Do you feel the idea of 'family viewing' has become archaic?
No, but like many genres it undergoes changes and shifts. Reality shows tend to feature prominently with families in shows like The Voice and Australia's Got Talent.  Seven is hoping their new SlideShow will appeal to families and TEN has Reef Doctors at the moment. Light Entertainment and Comedy have become a little overlooked for Reality but it only needs a broad hit for everyone to embrace them again, both viewers and networks.

​

Are there shows that still manage to capture a family audience?
Kids love The Block because they see adults behaving like kids in their off-site challenges. MasterChef reinvented our love of food so much that it triggered Junior MasterChef (with amazing talent!). Nine managed to successfully rebrand Big Brother as pretty family friendly, despite its history. Nobody's really doing Comedy at the moment unless you count some niche ABC shows, but acts like Kath and Kim or Summer Heights High have been huge in broad demographics.

​

Given the success of Reality TV shows such as The Voice, The Block and Masterchef have you noticed a discernible formula that contributes to their successes?
There's a lot of factors that influence a show's success but in Reality TV the Casting is king. Viewers need to connect with the characters and that's why we see so many 'back stories.' But the format has to sustain. The Block has succeeded because of its simplicity, whereas The Renovators was too convoluted in its game play. Programming also impacts on a show depending on the competition and the pre-show marketing.

​

Have you noticed a trend towards a certain type of representation of family, or shift in representation over time in Reality TV, Drama or Sitcom?
Drama has been shifting, thankfully, our definitions of the family. In House Husbands we see gay parenting and it's not even an issue. The Time of Our Lives deals with co-parenting, multiculturalism, and extended families. If we look at the universe of Packed to the Rafters, it's more optimistic than that of Tangle. Puberty Blues reminds us how much family life has changed since the 1970s. In Neighbours you would be hard pressed to find a nuclear family living under the same roof in Ramsay Street. Redfern Now tackles Indigenous Australia, and a sense of local community. TV teaches us that family extends beyond the boxes we tick on the Census form.

​

Do you feel the way producer's imagine their audience and potentially typecast their target audience is a reason for concern?
Producers are making products for various timeslots and broadcasters, so they will all begin with a different agenda. Seven has an older and female-skewed audience. TEN has enjoyed a younger audience. Broadly speaking, network TV has traditionally been too Anglo in its casting, less so on public broadcasters. Reality TV is the exception, because open cattle calls skip casting and network execs. Look at MasterChef, So You Think You Can Dance, Australia's Got Talent -they have been the melting pot of Australian TV. Elsewhere, Seven took a risk with Anh Does Vietnam in a prime Sunday night timeslot and it knocked the ratings for a six - ironically in the same timeslot as the xenophobic Border Security.

​

Do you feel the sense of family represented in shows such as Home and Away and Neighbours is irresponsible considering Australia's multiculturalism?
'Irresponsible' is not the word I would use but they have been slower to embrace a diverse Australia. Neighbours has done a lot to address this in recent years but is probably still tarnished with perceptions of old. It's had an Indian / Sri Lankan family unit and a gay teenager without making them feel like token characters. If anything it is Indigenous Australians who are still lacking on-going prime-time representation. Thank goodness for Redfern Now and NITV.