sevens player * Georgie Glen, Scottish actress * G ...

- Katy Turnbull * Peter Corbett - Bert Adams *

Bree Desborough Bree Bain (née Desborough; born 22 September 1979) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Justine Welles in the soap opera ''Home and Away''. Early life Bain was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1979. Bree married ...

- Shelley Southall *

Clayton Watson Clayton Watson (born 23 March 1977) is an Australian producer, actor, writer, and director. He grew up in the Australian outback on a sheep station close to Morgan, a small town in South Australia. He is best known for his breakthrough role as Ki ...

- Mickey Steele *

Grant Bowler Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre. He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne ...

- Greg Steele (Episodes 1 - 27) *

Nathaniel Dean Nathaniel Dean is an Australian actor and voiceover artist. His most recent performances include Sergeant Hallett in Ridley Scott's '' Alien: Covenant'', as well as colonial Australian settler William Thornhill in ''The Secret River'' for the ...

- Craig 'Patch' Porter (Episodes 9 - 50) *

Steven Rooke Steven Rooke is an Australian actor who has performed on stage, in films and television. Education Rooke graduated from Noosa District State High School in 1996, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) from the Queensland University of ...

- Nick Greenhill (Episodes 16 - 50)

Ratings

Awards

Clayton Watson won 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 ...

's award for "Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama" for his work on ''Always Greener'' in 2002. The show was also nominated for an

International Emmy The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and Sc ...

Award in 2002 and ''Always Greener'' and its cast have been nominated for several

Logies The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...

during its run.Zuk, Tim
Always Greener awards and nominationsAustralian Television Information Archive
Retrieved 6 June 2008. Logie Awards *2003 Nominee: Most Outstanding Drama Series *2003 Nominee: Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (John Howard) *2002 Nominee: Most Outstanding Drama Series *2002 Nominee: Most Popular New Female Talent (Michala Banas) ASSG Australian Screen Sound Awards *2003 Nominee: Best Achievement in Sound for a Television Drama ("Episode 50") APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards *

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

Nominee: Best Music for a Television Series or Serial (Paul Healy and Trent Williamson)

Australian Film Institute Television Awards The Australian Film Institute Television Awards are annual awards presented for excellence in Australian television annually as part of the AFI Awards by the Australian Film Institute. The AFI Awards cover non-feature films, films, television, and ...

*2002 Winner: Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama (Clayton Watson) International Emmy Awards *2002 Nominee: Always Greener Series 1 - Eps. 1 & 3 Australian Writers' Guild Awards *2002 Nominee: Television (Series): "The Good Woman's Guide To A Happy Home" (Sue Hore)

Cancellation

On 6 July 2003, Seven's Director of Programming and Production, Tim Worner announced the renewal of ''Always Greener'' saying: "Always Greener is an important program for Seven. We see it as a key franchise for us, a program we believe will continue to build in its third season." Then in September, the decision was reversed. News was broken to cast and crew as the first script meetings for the new series were already being held. Rumours were that the cancellation was due to falling ratings. The show began with over 2 million viewers in 2001, but ratings never recovered from the disastrous decision to début the second season in the low rating Easter period of 2002 - Against stronger competition in both '60 Minutes' and 'Big Brother'. In 2002 the show moved from Sunday to Monday and then back to Sunday by 2003. ''Always Greener'' was rating around 1.0 million when cancelled. However, Seven cited "cost management" as the reason for dropping the series. At the time, Worner was reported as saying that the decision was purely based on cost, because the 22 episodes were to cost $10 million, and he said that was far too much. In late 2005 Seven aired reruns of the show in the early morning 9.30am timeslot and again in Seven's popular reruns timeslot at 12.00pm. Presently it airs sporadically on Universal Channel.

Home media

The first season of ''Always Greener'' have been released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

in Region 4 (Australia) format. The DVDs are distributed by Madman Entertainment under the label of VIA Vision Entertainment. A photo gallery is included in Season 1 (Vol. 2) and Season 1 (Complete).

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0295064, title=Always Greener
Always Greener
at the Australian Television Information Archive
Always Greener
at the National Film and Sound Archive
Always Greener on 7plus
Australian drama television series Television shows set in New South Wales Seven Network original programming 2001 Australian television series debuts 2003 Australian television series endings English-language television shows Television series by Endemol Australia