Southern Star Productions

Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was Australia's largest independent television production and distribution group. On 26 July 2017, the company was merged with Shine Australia to form Endemol Shine Australia.

History

The company began in 1972 as Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia), an Australian division of Hanna-Barbera. In 1974, the Hamlyn Group's Australian division managed by Kevin Weldon acquired 50% of Hanna-Barbera Australia and appointed Neil Balnaves as managing director. In 1978, James Hardie Industries acquired the Hamlyn Group, and in 1979, Balnaves was promoted to managing director of the entire Hamlyn Group.

In 1983, James Hardie Industries and Hanna-Barbera corporate parent Taft Broadcasting reorganised the division as Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd. In 1984, the company established a division in Los Angeles known as Southern Star Productions, headed by Buzz Potamkin. Programs produced by this division would be animated at Hanna-Barbera's studios in Sydney, and carried the name Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia. It co-owned CIC Video's Australian video unit called CIC-Taft Video and launched a video label, THG Video, in 1984, then renamed to Taft Video in 1987. In 1987, it made a $42 million bid for Communications and Entertainment Limited, but it never realised.

In 1988, Neil Balnaves led an A$11 million management buyout of Taft-Hardie, reorganising the company as Southern Star Group. The home video division was renamed to Southern Star Video in 1989. The Sydney animation facilities were also sold, while the Los Angeles division continued to operate until 1991 when it was sold to Turner Broadcasting System.

In April 2004, the company was acquired by Southern Cross Broadcasting and in 2007 by Fairfax Media.

In January 2009, Endemol acquired Southern Star Factual from Fairfax Media in a transaction worth A$75 million, forming a division known as Endemol Southern Star.

On 11 December 2013, Southern Star announced it would rebrand as Endemol Australia, completing the rollout by February 2014. The change was brought about by Chief Executive Officer, Janeen Faithfull.

On 15 November 2016, Mark and Carl Fennessy were appointed joint CEOs of Endemol Australia as well as its parent company, Endemol Shine Australia.

The company's popular shows for kids are ''Bananas in Pyjamas'' (for ABC), ''The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky'' (for ABC and Five (UK)), '' Child's Farm'', '' Ketchup: Cats Who Cook'' (for NHK), '' Gordon the Garden Gnome'' (for BBC, ABC and Cartoon Network), '' Faireez'' (For Ten), '' Classic Tales'' (for ABC) and ''The Toothbrush Family'' (for Ten and Nine).

Programs

Prime-time drama

As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

* ''Deadline'' (1982, TV movie)
* ''Return to Eden'' (1983–1986)
* '' The Last Frontier'' (1986, TV miniseries)
* ''Shark's Paradise'' (1986, TV movie)

As Southern Star

* ''Party Tricks''
* ''Offspring''
* ''Return to Eden''
* ''Love My Way''
* ''The Surgeon''
* ''Blue Heelers''
* ''The Secret Life of Us''
* ''Always Greener''
* '' Water Rats''
* ''Marking Time''
* ''Police Rescue''
* ''Murder Call''
* '' Rescue: Special Ops''
* ''Wild Boys''
* ''Rush''
* '' Young Lions''
* '' Blue Murder''
* ''Dangerous''
* '' Out of the Blue''
* ''Fireflies''
* ''Spirited''
* ''Rain Shadow''
* '' The Alice''
* ''Tangle''
* ''Puberty Blues''
* ''Bed of Roses''
* '' Big Sky''
* ''Howzat! Kerry Packer's War''
* ''McLeod's Daughters'' (2001–2009)
* ''City Homicide''
* ''Echo Point''
* '' The Beautiful Lie''
* ''Cody''
* ''Which Way Home''
* ''Good Vibrations''
* ''Gallipoli''
* '' Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo''
* '' Paper Giants: Magazine Wars''
* '' Children of the Dragon''
* ''Beaconsfield''
* '' Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War''
* '' Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy''
* '' On the Beach''
* ''Joh's Jury''
* '' Dripping in Chocolate''
* ''Hard Knox''
* '' Do or Die''
* ''Police State''
* '' The Last Frontier''
* '' Remember Me''
* ''A Difficult Woman''

Comedy

* ''Bad Cop, Bad Cop''
* '' The Bob Morrison Show''
* '' Dayne's World''
* ''Legally Brown''
* ''You Have Been Watching''
* '' Con's Bewdiful Holiday Videos''

Children's

As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

* ''Famous Classic Tales'' (1970–1983)
* ''The Toothbrush Family'' (1974)
* ''Taggart's Treasure'' (1976) (unsold pilot)
* '' The Flintstones: Little Big League'' (1978, TV movie)
* ''Dinky Dog'' (1978–1981)
* ''Drak Pack'' (1980)
* ''The Kwicky Koala Show'' (1981–1982)
* ''CBS Storybreak'' (1985–1989)
* ''The Berenstain Bears'' (1985–1987)
* ''Teen Wolf'' (1986–1987)

As Southern Star

* '' A*mazing''
* ''Around the World in 80 Days''
* ''Foreign Exchange''
* ''The Adventures of Sam''
* ''The Beeps''
* '' Blue Water High''
* ''RAGGS Kids Club Band''
* ''The Sleepover Club''
* ''Tracey McBean''
* '' Cake Business!''
* '' The Missed Christmas Presents''
* ''The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky''
* '' Magic Mountain''
* '' Snobs''
* ''Bananas in Pyjamas'' (co-production with ABC)
* '' Faireez''
* '' Ketchup: Cats Who Cook''
* '' Time Masters''
* '' Wipeout''
* '' Marvin: Baby of the Year'' (TV special)
* ''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' (TV special)
* ''Fox's Peter Pan & the Pirates'' (co-production with TMS Entertainment and Fox Children's Productions, distributed by 20th Television)
* ''Mad Scientist''
* '' Hi-5'' (co-production with Nine Network)
* ''Elly & Jools''
* ''Kangaroo Creek Gang''
* '' Don't Blame The Koalas''
* ''Pig's Breakfast''
* '' In Your Dreams''
* '' Outriders''
* ''Sea Princesses''
* '' Y?''
* ''A gURLs wURLd''
* '' High Flyers''
* '' All for Kids''
* '' Hairy Legs''
* '' Classic Tales''
* ''Sumo Mouse''
* '' Snake Tales''
* '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo''
* ''Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table''
* '' The Wayne Manifesto''
* '' Gordon the Garden Gnome''

Reality

* '' RPA'' – (1995–2012)
* '' Ralph TV'' – (2007)
* '' Battlefronts'' – (2008)
* '' Monster House'' – (2008)
* ''Garden Angels'' – (2009)
* ''No Leave, No Life'' – (2009–2012)
* ''Beauty and the Geek Australia'' – (2010–2011)
* ''Drug Lords'' – (2010)
* ''Real Prison Breaks'' – (2010–2011)
* '' Strictly Speaking'' – (2010)
* ''Undercover Boss Australia'' – (2010–2011)
* ''Balls of Steel Australia'' – (2011–2012)
* ''Big Brother Australia'' – Network 10 (2001–2008) and Nine Network (2012–2014)
* '' Don't Tell the Bride'' – (2012)
* '' When Love Comes to Town'' – (2014)
* '' Mesmerised'' – (2015)
* ''Married at First Sight Australia'' – (2015–present)
* ''The Hotplate'' – (2015)

Factual

* '' Animal Emergency''
* '' Animal Lifeline''
* ''Animals Did It First''
* ''At the Zoo''
* '' Crash Test Mummies & Daddies''
* ''Elephants Empire''
* ''Forensic Investigators''
* ''Last Chance Surgery''
* '' Next Wave''
* ''Saving Africa's Witch Children''
* '' Secret China''
* ''Secret Nature''
* ''Wild China''
* ''Wild Orphans''
* ''Meerkat Manor''

Films

* ''beDevil'' (1993)
* ''No Worries'' (1994)
* ''The Sum of Us'' (1994)
* '' Rough Diamonds'' (1994)
* ''The Well'' (1997)
* ''Serenades'' (2001)

See also

* List of film production companies
* List of television production companies

References

External links

*

{{Authority control

Television production companies of Australia
Australian animation studios
Endemol
Banijay