TV70: Australia’s Most Iconic Primetime Shows of the 2010s

# Overview

# What defined the decade Two trends stand out. First, long-running character-driven dramas held mainstream audiences and produced award-winning performances. Second, conversations about identity, migration and Indigenous experiences reached primetime through both scripted and documentary formats.

# Representative shows and why they matter

• Offspring (Network Ten): A character-led medical/drama series built around Dr Nina Proudman and her family, lasting multiple seasons and maintaining an audience close to where it began. The show earned acting recognition for Asher Keddie, including a Gold Logie in 2013, and produced spin-off webisodes for supporting characters.

• The Slap (ABC): An eight-part adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas' novel that examines community and family fallout after a man slaps a child at a barbecue. The Australian version drew awards and critical attention and later received a U.S. adaptation that did not match the original's acclaim.

• Redfern Now (ABC): A landmark anthology series for being the first ABC show commissioned, created, written, acted and produced by Indigenous Australians. Stories and characters crossed between episodes, and the production launched several Indigenous performers and creators into broader Australian television work.

• Puberty Blues (Network Ten): A TV adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel set in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. The series foregrounded teenage experience and launched younger actors while involving established writers who later created other prominent shows.

# Formats and afterlives Several programs moved beyond their original broadcast life. The Slap was reimagined for a U.S. audience. Go Back to Where You Came From generated additional seasons and international versions. Offspring extended its world with webisodes, preserving audience engagement beyond standard episodes.

# Casting and creative impact

# Why this selection matters The chosen shows illustrate how Australian primetime in the 2010s balanced popular, long-running dramas with programs that confronted social issues and expanded representation. That mix contributed to both domestic conversation and content that could travel beyond Australia's borders.

# Takeaway Expectations for storytelling in Australian TV broadened during the 2010s: serialized character dramas sustained audiences while documentary experiments and Indigenous-led productions shifted the range of voices seen in primetime.