3. G.P.
March 1989 December 1996On air: 8 years 9 monthsEpisodes: 318 A refined medical drama from Australia's national broadcaster, G.P. revolved around the small inner-city general practice of Dr Robert Sharp and his uncle. The surgery was established in a grand old terrace house. Interiors were all studio, but exterior shots featured a house in the inner Sydney suburb of Petersham, with other location footage shot in and around the area. When the series started the practice was home to four general practitioners. The majestic old house hosted a handful of other doctors over the years, while the day-to-day business was administered by ever-reliable receptionist Julie Winters. As well as the family members of the various doctors, single mum Julie and her son Michael provided an alternative to the largely medical view of proceedings over more than three hundred episodes. G.P. tackled a variety of medical and social issues. Although it took some time to establish a solid audience, it was recognised with both industry and non-industry awards for its treatment and presentation of the various topics as early as its first year on air. In 1993 Tracie Sammut, an actress with Down's Syndrome, received a special recognition award for her portrayal of the daughter of the husband and wife G.P.s who were then in residence at the practice. It was generally acknowledged that G.P. was of a somewhat higher calibre than many of its commercial network counterparts and, whether as a direct consequence or not, a high calibre of established actors was cast. Though there were continuing storylines that were directly associated with specific characters, the series was predominantly episodic and featured only eight two-part serials during its 317 episodes.