NEW YORK, January 12, 2005 – Citing an overwhelmingly positive response from viewers and critics, WE: Women’s Entertainment announced today that it has renewed its all new popular primetime drama series, McLeod’s Daughters, for a second season which will premiere on Saturday, March 19, 2005. The first season finale airs on Saturday, March 5, and its related Fall 2004 promotional campaign generated high visibility for WE, resulting in thousands of fans tuning in every week.
Kim Martin, WE’s recently appointed General Manager stated, “McLeod’s Daughters is a phenomenal match for WE and the viewers who watch our network. The series symbolizes WE’s mission to celebrate women and to give our viewers and fans exactly what they are demanding, quality, original programming that is smart enough for our discerning audience.”
McLeod’s Daughters, WE’s all new primetime drama series, anchors the network’s Saturday night programming lineup. The second season of McLeod’s Daughters will feature more unexpected twists while tension builds between the characters and scandalous secrets are uncovered. To help promote the launch of the second season of McLeod’s Daughters in March, WE will be running all episodes of season 1 on the previous weekend. The schedule will be as follows:
Sat 3/5, 10pm – 11pm Season 1 Finale Premieres
Sat 3/12, 12pm – 11pm Marathon of first half of season 1 episodes
Sun 3/13, 12pm – 11pm Marathon of second half of season 1 episodes
Sat 3/19, 10pm – 11pm Premiere of first episode of season 2
* Since premiering in October 2004, the series has generated positive increases in primetime ratings and HH delivery. Ratings have soared +26% (Oct 04 vs. Dec 04) while HH delivery has increased +26%. To-date, McLeod’s Daughters is currently outpacing WE’s primetime average rating by +9%.
Filmed on a 135-acre ranch near Adelaide, Australia, McLeod’s Daughters has been described as “unlike anything else on American TV” (New York Post) and a ” romantic drama and unabashed about it” (New York Times). It premiered on Australia’s Nine Network in 2001 and is the number one drama in the country. The series has won the Australian Independent Producer of year for 2001 and the South Australia Gold Cinematography Award. The series is a co-production between Millennium Television and Nine Films and Television and is produced with the assistance of the South Australian Film Corporation.
About WE: Women’s Entertainment
WE: Women’s Entertainment is a subsidiary of Rainbow Entertainment Services, which also includes AMC and IFC Companies. WE: Women’s Entertainment features the largest collection of women’s interest films, inspiring original series and topical specials. The network is currently available in over 55 million homes.
* Source: Nielsen Media Research; Saturday 10p telecast averages; 4Q04 (9/27/04-12/26/04).