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Winners & Losers

From Alfawiki
Winners & Losers
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedMarch 22, 2011; 15 years ago (2011-03-22)
Headquarters
Australia
ProductsDrama television series

Winners & Losers is a drama series from Australia that debuted on the Seven Network on 22 March 2011. Developed by the team behind Packed to the Rafters, it took over the same time slot and revolves around four women living in Melbourne who become lottery winners of a substantial Oz Lotto jackpot. The show was extended across several seasons: the second season began airing on 26 June 2012, followed by additional renewals for seasons three through five.

Angus Ross, who serves as Seven Network's Director of Programming, announced that the fifth installment would mark the series' conclusion. This final season premiered on 5 July 2016 and concluded on 12 September 2016.

Plot

The narrative centers on four women—Jenny Gross (Melissa Bergland), Bec Gilbert (Zoe Tuckwell-Smith), Frances James (Virginia Gay), and Sophie Wong (Melanie Vallejo)—who were once labeled "losers" during their high school years. Ten years later, they reconnect at their school reunion and their lives change dramatically after winning the Oz Lotto.

Regular

  • Melissa Bergland portrays Jenny Gross
  • Virginia Gay plays Frances James
  • Melanie Vallejo acts as Sophie Wong
  • Zoe Tuckwell-Smith features as Bec Gilbert (seasons 1–4)
  • Sarah Grace appears as Bridget Gross
  • Paul Moore takes the role of Wes Fitzpatrick
  • Nick Russell stars as Gabe Reynolds (seasons 3–5)
  • Nathin Butler plays Luke MacKenzie (seasons 3–5)
  • James Saunders appears as Pete Reeves (seasons 3–5)
  • Demi Harman features as Riley Hart (season 5)
  • Scott Smart portrays Alex MacKenzie (season 5)
  • Tom Wren acts as Doug Graham (seasons 1–4)
  • Denise Scott appears as Trish Gross (seasons 1–5)
  • Francis Greenslade plays Brian Gross (seasons 1–5)
  • Jack Pearson features as Patrick Gross (seasons 1–4)
  • Damien Bodie acts as Jonathan Kurtiss (seasons 1–3)
  • Stephen Phillips portrays Zach Armstrong (seasons 1–3)
  • Mike Smith plays Callum Gilbert (seasons 1–3)
  • Blair McDonough appears as Matt O'Connor (seasons 1–2)
  • Tom Hobbs takes on Flynn Johnson (seasons 2–3)
  • Katherine Hicks stars as Sam MacKenzie (seasons 2–4)
  • Sibylla Budd acts as Carla Hughes (seasons 3–4)
  • Laura Gordon features as Izzy Hughes (season 4)

Recurring

  • Anne Phelan portrays Dot Gross (seasons 2–4)
  • Madeleine West appears as Deirdre Gross (season 1)
  • PiaGrace Moon plays Jasmine Patterson (seasons 1–4)
  • Nell Feeney acts as Carolyn Gilbert (seasons 1–4)
  • Nick Simpson-Deeks features as Rhys Mitchell (seasons 1–3)
  • Greg Stone portrays Steve Gilbert (seasons 1–3)
  • Michala Banas appears as Tiffany Turner (seasons 1–2, 5)
  • Natalie Saleeba plays Claire Armstrong (seasons 1–2)
  • Luke Arnold acts as Lachie Clarke (season 2)
  • Peta Sergeant features as Cat Johnson (season 2)
  • Thomas Lacey portrays Ollie Masters (season 2)
  • Dieter Brummer appears as Jason Ross (seasons 3–4)
  • David Paterson plays Ryan Sharrock (season 3)
  • Ben Geurens acts as Adam Grabowski (season 3)
  • Luke McKenzie features as Shannon Taylor (season 3)
  • Ryan Hayward portrays Brett Tully (season 3)
  • Dan O'Connor appears as Nate Simpson (season 3)
  • Anna Samson plays Hayley Baxter (season 4)
  • Jacob Holt acts as Cory Baxter (season 4)
  • Laurence Brewer features as Jack Macauley (season 4)
  • Carmen Duncan portrays Professor Kerry Green across ten episodes
  • Rupert Reid appears as Rob Hill in ten episodes

Guest Appearances

Development

Winners & Losers was developed by Bevan Lee, who had long aspired to create a drama centered on women. Unlike his earlier family-oriented show Packed to the Rafters, this series appeals to a younger audience by emphasizing friendships and the entertaining yet dramatic experience of embracing one's "loser" side amidst personal achievements.[1] Lee described the show's style as "charmedy," a fusion of charm, comedy, and drama.[2]

In the initial stages of production, the lead actresses spent time together off-camera to foster genuine chemistry.[3] Producer Maryanne Carroll was instrumental in crafting the four principal female characters, managing specialists responsible for selecting music, designing interiors, and assembling wardrobes that captured each character’s unique traits.[4]

A pilot episode was evaluated by a focus group, which anticipated strong viewership ratings.[2] The series launched on the Seven Network on 22 March 2011,[5] notably four weeks earlier than planned. To prioritize this new program, production on the fourth season of Packed to the Rafters was temporarily halted—a strategic decision intended to boost audience numbers.[2] The premiere attracted 1.7 million viewers,[6] leading Seven to broadcast episodes two and three consecutively, sustaining high ratings.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Although by the seventh episode viewership declined by over 400,000,[6] the show remained one of Australia’s top twelve most-watched series.[6]

On 5 July 2011, Seven confirmed a second season for Winners & Losers scheduled for 2012.[7] Filming commenced on 23 August 2011, with creator Lee promising major plot developments to invigorate the narrative.[7] Production concluded on 5 April 2012,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and the second season debuted on 26 June 2012.[8]

The program was renewed for a third season on 7 August 2012,[9] with production starting in September and filming underway by October.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Julie McGauran, Seven’s head of drama, highlighted that 2013 would be a crucial year for the network's drama slate, including Winners & Losers, Packed to the Rafters, Home and Away, and the new series A Place to Call Home.[9] The third season premiered on 9 July 2013.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Renewals persisted with a fourth season entering production early in 2014,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name followed by confirmation of a fifth season on 3 December 2014.[10] The network declared that the fifth season would serve as the series finale.[11]

Critical response

Jim Schembri from The Sydney Morning Herald described the series as a "vibrant, high-quality soap" featuring "some of the most captivating" television characters. An opinion writer at The Advertiser attributed the show's popularity to its scheduling and creator Bevan Lee. The Age emphasized the program’s exploration of "strong themes such as friendship, karma, and justice for the underdog," while noting its understated style and dynamic cast, although certain plots bore resemblance to those in Sex and the City. Paul Kalina, also writing for The Age, suggested the series played it safe by incorporating familiar elements reminiscent of Packed to the Rafters.

Bridget McManus of The Age contended that the series had "lost its sharpness," comparing it unfavorably to a "budget Sex and the City," populated by clichéd female archetypes—the innocent, the fallen woman, the moral enforcer, and a comedic figure. Debi Enker from The Sun-Herald criticized the second season for needing to "raise its standard," pointing out its dependence on stereotypes such as the manipulative ex-wife and flamboyant gay sidekick, which lacked depth.

Concerning the third season, Craig Mathieson of The Age questioned whether the show had fully embraced soap opera conventions, describing its tone as uneven—oscillating between thriller, melodrama, and comedic tribute depending on which character was in focus.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominees and Recipients Outcome
2012 AACTA Television Awards Best Television Program Winners & Losers Template:Nom
Best Male Performance Tom Wren Template:Nom
Logie Awards Most Outstanding New Talent Melissa Bergland Template:Nom
Most Popular Drama Series Winners & Losers Template:Nom
Most Popular New Female Talent Melissa Bergland Template:Won
Most Popular New Male Talent Tom Wren Template:Nom
2014 Equity Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Cast Template:Nom
Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program Winners & Losers Template:Nom

Ratings

Season Timeslot
(Australian) 		# Ep. First aired Last aired Peak
viewers
(millions) 		Rank Avg.
viewers
(millions)
1 Tuesday 8:30 pm 22 22 March 2011 (2011-03-22) 23 August 2011 (2011-08-23) 1,726,000 5 1,480,000
2 22 26 June 2012 (2012-06-26) 27 November 2012 (2012-11-27) 1,439,000 5 1,247,000
3 26 9 July 2013 (2013-07-09) 24 June 2014 (2014-06-24) 1,245,000 5 1,117,000
26 1 July 2014 (2014-07-01) 8 September 2015 (2015-09-08) 993,000 colspan=2 style="background:#fc9; text-align:center;" | N/A
Tuesday 8:30 pm / 9:45 pm 13 5 July 2016 (2016-07-05) 12 September 2016 (2016-09-12) N/A colspan=2 style="background:#fc9; text-align:center;" | N/A


Home media

DVD releases
DVD title Number of Discs Release Dates
Soundtrack
The album Winners & Losers (Music from the Hit Series) was launched on 8 July 2011. It includes tracks by various artists featured in the series and reached a peak position of number 24 on the ARIA Album Charts.

International broadcast

In March 2011, international rights for Winners & Losers were acquired by FremantleMedia Enterprises, handling distribution outside Australia and New Zealand. The show debuted in New Zealand on TV One during 2011, followed by its UK premiere on ITV2 in 2012. The series was subsequently broadcast across multiple European countries, appearing on networks such as Fox Life in Poland, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria; POP Brio in Slovenia; YLE TV2 in Finland; SIC Radical in Portugal; Téva in France; RTÉ One in Ireland; and Vitaya in Belgium. During 2013 and 2014, it also aired on e2 in Turkey and Film Café in Hungary.

Outside Europe, the program was shown on Hot Family in Israel, DStv across South Africa, 2nd Avenue in the Philippines, and MBC 4 throughout the Middle East and North Africa by the year 2016. This extensive international reach underscores the series' wide appeal and FremantleMedia's effective global distribution strategy.

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named one
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named aus
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  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named tvv
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named good
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AHit
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Prime Media Group
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Third
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FifthRenewal
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Conclusion
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