Party Tricks

Party Tricks

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	October 6, 2014 (2014-10-06)
Founder	John Edwards, Imogen Banks
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Products	Television drama series
Parent	Endemol Australia, Network Ten

Party Tricks is an Australian political drama-comedy series featuring Asher Keddie and Rodger Corser. It debuted on Network Ten on 6 October 2014 at 8:30 pm.

On 3 October 2014, producer John Edwards announced that Party Tricks would not be renewed for a second season in 2015, citing financial difficulties within Network Ten's production division.

Plot

Kate Ballard (portrayed by Asher Keddie), the Premier of the State, embarks on her initial re-election campaign. Although her success appears assured, the opposition surprises everyone by nominating David McLeod (played by Rodger Corser), a well-known media personality and Kate’s former secret lover, as their candidate. While they maintain a public front of political rivalry, Kate is concerned that their shared history might be used against her. The six-episode series builds up to an intense election night climax, depicting a fierce political contest.

Conception

On 26 July 2013, Network Ten unveiled Party Tricks, a six-episode drama produced by Endemol Australia with John Edwards and Imogen Banks at the helm—both recognized for their work on Offspring, Puberty Blues, The Secret Life of Us, and Tangle. Producer Imogen Banks emphasized the show’s exploration of themes such as politics, power dynamics, and intrigue, highlighting its contemporary relevance and audience appeal.

Production

Rick Maier, Network Ten's head of drama, commended Banks and Edwards for gathering exceptional talent to create the series, which was developed by Michael Lucas. Filming took place between 5 May and 27 June 2014. The production was a collaborative effort between Endemol Australia and Network Ten, with additional support from Screen Australia and Film Victoria.

Cast

• Asher Keddie as Kate Ballard, Premier of Victoria representing the Labor Party and MP for Richmond.
• Rodger Corser as David McLeod, Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party and candidate for Premier.
• Adam Zwar as Trevor Bailey, Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberals.
• Angus Sampson as Wayne Duffy, Press Secretary to the Premier.
• Colin Moody as Geoff Ballard, spouse of the Premier.
• Kaiya Jones as Matilda McLeod, daughter of David McLeod.
• Oliver Ackland as Tom Worland, Political Reporter at the state level.
• Doris Younane as Paula Doumani, Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport.
• Charlie Garber as Oliver Ollie Parkham, Speechwriter to the Premier.
• Ash Ricardo as Charlotte Wynn, Campaign Director for McLeod.
• Ryan Powell as Shaggy Mycology.
• Michala Banas as Tanya Keegan.
• Thomas Campbell as Jonathan.
• Neil Melville as Duncan Guthrie, former President of the Victorian Liberal Party.
• Gareth Yuen as Lucas Fry, Volunteer for the Liberal Party.
• Georgia Bolton as Kez, Security personnel assigned to Kate.
• Catherine Glavicic as Ann-Marie Dwyer.

Season 1 (2014)

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No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Australian viewers

Ratings

Episode	Title	Original airdate	Overnight Viewers	Consolidated Viewers	Nightly Rank	Adjusted Rank
1-01	The Announcement	6 October 2014	0.710	0.806	14	12
1-02	The Meeting	13 October 2014	0.476	0.570	Outside Top 20
1-03	The Launch	20 October 2014	0.407	0.484	Outside Top 20
1-04	The Campaign Trail	27 October 2014	0.467		Outside Top 20
1-05	The Debate	3 November 2014	0.430		Outside Top 20
1-06	The Election	10 November 2014	0.530		Outside Top 20

• Data sourced from OzTAM covering the five City Metro regions.
• Overnight figures represent live airing plus recordings viewed the same evening.
• Consolidated numbers include live broadcasts and recordings watched within seven days.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Outcome
2015	Logie Awards	Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television	Asher Keddie	Template:Nom
		Logie Award for Most Popular Actress		Template:Won