Sons & Daughters Watching/rewatching/discussing The Aussie Hit Show

[JROG]

Pat the Rat & Sons & Daughters & Brothers & Nephews!

SO addicting. Up to episode 22 and can't stop watching. Such fun. Pat is a magnetic nasty bitch and no amount of scenes with her is enough. Love Fiona too. The complicated family dynamics within the Hamiltons and the Palmers. John and Wayne giving me beautiful Australian beefcake.

How do you get the damn theme song out of your head?

All the episodes are up on YouTube if you ever wanted to give it a try. It's worth it. A great combo of American daytime AND primetime soap opera. Smartly written. Well acted.

I don't know if we'll get much traffic in the thread (the subforum seems to be pretty quiet) but just in case, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR SPOILERS. I know nothing of what happens on the show and I'd like to keep it that way.

 

[James from London]

I know nothing of what happens

EVERYTHING happens.

 

[Willie Oleson]

All the episodes are up on YouTube

It's my most wanted to-re-watch show, but the videos are the wrong aspect ratio so I decided to move on to the next soap family.
Maybe I should give it another try, at least the audio is very good (which is more important anyway).

Enjoy, JROG. It's quite something

 

[Alexis]

Oh God... I'm soooooo tempted.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Do it!

 

[Alexis]

Do it!

It's the time! The time! I never have enough time....

Although winter is coming and the night is dark and full of terrors so maybe I could do an episode of Sons and Daughters and one of Dark Shadows nightly? I've always wanted to watch Sons and Daughters.

 

[JROG]

EVERYTHING happens.

EVERYTHING? Oh, I don't know if I've got time for -- oh, wait, yes, I fυcking do!

 

[Richard Channing]

Oh God... I'm soooooo tempted.

Me too. I wonder how many episodes in total it is?

 

[Alexis]

Me too. I wonder how many episodes in total it is?

I think it's over 900...

 

[Willie Oleson]

We had 5 episodes per week, that is...how many years?

 

[JROG]

Me too. I wonder how many episodes in total it is?

I think it's over 900...

We had 5 episodes per week, that is...how many years?

972 episodes. It ran for 6 seasons, from January until September.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Can't wait to read all the episode reviews!

 

[JamesF]

I think enough people have seen this to get some traffic! I've only seen bits and pieces over the years because it had a bit of a cult following in the UK and I remember it from childhood. A new thread like this might encourage me to revisit it...

From recollection it's one of the twistiest soaps going. Slightly Falcon Crest-esque in its ruthlessness to kill off characters and shake up the canvas so I think you're in for a bumpy ride.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Pat the Rat & Sons & Daughters & Brothers & Nephews!

SO addicting. Up to episode 22 and can't stop watching. Such fun. Pat is a magnetic nasty bitch and no amount of scenes with her is enough. Love Fiona too. The complicated family dynamics within the Hamiltons and the Palmers. John and Wayne giving me beautiful Australian beefcake.

How do you get the damn theme song out of your head?

All the episodes are up on YouTube if you ever wanted to give it a try. It's worth it. A great combo of American daytime AND primetime soap opera. Smartly written. Well acted.

I don't know if we'll get much traffic in the thread (the subforum seems to be pretty quiet) but just in case, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR SPOILERS. I know nothing of what happens on the show and I'd like to keep it that way.

The episodes that were online previously were pretty ropey quality but I see that someone has uploaded copies of recent reruns from Australian TV so the sound and picture quality is pretty sharp (aside from the aspect ratio issue).

I'd be really tempted to watch it properly now, considering I've only ever caught bits and pieces of it. From what I've seen, it's high drama all the way. It's how soap should be. You barely get to stop for a breath before some other twist is thrown your way. Without giving away any spoilers, I remember watching back to back episodes with one ending on Fiona calling to Patricia's door and slapping her across the face and the next ending with Fiona outing someone as a rapist. It was nonstop! It's a big commitment though given the number of episodes.

 

[James from London]

From what I've seen, it's high drama all the way. It's how soap should be. You barely get to stop for a breath before some other twist is thrown your way.

That's certainly true ... up top a point. It can be mind-numbingly boring at times. But the exciting bits make up for that.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It can be mind-numbingly boring at times

And it's not the prettiest soap to look at. Even for an 80s soap it looks very old-fashioned but that's all part of its charme now.

Not so long ago I randomly skipped through some of the videos and in one of the episodes Wayne was wearing a very short robe.

 

[James from London]

in one of the episodes Wayne was wearing a very short robe.

Some of the male characters exhibit a strangely Peter Richards-ish obliviousness to their own lack of clothing.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

And it's not the prettiest soap to look at. Even for an 80s soap it looks very old-fashioned but that's all part of its charme now.

Not so long ago I randomly skipped through some of the videos and in one of the episodes Wayne was wearing a very short robe.

View attachment 6143

The look of the show was very plain alright. It's like the set designers got a good deal on some brown paint and decided to paint every set from bedroom to boardroom the same colour.

Re: the lack of clothing, I'll just leave this here...

 

[JROG]

the videos are the wrong aspect ratio

the sound and picture quality is pretty sharp (aside from the aspect ratio issue).

Oh, I thought something was off about the picture, but the sound truly is very good. My main concern was that those reruns, at least the first 60 episodes or so, all seem to be missing about 1 or 2 scenes per episode. That would normally be the kind of thing that would drive me crazy, but they cut out some filler stuff and there's a great website dedicated to the show with episode synopses that reveal what happened in the missing scenes. So, I'll carry on.

I'm enjoying it so much that the prospect of 972 episodes doesn't scare me. I guess it helps if you're used to American daytime soaps that make 972 episodes seem like a short run!

 

[JROG]

Can't wait to read all the episode reviews!

Thanks, love! (Even if Alexis finds that funny! )

You barely get to stop for a breath before some other twist is thrown your way.

That is certainly already true.

I'm up to episode 27 and the truth about the twins is already out. Patricia announced her decision to tell Angela the truth at the end of episode 26. Did the show do this as the ending of Episode 27? Noooo. THREE minutes into the next episode, everyone's found out! By the end of the episode, Angela has reunited with her father. It's bonkers. It's like someone failed to mention to the writers that the show won't be airing only once a week. It's a good thing they had breaks between seasons to catch their breath and plan out the next season!

Admittedly, the whole reveal was a little underwhelming. Here's this huge secret and the scene cuts away right after Pat tells the truth. Next we see Angela, she's stunned, but somehow not angry. Not tormented by having been lustful for her brother. Are Australians just that nice?

Wayne and Jill together is great, though. He's such a rat. Pat's a rat, Angela's a rat, Wayne's a rat. The only nice one is Gordon. Wayne can't possibly be his child!

But now the question is -- with the show's two main plotlines wrapped up, what soapy deliciousness is next?