Goodbye to All Saints

One of Australia's most successful dramas finishes its 12 year run tonight with the final of All Saints airing on channel 7 at 9:30pm tonight.

The show has been nominated for and won numerous Logie Awards, including five "most popular actress" nominations in a row for Georgie Parker from 1999 (she won it in 2001). The program won most popular Australian drama in 2001,2002 and 2003.

The popularity of the show has seen it reach audiences of more than 1.5 million viewers, the most popular period being the blossoming romance between former nun Nurse Terri Sullivan (Georgie Parker) and Dr Mitch Stevens (Erik Thomson). When Parker left the show in 2005 it lost many of its viewers, but there was one endearing character throughout the entire show, Nurse 'Von' Ryan (played by Judith McGrath) that held the cast together and played the cool, tell-it-like-it-is nurse that everyone grew to love.

Dr Frank Campion (John Howard) has been another unforgettable character along with Nelson Curtis (Paul Tassone) and Charlotte Beaumont (Tammy MacIntosh).

It's the end of another long-running Australian drama. Certainly All Saints had lost its way over the last few years with the flashy revamp and shift to emergency rescue rather than hospital drama but it has certainly made its mark on Australian television and given us some of our most watched storylines (and most heartbreaking character departures).

Here's the finale promo;

Looks set to be a tear-jerker.

All Saints Boned

The future of channel 7's All Saints has been in question for a while now after falling ratings. This season was cut from 40 episodes to 22 earlier in the year after the expensive 're-invention' of the show did little to help viewer interest.

Official word from 7 is that the 2010 series hasn't been decided on but it's not looking good for the long running drama.

Let's hope the brilliant John Howard (Dr Frank Campion) stays on our screens in another role - he is a great Australian talent and it would be a shame not to see him on screen.

Return of the Rafters

Well the promos have started again - and thankfully no sign of a Jason Mraz song as yet. That's right, the family that won the hearts of Australia and almost every Logie in sight earlier this year is returning!

Packed to the Rafters will be back on channel 7 on June 30. It will be reclaiming its Tuesday night 8:30pm timeslot - so bumpity-bump to the much-maligned All Saints. Not only is All Saints getting a shove but its production has been suspended and its future is hanging in the balance. It seems attempts to 'razzy' it up with more action has resulted in higher costs but no love from viewers.

I can't help it - I too have fallen under the spell of Julie, Dave and the Rafter clan. Interestingly my favourite character isn't a Rafter at all - it's the gorgeous Mel (played by Zoe Ventoura). I fell in love with her in the SBS series Kick in which she played the lead role of feisty "Miki Mavros" (best TV name ever?).

So there's my Tuesday nights sorted.