8. All Saints
February 1998 October 2009On air: 11 years 8 monthsEpisodes: 494 All Saints Western General Hospital was the titular setting for one of Australia's longest running dramas. Production values were high and the series realistically portrayed countless medical conditions, injuries and medical and surgical procedures. Originally based around the shenanigans and misadventures of the hospital's Ward 17 staff and patients, All Saints was a primetime ratings goldmine for its first five seasons. Over the course of nearly 500 episodes the show underwent two format changes. The first occurred early in the seventh season when Ward 17 was closed down and the majority of its staff were relocated to the Emergency Department. Several new characters were introduced at that time, mostly as existing ED staff. In its final season the format was rejigged again to incorporate an external emergency response unit. The cast featured many well-established Australian actors, while also supporting a whole bunch of unknown talent across the spectrum of main, supporting and guest characters. Judith McGrath, previously best known as Prisoner's Officer Powell and as Bernice Hudson in A Country Practice, played Von Ryan all the way from the first episode to the last, featuring in all but one of the 494 episodes. Lead player Georgie Parker also confirmed her place as one of the nation's favourite actors during eight seasons on All Saints by adding another 'Most Popular Actress' Logie award to the three she'd already won in the 1990s and by winning the coveted 'Most Popular TV Personality' Logie award in 2001 and 2002. All Saints also won a raft of other industry and publicly voted awards between 1999 and 2010.