McLeod's Daughters (2001– )

Five women run a cattle station, "Drover's Run", in the outback of South Australia.

Creators:

Posie Graeme-Evans, Caroline Stanton

Stars:

Aaron Jeffery, Rachael Carpani, Simmone Mackinnon

9 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Aaron Jeffery	...	Alex Ryan (193 episodes, 2001-2008)
Rachael Carpani	...	Jodi Fountain (179 episodes, 2001-2009)
Simmone Mackinnon	...	Stevie Hall (154 episodes, 2003-2009)
Bridie Carter	...	Tess Silverman McLeod (135 episodes, 2001-2006)
Myles Pollard	...	Nick Ryan (124 episodes, 2001-2006)
Michala Banas	...	Kate Manfredi (119 episodes, 2004-2008)
Sonia Todd	...	Meg Fountain (107 episodes, 2001-2009)
Brett Tucker	...	Dave Brewer (100 episodes, 2003-2006)
Doris Younane	...	Moira Doyle (93 episodes, 2002-2009)
John Jarratt	...	Terry Dodge (93 episodes, 2001-2006)
Marshall Napier	...	Harry Ryan (80 episodes, 2001-2006)
Luke Jacobz	...	Patrick Brewer (79 episodes, 2005-2009)

Storyline

After the death of his wife and son during childbirth, Claire's father, Jack McLeod, married city girl Ruth Silverman. Tess was the product of this tempestuous but short-lived relationship. Growing up, the two girls had been very close but were separated when Ruth took 5-year-old Tess back to the city. Twenty years later, after Jack's sudden death, his daughters each inherit half of heavily mortgaged Drover's Run. Tess, who recently lost her mother to breast cancer, returns to Drover's in the hopes of cashing out and opening a cafe in the city, but is disappointed to be met with a less-than-rosy financial picture and the open resentment of her older sister. After Claire fires the male workforce, the sisters, with the help of housekeeper Meg Fountain, her daughter Jodi, and local girl Becky, decide to run the property themselves. The tentative -- and presumably temporary -- partnership is the first step in the reunited sisters' effort to heal old wounds, improve their relationship, and...

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Plot Keywords:

limp | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Australia] Southern Star Group

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Filhas de McLeod

Filming Locations:

"Kingsford", Gawler, South Australia, Australia

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lisa Chappell, who played Claire during the show's first three seasons, left the show in 2003 in part to focus on her singing career. Her first album, "When Then Is Now", was released in May 2006.

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Quotes

Tess Silverman McLeod: Perhaps she thinks alpacas are cool
Jodi Fountain: Yeah, it seems a pity to shatter her illusions

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Connections

Referenced in Postcards: Episode #10.10 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"McLeod's Daughters Theme"
Music by Chris Harriott
Lyrics by Posie Graeme-Evans
Performed by Rebecca Lavelle
Nine Film and Television P/L

User Reviews

McLoed's Daughters Is Unique & Wonderfully Done

Thanks to the WE television network, Americans have been able to fall in love with this well made and unique dramatic television series. The relationship that grows between the step sisters Tess and Claire after their father dies is realistic and wonderful to watch.

Then there's the addition of Becky the neighborhood "bad girl" who comes from a truly horrible home and is raped by her employer, a "respected" shop owner... She escapes to Dovers Run and works beside the sisters, Meg the house keeper, cook, and friend of Claire, and Meg's flighty spoiled daughter Jodi.

I actually found some parts of this series extremely difficult to watch because it portrays life on a ranch so realistically... cattle dieing from disease or poisoning. Sheep bought cheap because they are so skinny and bedraggled many die along the road when they are forced to walk back to the ranch after the livestock truck breaks down, and the most heart wrenching, their fathers horse is diagnosed with a cancer mass that is causing the animal a great deal of pain... Claire takes him back to where she found him standing beside her father who had died of a massive heart attack. You see her crying and pointing a rifle at the horses head, she says she is sorry, and... well you get the picture...

I had to watch Series 1 twice before I could get passed the realism and enjoy the interweaving of personalities both male and female.

Now that hasn't been hard to watch... There are some gorgeous men to look at on this show! Nor has it been hard to watch these 5 women become a team who do what they were told could not be done... successfully keep the ranch solvent and eventually profitable.

I hope you get to see this nearly perfect television series. It is not a waste of time... indeed it's quite the opposite. Now if they will just release the series on DVD in the US, I'll be in Auz heaven!