TV Week
March 14th 1998
Home-grown Pacific Drive every bit as good as Melrose says one of its stars.
IT’S been panned by critics and its stars would rather forget they were ever in it, but home-grown raunchy soap Pacific Drive is gradually winning itself an army of fans.
While production has ceased, and financial backers have pulled out, the Nine Network is still screening fresh episodes of the adult drama.
And you can be sure that Australia’s answer to Melrose Place is still sizzling along with ample doses of sun, surf and sex, earning itself cult status among late-night viewers.
It’s the over-the-top storylines that make it such addictive viewing. Yet mainstream audiences have yet to be convinced.
As Erik Thomson, who plays seafaring gigolo Brett Barrett, says: “The show copped heaps, even before it aired. But if you can name a soap in Australia that didn’t…” According to many of the people involved in making Pacific Drive, its original late screening time was to blame for poor ratings. Also the show was planned with an international audience in mind, which may have alienated some soap watchers at home.
“There are elements in Pacific Drive that Aussies will look at differently from overseas audiences,” Erik says.
“I honestly don’t believe that Melrose Place is in any way superior to Pacific Drive. There’s still a cultural cringe here.” Sadly, there are no current plans to resume filming, but there are enough unscreened episodes to keep this soap frothing for a while yet!
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