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Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was a major Australian independent television production, distribution, and syndication company. On 26 July 2015, the company was merged with Shine Australia to succeed it as Endemol Shine Australia.


History

The company began in 1972 as Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia), an Australian division of Hanna-Barbera (which was founded by Kevin Weldon). In 1974, the Hamlyn Group's Australian division managed by Kevin Weldon acquired 50% of Hanna-Barbera Australia and appointed Neil Balnaves as managing director. In 1978, James Hardie Industries acquired the Hamlyn Group, and in 1979, Balnaves was promoted to managing director of the entire Hamlyn Group. In 1983, James Hardie Industries and Hanna-Barbera corporate parent Taft Broadcasting reorganised the division as Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd. In 1984, the company established a division in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
known as Southern Star Productions, founded and headed by Buzz Potamkin. Programs produced by this division would be animated at Hanna-Barbera's studios in Sydney, and carried the name Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia. It co-owned CIC Video's Australian video unit called CIC-Taft Video and launched a video label, THG Video, in 1984, then renamed to Taft Video in 1987. In 1987, it made a $42 million bid for Communications and Entertainment Limited, but it never realised. In 1988, Neil Balnaves led an A$11 million management buyout of Taft-Hardie, reorganising the company as Southern Star Group. The home video division was renamed to Southern Star Video in 1989. The Sydney animation facilities were also sold to
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
who turned it into Disney Animation Australia, while the Los Angeles division continued to operate until 1991 when it was sold to Turner Broadcasting System. In January 2000, Endemol formed a joined venture with Southern Star Group called Endemol Southern Star. In April 2004, the company was acquired by Southern Cross Broadcasting and in 2007 by
Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media (communication), media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The ...
. In January 2009, Endemol acquired Southern Star Factual from
Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media (communication), media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The ...
in a transaction worth A$75 million, effective shuttering Endemol Southern Star. Southern Star Productions's founder Buzz Potamkin died from pancreatic cancer on 22 April 2012. On 11 December 2013, Southern Star announced it would rebrand as Endemol Australia, completing the rollout by February 2014. The change was brought about by
Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
, Janeen Faithfull. On 15 November 2016, Mark and Carl Fennessy were appointed joint CEOs of Endemol Australia as well as its parent company, Endemol Shine Australia. Southern Star Group's founder Neil Balnaves died in a boating accident on 21 February 2022. Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia)'s founder Kevin Weldon passed away peacefully 'content to have lived a full, lucky and blessed life', surrounded by family and loved ones, in November 2023.


Programs


Prime-time drama


As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

* '' Deadline'' (1982, TV movie) * '' Return to Eden'' (1983–1986) * '' Remember Me'' (1985, TV movie) * '' The Last Frontier'' (1986, TV miniseries) * '' Shark's Paradise'' (1986, TV movie)


As Southern Star

* '' Party Tricks'' * ''
Offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by sexual reproduction, sexual or asexual reproduction. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny. This can refer to a set of simultaneous offspring ...
'' * '' Return to Eden'' * '' Love My Way'' * '' The Surgeon'' * '' Blue Heelers'' * '' The Secret Life of Us'' * '' Always Greener'' * '' Water Rats'' * '' Marking Time'' * '' Police Rescue'' * '' Murder Call'' * '' Rescue: Special Ops'' * '' Wild Boys'' * '' Rush'' * '' Young Lions'' * '' Blue Murder'' * '' Dangerous'' * '' Out of the Blue'' * '' Fireflies'' * '' Spirited'' * ''
Rain Shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...
'' * '' The Alice'' * '' Tangle'' * '' Puberty Blues'' * '' Bed of Roses'' * '' Big Sky'' * '' Howzat! Kerry Packer's War'' * '' McLeod's Daughters'' (2001–2009) * '' City Homicide'' * '' Echo Point'' * '' The Beautiful Lie'' * '' Cody'' * '' Which Way Home'' * '' Good Vibrations'' * '' Gallipoli'' * '' Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo'' * '' Paper Giants: Magazine Wars'' * '' Children of the Dragon'' * ''
Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...
'' (TV movie) * '' Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War'' * '' Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy'' (TV movie) * '' On the Beach'' (TV movie) * '' Joh's Jury'' (TV movie) * ''Dripping in Chocolate'' * ''Hard Knox'' * '' Do or Die'' * '' Police State'' (TV movie) * '' A Difficult Woman'' * ''
Marshall Law ''Marshall Law'' is an Australian television series, which aired on the Seven Network in 2002, starring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte as lawyers and sisters. History The show was originally conceived as a legal drama mixed with ''Ally McBeal' ...
'' * '' Ring of Scorpio'' * '' Secret Men's Business'' (TV movie)


Comedy

* '' Bad Cop, Bad Cop'' * '' The Bob Morrison Show'' * ''Dayne's World'' * '' Legally Brown'' * '' You Have Been Watching'' * ''Con's Bewdiful Holiday Videos''


Kids & family


Animation outsourced from Hanna-Barbera USA

* '' Wait Till Your Father Gets Home'' (1972–1974) (season 1 and some episodes of seasons 2 & 3) * '' The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' (1973) (season 2) * '' Valley of the Dinosaurs'' (1974) * '' Clue Club'' (1976) * '' The Robonic Stooges'' (1977–1978) * '' Wonder Wheels'' (1977) * '' The All New Popeye Hour'' (1978–1983) * '' The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone'' (1979, TV movie) * '' Casper's Halloween Special'' (1979, TV special) * '' Casper's First Christmas'' (1979, TV special) * '' The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang'' (1980–1981) * '' The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma'' (1981, TV special) * '' Laverne & Shirley in the Army'' (1981–1982) * '' Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour'' (1982–1983) * '' Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper'' (1982, TV special) * '' The Dukes'' (1983) (season 2) * '' Pac-Man'' (1983) (season 2) * '' Pink Panther and Sons'' (1984) * '' Snorks'' (1987) (season 3) * '' Pound Puppies'' (1987) (season 2) * '' Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers'' (1987) * '' Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats'' (1988)


As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

* '' Famous Classic Tales'' (1973–1983) * '' The Toothbrush Family'' (1974) * ''Taggart's Treasure'' (1976) (unsold pilot) * '' The Flintstones: Little Big League'' (1978, TV movie) * '' Dinky Dog'' (1978–1981) * '' Drak Pack'' (1980) * '' The Kwicky Koala Show'' (1981–1982) * '' CBS Storybreak'' (1985–1989) * '' The Berenstain Bears'' (1985–1987) * '' Teen Wolf'' (1986–1987)


As Southern Star

* '' A*mazing'' * '' Foreign Exchange'' * '' The Adventures of Sam'' * '' The Beeps'' * '' Blue Water High'' * '' RAGGS Kids Club Band'' * '' The Sleepover Club'' * '' Tracey McBean'' * ''Cake Business!'' * ''The Missed Christmas Presents'' * '' The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky'' * '' Magic Mountain'' * '' Snobs'' * ''
Bananas in Pyjamas ''Bananas in Pyjamas'' is an Australian children's television series that first aired on 20 July 1992 on ABC. It has since been syndicated in many countries and dubbed into other languages. In the United States, the " Pyjamas" in the title w ...
'' (co-production with ABC) * ''Faireez'' * '' Ketchup: Cats Who Cook'' * '' Time Masters'' * '' Wipeout'' * '' Marvin: Baby of the Year'' (TV special) * '' Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' (TV special) * '' Fox's Peter Pan & the Pirates'' (co-production with TMS Entertainment and Fox Children's Productions, distributed by 20th Television) * ''Mad Scientist'' * '' Hi-5'' (2008–2012) (co-production with
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
) * '' Elly & Jools'' * '' Kangaroo Creek Gang'' * '' Don't Blame The Koalas'' * '' Pig's Breakfast'' * '' In Your Dreams'' * '' Outriders'' * '' Sea Princesses'' * '' Y?'' * '' A gURLs wURLd'' * '' High Flyers'' * '' All for Kids'' * ''Hairy Legs'' * ''Classic Tales'' * ''Sumo Mouse'' * '' Snake Tales'' * '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' * '' Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table'' * '' The Wayne Manifesto'' * '' Gordon the Garden Gnome''


Reality

* '' RPA'' – (1995–2012) * '' Ralph TV'' – (2007) * '' Battlefronts'' – (2008) * '' Monster House'' – (2008) * '' Garden Angels'' – (2009) * '' No Leave, No Life'' – (2009–2012) * '' Beauty and the Geek Australia'' – (2010–2011) * ''Drug Lords'' – (2010) * '' Real Prison Breaks'' – (2010–2011) * '' Strictly Speaking'' – (2010) * '' Undercover Boss Australia'' – (2010–2011) * '' Balls of Steel Australia'' – (2011–2012) * '' Big Brother Australia'' – Network 10 (2001–2008) and
Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
(2012–2014) * '' Don't Tell the Bride'' – (2012) * '' When Love Comes to Town'' – (2014) * '' Mesmerised'' – (2015) * '' Married at First Sight Australia'' – (2015–present) * '' The Hotplate'' – (2015)


Factual & Documentary

* '' Animal Emergency'' * ''Animal Lifeline'' * ''Animals Did It First'' * ''At the Zoo'' * ''Crash Test Mummies & Daddies'' * ''Elephants Empire'' * '' Forensic Investigators'' * '' Last Chance Surgery'' * '' Next Wave'' * '' Saving Africa's Witch Children'' * ''Secret China'' * ''Secret Nature'' * ''Wild China'' * ''Wild Orphans'' * ''Meerkat Manor''


Films

* '' beDevil'' (1993) * '' No Worries'' (1994) * '' The Sum of Us'' (1994) * '' Rough Diamonds'' (1994) * '' The Well'' (1997) * '' Serenades'' (2001)


See also

* List of film production companies * List of television production companies


References

{{Authority control
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
Banijay Hanna-Barbera Australian animation studios Television production companies of Australia Australian companies established in 1972 Mass media companies established in 1972 Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies Australian companies disestablished in 2015 Mass media companies disestablished in 2015 Companies based in Sydney