Starting Out
 |
| Starting Out | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Soap Opera |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 85 |
| Production | |
| Production company | Reg Grundy Organisation |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nine Network |
| Release | 18 April 1983 – 1983 |
Starting Out is an Australian television soap opera made for the Nine Network by the Reg Grundy Organisation in 1983.
Background
The five-night-a-week series was created by Reg Watson as the network's replacement for The Young Doctors. It was produced by Sue Masters who had also been the producer of The Young Doctors. It was set at a medical college with an emphasis on young people getting their first experience of living away from home and leading independent lives. Starting Out debuted 18 April 1983 and aired in an early evening slot before the network's news service.[1]
Cast
The youthful cast included:
- Leander Brett - Aggie Dean
- Antoinette Byron - Laurel Adams
- David Clencie - Ben
- Nikki Coghill - Margot Fallon-Smith
- Tottie Goldsmith - Trixie Sheldon
- Rowena Mohr - Michelle Rivers
- Julie Nihill - Tessa Staples
- Peter O'Brien - Craig Holt
- David Reyne - Paul Harding
- Yves Stenning - Will Brodie
- Gary Sweet - Rod Turner
- Paul Williams - Peter Nolan
The more experienced cast members complementing the young leads included:
- Maurie Fields - Mac Rankin
- Suzy Gashler - Yvonne Rivers
- Caroline Gillmer - Eleannor Harris
- John Grant - Dr. Greg Munro
- Jill Forster - Dr. Judith Holt
- John Hamblin - Dr. James Holt
- Gerard Maguire - Dr. John Rivers
- Anne Phelan - Mrs. De Soosa
- Marie Redshaw - Mrs. Lynch
- Colin Vancao - Russell Dean
Cancellation
The series failed to gain sufficient ratings and was quickly cancelled and removed from the schedules by 20 May 1983. Some of the unaired episodes were screened sporadically out-of-ratings in late 1983. Not until a late night repeat run several years after production did all of the 85 produced episodes go to air.[1]