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‘McLeod’s Daughters’ voted top show in the Great Australian Binge

Long-running drama series such as 'McLeod's Daughters' are no longer fixtures of Australian TV.

‘McLeod’s Daughters.’

McLeod’s Daughters, the Nine Network drama co-created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton, was proclaimed Australia’s most favourite show in the Great Australian Binge.

Fremantle’s Wentworth came second, followed by Bunya Productions’ Mystery Road series and Riley Turner Productions’ Kath & Kim (which is streaming on Netflix).

Fewer than 10 votes separated Fremantle’s Neighbours and Seven Studios’ Home and Away in fifth and sixth place.

Matchbox Pictures/For Pete’s Sake Productions’ The Heights ranked seventh, followed by Southern Star’s Puberty Blues, Rob Sitch’s 1997 classic The Castle – the most popular Aussie movie – and Southern Star’s Offspring.

Ludo Studio’s Bluey was voted the No. 1 children’s show. Michala Banas announced the results on YouTube last night.

The MEAA ran the initiative asking people to vote online for the Australian film or show they’ve loved watching in lockdown as part of the Make it Australian campaign

There were 11,330 votes. Virtually all – 11,275 – signed an accompanying petition which urges the Federal Government to keep the current local content quotas and impose local spending obligations on streaming services.

Starring Bridie Carter, Sonia Todd, Jessica Napier, Rachael Carpani, Simmone Jade Mackinnon and Aaron Jeffery, McLeod’s Daughters ran on Nine for eight seasons from 2001 and now screens on Stan.

Banas said the production employed a total of 650 actors and nearly 2,000 crew across its 224 episodes. She reckoned she was the only cast member who didn’t swallow a fly during filming.

Asked to explain its enduring appeal, Mackinnon said: “It’s comfort food, a big warm hug.”

Neighbours’ Alan Fletcher described the temporary suspension of the local content quotas on the commercial broadcasters as “disastrous” and called on the government to protect Australian content by regulation.

Home and Away’s Penny McNamee expressed concern for the welfare of the crew who were stood down without pay when filming was suspended. Production resumed last Monday.

Gina Riley, co-creator of Kath & Kim, said she and Jane Turner wrote what they thought was funny and expected “three other people would like it.” Viewers related to the show’s depiction of everyday events and the funny wigs and costumes, she opined.

Tasma Walton exclaimed “that’s deadly” at the news that Mystery Road ranked third. Asked about the advances in female-centric and Indigenous storytelling in the past few years, fellow cast member Ngaire Pigram observed: “There has been a shift, but it’s been a long time coming.”

Wentworth’s Kate Jenkinson said she thinks its fans relate to the themes of survival, sisterhood and the inner fight for freedom.