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HeadLand
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| headLand | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Bevan Lee |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 58 |
| Production | |
| Running time | c. 42 minutes per episode (plus commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 15 November 2005 – 21 January 2006 |
| Related | |
| Home and Away | |
headLand is an Australian drama television series produced by the Seven Network which ran from 15 November 2005 to 21 January 2006. The Seven Network filmed 52 episodes in the first series. Production on the second series had begun before any episodes were aired.
Set at a university, headLand premiered in Australia on Tuesday, 15 November 2005 at 7:30 pm. On 23 January 2006, the Seven Network officially announced that the series has been cancelled.[1] The show aired on weekdays at 7:30 pm in the United Kingdom on E4, re-formatted as half-hour episodes.[citation needed][2] E4 eventually dropped the show, but episodes continued to be broadcast on Channel 4 at 12:30 pm, this time in the original hour-long format.
Storylines
[edit]The show's biggest storyline during its short run was the mystery of the crash which killed four people and put its driver Craig Palmer in a coma. The car crash gave Craig amnesia, but then he remembered Angela McKinnon, his girlfriend and one of the people who died in the crash, was doing drugs at the party and some of her drugs were accidentally consumed by John, Craig's best friend and another person who died in the crash. He also remembered as John had overdosed Angela was screaming at someone in a car, and after the crash their phones were stolen by someone Craig would meet later during the investigation, Detective Sam Wiley. Sam claimed he was doing detective work at the party. Craig was found guilty but after a testament by Sam, Craig was given a two-year jail sentence, but the judge reduced it to 100 hours of community sentence.
Another storyline was Adam Wilde's relationship with his estranged father, Ben Wilde. His father had spent 15 years in prison for murdering his mother after she said Adam wasn't his. There was even belief that bartender Mick McKinnon, who had an affair with Adam's mother before he was born, was Adam's biological father. After a DNA test, it showed Ben was Adam's biological father.
Cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Sam Atwell as Craig Palmer
- Conrad Coleby as Adam Wilde
- Brooke Harman as Kate Monk
- Sophie Katinis as Mel Bennett
- Jody Kennedy as Maddie McKinnon
- Adrienne Pickering as Elly Tate
- Steve Rodgers as Mick McKinnon
- Josh Quong Tart as Will Monk
- Reshad Strik as Andy Llewellyn
- Libby Tanner as Grace Palmer
- Rachael Taylor as Sasha Forbes
- Matthew Walker as Heath Forbes
- Yvonne Strahovski as Freya Lewis
- Rowan Schlosberg as Gareth Williams
- Denise Roberts as Jessica Andrews
Recurring
[edit]- Gyton Grantley as Dane Pickerstaff (11 episodes)
- Penny McNamee as Charlie Cooper (8 episodes)
- Rohan Nichol as Det. Luke Palermo
- John Brumpton as Ben Wilde
Guests
[edit]- Amanda Muggleton as Geraldine Pye (2 episodes)
- Barry Otto as Professor Day (2 episodes)
- Carole Skinner as Supervisor (3 episodes)
- Craig Horner (2 episodes)
- Dustin Clare as Gareth Williams (2 episodes)
- Grant Piro as Dr Baker (1 episode)
- Luke Ford as Seth Baxter (5 episodes)
- Murray Bartlett as James Brogan (5 episodes)
- Penne Hackforth-Jones as Judge Hildegarde Rosedale (2 episodes)
- Roy Billing as Col (4 episodes)
- Russell Kiefel as Lionel Travers (2 episodes)
- Sarah Chadwick as Diane Forbes (5 episodes)
- Vanessa Downing as Pamela Martin (3 episodes)
Development and production
[edit]In 2002, Seven Network's script executive Bevan Lee was asked to create a Home and Away spin-off with the hope of attracting the UK broadcaster Five as a co-producer.[citation needed] He created a show called Away From Home that told the story of Home and Away characters at the Yabbie Creek University. Five were not interested for various reasons, and a big reworking of the original concept was undertaken, and the show was renamed Campus, and later Ten Degrees South – a title eventually rejected due to a possible confusion with UK series 55 Degrees North.[citation needed]
In early 2005, the show's title was finalised as headLand and filming began, with the series earmarked for a July premiere. However, with the pilot reportedly failing initial audience test screenings,[3] some major changes were made, and the pilot was reshot. This and other minor production delays pushed the airdate to much later that year.
Filming locations
[edit]The show's exterior scenes were filmed on location in Austinmer, New South Wales. A disused psychiatric hospital at the Sydney College of Arts, Rozelle and the University of Wollongong, doubled as the fictional South Coast University. Studio scenes are filmed at White Bay Studios in Sydney, making it the first Seven Network Sydney drama not to be filmed at the ATN-7 studios in Epping.
Australian broadcast
[edit]headLand was originally scheduled to screen at 7:30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights throughout the summer, continuing into 2006. However, after a strong debut, the show quickly suffered a large slump in the ratings. With Home and Away on summer hiatus, the show was shifted to the earlier 7 pm slot and broadcast on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in hope of building up more interest in the show during the non-ratings period. However, ratings failed to pick up and the show even suffered its lowest viewership during the period.
Because of this, on 1 December 2005, Seven announced to industry insiders that headLand would be removed from the schedule after Thursday, 22 December 2005. A day later they reversed their decision, but a little over a week later rumours started surfacing that headLand would be removed from prime time as early as Monday, 12 December 2005. This was confirmed to be just a rumour, as Seven announced headLand would remain in its current timeslot until 12 January 2006. Beginning 16 January 2006, headLand was removed from its Monday-Thursday 7:00 pm slot due to the return of Home and Away and the airing of the Australian Open tennis tournament. Further episodes of headLand were aired in a Saturday timeslot until the start of the 2006 ratings season.
The remaining episodes that had not been broadcast on the Seven Network were eventually aired on its digital channel 7two at 11 am weekdays. The series ended with Grace and Luc getting engaged, but many other storylines were left up in the air at the end.
Home media
[edit]In March 2020, the complete series was made available on 7plus.
| Season | Format | Episodes # | Release date | Expiry date | Special features | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Streaming | Episodes 52 | 20 March 2020 | 20 March 2021 | None | 7plus |
| Season 2 | Streaming | Episodes 06 | 20 March 2020 | 20 March 2021 | None | 7plus |
Reception
[edit]A Herald Sun reporter stated headLand was "destined to go down as one of the worst soaps this country has produced."[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Idato, Michael (24 January 2006). "Seven's axe fells new TV drama". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ "'headLand' confirmed for E4". Digital Spy. 2 September 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Axe for Blue Heelers". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ "Libby Tanner makes return to TV on Rescue Special Ops". Herald Sun. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
External links
[edit]HeadLand
View on GrokipediaOverview
Premise
headLand is an Australian drama series set in the fictional coastal town of South Heads, centered around the South Coast University and the nearby Headlands Hotel.[3] The narrative explores the lives of university students, staff, and local residents navigating the complexities of young adulthood in this close-knit community.[4] The series opens with a fatal car crash that claims four lives, leaving the sole survivor in a coma and unraveling a web of secrets within the town.[2] This central mystery drives the initial implications for the community, prompting investigations into possible sabotage and hidden motives among the characters, including archetypes such as the coma patient and the detective's daughter.[5] The accident's aftermath reverberates through the university and town, exposing tensions and forging unexpected connections. Key themes include the pressures of university life, intertwined family secrets, budding romances, and interpersonal drama among young adults.[6] The show adopts a serialized format, with episodes approximately 42 minutes in length, emphasizing ongoing mysteries and evolving relationships.Format
headLand adopted a serialized format typical of Australian soap operas, initially airing twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays before shifting to four nights a week from Monday to Thursday in approximately 42-minute episodes, designed for viewer engagement. A total of 58 episodes were produced, with 52 aired during its original run from 15 November 2005 to 21 January 2006, while the remaining six remained unaired following the show's early cancellation.[7] The narrative structure focused on ensemble drama, weaving interconnected character arcs and ongoing mysteries rather than self-contained stories, with the initial car crash serving as a key framing device to propel the serialization. Episodes built tension through frequent cliffhangers at their conclusions, fostering a compulsive viewing rhythm that encouraged audiences to return.[7] This approach emphasized deliberate pacing, allowing for gradual unfolding of plotlines amid the university setting.[8] Stylistically, the series employed high production values akin to feature films, utilizing single-camera techniques across diverse locations to integrate visuals of campus life at the fictional South Coast University. Dramatic music underscored emotional beats, while quick editing in mystery sequences heightened suspense.[8] In comparison to enduring Australian soaps like Home and Away and Neighbours, which sustain multi-year runs with studio-based, multi-camera production, headLand's abbreviated format—spanning just over two months—delivered a more condensed tone and accelerated narrative drive, though it similarly prioritized relational ensemble dynamics over episodic resolution.[8]Cast and characters
Main cast
The main cast of headLand features a core ensemble of ten actors who portray the primary characters in the coastal town of South Heads, appearing regularly across the series' 58 episodes to drive the narrative around university life, personal relationships, and the aftermath of a fatal car accident.[9][10] Key members include:- Rachael Taylor as Sasha Forbes, a bold and seductive university student whose romantic involvements and social dynamics contribute to the interpersonal tensions at South Coast University.[11]
- Josh Quong Tart as Will Monk, a local resident and brother to Kate, entangled in the town's secrets and relationships following the accident.[10][3]
- Brooke Harman as Kate Monk, Will's sister and a central figure in the community dynamics at the Headlands Hotel and university.[10][3]
- Libby Tanner as Grace Palmer, a dedicated student counsellor at South Coast University who supports young adults navigating academic pressures and emotional challenges.[3]
- Adrienne Pickering as Elly Tate (also credited as Elly Franklin), a university student involved in the social and romantic web of South Heads.[9][10]
- Sam Atwell as Craig Palmer, Grace's relative and the sole survivor of the opening car accident, whose coma and recovery anchor the series' unfolding mysteries.[2][3]
- Conrad Coleby as Adam Wilde, the newly arrived student counsellor whose role in addressing campus issues leads to revelations about the town's hidden intrigues.[3][10]
- Sophie Katinis as Mel Bennett, a university student whose personal struggles reflect the broader themes of youth and resilience in South Heads.[9][12]
- Jody Kennedy as Maddie McKinnon, another key student character navigating friendships and secrets amid the accident's ripple effects.[9][12]
- Reshad Strik as Andy Llewellyn, a resident tied to the local community and university scene.[9][10]
Recurring cast
The recurring cast of headLand includes actors portraying supporting characters such as university students, faculty, detectives, and family members who drive subplots related to personal recovery, investigations, and interpersonal conflicts at South Coast University and the surrounding community. These roles often intersect with the central mystery of a car crash that leaves protagonist Craig Palmer in a coma, as well as ongoing dramas involving student rivalries and family revelations, appearing in 10–40 episodes out of the series' 58 total.[1] Key recurring characters include:| Actor | Character | Episodes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rohan Nichol | Detective Luc Palermo | 40 | A detective leading the investigation into the car crash, providing revelations that tie into Craig's coma storyline and broader criminal subplots at the university.[10] |
| Steve Rodgers | Mick McKinnon | 35 | Local bartender and family figure whose potential paternal connection to student Adam Wilde fuels supporting family drama and community interactions.[10] |
| Gail Watson | Glenda Monk | 24 | Mother to siblings Kate and Will Monk, contributing to family tension subplots involving support during personal crises and revelations.[13] |
| Richard Healy | Rob Monk | 21 | Father to Kate and Will, involved in household dynamics and occasional intersections with the main students' storylines through parental advice and conflicts.[13] |
| Martin Vaughan | Curly | 15 | University faculty member who appears in academic and mentoring subplots, offering guidance to students amid campus events.[13] |
| Stephen O'Rourke | Greg Forbes | 13 | Father to students Sasha and Heath Forbes, central to family secrecy subplots that occasionally link to the crash investigation.[13] |
| Gyton Grantley | Dane Pickerstaff | 11 | Tech-savvy student assisting in revenge and hacking-related subplots among peers, intersecting with Sasha's personal arcs.[10] |
| Penny McNamee | Charlie Cooper | 10 | Troubled recurring figure defended by Craig during her emotional struggles, adding layers to subplots of vulnerability and recovery at the university.[13] |
