A Country Practice was one of Australia’s biggest ever soap operas, airing more than 1,000 episodes that captivated millions of fans each week.
Originally running between 1981 and 1993, the show told the story of those living in the fictional town of Wandin Valley and featured some of the country’s biggest stars including Georgie Parker as Lucy Gardner, Helen Scott as Marta Kurtesz, Grant Dodwell as Dr Simon Bowen and Brett Climo as Michael Langley. Of course, there were plenty of others that went on to star in movies and other successful TV series, not to mention the array of Logie Awards the show won during its 13-year run.
Most fans recall the tragic moment Molly (played by Anne Tenney) died on the show and for years, there have been calls for A Country Practice to return to screens. With iconic Aussie drama SeaChange confirmed to return in the new year and a number of overseas shows including Will and Grace and Dynasty captivating audiences years after their original run ended, fans are asking when A Country Practice will make a comeback.
Speaking to Starts at 60, Georgie Parker confirmed she had heard rumours the show was returning and spoke candidly about whether she would want to play Lucy again.
“I was very connected to All Saints and A Country Practice and the idea of revisiting these characters is extremely tempting, however, I think it is also really important to keep moving forward with drama,” she said. “I think it is important to come up with new and fresh ideas, but I think from a sales point of view, it is very reassuring to the network and to investors because they know that they have already got a built-in audience.”
At the height of its popularity, A Country Practice could easily pull more than 10 million viewers a week and aired in more than 48 countries around the world including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and even Kenya.
For Georgie, who now appears as Roo Stewart in Home and Away, she said she wouldn’t say no to appearing as Lucy in a reboot of A Country Practice if she was asked.
“I totally understand it and if they wanted me to make an appearance as Lucy, I’d do it but at the same time I think it’s really important to keep investing in new drama and new ideas because the way we look at ourselves has changed a lot since those days and the face of Australia has changed a lot,” she said. “But would I want to do it? Yes!”
The 53-year-old also teased what fans could expect from Roo as the dramatic season finale of Home and Away creeps closer for another year.
“There’s some really interesting personal stuff with Dad (Alf Stewart played by Ray Meagher) on the home front – the audience will love it,” the former All Saints star said. “As well, she keeps teaching and mixes in with the younger cast members of the Bay, which is fun!”
She also hinted that this year’s cliff-hanger is one not to be missed.
“It’s always exciting and one of those ones that you can’t miss because it changes the lives of people in the Bay,” she warned.
In addition to being one of Australia’s most loved actresses, Georgie is also taking on the Activia challenge to improve her gut health.
“I’m involved in this campaign because I want to show women how easy it is to get on top of digestive issues, so they can regain some control and start to feel good which will help them feel more confident,” the Logie winner said.