News

21 June 2010

SOUTHERN STAR ANNOUNCES NEW AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA’S LEADING INDEPENDENT DRAMA PRODUCER

Endemol, a world leader in entertainment programming, today announced that its Australian production company Southern Star has entered into a long term contract with awarding-winning, drama producer John Edwards.

Rory Callaghan, CEO of Southern Star said, "I am really pleased that John has decided to extend his partnership with us. He's a creative powerhouse responsible for some of Australia's best serial drama - Rush, Offspring, Tangle and Spirited. John's decision to continue here maintains Southern Star's position as the leading drama producer in the country."

John Edwards' television productions have won 18 Logie Awards, 25 AFI Awards, 4 People's Choice Awards, 8 ASTRA Awards, more than a dozen craft awards within Australia and a number of international awards such as Umbriafiction, 2 New York Festival awards and the only Australian television nominations for the Golden Globe Awards.

John Edwards said, "It's been more years than I like to remember and now 470 something hours of drama, but all of it has been fantastic fun. I can't imagine a place where I'd have such an opportunity to do work that I love." 

Edwards has not only produced domestic drama but is credited with producing and creating both of the only two Australian episodic series ever commissioned for primetime in the UK: Police Rescue (produced with Sandra Levy), for BBC1 and ABC in Australia; and, The Secret Life of Us (produced with Amanda Higgs) for Channel 4 and Network Ten in Australia. 

He produced (with Claudia Karvan) the multi-award winning series Love My Way (Series One and Two) for FOXTEL, with a third series made for Showtime in 2007. He also produced The Surgeon for Network Ten, and Dangerous for FOX8.

 Southern Star was acquired by Endemol Group in July 2009.