AustLit

'Bed of Roses is about Louisa Atherton (Kerry Armstrong) handling her life after she discovers her husband has died in the arms of another woman, leaving her broke. She returns to her home town of Rainbow's End to live with her feisty mother, Minna (Julia Blake). Rainbow's End is in a 'growth corridor' with neighbouring town of Indigo. Besides problems with Minna, Louisa encounters trouble with her teenage daughter Holly (Hanna Mangan-Lawrence) and local residents. Louisa has few financial assets except "Mary Kelly's Shack" she inherited from her father. Louisa decides to demolish the shack and build a new house to sell. Holly has taken the death of her father very hard and insists on carrying around his ashes. Louisa's irresponsible driving results in numerous traffic offences, which she can ill afford.' (Production summary)

'Set in the homicide squad of a large metropolitan city, this is a punchy one hour drama series about murder mystery and a group of young committed cops, focused on justice for the deceased. Jennifer Mapplethorpe, ambitious and intelligent; Simon Joyner, keen, cool, self-assured; Duncan Freeman, living high, ready to fall; and Matt Ryan, intense and driven. In Homicide, it's not always crooks and low-lives, most murders are committed by ordinary people - a moment of madness, a failure of communication, a desperate act. These Detectives follow a profession that makes blood, grief and drama just part of their normal day. Their day begins when your day ends.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive.

Dogstar, an award-winning children's animated series, follows the misfortunes of the inhabitants of a future Earth–and their dogs. According to the production company's website:

'After thousands of years of wars, pollution, undrinkable water and silly

cartoon shows, humans are forced to leave Earth and move everything and

everyone to a new planet: New Earth. But not everything goes to plan

and the Dogstar, a giant space ark containing all of the world's dogs,

becomes lost in space. On New Earth, the evil Bob Santino makes his

fortune selling canine replacement units, Robogs, and plots to ensure

the Dogstar is never found. But the Clark kids desperately miss their

real dog, Hobart, and begin a quest through space to find the Dogstar -

with Santino in hot pursuit'

Source: Media World website, http://www.mediaworld.com.au/ (Sighted: 3/5/2012)

As of 2012, Dogstar runs to 52 episodes, or two seasons of 26 episodes each, both of which were (almost exclusively) written by Doug MacLeod and Philip Dalkin. Series one aired in 2007, and series two will air in 2012.

The first series has been adapted into book form (see note above).

The official Dogstar website is www.dogstar.tv (Sighted: 3/5/2012).

'In the year 2347, when Old Earth is pronounced uninhabitable, the Clarks load their family dog Hobart onto an intergalactic ark called the Dogstar to be transported to New Earth. Unfortunately, the Dogstar never arrives. All the dogs from old Earth ­ and two confused robot pilots, Zeke and Alice ­ are lost. But the Clark kids (and Gran) are determined to find the Dogstar and bring those dogs home. Robotics entrepreneur Bob Santino is just as determined to stop them.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 12/6/2013)

Two students--easy-going and not terribly academically inclined Toby and unpopular teacher's pet Elizabeth--are hit by an unusual magnetic pulse that transforms them both into scientific geniuses. While Toby is uncomfortable with his new power and not certain how to put it to use, Elizabeth revels in hers, hoping to dominate the school.

Creator Jonathan M. Shiff notes (in the media kit for season one) that

'I wanted the series to be grounded in real teenagers and an authentic school environment - bringing the chaos of teenage emotions and friendship to the backdrop of science and adventure. Wicked Science is very much driven by Elizabeth's desire to catch Toby's attention and instead of witchcraft or magic it is science she uses as the tool'.

The production company also liased with Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) to create a study guide that would enable teachers to use Wicked Science as a starting point for classroom discussions of science, its place in society, and the specific scientific concepts explored in the series.

'Teenager Fergus McPhail (and his irrationally optimistic alter-ego), stumbles from crisis to crisis mostly of his own making. The stories cover a year in his life, showcasing Fergus at home with his erratic family, at school among friends, at play and sometimes, just sometimes, having a win in the steeplechase of adolescence.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 23/5/2014)

'When a small criminal law practice suddenly finds itself out of its depth with two murder cases on its hands, one of the partners seeks the assistance of her former teacher, who presumably has turned his back on the law for good.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 26/6/2013)

Thirteen-year-old Lauren's life is confusing enough, with her mother remarrying, moving to another country, and introducing Lauren to a new stepfather and little stepbrother. But that's not nearly as confusing as the day two Nelfs (Santa's helpers) jump from his sleigh and into Lauren's life. With Santa's rounds finished for another year, Lauren is stuck with the bickering, meddling siblings until next Christmas. But when only Lauren can see them, her family start to think she's going mad.

'A bomb explodes at an animal research laboratory. Margaret O'Halloran, the legendary Dogwoman, and Kelty, her famous tracker dog, are called to the rescue.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 13/6/2013)

'Inspired by true events, Stingers reveals the shadowy and ambiguous world of undercover cops — people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. They are police who defeat crime from within the criminal world — always without a badge and frequently without protection. The series follows the lives of the operatives as they befriend and betray those on the other side of the law. For these select few, it is a deadly way of life.The undercover cops of Stingers are a unique breed. They must juggle their own lives — love, laughter, family and humanity — with the tension of the criminal personas they adopt in their passion for justice.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 7/6/2013)

'In one day successful city lawyer, Laura Gibson's world falls apart. Suddenly she realises she no longer knows her husband, her children, or where her all-consuming career is going. On a whim, Laura grabs at a position as magistrate in the small coastal town of Pearl Bay and with two bewildered kids in tow sets off to change their lives forever.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 18/9/2012)

'Maginnis is in love — again. He's been seeing Carmen Francis, an intelligent, attractive, newly-qualified lawyer. They met when Carmen acted for a client with a claim against the dry cleaners. She's just perfect, and for Maginnis, this feels like it could quite possibly go on forever and ever and ever. True love though, never runs smoothly, and pretty soon, Maginnis finds himself in a sticky predicament. First, Maginnis is shocked to discover that Carmen is married — well, separated. Her husband is Noel Pomeroy, a used car dealer. Second, he's dead. Third, Carmen's at the scene. Fourth, Noel Pomeroy was killed with the wheel changer from Carmen's car. Fifth, Carmen begs him to alibi her. Maginnis looks into her eyes, loses all sense of logic — and agrees.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 11/6/2013)

'A fast-paced television drama set within the fascinating environment of a State Coroner's office complex. Each day a team of highly trained professionals deal with the questions of deaths, murders, accidents, suicides, fires, drownings and even the odd natural cause. We see their battles with grieving families, slow or meddling authorities and organized crime, from the initial inquiry through to the courtroom appearances and the Coroner's final verdict and recommendations for trial or reform.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive (http://www.australiantelevision.net/statecoroner/statecoroner.html). (Sighted: 8/3/2013)

An edgy and off-beat crime series that relies heavily on humour, contemporary music, and a touch of the bizarre, centring on the character of Elvis Maginnis. An ex-cop from the wrong side of the tracks, Maginnis now runs his own dry-cleaning business but still finds himself drawn into the shady side of life.