''Party Tricks'' was an Australian television political drama/comedy series starring

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series ''Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significant ...

and

Rodger Corser Rodger Corser (born 28 February 1973) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Owen in the Nine Network crime mini-series '' Underbelly'', based on the Melbourne gangland killings, Senior Ser ...

. It premiered on

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

on 6 October 2014 at 8:30pm. On 3 October 2014 along with ''Offspring'',

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

confirmed that ''Party Tricks'' would not return for a second series in 2015, due to Ten's production division running out of money.

Plot

Kate Ballard (Asher Keddie) is facing her first re-election as State Premier. Committed and rigorous, her victory seems assured until the opposition announce a shocking new candidate: David McLeod (Rodger Corser), a popular media personality, and a man Kate had a secret, tumultuous affair with several years ago. To the world at large, David and Kate present as compelling, evenly-matched adversaries but a paranoid Kate fears that their complicated history is a trump card waiting to be played. Told in six parts, building to an election-night finale, this is a cat-and-mouse game, played out on a grand scale.

Conception

On 26 July 2013, Network Ten announced a new drama project from

Endemol Australia 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 Jul ...

named ''Party Tricks'', a six-part drama series by the producers of ''

Offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way. This ca ...

'', ''

Puberty Blues ''Puberty Blues'' is a 1981 Australian coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford, based on the 1979 novel of the same name (essentially a protofeminist teen novel) by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey. Plot The story focuses o ...

'', ''

The Secret Life of Us ''The Secret Life of Us'' is an Australian television drama series set in the beachside neighbourhood of St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is primarily a drama with some comedic moments. The series was produced by Souther ...

'' and ''

Tangle Tangle may refer to: Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics *''The Tangle'' is the name of the ledger, a directed acyclic graph, used for the cryptocurrency IOTA *Tangle (mathematics), a topological object Natural sciences & medicine ...

'';

and Imogen Banks. Producer, Imogen Banks stated, "Politics, power and sex – what better elements for a big, juicy story? I cannot wait to make it. We're grateful to the country's politicians for living a reality that is far stranger than anything we could dream up. But it's our enormous pleasure to try."

Production

Ten's head of drama, Rick Maier stated, "Imogen Banks and John Edwards have brought together the best of the best for this exciting new series, while Michael Lucas has created the perfect star vehicle for Asher and Rodger." Filming for the first season began on 5 May 2014 and wrapped on 27 June 2014. The six-part series produced by Imogen Banks and John Edwards for Endemol Australia and Network Ten with the assistance of

Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...

and

Film Victoria VicScreen, formerly known as Film Victoria, is the Victoria State Government, Victorian Government’s creative and economic screen development agency. They function behind the scenes, supporting professionals, infrastructure, projects and ev ...

. It is created by Michael Lucas.

Cast

as Kate Ballard, Labor Premier of Victoria and Member of Parliament for Richmond. Former Minister for Planning, Education, and Deputy Premier. Succeeded Rob Hutchens as Premier a year and a half prior to the start of the series. *

as David McLeod, Victorian Liberal Party Leader, Liberal Candidate for Premier, and Candidate for Mount Waverley. Succeeded Neil Thorby as Leader of the Liberals in Victoria. Ultimately succeeds Ballard as Premier. *

Adam Zwar Adam Zwar (born 13 January 1972) is an Australian actor, voice artist, and writer. He is best known for co-creating the Australian comedy series '' Squinters'', '' Lowdown'', '' Wilfred'' and creating the critically acclaimed Channel 10 comedy ...

as Trevor Bailey, Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party and Interim Opposition Leader *

Angus Sampson Angus Sampson (born 1979) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his performances in the ''Insidious'' film series, ''The Mule'', '' Mad Max: Fury Road'', and the Peabody-winning second season of '' Fargo''. Early life Samp ...

as Wayne Duffy, Press Secretary and Spin Doctor to the Premier *

Colin Moody Colin may refer to: * Colin (given name) * Colin (surname) * ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie * Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse * Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...

as Geoff Ballard, the Premier's Husband *

Kaiya Jones Kaiya Jones (born 19 March 1996) is a Scottish-born Australian actress best known for playing the role of Sophie Ramsay in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. She previously played Jess Cooper in the third series of ''The Saddle Club''. Jo ...

as Matilda McLeod, McLeod's Daughter *

Oliver Ackland Oliver Ackland (born 9 November 1979) is an Australian actor. Biography In 2009 he was awarded the inaugural Heath Ledger scholarship by Australians in Film. Ackland starred in Ben Lucas' ''Wasted on the Young'', which premiered at the 2010 S ...

as Tom Worland, State Political Reporter and Ollie's boyfriend *

Doris Younane Doris Younane (born 25 February 1963) is an Australian stage and screen actress notable for her role in ''McLeod's Daughters'' where she played Moira Doyle. She is of Lebanese descent. Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport * Charlie Garber as Oliver ''Ollie'' Parkham, the Premier's Speechwriter * Ash Ricardo as Charlotte Wynn, Campaign Director for McLeod * Ryan Powell as Shaggy Mycology *

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. ...

as Tanya Keegan * Thomas Campbell as Jonathan *

Neil Melville Neil Melville is an Australian actor. He was born in Sydney, but spent most of his childhood in Apollo Bay, Victoria. In the early 1970s he was lead singer of Geelong rock band "The Iliad". Melville graduated from Adelaide's Flinders University w ...

as Duncan Guthrie, former President of the Victorian Liberal Party *

Gareth Yuen Gareth Yuen is an Australian actor who portrays the character Dax Lo, the Blue Ranger on the 2007 television series '' Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive''. He appeared at the Power Morphicon in June 2007. He is a graduate of Sydney's National ...

as Lucas Fry, Liberal Party Volunteer * Georgia Bolton as Kez, Kate's Security Detail * Catherine Glavicic as Ann-Marie Dwyer

Episodes

Season 1 (2014)

Ratings

*Figures are OzTAM Data for the 5 City Metro areas. *Overnight – Live broadcast and recordings viewed the same night. *Consolidated – Live broadcast and recordings viewed within the following seven days.

Awards and nominations

References

{{reflist Network 10 original programming Australian drama television series 2014 Australian television series debuts 2014 Australian television series endings Television shows set in Victoria (Australia) English-language television shows Australian political drama television series Television series by Endemol