Dan F Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 From Broadcast: The BBC is to replace Neighbours with a new daytime soap, commissioned from an Australian production company and overseen by a former producer of Home & Away. BBC controller of programme acquisition George McGhee and head of series Sue Deeks have ordered 130 x 30-minute episodes of Out of the Blue from Southern Star Entertainment. The series centres around a group of 30-somethings who go home for a school reunion in the seaside resort of Manly, seven miles north of Sydney. It will open with a murder mystery-style storyline – where one of the group is killed - and evolve into "a more soapy drama," a BBC spokesman said. "This is an ambitious project that we think will break new ground, at the same time as providing daytime audiences with a compelling and intriguing watch," said BBC fiction controller Jane Tranter. "The experience and expertise of Southern Star Entertainment in this area, combined with the strength of the series proposal made this an exciting project, and we look forward to working on it with them." Southern Star Group chief executive Hugh Marks said: "This is definitely one of the most significant productions Southern Star has undertaken in recent years. "To have the support of a great partner like the BBC enables us to create a programme that will be full of life, contemporary and very broad in its appeal." Out of the Blue will go into production in January and will be produced by John Edwards (The Secret Life of Us, Love my Way) and Julie McGauran (Home & Away). It is due to air later in 2008, although the exact slot and start date have yet to be decided. Sounds quite exciting actually - I've been to Manly quite a few times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakybuffy Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Cheers for sharing! It does sound really good, will have to try and remember to watch it when it's on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Bee Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Thanks for the info, this sounds really good. Who knows maybe this time next year we'll all be talking about it in a similar thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Sounds good. About time we had a soap full of 30 somethings, I'm a bit fed up with teenage soaps!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted December 2, 2007 Report Share Posted December 2, 2007 Sounds exciting. So is it a new Aussie soap or a British soap set in Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bttb-rox! Posted December 9, 2007 Report Share Posted December 9, 2007 About time we had a soap full of 30 somethings, I'm a bit fed up with teenage soaps!?! Join the club! Sounds exciting. So is it a new Aussie soap or a British soap set in Australia? It's filmed in Australia so i'm guessing that it will be about Aussies in their homeland. It doesn't make it very clear in the article though . It sounds different. I can't really think of an Aussie soap which is centred upon a bunch of characters in their 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 The BBC announces Out of the Blue, a new drama series commission for BBC Daytime. Southern Star Entertainment, whose production credits include The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way and whom are the international distributors of All Saints and Home and Away, will produce the half hour series which will begin transmitting next year on BBC One. Out of the Blue is set in the beautiful beach resort of Manly, Australia which is famous for the catchphrase ‘seven miles from Sydney, a thousand miles from care’. The story opens when a group of thirty something friends return to their home town for a high school reunion. However the celebrations are brought to an abrupt end when one of the group is murdered. As the remainder of the group get embroiled in a murder investigation friendships are challenged and loyalties torn. Whom amongst them is a killer? The question is going to baffle police, and when the answer is revealed, life in Manly will never be the same again. . . . . Produced by John Edwards (Love My Way, The Secret Life Of Us,) and Julie McGauran (Home and Away) the series will commence production on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in January 2008. Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction said: “This is an ambitious project that we think will break new ground, at the same time as providing daytime audiences with a compelling and intriguing watch. The experience and expertise of southern Star Entertainment in this area, combined with the strength of the series proposal made this an exciting project, and we look forward to working on it with them.” “This is definitely one of the most significant productions Southern Star has undertaken in recent years. To have the support of a great partner like the BBC enables us to create a program that will be full of life, contemporary and very broad in its appeal. We feel very privileged to have this opportunity”, said Hugh Marks, Chief Executive Officer Southern Star Group. Negotiations were handled by George McGhee (Controller, Programme Acquisition) and Sue Deeks (Head of Series) for the BBC and Cathy Payne (Chief Executive) for Southern Star International. Southern Star is an integrated film and television production and distribution group. Divisions of the Company are involved in film, television and video production; sales and distribution; and licensing and merchandising. http://www.southernstargroup.com/NewsDetai...id=1588&d=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 From the Daily Telegraph: Channel 10 snaps up new soapie, Out Of The Blue AUSTRALIAN viewers will see a new TV soap set in Manly after Channel Ten secured rights to a new series called 'Out Of The Blue' late today. The BBC commissioned the series last year after it lost rights to Neighbours to rival channel 5 in a deal worth $750 million over eight years. The BBC needed a replacement and ordered 130 episodes of the five night a week soap from Australian production company Southern Star Entertainment - but no local networks were involved. But Ten executives - needing to boost 2008 local drama content - liked early rushes and snapped the series up and will air it mid year. The series will feature a regular cast of 20 led by up and comer Miss Saigon/Stupid Stupid Man star Sophie Katinis, Zoe Carides (Grass Roots), Clayton Watson (Always Greener) and Daisy Betts (Sea Patrol). Ten would either air five nights a week - possibly as a 6pm lead in to Neighbours - or be edited it into two one hour episodes per week. The series is about old friends gathering for a school reunion who become embroiled in a murder mystery when one of their own is murdered at the party. "We are thrilled to have secured Out Of The Blue," Ten Programming Chief David Mott said today. "The BBC have a reputation for commissioning exceptional dramas and we look forward to working with them again after having formed a firm relationship over the years on Neighbours. "Out Of The Blue has a great script, exciting casting and is a fresh and engaging series from the very first minute." Southern Star chief executive, Hugh Marks said full production was about to begin in Manly. "With our shoot starting just around the corner and having now been able to confirm our cast it's an exciting time for us to be able to welcome a great partner like TEN to this hugely ambitious project," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tan Tan Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Alot of the camera operators, production assistants, producers and others from home and away are leaving to go work on there! Its sad to say goodbye but i hope this show does really well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 So do I.... It's sad that so many talented people are leaving to be apart of it, but then again Home and Away is so popular right now it can afford to lose them... This is a new show and it needs the most talented people it can get... While the already established show can have new people to work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.