''Starting Out'' is 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 advertising, ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

made for the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...

by the

Reg Grundy Organisation Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...

in 1983.

Background

The five-night-a-week series was created by

Reg Watson Reginald James Watson (27 August 1926 – 8 October 2019) was an Australian television producer and screenwriter. He was executive producer on ''Crossroads (British TV series), Crossroads'' and created Australian media exports serials such as ' ...

as the network's replacement for the long-running serial ''

The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983. The series is prima ...

''. It was produced by

Sue Masters Sue Masters is an Australian television producer who is currently the executive producer of drama for Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Family Master's mother Olga Masters was a journalist and writer. Her siblings Roy, Ian, Quentin, Chris and D ...

who had also been the producer of ''The Young Doctors''. It was set at a medical college with an emphasis on young people getting their first experience of living away from home and leading independent lives. ''Starting Out'' debuted 18 April 1983 and aired in an early evening slot before the network's news service.Mercado, Andrew. ''Super Aussie Soaps'', Pluto Press Australia, 2004. p 198-200

Cast

The youthful cast included: * Leander Brett – Aggie Dean * Antoinette Byron – Laurel Adams *

David Clencie David Clencie (born 1964 or 1965) is an Australian actor. He made his debut aged 15 in the children's television series ''Sam's Luck''. He was cast in the lead role of Sam Parkes, after impressing the producer while auditioning for the ABC network. ...

– Ben McNamara * Nikki Coghill – Margot Fallon-Smith *

Tottie Goldsmith Caroline "Tottie" Goldsmith (born 27 August 1962) is an Australian actress and singer. Career Television In the early 1980s, Goldsmith acted in the Australian television series ''The Young Doctors'', ''Starting Out'', '' Prisoner'', '' Saturd ...

– Trixie Sheldon *

Rowena Mohr Rowena in the Matter of Britain was the daughter of the purported Anglo-Saxon chief Hengist and wife of Vortigern, "King of the Britons". Presented as a beautiful '' femme fatale'', she won her people the Kingdom of Kent through her treachero ...

– Michelle Rivers *

Julie Nihill Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an Australian actress, best known for her 13-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''Blue Heelers'' (1994–2006). Biography Nihill made her television debut in ''I Can Jump Puddles'' (1981) an ...

– Tessa Staples * Peter O'Brien – Craig Holt * David Reyne – Paul Harding * Yves Stenning – Will Brodie *

Gary Sweet Gary Sweet (born 22 May 1957) is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in ''Alexandra's Project'' (as Steve), '' Police Rescue'' (as Sergeant "Mickey" McClintock), ''Cody'' (as Cody), '' Big Sky'' (as Chris Manning), ''Bod ...

– Rod Turner * Paul Williams – Peter Nolan The more experienced cast members complementing the young leads included: *

Maurie Fields Maurice Fields (born Maurice Sheil, 4 August 1926 – 18 December 1995) was an Australian vaudeville performer, actor and stand-up comedian. Career Fields became a well-known face on television first thanks to his comic sketches on live progr ...

– Mac Rankin *

Suzy Gashler Suzy may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Suzy'' (film), a 1936 film starring Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone and Cary Grant * "Suzy" (Fool's Garden song), a song by German pop band Fool's Garden * "Suzy", a song by French electro swing band Car ...

– Yvonne Rivers *

Caroline Gillmer Caroline Gillmer (born 1955) is an Australian actress, best known for her roles in various television series, such as ''Prisoner'' as Helen Smart and ''Neighbours'' as Cheryl Stark. During her time off sick from ''Neighbours'', Gillmer was ...

– Eleannor Harris * John Grant – Dr. Greg Munro * Jill Forster – Dr. Judith Holt *

John Hamblin John Reginald Hamblin (18 March 1935 – 21 September 2022), known affectionately as "Funny John" or "Naughty John", was a British-born Australian children's television presenter and actor of stage and screen who appeared in theatre productions ...

– Dr. James Holt *

Gerard Maguire Gerard Maguire (born 25 September 1945) also credited as Gerard McGuire, is an Australian actor, producer and screenwriter best known for his role in ''Prisoner'' as Deputy Governor, ''Jim Fletcher''. Often appearing on Australian television pol ...

– Dr. John Rivers *

Anne Phelan Anne Mary Phelan (2 August 1948 – 27 October 2019) was an Australian actress of stage and screen who appeared in many theatre, television and film productions as well as radio and voice-over. Her television soap opera roles included '' ...

– Mrs. De Soosa *

Marie Redshaw Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

– Mrs. Lynch *

Colin Vancao 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, ...

– Russell Dean

Cancellation

The series failed to gain sufficient ratings and was quickly cancelled and removed from network schedules by 20 May 1983. Some of the unaired episodes were screened sporadically out-of-ratings in late 1983. Not until a late night repeat run during the later half of 1989 several years after production did all of the 85 produced episodes go to air.

External links

*
''Starting Out'' at the National Film and Sound Archive

Notes

{{reflist Australian television soap operas Nine Network original programming 1983 Australian television series debuts 1983 Australian television series endings English-language television shows Television series produced by The Reg Grundy Organisation