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Puberty Blues (TV series)

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This article is about the TV miniseries. For the novel, see Puberty Blues (novel). For the film, see Puberty Blues.

Puberty Blues is an Australian coming-of-age comedy-drama television series broadcast on Network Ten. It is based on the 1979 book by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey, which was also the inspiration for the 1981 film Puberty Blues.[1] Set during the late 1970s, the series revolves around the family and friends of Debbie and Sue, two inseparable teenage friends who are coming of age in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. The first series of eight episodes began airing from 15 August 2012. A second series was later confirmed and premiered on 5 March 2014.[2]

Puberty Blues
Series One opening title card
GenreComing-of-age
Comedy-drama
Period drama
Created byJohn Edwards, Imogen Banks
Written byTony McNamara, Alice Bell, Fiona Seres, Jonathan Gavin, Shyt Henderson-Croft
StarringBrenna Harding
Claudia Karvan
Dan Wyllie
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
Ashleigh Cummings
Susan Prior
Sean Keenan
Ed Oxenbould
Katie Wall
Charlotte Best
Isabelle Cornish
Reef Ireland
Dylan Goodearl
Jonathan Gavin
Christian Byers
Theme music composerPaul Hewson
Opening theme"Are You Old Enough?" by Dragon
ComposerStephen Rae
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes17 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersRick Maier
Janeen Faithfull
ProducersImogen Banks
John Edwards
Production locationsSydney, New South Wales
CinematographyJohn Brawley
EditorsDeborah Peart, Geoff Hitchins
Running time45 minutes
Production companyEndemol Australia (Then branded as Southern Star Entertainment)
Original release
NetworkNetwork Ten
Release15 August 2012 (2012-08-15) –
7 May 2014 (2014-05-07)
Related
Puberty Blues

Production

In January 2012, it was announced an eight-part adaptation of the coming-of-age novel Puberty Blues would be made in New South Wales.[3][4] The series, based on Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey's 1970s book, focuses on a group of teenagers from Cronulla "as they explore sex and the gender politics of the day."[4]

Filming on the series began in April 2012, with locations mainly around the Sutherland Shire on Wanda Beach. The shoot lasted for twelve weeks and wrapped on 1 July 2012.[5] Puberty Blues began airing from 15 August 2012.[6]

On 16 September 2012, Debbie Schipp from The Daily Telegraph reported Southern Star producers John Edwards and Imogen Banks were planning a second series of Puberty Blues. Edwards stated "Yes, we are discussing it now. There's a strong chance, and Imogen and I have been in the plotting room and are well into development ourselves. So for those demanding more, we have high hopes we'll deliver." Edwards and Banks revealed the storyline would probably pick up from where series one ended or maybe a year later.[7]

On 23 October 2012, the official Puberty Blues Facebook page confirmed that there would be a second series of the show premiering in 2013 on the Australian television network; Channel Ten.[8] Filming for the second series began in May 2013, and began broadcasting in March 2014.

On 8 May 2014, Ten's production division went bankrupt. Co-producer John Edwards told TV Tonight that a third season of Puberty Blues is likely but may not come immediately.[9]

In June 2021, Ed Oxenbould, who played David Vickers, posted a video on TikTok claiming Puberty Blues would return for a third season.[10][11]

Cast and characters

Main Cast

Actor Character Season
1 2
Ashleigh Cummings Debbie Vickers Main
Brenna Harding Sue Knight Main
Claudia Karvan Judy Vickers Main
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor Martin Vickers Main
Ed Oxenbould David Vickers Main
Susie Porter Pam Parker Main
Daniel Wyllie Roger Knight Main
Rodger Corser Ferris Hennessey Main
Susan Prior Yvonne Hennessey Main
Sean Keenan Gary Hennessey Main
Isabelle Cornish Vicki Main
Charlotte Best Cheryl Hayes Main
Katie Wall Lynette Hayes Main Recurring
Reef Ireland Bruce Board Main Recurring
Dylan Goodearl Danny Dixon Main Recurring
Jonathan Gavin Graham Recurring Main
Christian Byers Mark "Woody" Woods Main

Supporting Cast

Actor Character Season
1 2
Jack Horsley Straccy Recurring
Izzy Stevens Tracey Smart Recurring
Ellie Gall Raquel Recurring
Pearl Herbert Kim Recurring
Lachlan Galbraith Matty Recurring
Thorsten Hertog Jonno Recurring
Lachlan Skene Jacko Recurring
Leon Ford Mr. Candy Recurring
Eleanor Munro Freida Recurring
Annie Maynard Annie Recurring
Luke Ledger Broadie Recurring
Tyler Atkins Darren Peters Recurring
Jessica Nash Nancy Recurring
Di Smith Deputy Grantham Recurring
Oscar Redding Nathan Recurring
Simon Lyndon Gumby Richards Recurring

Episodes

Main article: List of Puberty Blues episodes

Promotion and reception

Network Ten released the first episode exclusively to Facebook users who liked the official Puberty Blues page prior to the premiere.[12] Graeme Blundell from The Australian praised the first episodes and stated "And, like the book, the series is racy, confronting, often quite brutal, heartbreaking and coruscatingly entertaining. It sparkles even as it disturbingly illuminates a culture of adolescence that seems not so much dated as distressingly contemporary."[13]

Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "Puberty Blues is good. Really good. What's perhaps been most interesting about the series, set as it is about 35 years back, is just how dark it is. No, this is not Mad Men, far from it, but the folks behind Puberty Blues have cultivated a surprisingly opaque picture of late-1970s Australia."[14] Mathieson's colleague, Melinda Houston, gave the series a mixed review, saying "That combination of anticipation and ennui is something this version of Puberty Blues has captured beautifully. Unfortunately, it doesn't always make for gripping telly, especially prime-time commercial telly. We, too, tend to sit there waiting, waiting, fidgeting, waiting – and suffocating just a bit."[15] Houston explained that the inclusion of the parents' stories felt like a distraction, despite the good performances from the cast.[15] However, the critic added that Puberty Blues is not "a failure by any means. It's certainly a handsome piece, from the opening credits to the pitch-perfect interiors."[15]

Ratings

Season No. of Episodes Season
Premiere 		Season
Final 		Peak
Audiencea 		Average
Audiencea
One 8 15 August 2012 3 October 2012 925,000 747,000
Two 9 5 March 2014 7 May 2014 578,000 508,000

The premiere episode debuted to 925,000 viewers and came 9th for the night in its 8:30 timeslot.[16]

Season 1

Episode Title Original airdate Overnight Viewers Consolidated Viewers Nightly Rank
1-01 "Episode 1" 15 August 2012 0.925[16] 1.043[17] 9[16]
1-02 "Episode 2" 22 August 2012 0.843[18] 1.015[19] 12[18]
1-03 "Episode 3" 29 August 2012 0.751[20] 0.899[21] 12[20]
1-04 "Episode 4" 5 September 2012 0.728[22] 0.870[23] 15[22]
1-05 "Episode 5" 12 September 2012 0.673[24] 0.834[25] 15[24]
1-06 "Episode 6" 19 September 2012 0.696[26] 0.857[27] 16[26]
1-07 "Episode 7" 26 September 2012 0.653[28] 0.793[28] 16
1-08 "Episode 8" 3 October 2012 0.707[29] 0.840[29] 16

Season 2

Episode Title Original airdate Overnight Viewers Consolidated Viewers Nightly Rank
2-01 "Episode 9" 5 March 2014 0.538[30] 0.625[31] 17
2-02 "Episode 10" 12 March 2014 0.477[32] 0.590[33] 19
2-03 "Episode 11" 19 March 2014 0.529[34] 0.670[35] 18
2-04 "Episode 12" 26 March 2014 0.517[36] 0.651[37] 17
2-05 "Episode 13" 2 April 2014 0.464[38] 0.588[39] 17
2-06 "Episode 14" 9 April 2014 0.384[40] 0.544[41] 23
2-07 "Episode 15" 16 April 2014 0.556[42] 0.682[43] 14
2-08 "Episode 16" 30 April 2014 0.529[44] 0.674[45] 19
2-09 "Episode 17" 7 May 2014 0.578[46] 0.706[47] 19

Figures are OzTAM Data for the 5 City Metro areas. Overnight – Live broadcast and recordings viewed the same night. Consolidated – Live broadcast and recordings viewed within the following seven days.

Notes

  • a The Average Audience and Peak Audience ratings are based on overnight viewers

References

  1. ^ "Top cast joins Puberty Blues on TEN". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. ^ Knox, David (23 October 2012). ""Smart, different, authentic" underpins TEN in 2013". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  3. ^ Bodey, Michael (18 January 2012). "Holiday from hell debuts at Sundance". The Australian. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Puberty Blues star Claudia Karvan warns show's '70s sexcapades will shock". News.com.au. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Channel Ten's teenage angst series Puberty Blues finishes filming with the TV series to be shown after the Olympic Games". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  6. ^ "Airdate: Puberty Blues". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  7. ^ Schipp, Debbie. "Producer plotting return of Puberty Blues to the screen". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  8. ^ "Puberty Blues will return for a second series! Get ready for more Pluto Pups, Polly Waffles and pashes in 2013 on Channel Ten!". Network Ten. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012 – via Facebook.
  9. ^ Knox, David (8 May 2014). "Where to for Puberty Blues?". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Puberty Blues star spills: 'Season three is coming!'". New Idea. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  11. ^ Team, ELLE. "In Fair Dinkum News, 'Puberty Blues' Might Be Returning for a Third Season". ELLE. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  12. ^ Knox, David (8 August 2012). "Puberty Blues premieres on Facebook". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  13. ^ Graeme Blundell. "Puberty Blues Takes Us Back to the 70s". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  14. ^ Mathieson, Craig (20 September 2012). "Wednesday, September 26". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  15. ^ a b c Houston, Melinda (13 September 2012). "Ups and downs of coming of age". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  16. ^ a b c "Wednesday 15 August 2012". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  17. ^ "Wednesday 15th August 2012". Media Spy. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Wednesday 22 August 2012". TV Tonight. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  19. ^ "Wednesday 22nd August 2012". Media Spy. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  20. ^ a b "Wednesday 29 August 2012 | TV Tonight".
  21. ^ "Wednesday 29th August 2012". Media Spy. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  22. ^ a b "Wednesday 5 September 2012 | TV Tonight".
  23. ^ "Wednesday 5th September 2012". Media Spy. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Wednesday 12 September 2012 | TV Tonight".
  25. ^ "Wednesday 12th September 2012". Media Spy. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Wednesday 19 September 2012 | TV Tonight".
  27. ^ "Wednesday 19th September 2012". Media Spy. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  28. ^ a b "Wednesday 26th September 2012". Media Spy. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  29. ^ a b "Wednesday 3rd October 2012". Media Spy. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  30. ^ "Wednesday 5 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  31. ^ "Timeshifted: Wednesday 5 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  32. ^ "Wednesday 12 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  33. ^ "Timeshifted: Wednesday 12 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  34. ^ "Wednesday 19 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  35. ^ "Timeshifted: Wednesday 19 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  36. ^ "Wednesday 26 March 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  37. ^ "Timeshifted: Wednesday 26 March". TV Tonight. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  38. ^ "Wednesday 2 April 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  39. ^ "Timeshifted: Wednesday 2 April". TV Tonight. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  40. ^ "Three million watch Steve and Chantelle win The Block". BnT. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  41. ^ "Wednesday 9th April 2014". Media Spy. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  42. ^ "Wednesday 16 April 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  43. ^ "Wednesday 16th April 2014". Media Spy. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  44. ^ "Wednesday 30 April 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  45. ^ "Wednesday 30th April 2014". Media Spy. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  46. ^ "Wednesday 7 May 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  47. ^ "Wednesday 7th May 2014". Media Spy. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
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