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Possession is an Australian television soap opera made by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Nine Network in 1985. It was the brainchild of the television producer, Reg Watson. The pilot was written by Bevan Lee[1] and executive produced by Don Battye.
| Possession | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama Soap opera |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production | |
| Production company | Reg Grundy Organisation |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nine Network |
| Release | 14 January 1985 – 1985 |
The series began with a convoluted espionage incident that uncovered the interpersonal dramas and family secrets of several wealthy, powerful and glamorous women, their handsome young lovers, and long-lost children.
It was not a popular success and only ran to 52 episodes.[2] Production was cancelled in May 1985.[3] Director of publicity for Nine, Sue Ward said "We did a complete series. We just didn't take up the option of a second series because it didn't rate."[3] The later episodes played out in a late-night time slot due to low ratings.
Nine asked the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal to extend the local drama quota time past 10.00 pm to allow the network to move the low-rated series out of prime time and still have the episodes count toward their local drama content. When the tribunal agreed Nine moved Possession to a graveyard slot.[2]
Cast
editOriginal cast members
edit- Bruce Barry as David Macarthur, a wealthy tycoon killed off by ASIS agents in the show's premiere[4]
- Lou Brown as Alan Morton
- Tracey Callander as Kathleen Dawson, Greg's fiancée
- Anne Charleston as Elizabeth Macarthur, David's wife
- Lyn Collingwood as Iris Dawson
- Maggie Millar as Claudia Valenti, Louise's business partner
- Lloyd Morris as Greg Macarthur, David's son
- Eric Oldfield as Gerry Foster
- Tamasin Ramsay as Jane Andrews, illegitimate daughter of David and Louise
- David Reyne as Detective Vince Bailey, investigating David's murder
- Darien Takle as Louise Carpenter, David's former mistress
- Norman Yemm as John Andrews, Jane's adopted father
Later additions
edit- Briony Behets as Eve Cambridge
- Max Cullen as Harry Keane, an intelligence agent
- Maggie Dence as Lady Shannon
- Ally Fowler as Nicola Shannon
- Bryan Marshall as Oliver Hearst
Reception
editIn 2020, Fiona Byrne of the Herald Sun included Possession in her feature about "long forgotten Australian TV dramas that made viewers switch off."[5] Summing up the show, Byrne stated: "In 1985 Channel 9 launched Possession, a soap about rich, conniving, scheming women, toy boys, love children, infidelity, plastic surgery, fights over inheritance, a secret agent and an assassination. It was promoted as a super soap, although its stars felt they were part of a high quality drama. The audience found it confusing and switched off. Highly-hyped it eventually limped to the end of its first and only season."[5]
References
edit- ^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p124
- ^ a b Mercado 2004, p.238.
- ^ a b Gemmell-Smith, Philippa (22 June 1985). "The Dispossessed: What happens when a soap opera bubble bursts". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 189. Retrieved 27 March 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Possession – Nostalgia Central". 14 June 2014.
- ^ a b Byrne, Fiona (19 August 2020). "Truly terrible TV shows that flopped". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 October 2024 – via Gale.
- Mercado, Andrew (2004). Super Aussie Soaps. Pluto Press Australia. ISBN 978-1-86403-191-1.