User reviews

What a great saga and what superb acting! Thank you so much for giving us 6 seasons of this wonderful series. The story remained strong throughout the 6 seasons.Thank you for giving us such quality entertainment and thank you for knowing when to stop!

..so it's over.. it will be missed... it wasn't always great television, but for sure it was mostly all very good TV

..the cast was solid across the board, and all production values high

..when there is just sooo much not worth watching that seems to never end... to loose one that was looked forward to week to week leaves a void..

..Australia keeps putting out high-quality shows... keep 'em coming.. you have a most grateful North American audience thanking you..!!

At first I was a bit of a snob. I thought it was a little too soap-operay. but soon enough I was hooked.

The characters, the settings, the clothes, the cars, all were so wonderful! The dramatic story lines sometimes were lame (but I didn't care) because sometimes they were riveting. The acting suited the plot at the time, sometimes a bit hard to accept the drama, but still.....if you liked Downton Abbey, you'll like this smaller, country version of a family saga

This is a great series to dive into and look forward to watching. I found it such a wonderful, pleasant relief from the violence in current day American series. There's violence but it's not graphic. Liked this a lot....it's so enjoyable.

This is one of the best TV series to come out in a long time...we live in the States but tend to watch English shows vs American 90% of the time since the reality show trend is a total waste. I'm a Brit expat and husband is American, we both loved this post WW2 drama. The cast is superb and make this series all the more compelling. The 50s' feel is well done, as is the portrayal of the three generations and how they cope with their different - and unexpected yet similar - experiences. Not to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, the series generally takes us to fresh plots/characterizations in ways other shows haven't. Bravo! We saw series 2 on the BBC and anxiously await its screening on Acorn Media next month. Series 3 is apparently being filmed now to be shown later in the year with a 4th to follow. Looking forward to seeing it -- why can't this type of series be shown here at the same time? Why do US audiences have to wait a few years or worse watch a US-made remake that usually flops? Don't the studios understand that we are not idiots and enjoy watching intelligent shows?

A soap, but a soap of the very highest quality. Noni Hazlehurst's performance alone is reason enough to watch.

I started to watch this amazing television programme with a friend, through her recommendation, while I was in Australia on holiday (I am from the UK). Unfortunately, the series was half way through the story. But the more I watched it, the more I liked it. The cast were terrific and while the series, unlike so much of the local television, looked like an A-grade period drama. Nostalgia is a potent sentiment, one that transcends even the most stubborn cringers. As the season come to an end, I found myself happily reporting that, despite my assumptions, A Place to Call Home actually explores with real sophistication the stuff that resonates powerfully in our national consciousness – a longing for the past, and a longing for home – and that makes for great television. Luckily I have been able to get the DVD not long after it was released. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see the second series next year. But, hopefully I will be able to purchase the DVD once it gets released.

I really enjoyed this series. It had me crying, angry, happy, and sad. It was a very emotional series. Each season was better than the last. It was very well written and the actors were superb! I didn't know Australian TV was so good! I didn't find out until the end that this was a true story.

We found this Aussie series, about a wealthy "grazier" (sheep rancher) and his crisis-prone family back in the 50s, to be just about impossible to resist. It's hard to say too much without spoilers since practically everyone starts out with a secret sorrow, a clandestine romance, a wartime trauma they don't care to talk about, a stigmatized sex pref, an unacknowledged illegitimate child or somebody's else's child they're raising as their own, which can only be revealed in the fullness of time.... Suffice it to say that the first two seasons focus mainly on the efforts of the Bligh family matriarch to prevent any of her brood from marrying beneath them or forming some other unsuitable attachment, despite the abundance of tempting distractions (a hunky Italian farmboy, a gorgeous blond nurse with a murky past) and the deficiencies of the eligible candidates (snobbish, vindictive playboy, deceased wife's treacherous sister).

We're total suckers for the shameless cliffhangers and out-of-left-field plot twists. The first-rate cast plays it straight for the most part; there are a few stock Aussie characters--including a salt-of-the-earth farmer who declaims "bush ballads" about bandicoots and billabongs--but nothing too clichéd or kitschy. (The source novel reflects some odd midcentury attitudes about bi- and homosexuality that might deserve a trigger warning.)

Oldsters and TCM fans may be reminded of Douglas Sirk and vintage primetime soaps like "Peyton Place"; we get a brief glimpse of one of the younger Blighs reading "Giant" at one point, which seems exactly right, and the actress who plays the nurse with a murky past is a dead ringer for Dorothy Malone in "Written on the Wind."

The show survived a cancellation scare at the end of season 2--which seems to have spooked the writers' room, since they turned out a couple of dud episodes right after that--but since then it's all been good....

PS--I was wondering if these fictitious Blighs were meant to be related to the real-life Captain Bligh, of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame, who was briefly governor of NSW; that would make them one of the first non-convict settler families in Australia and would explain why Mrs Bligh, initially at least, is so terribly snobbish.

I absolutely loved the first two seasons of A Place to Call Home. The characters, story, cinematography, and production values were all excellent. It really drew me into the series and it was something I could enjoy watching with my parents. I know that the series was canceled after season 2, but then it got picked up by another producer.... And everything changed after that. The series wasn't as well-written, the characters started behaving in ways they wouldn't, and suddenly the previously tasteful sex scenes had gratuitous nudity that made me uncomfortable to watch with my parents. I managed to get through the season on my own, and season 4 did improve a bit, but I still miss the quality of the first 2 seasons.

This Australian series has an excellent story line, cast, and location. It is just a beautiful story with just enough suspense to keep you wanting more. I am of the age that I lived through these times and prejudices and can truly relate. The 50s were a beautiful and unique postwar period for the entire world. I praise the actors for their ability to draw you into the story and to stir personal emotions. Noni Hazelhurst, as Elizabeth Bligh, is amazing in her portrayal of the matriarch, with her unsuccessful attempts at controlling her family. I have three more episodes to watch and am saddened there aren't more. I like the mid-century staging and costumes. Bravo, and very well done! Thank you.

I found the series to be entertaining, but while I agree that with all fiction, one must employ a bit of the ability to suspend reality, A Place to Call Home pushes the envelope. I think that it is the responsibility of an author to do at least a bit of research in order to realistically portray their characters and their story. This is especially true when one of the main themes revolves around the main character being Jewish. The portrayal of Sarah as a Jew is totally off the mark and makes a mockery of her being portrayed as such.

The list of errors is too long to state, but just a few. No Jew with any semblance of observance, male or female would spend Yom Kipper reading Spanish poetry. Women do not immerse in a Mikvah before Yom Kipper. There is no portrayal of Sarah observing any of the tenants of Judaism, keeping a kosher diet, keeping the Sabbath.

Sarah's being portrayed as a Jewish convert is a central theme of her persona, but totally ignores any of the realities how she would behave as such.

In summary, if you wish to enjoy this series for what it is, fiction, I would encouraging you to do so, but do not take its portrayal of Judaism as anything but that, just fiction.

I discovered this show towards the end of Series 1 on a friend's recommendation. What a find! Set just after WWII, APTCH is largely set at "Ash Park", a grand rural Australian homestead. It covers the drama, loves and lives of those who live in and around that homestead, including a mysterious woman who arrives via ship from overseas. Beautifully written and filmed with gorgeous locations, it is a quality program that reinforces Australia's ability to produce world class drama. Noni Hazelhurst plays the family matriarch, Elizabeth, with a cool, calculating menace - her family give her plenty to contend with as their individual and collective secrets are revealed and her ability to hold everything together becomes more and more of a challenge! Channel 7 had the insight to produce such a fantastic show but alas, they decided to stop production at the end of season 2! Hopefully they'll have the insight to bring it back!

This is another fantastic series from Australia. The acting is brilliant and the kind of issues this series deals with are quite hard hitting and thought provoking. It's amazing to think that this was how people were treated in the 1950's and it shows how far we have come over the years in our considerations of other people's lifestyles and religions.

This is such a great series which makes it unbelievable that it's not been renewed for more than 2 seasons. There is so much more that could be done with this series.

This is one of those series where as soon as you have finished watching one episode you immediately want to watch the next and then the next.

You care about what happens to each character and want everything to work out, the baddies are played very well too.

I love this series and I hope and pray that someone with some influence can persuade the powers that be to MAKE MORE SEASONS PLEASE!!

Such an evil, evil woman! I hate her so much, which is exactly how I'm supposed to feel about her What we have here is an excellent actress playing a character who is an excellent actress! I'm heavily impressed.

I just started this series and I am afraid to watch too much because when I finish I will miss the characters, storyline, scenery, music costumes.......bravo!

OK, I've only seen one episode as American channel PBS has just started showing it. BUT I already LOVE it. I saw Marta Dusseldorp in Janet King which was shown on Canada's CBC last fall and I really love this actress. I'm happy that there are at least 23 episodes to look forward to. But if I'm reading the board correctly, it's been axed after series 2. I'm already sad but at least I know it's a great series and something to really enjoy in the next few months.

We've had some amazing Australian shows in Canada the last few years - East West 101, The Slap, Secrets and Lies, Janet King and now this. More please!

I just finished Dr. Blake Mysteries and came across APtCH, what a lucky stumble (I've watched 3 episodes). I am bored with shows from the US, where I am from, and love BBC and now Australian shows. What I love about them are the global and historical story lines. Blake is set in the 1959, APtCH is also in the 1950s, Foyle's War begins in 1930s. All of these fantastic shows beautifully weave in what is going on politically, wars, race relations, class structures, women's (lack of) rights, and so on.

Some gems: * Marta Dusseldorp--Sarah Adams--a strong leading actor who can carry the weight of a scene with gravitas and depth. Her haunting looks enables you to feel a pain that the writers brilliantly hold off revealing until later episodes. * Noni Hazlehurst--Elizabeth Bligh-- she is a character I love to hate and hate to love. I love how the writers do not allow you to put her into any fixed category. She is such a fine actor you never know where she is going to take you but you willingly follow her there because she is that fantastic. * Brett Climo-- George Bligh--what I enjoy about his role as patriarch is that he is present without being overwhelming. I can't wait until they cut him loose. * Craig Hall--Jack Duncan--he, like George Bligh's character, have suggestions of depth, Duncan's role is becoming more fleshed out and I like where it is heading. * David Berry--James Bligh--his anguish, he wears on his sleeve, but it seems the writers have pulled him back a bit, which is welcome. * Abby Earl--Anna Bligh--she, to me, is the most refreshing character. Her humor and representation of the younger generation is fantastic. Instead of setting her up as a bitchy-foil, which is where most US shows would have thrown her, she is a joy to watch.

I will leave it here, as I am sure you want to read other reviews, but my thumbs are up in the air for APtCH!

Seasons 1 - 5 were really great. This was one of my favorite shows and then season 6 came along. What a disappointment! The show turned into a soppy soap opera. The writers just lost it. Season 6 is the very definition of "jump the shark". Too bad.

There's still a lot to like in this show if, that is, you are willing to throw credibility out the window. Like most soaps, the writers pour on the drama, but at times they don't just pour on the drama, they drown you with it. Think of anything that could happen to one family and it will happen to these poor Blighs -- and anyone else who happens to enter their orbit. What redeems the show is the good cinematography and period costumes and, for a soap, some occasional, terrific acting. Elizabeth is excellent, as are Jack, George, Carolyn, and Sarah, who basically carries the show. However, some of the men and and the women who play the younger generation aren't up to the task -- Harry and Henry are both good, but not James, Anna, and, worst or all, Olivia, who is either a very bad actress or is just stuck playing an unredeemable stock soap opera part (the eternally perky, always terribly concerned victim). Still, if you're looking for completely mindless entertainment, and willing to put up with more dastardly deeds that Mrs. Fletcher ever found in Cabot Cove, it's certainly worth a look -- and, of course, you can also look at all the young men who sport 2020 gym bodies and take their shirts off every opportunity they can. (One odd detail: the actors' accents all seem to switch back and forth from Australian to English to neither, or both. Very strange.)

By Season 4, there was no more story to tell and falls into a thoroughly uninteresting plot -- but a plot with a recurring villainess to keep the story moving along. Notes from a viewer who reviewed this series and corrected many mistakes made in the depiction of women and Judaism is worth an interesting read. Had this soap ended after Season 3, the Series would deserve a 10 star rating. But, as all series that jump the metaphorical shark, this one is no different. The plot became mundane and disappointing. I found myself tuning in only to enjoy handsome Dr. Jack Duncan.

It isn't often that I find a series, especially with 6 seasons under its belt, that I find so engaging I can hardly stop watching it. This series fits the bill perfectly. The characters are fascinating, changing and growing as time goes by. Of course there are the necessary villains, yet even some of them are multi-dimensional too, with many layers to their characterizations. It is true that the plots may seem somewhat soap opera like at times, and yet they are handled in such a realistic manner that the soapiness can be forgiven. This is one series I will not soon forget. One final note of appreciation... the way they conclude the series gives us exactly what we crave after watching these people for so long. Bravo to them.

Just finished the last episode. So sad it is over. I loved every moment of it!!