New home for axed Oz drama

A landmark deal between an Australian free-to-air broadcaster and the country’s dominant pay platform has seen romantic drama A Place to Call Home greenlit for two more seasons.

Word surfaced at Mipcom this month that pay TV platform Foxtel was set to announce it would order a third season of the 1950s-set show.

In June, the Seven Network announced the show would conclude at the end of season two. The first two seasons averaged 2.2 million viewers nationally but audiences skewed heavily to the older demographic, which Seven does not chase.

Today, Foxtel confirmed a commission for two 10-episode seasons from the show’s creator, Seven Productions, and that  all key cast would return.

Created by Bevan Lee (Winners & Losers, Packed to the Rafters. Always Greener), A Place to Call Home stars Marta Dusseldorp, Brett Climo, Noni Hazlehurst and Craig Hall. It will debut on Foxtel’s SoHo channel in 2015.

Foxtel executive director of TV Brian Walsh said: “We are proud to partner with Seven Network on this landmark deal and ensure that audiences can continue to enjoy this beautifully crafted and elegantly produced series for a further two seasons.”

Foxtel head of drama said Penny Win said: “A Place to Call Home continues Foxtel’s strong commitment to Australian storytelling and locally produced drama. It is the ideal project to complement our other major scripted series for 2015, Wentworth, The Kettering Incident and Deadline Gallipoli.”

Endemol Worldwide Distribution represents the series internationally.