800 Words
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | South Pacific Pictures and Seven Productions |
| Headquarters | Australia, New Zealand |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand, United States, Finland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Television series |
| Website | www |
800 Words (presented as 800 words) is a comedy-drama TV series jointly produced by South Pacific Pictures and Seven Productions for broadcast on the Seven Network.
Premise
Following the passing of his wife, George Turner, a well-known Sydney newspaper columnist famous for his precise 800-word weekly article, purchases a house online in the fictional coastal New Zealand town of Weld. He then faces the challenge of breaking this news to his teenage children, Shay and Arlo. Nevertheless, the lively and inquisitive residents of Weld soon test George's hopes for a new beginning.
Main
- Erik Thomson portrays George Turner
- Melina Vidler plays Shay Turner
- Benson Jack Anthony appears as Arlo Turner
- Rick Donald is Jeff "Woody" Woodson, an Australian expatriate builder attracted to Weld’s surfing lifestyle
- Bridie Carter acts as Jan, George’s former editor based in Sydney
- Emma Leonard features as Tracey Dennis, an Australian expat and Weld High School form teacher
- Michelle Langstone takes on the role of Fiona, proprietor of the Weld Boat Club and volunteer ambulance driver
- Anna Jullienne plays Katie Bell, a part-Maori artist who owns an art gallery
- Cian Elyse White portrays Hannah, a surfer employed at both the Weld Boat Club and surf shop
Recurring
- Jonathan Brugh as Monty McNamara, a real estate agent and volunteer firefighter
- Peter Elliott plays Bill "Big Mac" McNamara, Weld’s financial authority and father to Bill Jr., Monty, and Robbie
- Paul Glover appears as Bill McNamara Jr., father of Lindsay and Jared
- Manon Blackman as Lindsay McNamara, daughter of Bill Jr.
- Matt Holden portrays Jared McNamara, son of Bill Jr.
- Olivia Tennet acts as Siouxsie McNamara, Monty’s daughter and secretary
- John Leigh is Constable Tom, the local police officer and photographer in Weld
- Alex Tarrant plays Ike, Zac’s child and Shay’s romantic interest
- Reon Bell appears as Billy, son of Katie and Zac
- Rob Kipa-Williams portrays Zac, Katie’s former partner and father to Ike, Hannah, and Billy
- Renee Lyons acts as Brenda, manager of the supermarket
- Jesse Griffin features as Sean, an employee of the local council
- Henry Beasley plays Ollie, a petrol station attendant who has feelings for Shay
- David Fane appears as Smiler
- Tandi Wright portrays Laura Turner (in flashbacks), George’s late wife and mother to Shay and Arlo
- Elizabeth Hawthorne is Trish, Laura’s mother
- Peter Hayden plays Roger, Laura’s father
- Jackie van Beek appears as Gloria (season 2), manager of the local newspaper production
- Millen Baird portrays Robert "Robbie" McNamara (season 2), Fiona’s ex-partner
- Ditch Davey acts as Terry Turner (season 2), George’s younger brother and chef
- Jamaica Vaughan plays Emma (season 2), Fiona’s niece and Arlo’s summer romantic interest
- Jessica Redmayne features as Poppy (season 3), Woody’s sixteen-year-old daughter
- Rachael Carpani appears as Mary (season 3), Woody’s ex-partner and Poppy’s mother
- Miriama Smith portrays Ngahuia (season 3), Zac’s former partner and Ike’s mother
Production
The project was unveiled on 29 October 2014 during Channel Seven’s presentation of its 2015 programming slate. Kelly Martin, CEO of South Pacific Pictures, highlighted that the series would create additional opportunities for local talent both in front of and behind the camera. Tim Ross, Seven Network’s Programming Chief, compared its tone to that of Packed to the Rafters, aiming to appeal to a similar viewer demographic. Principal photography commenced on 2 March 2015.
On 19 October 2015, Seven Network alongside South Pacific Pictures confirmed a renewal for a second season which debuted on 23 August 2016 in Australia. Subsequently, a third season was announced on 24 January 2017; it premiered on 12 September 2017 with a mid-season break following eight episodes.
The series was officially cancelled by Seven Network on 17 August 2018 after completing three seasons.
Season 1 (2015)
{{Episode list
│ EpisodeNumber 24 │ EpisodeNumber2 16 │ Title ‘’Episode 16’’ │ DirectedBy Mike Smith │ WrittenBy James Griffin │ OriginalAirDate │ Viewers 681,000 │ ShortSummary George’s article leads Terry to accept a job overseas, leaving Hannah distressed. Ollie discloses his relationship to Ike, who subtly cautions Shay. Fiona and Robbie finalize the sale of their home; Katie severs connections with Dennis due to fraudulent art requests. Tracey and Woody become engaged despite Woody's reservations. A cooking competition is halted as Constable Tom investigates Zac’s missing boat while Jan goes into labor. │ LineColor FFFF00
}} }}
Broadcast Information
The show first aired in Australia on the Seven Network starting 15 September 2015, followed by its New Zealand debut on TVNZ 1 on 5 November 2015. In the United States, it was introduced via Acorn TV in 2016 and later on PBS in March 2017. UPtv subsequently acquired rights for additional broadcasts. The Finnish audience saw the premiere on YLE TV1 in June 2017. The UK broadcast featured the initial two seasons on BBC One during April and May 2018, with the third season airing in July and August 2019.
Home Media Releases
The initial season, along with the first two parts of season two, are accessible on iTunes within Australia.
| Title | Set details | DVD Release Dates | Special Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||||
| Australia | New Zealand | |||||
| 800 Words |
|
13 December 2016 | 4 November 2015 | 4 November 2015 | 18 December 2015 |
|
| 800 Words Season 2 Volume 1 |
|
18 April 2017 | 12 October 2016 | n/a | n/a |
|
| 800 Words Season 2 Volume 2 |
|
22 August 2017 | 5 April 2017 | n/a | n/a |
|
| 800 Words Season 2 (Complete) |
|
n/a | 31 December 2018 (2 discs) | n/a | 11 May 2017 (4 discs) | |
| 800 Words Season 3 Volume 1 |
|
23 October 2018 | To Be Announced | 7 March 2018 | To Be Announced | |
| 800 Words Season 3 Volume 2 |
|
5 February 2019 | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | |
Box Sets
| Title | DVD Release Dates | Special Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 2 | Region 4 (Australia) | ||
| 800 Words Complete Seasons One & Two (24 episodes) |
December 31, 2018 (4 discs) |
April 5, 2017 (6 discs) |
Region 4:
|
Ratings
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Season One
{{Australian television episode ratings | backgroundcolour = #FF7F00 | hidetimeslot = yes
| title1 = Episode One | date1 = 15 September 2015 | OVviewers1 = 1,219,000 | OVrank1 = 2
| title2 = Episode Two | date2 = 22 September 2015 | OVviewers2 = 1,192,000
| title3 = Episode Three | date3 = 29 September 2015 | OVviewers3 = 1,170,000
| title4 = Episode Four | date4 = 6 October 2015 | OVviewers4 = 1,055,000
| title5 = Episode Five | date5 = 13 October 2015 | OVviewers5 = 1,082,000
|}
Adaptation
On the eighth of January, 2018, the Dutch network SBS6 aired Zomer in Zeeland (translated as Summer in Zeeland). Featuring actors Daniël Boissevain, Pip Pellens, and Tonko Bossen, this adaptation preserves the original plot while relocating the narrative to the Dutch region of Zeeland, drawing inspiration from the name of New Zealand.