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Out of the Blue (2008 TV series)

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Out of the Blue
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryTelevision
FoundedApril 28, 2008; 18 years ago (2008-04-28)
FounderSouthern Star Entertainment (previously Endemol Australia)
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
ProductsTelevision drama series

Out of the Blue is an Australian serialized drama developed for the BBC and produced by Southern Star Entertainment (previously known as Endemol Australia). It debuted on BBC One on 28 April 2008 but experienced low viewership, prompting a shift to BBC Two from 19 May 2008. The BBC chose not to renew the series for a second season, with the final episode broadcast on 29 January 2009. In Australia, Network Ten secured the rights to air the initial series, while in the United Kingdom, Channel 5 obtained repeat broadcast rights, showing all 130 episodes on the digital channel Fiver starting February 2009.

Premise

Taking place in the Sydney coastal suburb of Manly, New South Wales, Out of the Blue revolves around a circle of friends in their thirties who reunite for a high school gathering that is suddenly disrupted by a murder. The storyline focuses on their efforts to uncover the identity of the perpetrator.

Background

On 30 November 2007, the BBC commissioned Out of the Blue as a replacement for Neighbours, which had transitioned to Channel 5. The production was led by John Edwards and Julie McGauran from Southern Star Entertainment. Filming commenced in early 2008 with an initial batch of 130 episodes ordered. The show premiered in the UK on 28 April 2008.

International broadcasts

Network Ten acquired Australian broadcasting rights on 29 January 2008 and premiered the series on 17 November 2008 at 10:30 pm, scheduling episodes Monday through Thursday. Due to some episodes carrying an M rating, Ten was unable to position it in an early evening slot airing five nights weekly, resulting in a later timeslot allocation. By January 2009, declining ratings caused a rescheduling to a weekly Sunday evening slot—initially one episode at 5:30 pm, briefly increasing to two episodes before returning to a single weekly installment. Episodes rated M were broadcast late on Sunday nights.

The series launched in Ireland on 5 May 2008 via RTÉ One, airing five days per week—more frequently than on the BBC—and eventually aired episodes ahead of the UK schedule, reaching episode 130 by 12 November 2008.

In Africa, Out of the Blue is shown on the GO channel, a satellite service, with five episodes broadcast Wednesday evenings and repeated throughout the week.

Starting 5 January 2009, the show began airing at 2 pm on NET 5 in the Netherlands, coinciding with Net 5's introduction of Home and Away, which airs twice daily.

Critical reception

Prior to its UK premiere, The Times described Out of the Blue as "compulsive, classy, fast and slick," drawing comparisons to BBC One's EastEnders, while questioning the financial rationale behind setting a British soap opera in Australia. The BBC intended for it to become a "long-stay resident" within daytime programming akin to Doctors. Initial critiques were mostly favorable; The Daily Telegraph found its murder mystery element "quite neat," and The Daily Mirror compared it to a more mature version of Neighbours, featuring darker underlying secrets. The Guardian highlighted its adult-oriented themes relative to Neighbours, including topics such as alcohol use, gangs, and homicide.

By September 2008, British soap-focused website The Soap Show labeled it "much underrated," acknowledging a dedicated cult following despite frequent scheduling changes and channel switches. Upon its Australian debut in November 2008, reviews were mixed: The Australian criticized its "clunky dialogue" and late-night time slot at 10:30 pm; meanwhile, The Age questioned whether its daytime production style suited prime-time audiences. On the other hand, The Daily Telegraph anticipated it would attract viewers seeking a more sophisticated soap opera alternative to Neighbours.

Audience figures

The UK debut attracted 1.2 million viewers across two episodes, which the BBC regarded as "promising." Nevertheless, viewership declined to 654,000, resulting in a schedule change from BBC One’s 2:10 pm slot to BBC Two at 1 pm, where numbers further dropped to 100,000. Ratings eventually averaged near 125,000, prompting the BBC to discontinue the series after its initial run due to insufficient dedicated audience support.

In Australia, Network Ten postponed the show's premiere amid concerns about its UK ratings and suitability for the 6 pm timeslot, ultimately broadcasting it at 10:30 pm starting November 2008. The first episode drew 372,000 viewers, climbing to a peak of 477,000 in the second week—considered solid for a late evening slot. Early January 2009 saw ratings fluctuate between 313,000 and 395,000 before falling to as low as 170,000 in a Sunday night position. Frequent alterations in scheduling and inconsistent episode durations disrupted viewer retention.

Subsequent developments

Broadcast rights were secured by networks in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, with Norway’s TV 2 expressing optimism about achieving success comparable to Home and Away. In October 2008, Five obtained repeat rights for all 130 episodes to air on Fiver beginning in 2009—offering a potential revival—adding it alongside their existing shows Neighbours and Home and Away. Although UK viewership on BBC Two showed slight improvement, it remained below previous timeslot averages.

The series premiered in New Zealand on TV2 in September 2009 during a mid-afternoon timeslot following a short holiday hiatus. Fiver commenced reruns in February 2009 but later confirmed no plans for a second season despite audience enthusiasm.

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee Outcome
2009 AWGIE Awards Television Serial Sam Meikle, Episode 4 Template:Nom

Opening theme

The theme "Out of the Blue" combines two musical elements: Coldplay’s instrumental track "Clocks" plays during the introduction before transitioning into an original vocal piece by Todd Hunter for the opening credits. Composed by Mark & Todd Hunter (from Dragon) along with Joanne Piggot specifically for the series, this theme was never released commercially as a single.

Lead roles

Recurring Cast

Guest Appearances

See Also

External Links

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