Endemol Australia


Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was a major Australian independent television production, distribution, and syndication company. On 26 July 2015, the company was merged with Shine Australia to succeed it as Endemol Shine Australia.

History

The company began in 1972 as Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd, an Australian division of Hanna-Barbera. In 1974, the Hamlyn Group's Australian division managed by Kevin Weldon acquired 50% of Hanna-Barbera Australia and appointed Neil Balnaves as managing director. In 1978, James Hardie Industries acquired the Hamlyn Group, and in 1979, Balnaves was promoted to managing director of the entire Hamlyn Group.
In 1983, James Hardie Industries and Hanna-Barbera corporate parent Taft Broadcasting reorganised the division as Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd. In 1984, the company established a division in Los Angeles known as Southern Star Productions, founded and headed by Buzz Potamkin. Programs produced by this division would be animated at Hanna-Barbera's studios in Sydney, and carried the name Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia. It co-owned CIC Video's Australian video unit called CIC-Taft Video and launched a video label, THG Video, in 1984, then renamed to Taft Video in 1987. In 1987, it made a $42 million bid for Communications and Entertainment Limited, but it never realised.
In 1988, Neil Balnaves led an A$11 million management buyout of Taft-Hardie, reorganising the company as Southern Star Group. The home video division was renamed to Southern Star Video in 1989. The Sydney animation facilities were also sold to The Walt Disney Company who turned it into Disney Animation Australia, while the Los Angeles division continued to operate until 1991 when it was sold to Turner Broadcasting System.
In January 2000, Endemol formed a joined venture with Southern Star Group called Endemol Southern Star.
In April 2004, the company was acquired by Southern Cross Broadcasting and in 2007 by Fairfax Media.
In August 2008, Southern Star Group had sold its 75% majority stake in London-based British drama production indie Carnival Films to American entertainment congolomate NBCUniversal and had it placed into its international production division NBCUniversal International Television Production with Southern Star Group also sold its distribution rights to Carnival's productions to the latter.
In January 2009, Endemol acquired Southern Star Factual from Fairfax Media in a transaction worth A$75 million, effective shuttering Endemol Southern Star.
Southern Star Productions's founder Buzz Potamkin died from pancreatic cancer on 22 April 2012.
On 11 December 2013, Southern Star announced it would rebrand as Endemol Australia, completing the rollout by February 2014. The change was brought about by Chief Executive Officer, Janeen Faithfull.
On 15 November 2016, Mark and Carl Fennessy were appointed joint CEOs of Endemol Australia as well as its parent company, Endemol Shine Australia.
Southern Star Group's founder Neil Balnaves died in a boating accident on 21 February 2022.
Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd 's founder Kevin Weldon died peacefully 'content to have lived a full, lucky and blessed life', surrounded by family and loved ones, in November 2023.

Programs

Prime-time drama

As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

Deadline Return to Eden Remember Me The Last Frontier

As Southern Star

Party TricksOffspringReturn to EdenLove My WayThe SurgeonBlue HeelersThe [Secret Life of Us]Always GreenerWater RatsMarking TimePolice RescueMurder CallRescue: Special OpsWild BoysRushYoung LionsBlue MurderDangerousOut of the BlueFirefliesSpiritedRain ShadowThe AliceTanglePuberty BluesBed of RosesBig SkyHowzat! Kerry Packer's WarMcLeod's Daughters City HomicideEcho PointThe Beautiful LieCodyWhich Way HomeGood VibrationsGallipoliPaper Giants: The Birth of CleoPaper Giants: Magazine WarsChildren of the DragonBeaconsfield Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch WarPolice Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy On the Beach Joh's Jury Dripping in ChocolateHard KnoxDo or DiePolice State A Difficult WomanMarshall LawRing of Scorpio

Comedy

Bad Cop, Bad CopThe Bob Morrison ShowDayne's WorldLegally BrownYou Have Been Watching

Kids & family

Animation outsourced from Hanna-Barbera USA

Wait Till Your Father Gets Home The New Scooby-Doo Movies Valley of the Dinosaurs Clue Club The Robonic Stooges Wonder Wheels The All New Popeye Hour The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone Casper's Halloween Special Casper's First Christmas The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma Laverne & Shirley in the Army Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper The Dukes Pac-Man Pink Panther and Sons Snorks Pound Puppies Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers

As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

Famous Classic Tales The Toothbrush Family Taggart's Treasure The Flintstones: Little Big League Dinky Dog Drak Pack The Kwicky Koala Show CBS Storybreak The Berenstain Bears

As Southern Star

A*mazingForeign ExchangeThe Adventures of SamThe BeepsBlue Water HighRAGGS Kids Club BandThe Sleepover ClubTracey McBeanCake Business!The Missed Christmas PresentsThe Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and [His Best Friend Corky]Magic MountainSnobsBananas in Pyjamas FaireezKetchup: Cats Who CookTime MastersWipeoutMarvin: Baby of the Year Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue Fox's Peter Pan & the Pirates Mad ScientistHi-5 Elly & JoolsKangaroo Creek GangDon't Blame The KoalasPig's BreakfastIn Your DreamsOutridersSea PrincessesY?A gURLs wURLdHigh FlyersAll for KidsHairy LegsClassic TalesSumo MouseSnake TalesSkippy the Bush KangarooArthur! and the Square [Knights of the Round Table]The Wayne Manifesto

Reality

RPA – Ralph TV – Battlefronts – Monster House – Garden Angels – No Leave, No Life – Beauty and the Geek Australia – Drug Lords – Real Prison Breaks – Strictly Speaking – Undercover Boss Australia – Balls of Steel Australia – Big Brother Australia – Network 10 and Nine Network Don't Tell the Bride – When Love Comes to Town – Mesmerised – Married [at First Sight (Australian TV series)|Married at First Sight Australia] – The Hotplate –

Factual & Documentary

Animal EmergencyAnimal LifelineAnimals Did It FirstAt the ZooCrash Test Mummies & DaddiesElephants EmpireForensic InvestigatorsLast Chance SurgeryNext WaveSaving Africa's Witch ChildrenSecret ChinaSecret NatureWild ChinaWild Orphans

Films

beDevil No Worries The [Sum of Us (film)|The Sum of Us] Rough Diamonds The Well