East of Everything
| East of Everything | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Deb Cox Roger Monk |
| Directed by | Stuart McDonald Matthew Saville |
| Starring | Richard Roxburgh Susie Porter Tom Long Gia Carides Steve Bisley Liana Cornell Nick Tate Craig Hall |
| Theme music composer | Greg J. Walker |
| Opening theme | "A Most Peculiar Place" |
| Composer | Greg J. Walker |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Byron Bay, New South Wales |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC1 |
| Release | 30 March 2008 – 5 September 2009 |
East of Everything is an Australian drama television series which began screening on 30 March 2008 on the ABC. It is produced by Deb Cox (SeaChange), Fiona Eagger (CrashBurn) and Roger Monk (The Secret Life of Us). Two seasons were produced.
The story initially revolves around Art Watkins (Richard Roxburgh), a globe-trotting travel writer who returns home for his Mum's funeral to a neglected resort town, Broken Bay, on the easternmost point of Australia, where he is challenged by a crooked local council, his brother who is trying to cheat him out of his inheritance, his first love who broke his heart when he was a teenager and the son he hasn't seen in ten years. As the series progresses, the life journeys of additional characters are interwoven, including (in season 2) the unexpected return of Gerry (Nick Tate), estranged father of the Watkins brothers (and original constructor of the resort). The fictional town in which the show is set is loosely based on Byron Bay, New South Wales, where the majority of filming took place, with the distinctive character of the region providing a strong supporting element.[1] According to "The Age" writer Debi Enker, the series creators (Cox and Monk) "see their multi-generational ensemble as characters bruised by life, some seeking refuge, most requiring restoration. Reaching Broken Bay, they have come as far as they can and must turn back to face their demons, confront the problems they have endeavoured to escape."[2] The name "Broken Bay" was chosen as a combination of the names of Byron Bay and Broken Head, the next headland down the coast. In addition to Roxburgh and Tate, the series features a number of other well-known Australian actors including Tom Long, Susie Porter, Gia Carides and Steve Bisley.
Cast
- Richard Roxburgh as Art Watkins
- Susie Porter as Eve Pritchard
- Tom Long as Vance Watkins
- Gia Carides as Melanie Freedman
- Steve Bisley as Terry Adams
- Kathryn Beck as Lizzy Dellora
- Valerie Bader as Bev Flick
- Craig Stott as Josh Watkins
- Liana Cornell as Rebecca
- Imogen Annesley as Suzy Burns
- Mouche Phillips as Sandy
- Tom Budge as Dale
- Damien Garvey as Owen
- Errol O'Neill as Len
- Glen Shea as Edgar
- Fletcher Humphrys as Jai
- Leah Vandenberg as Lara
- Tracy Mann as Rosemary de Jong (season 2)
- Nick Tate as Gerry Watkins (season 2)
- Craig Hall as Carter Smith (season 2)
Episode list
Season 1
| Episode | Title | Summary | Writer | Director | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gross National Happiness | -- | Deb Cox | Stuart McDonald | 31 March 2008 |
| 2 | Voila, Baby | -- | Roger Monk | Stuart McDonald | 6 April 2008 |
| 3 | The Shining Path | -- | Deb Cox | Stuart McDonald | 13 April 2008 |
| 4 | No Way To Nirvana | -- | Roger Monk | Matthew Saville | 20 April 2008 |
| 5 | Save Me Some Scones | -- | Deb Cox | Matthew Saville | 27 April 2008 |
| 6 | Aesthetic My Arse | -- | Roger Monk | Matthew Saville | 3 May 2008 |
Season 2
| Episode | Title | Summary | Writer | Director | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Weather Man | -- | Deb Cox | Stuart McDonald | 20 April 2009 |
| 8 | Cumin Get It | -- | Roger Monk | Stuart McDonald | 1 August 2009 |
| 9 | The Golden Rule | -- | Deb Cox | Tony Tilse | 8 August 2009 |
| 10 | Secrets And Lies | -- | Roger Monk | Tony Tilse | 15 August 2009 |
| 11 | Venus Rising | -- | Roger Monk | Tony Tilse | 22 August 2009 |
| 12 | Homeward Bound | -- | Deb Cox | Ian Watson | 29 August 2009 |
| 13 | Community Chest | -- | Roger Monk | Ian Watson | 5 September 2009 |
Detailed plot summaries for all episodes of both series are available here and here.
Production details
- Season one had six episodes, with the show airing on Sunday nights at 8.30pm. It premiered on Sunday, 30 March 2008, and the season final aired on Sunday, 4 May 2008.
- Season two has seven episodes, with the show airing on Saturday nights at 7.30pm. It premiered on Saturday, 25 July 2009. Nick Tate joined the cast for the season.
- In season one, the town of Byron Bay was mostly used as the real-life analogue of the fictional Broken Bay; for season two, additional locations incorporated into the "Broken Bay" streetscape included other towns with a noted "hippy vibe" in the Northern Rivers region of northern New South Wales, notably Nimbin and Mullumbimby.[3]
- The run-down, fictional Far Out East resort where much of the action is set was a specially constructed set on the site of the future Byron Beach Resort situated on Belongil Beach, Byron Bay. The inspiration for the "Far Out East" concept was stated to be in part from former backpacker accommodation associated with the old Piggery in Byron Bay.
- The contribution of the soundtrack (featuring many local and generally less well-known artists) to the story and the sense of place is discussed in an article in "Screen Sound" by Liz Giuffre.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Going 'east of everything' to find a paradise lost". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "In Byron's Sway". The Age. 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "No more angst in happy hippie shake-up". Sydney Morning Herald. 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "SOUNDING EAST OF EVERYTHING: Australian Television, Music and Place" (PDF). Screen Sound n1, 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2017.