Echo Point
| Company type | Television soap opera |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | June 1, 1995 |
| Defunct | December 1, 1995 |
| Fate | Cancelled |
Area served | Australia |
| Parent | Southern Star Group |
Echo Point was an Australian television soap opera created by Southern Star Group for Network Ten, broadcast from 1 June until 1 December 1995.
Developed as Network Ten's response to rival soap Home and Away on the Seven Network, the series depicted the lives of several families and teenagers residing in a coastal town. A prominent plotline revolved around renewed attention to an unresolved local murder mystery.
Production
According to John Burfitt of TV Week in February 1995, production of the 26-episode series was scheduled to commence in Sydney on 3 April. Initially named Bells Point and described as "E Street meets Summer Bay," the show aimed to blend a strong teenage ensemble with seasoned performers. Set in a small community situated across the bay from a bustling city, the storyline followed four families—the Lomans, Brennans, Wintons, and O'Connors—and focused on Daniel Blake’s return after a lengthy absence following his parents’ murder. Southern Star Productions handled the show's creation.
Broadcast
Echo Point premiered in the 7:00pm weeknight slot, directly competing with Home and Away, but it struggled with low viewership. Its first two episodes drew audiences of 501,000 and 339,000 respectively, marking the poorest soap debut since Nine Network's Family and Friends in 1990. After shifting to a 6:00pm timeslot and later relegated to a late-night 11:30pm slot, ratings continued to drop, resulting in cancellation after six months and a total of 130 episodes.
The series experienced success overseas, particularly in Germany, fueling speculation about an Australian revival to help Network Ten meet its local drama requirements. In the United Kingdom, only two ITV regions acquired the show: Grampian Television broadcast it from September to November 1997 and again in 1998, while Central Television aired it from September 1998 through June 1999. In New Zealand, TV3 briefly screened the series in 1996 before discontinuing it.
Theme song
The series’ theme track, known as "Echo Point (Theme)" or "Down By The Water," was composed by Paul Begaud alongside Andrew and Michael Tierney of Human Nature. Australian vocalist Nick Howard recorded the song under Begaud’s production. It was selected from a pool of 140 entries submitted to the producers.
Original cast
- Martin Henderson as Zac Brennan, a man facing personal challenges
- Jessica Napier as Edwina Amadio, Zac’s former partner
- Kimberley Davenport as Holly Winton, nurse involved with Gordon
- Allan Lovel as Gordon Amadio, proprietor of the local timber yard
- Philip Gordon as Daniel Blake, an ominous character
- Roxane Wilson as Coral O'Connor, single mother romantically linked to Hooper
- Rose Byrne as Belinda O'Connor, Coral’s daughter
- Diarmid Heidenreich as Dean Loman, high school student
- David Woodley as Hooper Hadley
- Rebecca Murphy as Frannie Loman
- Sean Scully as Neville Loman
- Victoria Nicolls as Trish Loman, owner of a café
- Tom Long as Dave Campbell
- Mick Innes as Darcy Brennan
- Louise Crawford as Shelley Radcliffe
- Jack Ellis as Marty Radcliffe
- Hayley Phillips as Lisa Loman
- John Clayton as Maurie Barnard
Guest Appearances
- Liddy Clark portraying Iris Delaney
- Rowena Wallace in the role of Elizabeth O'Connor
- Scott McGregor as Clive McInery
Critical Response
In 2020, Fiona Byrne from the Herald Sun listed Echo Point among "Australian TV dramas long forgotten that led audiences to tune out," highlighting its inability to attract viewers away from Home and Away, which resulted in its cancellation after just one season.