New clue from Bridie Carter revives hopes for McLeod’s Daughters reboot
An Aussie acting favourite has teased a “very, very exciting” announcement, sparking fresh speculation of a reboot of a beloved drama.
McLeod’s Daughters star Bridie Carter has fuelled fresh speculation about a possible series reboot after posting a cryptic video teasing a major announcement she says will leave fans “very, very excited”.
Carter, who played Tess McLeod in the long-running Nine drama, shared the short clip to Instagram on Tuesday as she prepared to board a flight for an undisclosed meeting.
“I’m about to jump on a plane and I’m about to go and see someone and I know I’m very, very excited, but I think you’re going to be even more excited,” she told followers.
“There’s a term in Australia: I’m gonna flip my lid. I think you’re gonna flip your lids. I know it’s been a long time and I’ve been very low key this year. You’ll understand later why.”
While Carter, who now lives in Byron Bay, did not reveal her destination or who she was visiting, her deliberately vague wording was enough to prompt renewed discussion about whether the beloved Australian drama could finally be gearing up for a revival.
McLeod’s Daughters ran from 2001 to 2009 and became one of the country’s most successful local dramas, following the McLeod sisters as they took over their late father’s outback cattle property.
The series drew millions of viewers at its peak and continues to find new life through streaming platforms.
Attempts to reboot or continue the franchise have emerged several times over the past decade. Creator Posie Graeme-Evans previously received development funding in 2020 for a feature project titled The McLeods of Drovers Run.
Talks around a miniseries reboot in 2017 also progressed before stalling, with Graeme-Evans later attributing the collapse to creative differences.
A full-scale return was further complicated in 2023 when the original Kingsford Homestead in South Australia — the production’s primary filming location — was sold and transformed into the luxury retreat Kingsford The Barossa following a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
Despite these hurdles, several cast members have remained vocal about wanting to revisit the series.
Queensland based Simmone Jade Mackinnon, who played Stevie Hall, said on Nine’s Back To Drovers Run video series earlier this year that she had been “gunning” for a reboot for years.
“Oh, it wouldn’t take anything for me to go back. I’d be there in a heartbeat. I’d be the first one. I’d fly myself,” she said, adding she still imagines Tess and Stevie co-running Drovers with the next generation.
Rachael Carpani who played Jodi Fountain has also expressed interest, saying she believed “something” was in discussion, though she was unsure what form a comeback might take.
Carter’s former co-stars — including Simmone Jade Mackinnon and Myles Pollard, who played her on-screen love interest Nick Ryan — have stayed noticeably quiet, offering no matching clues of their own. Whether that reflects a lack of involvement or simply tight-lipped timing remains unclear.
Pollard has remained active both on screen and behind the camera, while Mackinnon, who has stepped back from full-time acting, returned to television last year as a contestant on the competition reality series The Summit.
McLeod's Daughters timeline
Season 1 (2001–02): Tess returns to Drovers to live and work with Claire; the all‑women crew finds its feet. Series begins 08/08/2001.
Season 2 (2002): Relationships and station pressures escalate, setting up major changes ahead.
Season 3 (2003): Charlotte (“BOM”) is born (S3E16 “Seeing the Light”). Later, Claire dies after a ute accident (S3E29 “The Long Goodbye”).
Season 4 (2004): Tess steps up without Claire; Tess and Nick marry late in the season (E26 “This Moment Forward”).
Season 5 (2005): Nick is presumed dead after a plane crash (E22 “If You Build It…”). Jodi discovers she’s Jack McLeod’s daughter (“The King and I”).
Season 6 (2006): Nick is revealed alive and returns; Tess and Nick leave for Argentina. Harry Ryan dies (S6E14 “The Legend of Harry Ryan”).
Season 7 (2007): Alex and Stevie marry (E16 “Ever After”). Jodi and Matt enter witness protection and fake their deaths in a car explosion late in the season. Grace McLeod arrives to help run Drovers.
Season 8 (2008–09): Alex dies in a freak accident (E6 “Close Enough to Touch”); Stevie later has their son, Xander. Jaz McLeod returns. Final episodes focus on saving Drovers and farewells; the series finale airs 31/01/2009.
Also: Tess and Nick later have a daughter, Claire Ruth Ryan, born in Argentina.
Overall: 8 seasons, 224 episodes, airing 08/08/2001–31/01/2009.
Originally published as New clue from Bridie Carter revives hopes for McLeod’s Daughters reboot
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