The Last Resort (1988 TV series)

The Last Resort

Company type	Television drama series
Industry	Television
Founded	April 27, 1988 (1988-04-27)
Founder	Louis Nowra (developer and co-writer)
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Products	Television drama
Parent	Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Last Resort was an Australian television drama series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 27 April until 13 December 1988, comprising 30 weekly episodes each lasting fifty minutes. Developed and co-written by Louis Nowra, the narrative centers on three grown sisters—Elizabeth Parker (Kate Fitzpatrick), Jennifer Shannon (Kris McQuade), and Louise Shannon (Nell Schofield)—as they strive to coexist while managing the rundown Hotel Isis by the sea. Situated in Sydney's Bondi region, this series was part of ABC's effort to boost its annual Australian drama production to 100 hours. The soundtrack was composed by Martin Armiger.

At the time of its release, reviews in The Canberra Times were predominantly unfavorable, with David Vine labeling it "a disaster of epic proportions" and Jeannie Zakharov commenting on ABC’s ongoing difficulties with programs such as The Last Resort. Subsequent evaluations include Brenda Niall from The Age, who deemed the series unsuccessful and criticized Nowra’s behavior during filming. In contrast, Susan Lever of National Centre for Australian Studies praised its stylistic fusion as engaging and suggested that negative critiques were temporary within television’s broader context.

Production

Conceived and scripted by Louis Nowra, the series was produced by Jan Chapman alongside Wayne Barry. The writing team also featured Bert Deling, Tim Gooding, Gabrielle Lord, and Johanna Pigott. Direction was handled by Geoffrey Nottage, Ron Elliott, Denny Lawrence, Colin Englert, and Kate Woods. Filming occurred at Langley Place Studios, located in the former GIO building, which The Sydney Morning Herald's Robin Oliver described as a difficult environment due to issues like a leaking roof, low ceilings, and challenging set arrangements.

Critical reception

Initial critical response was mostly negative. David Vine from The Canberra Times condemned the show as a "disaster of epic proportions," dismissing its marketing as a "sensuous Australian drama." In his 2004 memoir Shooting the Moon, Nowra reflected on the troubled production process, attributing the failure partly to substance abuse and internal conflicts. Jeannie Zakharov also remarked on ABC’s misfortune with short-lived series like The Last Resort, which concluded prematurely.

On the other hand, Susan Lever from Monash University emphasized the program’s creative stylistic blend and notable scenes, contending that despite poor viewer ratings, its critical rejection was short-lived. She regarded it as an ambitious but ultimately flawed attempt within Australian television drama.

Main

• Kate Fitzpatrick portraying Elizabeth Parker
• Kris McQuade as Jennifer Shannon
• Nell Schofield playing Louise Shannon
• Paul Chubb as Hilary Davis
• Juliet Jordan in the role of Ama
• Wyn Roberts as Exeter Shannon
• Les Foxcroft
• Grigor Taylor portraying Len
• Clarissa Kaye-Mason
• Claudia Karvan as Emma Parker
• Joe Petruzzi
• Betty Lucas
• Christian Manon in the role of Jean-Claude
• May Pusey as Betty
• Wayne Pygram
• Loene Carmen portraying Megan Small
• Rod Zuanic as Rod Hunter
• Yuko playing Yukio
• Susan Deling
• Ivar Kants
• Charles Tingwell

Guests

• Helen Scott
• Grigor Taylor portraying Len
• Ken Welsh in the role of Insurance Valuer

Episodes

1. "Coming Home" (27 April 1988)
2. "The First Day" (4 May 1988)
3. "Winners & Grinners" (11 May 1988)
4. "Ghosts" (18 May 1988)
5. "An Absence of Love" (25 May 1988)
6. Episode 6 (1 June 1988)
7. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (8 June 1988)
8. "Sayonara" (15 June 1988)
9. "Noah's Ark" (29 June 1988)
10. Episode 10 (6 July 1988)
11. "Through a Crystal Darkly" (13 July 1988)
12. "Ties that Bind" (20 July 1988)
13. "Fire from the Sea" (27 July 1988)
14. "Under the Volcano" (3 August 1988)
15. Episode 15 (10 August 1988)

16. Episode 16 (17 August 1988)
17. Episode 17 (24 August 1988)
18. Episode 18 (31 August 1988)
19. "Skeletons in the Cupboard" (7 September 1988)
20. "Legal Niceties" (21 September 1988)
21. "Castles in the Air" (28 September 1988)
22. "Time of the Tiger" (11 October 1988)
23. "Rats in the Attic" (18 October 1988)
24. "Suspicions" (25 October 1988)
25. "Something Dead in the Tank" (1 November 1988)
26. "Happy Families" (8 November 1988)
27. Episode 27 (22 November 1988)
28. Episode 28 (29 November 1988)
29. "Wedding Bells" (6 December 1988)
30. "Once Upon a Time" (13 December 1988)