Period dramas are a very popular genre, from the regency stylings of Bridgerton to the Downton Abbey series, which became an incredibly popular franchise, there are always plenty of options. One of the more hidden gems in the genre is the Australian series, A Place to Call Home, which aired for six seasons between 2013 and 2018, and it recently landed on Amazon Prime, and fans who have been tuning in have hailed the series as “compelling” and a “must watch”.

The show aired on three networks during its run, Seven, SoHo and Showcase, and was originally cancelled in 2014, before it received extra funding, allowing it to continue for an extra four seasons. A Place to Call Home is set in rural New South Wales and follows Sarah Adams (Marta Dusseldorp) as she returns to Australia after living in Paris and her clashes with Bligh family matriarch, Elizabeth (Noni Hazlehurst).

The show explored several dramatic storylines over its six seasons, including James Bligh’s (David Berry) struggles with his sexuality during the time. The character marries Olivia (Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood), despite having feelings for her brother, and while she is pregnant undergoes electroconvulsive and aversion therapy in a bid to change his sexuality. In the fifth season, he leaves the show to live with his love interest, William, in France.

Fan reaction

Both fans and critics have been impressed with the series, and its debut seasons holds a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Writing in The Guardian, critic Rebecca Starford opined: “A Place to Call Home actually explores with real sophistication the stuff that resonates powerfully in our national consciousness – a longing for the past, and a longing for home – and that makes for great television.”

Meanwhile, a review in SFGate called the first season “utterly compelling once you’re a few episodes in (there are 13 in all)”. In the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz wrote: “This instantly irresistible saga about the upper-class Blighs begins with a shipboard encounter so stuffed with urgency, intimations of romance, menace and vivid characters radiating a sense of power, it’s clear that wherever this ship heads it’s good to be aboard.”

Two men in grey suits in an episode of A Place to Call Home© Amazon Prime
Fans and critics alike have praised the series

Fans have likewise been impressed with the Australian drama, with one joking: “I am so upset with whoever recommended A Place to Call Home! Finally found it and I can’t stop watching it!! It’s addicting!” while a second added: “OMG THIS IS SO GOOD. IT IS A DRAMA SERIES SET IN S WALES AFTER WW2. I AM WATCHING ON AMAZON, BUT I THINK YOU CAN GET IT OTHER PLACES. IT HAS SIX OR SO SEASONS. I AM ON TWO AND IT JUST GETS BETTER.”

A third penned: “I got this DVD as a gift for my mate’s mum. She loves this kind of stuff and according to her it’s great. Good back story with twists and turns. Judging by how her and her two daughters reacted to it, I’d say if you like that sort of thing, then it’s a must watch,” while a fourth posted: “I can’t understand why the TV companies haven’t made more of A Place to Call Home. It is well written, beautifully acted and the storylines [are] superb.“

Who stars in A Place to Call Home?

The series is led by Marta Dusseldorp who plays Sarah Adams, a woman who converted to Judaism and works at a local hospital near the Bligh family. The actress is known for her action roles, appearing opposite Guy Pearce as Linda Hillier in the Jack Irish series, while also playing the lead role in legal drama, Janet King.

Marta Dusseldorp with an elderly woman in a scene from A Place to Call Home© Amazon Prime
Marta Dusseldorp leads the show’s cast

The matriarch of the Bligh family, Elizabeth, is played by Noni Hazlehurst. The actress has also appeared in Ladies in Black, Bitter & Twisted and Waiting at the Royal. Also joining the cast are Brett Climo (All Saints) as Elizabeth’s son, George, and love interest of Sarah; Craig Hall (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) as Jack Duncan, a doctor at a hospital run by the Bligh family; David Berry (Outlander) as James Bligh, the homosexual son of George Bligh; and Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (Underbelly: Razor) as Olivia Bligh, James’ wife.

Other stars in the series include Abby Earl (The Great Mint Swindle) as Anna Bligh, a rebellious child of the Bligh family; Frankie J. Holden (Home and Away) as local farmer Roy Briggs; Sara Wiseman (Mercy Peak) as Carolyn Bligh, the secret mother of some of the Bligh family; Tim Draxl (Supernova) as Henry Fox, a doctor and love interest for James; Deborah Kennedy (Return to Paradise) as Doris Collins, a local resident known for her love of gossip; and Aaron Pederson (Mystery Road) as Frank Gibbs, an Aboriginal Australian man and war veteran.