In a hodgepodge pile of nostalgic reboots and revivals, Offspring is the one show on this planet that truly needs, no deserves, to return to our screens.
But does that mean it will come back? Maybe not. Not when we, as a society, have the potential to create something new and fresh like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
If you don’t keep up with what the kids are watching these days, I can assure you that is a real series. But, I digress. We’re here to talk about the greatest Australian TV show of all time, starring national treasure Asher Keddie.
It’s hard to imagine a life prior to Offspring. I suppose we were all sitting around watching All Saints? McLeod’s Daughters? Neighbours?
Okay, yeah, Australian television has a lot to offer. But Offspring was to Australian television what maltesers are to popcorn. Magic.
There was Nina Proudman and her obsession with owl-themed things. Dr Patrick Reid with his devilish charm (may he Rest In Peace). Three Proudman siblings so absolutely cuckoo they put the fun in family dysfunction. Two rogue parents to match their rag-tag group of children… or, offspring, if you will.
This show had it all. And I know I’m not the only one obsessed with Offspring all these years later.
When asked about his favourite Aussie TV show of all time, there was just one answer for Heartbreak High heartthrob Thomas Weatherall.
“I’m genuinely a real sucker for Offspring, I’ve watched the whole thing a lot,” he revealed to our sister site TV WEEK.
“When I heard Imogen Banks’ name I fell over and when I met Ash Ricardo I fell over,” he admits of working with the Offspring creator and Offspring star on the set of the Channel Seven series RFDS.
Meanwhile, more than nine thousand of WHO Magazine’s followers were among the mourners on social media last week, when we revealed it had been 10 years since Patrick’s shocking on-screen death. TEN YEARS. And life hasn’t quite been the same since.
Now, on August 15, we celebrate the 13th anniversary of the premiere of one of Australia’s greatest television shows of all time. And what better way to celebrate than to wildly speculate over whether or not the show might, potentially, possibly, a little bit, casually one day come back via reboot?
Scroll through to see what has been revealed about a potential Offspring reboot. That is, when you’re done celebrating this momentous occasion by putting your vintage 2010 owl necklaces out (how many owl references can one article contain? Let’s see. We’re on this journey together).
In a 2021 interview with our sister site Now To Love, Don Hany (AKA Dr Chris Havel) said he was “excited” by the possibility of returning to the role.
“I’d be so up for that, it would be so much fun,” he said. “There are a lot of things that would have to fall into place for something like that to happen but I’d be excited to be a part of it.”
Meanwhile, in 2019 Asher Keddie told WHO Magazine that she didn’t know how she would “feel” or if the show would still be “relevant” for a reboot in five years time.
“I don’t know! I just honestly don’t know the answer to that because in five years’ time I don’t know how I’ll feel or whether it will be material that’s relevant. You know, the world’s changing so fast and our hunger for drama and what we want to see is changing as well,” she told us, when asked if she’d be up for a reboot down the line.
“So I think for me, Offspring was made at a time where we really, really wanted to enjoy a character that was so relatable. And we wanted that comic relief in our drama at that time as well. I think it was just a very timely production and so amazing that it endured for seven seasons. It feels like such a success to me that I’m so proud of.”
Well, I’m no mathematician, but I believe we’ll be coming up on the five year mark in 2024. Somebody get Asher on the line, quick! We’ve got to see how she feels now.
Meanwhile, series creator Imogen once said “Nina collects owls” when describing the doctor’s apartment. That has nothing to do with the reboot potential, I just thought it was a good way to wrap this thing up.
In all seriousness, while an Offspring reboot would be welcomed with open arms – and the world’s most intense bucket of popcorn – it doesn’t appear to be on the cards just yet.
Well, I suppose we’ll always have the perfect, wonderful Proudman family and seven entire seasons of the OG Offspring. And that’s more than good enough.
Offspring Seasons 1-7 are now streaming on Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime Video. Stream it now on Prime Video with a 30-day free trial. Subscribe here.
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