Family and Friends
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | February 7, 1990 |
| Fate | Cancelled |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Soap opera |
Family and Friends was an Australian soap opera broadcast on the Nine Network that premiered on 7 February 1990 and ran for just one season, concluding on 27 December of the same year.
This series was Nine Network's attempt to compete with popular soaps airing on rival channels, such as Neighbours, E Street on Network Ten, and Home and Away from the Seven Network.
Synopsis
The narrative unfolds in a suburban setting, focusing on two families—the Chandlers and the Italian-Australian Rossis—whose histories are intertwined by a decades-old grudge stemming from an accidental death in the 1950s. The longstanding feud is reignited through a Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance between Jennifer Chandler (portrayed by Roxane Wilson) and Robert Rossi (played by Renato Bartolomei).
Production
Nine enlisted the creative talents of Alan Bateman, John Holmes, and Bevan Lee, previously involved with Seven Network's Home and Away, to develop the series. The show aimed to explore cultural differences between an Australian family and an Italian-Australian family. Initially known as The Family and later A Family Matter, it was ultimately titled Family and Friends. John Holmes took on the role of development producer, while Bevan Lee functioned as script editor; Lee recommended that writers subtly handle the Romeo and Juliet theme, despite Nine promoting it publicly as a "Romeo and Juliet for the 90s". The series debuted with a production budget of $2 million on 7 February 1990.
Although featuring a talented ensemble including seasoned soap actors such as Anne Phelan, Maxine Klibingaitis, Justine Clarke, Abigail, and Alyce Platt, the show struggled to attract viewers. Initially, episodes were broadcast in one-hour blocks opposite Ten's E Street on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 19:30 to 20:30. Subsequently, the format shifted to half-hour episodes airing weeknights at 17:30; however, ratings remained low, threatening its role as a lead-in to the National Nine News 6pm bulletin.
In response, a significant overhaul was undertaken: six cast members were removed, and new actors including Rebecca Rigg were introduced. After filming a week's worth of episodes under this revised format, the series was suddenly cancelled on 26 April 1990. The remaining episodes were later broadcast during late-night slots over the 1990–1991 summer non-ratings period, with a total of 96 episodes produced.
Cast
- Abigail – Doreen Stubbs
- Renato Bartolomei – Robert Rossi
- Rachael Beck – Claudia Rossi
- Justine Clarke – Cheryl Brooks
- Diane Craig – Pamela Chandler
- Robert Forza – Joe Rossi
- Jonathan Hardy – Brother Ignatius
- Gavin Harrison – Renato
- Maxine Klibingaitis – Gloria Stubbs
- Adrian Lee – Marco Rossi
- Dominic McDonald – Greg Chandler
- Anna-Maria Monticelli – Luciana Rossi
- Sean Myers – Greg Chandler
- Ross Newton – Bartholomew Purvis (Thommo)
- Anne Phelan – Dawn Rossi
- Alyce Platt – Stephanie Collins
- Rebecca Rigg – Pasquelina
- Mario Rossello – Mikey Rossi
- Dinah Shearing – Antoinetta Rossi
- Wendy Strehlow – Janet Simmonds
- Simon Westaway – Damien Chandler
- Kym Wilson – Blondie
- Roxane Wilson – Jennifer Chandler
- Teo Gebert – Jak
Reception
The premiere episode attracted a modest audience rating of eight points, which subsequently declined to four. Barbara Hooks from The Age regarded the series as "a promising debut" but critiqued its predictable cliffhanger conclusion. She commended Dinah Shearing's depiction of Antoinetta Rossi as a captivating figure and acknowledged the strong performances delivered by Diane Craig and Anna-Maria Monticelli, emphasizing that the female characters drove the episode while the male roles appeared somewhat rigid. Hooks also noted "awkward exposition and uneven dialogue," expressing hope that the show's merits would maintain viewer interest.
Following several installments, Robin Oliver of The Sydney Morning Herald described the series as having a "solid and narrowly focused beginning," lauding performances from Craig, Dominic McDonald, Shearing, Hardy, and Phelan. He highlighted the program's visual strengths and suggested it represented an encouraging development for Nine Network’s lineup.
In contrast, Robert Fidgeon from the Herald Sun branded Family and Friends as one of "Australia's All-time Top 50 TV Turkeys," criticizing it as an expensive yet flawed contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet. Although Nine Network initially commissioned 90 episodes, the series was terminated after just 11 weeks due to disappointing audience response.