McLeod’s Daughters reunion: Bridie Carter says cast is up for it
In an exclusive interview, McLeod’s Daughters leading lady Bridie Carter revealed a bold plan for 2020 and said playing Tess Silverman in the South Australian bush changed her life forever.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Mcleod’s Daughters leading lady Bridie Carter says she and the rest of the cast are up for a reunion.
“We’re all open to it so we’ll just see what happens,” she told Confidential.
“We feel like we owe it to our audience and our fans – I call our fans friends we haven’t met yet.
“It’s not about us, it’s about them – we have to!
“I can’t promise or say anything, it’s a Channel 9 thing and we’ll see.”
More than a decade after the show’s cancellation, Carter still can’t believe the success of McLeod’s Daughters.
Playing Tess Silverman in the South Australian bush changed her life forever – she even lives on a cattle farm outside Byron Bay in real life.
MORE SYDCON
Guy Sebastian’s estranged ex-agent seeks AVO against singer
Naomi Watts embraces new ‘trashy’ style in isolation
Shane Warne opens up on feelings for ex-lover Liz Hurley
Not only was McLeod’s Daughters a ratings success, it was inescapable fodder the morning after an episode aired – part of an Aussie drama boom time of the era that was shared by the likes of All Saints, Blue Heelers, Secret Life of Us and slightly later, Packed To The Rafters.
Since then, Australian dramas haven’t quite hit in the same way, drowned out by streaming and reality TV, bar a handful of exceptions.
Many dramas, such as Bad Mothers, Secret Bridesmaids Business, Playing For Keeps, Doctor Doctor and Bite Club hover around 400,000 – 700,000 viewers per episode and rarely crack the top 10 programs of the day.
But TV Tonight editor David Knox said the numbers can be deceiving.
“Drama is expensive, so we very rarely get the 22 episodes we used to see for Packed to the Rafters or All Saints,” he said.
“It invariably starts after 8:45pm following reality TV and in some cases is moved around the schedule.
“The result is viewers opt for catch-up, time-shifting and streaming.
“Total Control on ABC, The Hunting on SBS, The Secrets She Keeps on 10 have all found audiences – Wentworth from Foxtel is as good as anything around the world, and even better than Orange is the New Black.
“They may not get the water cooler buzz of Patrick dying on Offspring but a writer pretty much only gets those once-in-a-lifetime.”
Carter, who is still contacted by fans of the show all over the world, says Aussie drama just needs to stay true and not try to be something it’s not.
“I don’t want to swear, but people don’t want the bullshit, they don’t want highbrow,” she said.
“They want hope and love and sorrow – all that stuff of life that everybody can relate to.
“I always think McLeod’s speaks human to human. I really believe that is why the show is so successful today.
“We embrace who we are in McLeod’s, we don’t try to be anyone else.”