Breakers (TV series)
| Company type | Television drama series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | February 2, 1998 |
| Defunct | November 3, 1999 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Television drama |
Breakers is an Australian TV drama that was broadcast on Network Ten from 2 February 1998 until 3 November 1999, totaling 430 episodes.
The narrative revolves around the Breakers complex located near Bondi Beach, which accommodates three enterprises: BMS (Breaker's Modelling School), a modelling agency managed by Paul Simmons; The Breaker, a community newspaper overseen by Eve, who is Paul's former spouse; and Kate's Café, run by Kate Markham, Eve's sister. Additionally, the building houses Against The Tide, a drop-in centre for homeless youth, supervised by Steve Giordano.
Principal characters
- Original ensemble
- James Stewart portrays Alex Markham, the 19-year-old rebellious son of Kate (1998–99)
- Helen O'Connor as Kate Markham, proprietor of the café aged 34
- Ling-Hsueh Tang as Maggie Lee, an employee at The Breaker (1998–99)
- Julie Haseler plays Eve Simmons, the 37-year-old editor and publisher of The Breaker
- Simone Robertson as Monique Fairbairn, a 24-year-old co-owner of BMS
- Richard Healy takes on Paul Simmons, Eve’s ex-husband and co-manager of BMS
- Ben Tate as Danny Simmons, their 14-year-old son
- Simon Munro as Vince Donnelly, Danny’s 15-year-old best friend and a gay model
- Louise Crawford as Lucy Hill, Alex’s 19-year-old former girlfriend employed at The Breaker
- Miranda Chance as Jaime Esber, Lucy’s roommate (1998)
- Heath Bergerson as Reuben Neeson, a 16-year-old Aboriginal street youth
- Jean-Marc Russ plays Boris McCann, the café’s 29-year-old chef
- John Atkinson as Steve Giordano, manager of the drop-in centre aged 28
- Emily Perry portrays Terri Simmons, daughter of Eve and Paul, aged 16
- Jason Crewes as Serge Prejean, a French-Canadian dating Nina (1998)
- Christen Cornell as Nina Ordish (1998)
- Subsequent cast members
- Angela Keep as Cheree Walker, Reuben’s companion and street kid diagnosed with HIV (1998–99)
- Amber Virtue as Felicity, Vince’s initial romantic interest before his coming out (1998)
- Ada Nicodemou plays Fiona Motson, a 17-year-old café waitress from Muswellbrook and Nina’s rival (1998–99)
- Preben Warren as Jack McCann, Boris’ younger sibling and Terri’s romantic interest (1998–99)
- Melinda Kennings portrays Xanthe Fairbairn, Monique’s younger sister (1999)
- Don Hany appears as a second Alex Markham (1999)
Recurring roles
- Paula Duncan as Karen Fairbarn, mother of Monique
- Anja Coleby as Crystal, Paul’s romantic partner
- Megan Connolly plays Lily, Steve’s love interest
- Vincent Atkinson as Peter Hirsch, Vince’s partner
- Gabrielle Maselli portrays Kelly, tutor to Terri who becomes involved with Lucy
- Tirana Hassan as India, connected to Alex
- Jessica Hill plays Sam, terminally ill and involved with Danny
- Adrian Jarrett as Stuart, revealed to be Cheree’s stalker in the cliffhanger episode
- Beau Brady appears as Joey
Controversy
Australian Senator Karen Synon expressed disapproval regarding the portrayal of Lucy Hill in a same-sex relationship on the grounds that it was unsuitable for the show's afternoon broadcast slot. She requested an inquiry by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. The ABA responded by stating that the storyline was considered typical and that the PG classification was appropriate for the scheduled airtime.