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| Southern Star Entertainment | |
|---|---|
| Name | Southern Star Entertainment |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Steve Vizard |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
| Products | Television drama, comedy, children's programming, telemovies |
| Parent | Endemol Shine Group (former), Banijay (current) |
Southern Star Entertainment is an Australian television production company known for producing drama, comedy, and children's programs for domestic and international broadcasters. It has been associated with major broadcasters and distributors including Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Nine Network (Australia), Network 10, Seven Network, ABC Kids and global companies such as Banijay, Endemol Shine Group, Fremantle (company), and BBC Studios. The company has developed series that engaged with creators, talent and institutions across the Australian film industry, British television, and American television markets.
Founded in 1987 by entrepreneur Steve Vizard and a team of producers and executives, the company emerged during a period of expansion for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and commercial networks like Nine Network (Australia) and Seven Network. Early projects involved collaborations with creators from Gunn Films-era teams and attracted talent associated with institutions such as the Australian Film Commission and the Australian Writers' Guild. Through the 1990s the company expanded its slate to include telemovies, serial drama and children’s series that aired on networks including Network 10 and cable channels like ABC Kids. Strategic alliances with international distributors such as All3Media and Endemol led to co-productions and format sales to markets including the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region. Corporate shifts in the 2000s saw acquisitions and mergers that connected the company to global groups including Endemol Shine Group and later Banijay, reflecting consolidation trends in the television production sector.
The company operated as an independent production house before entering acquisition arrangements with larger media conglomerates. Ownership transitions involved transactions with entities linked to Endemol Shine Group, and later became part of the portfolio of Banijay following sector consolidation. Executive leadership has included figures who previously worked at organizations such as Southern Cross Austereo, Foxtel, Seven West Media and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Board members and investors have had affiliations with companies like Village Roadshow, Screen Australia, MediaWorks New Zealand and private equity firms that participate in media deals.
Southern Star produced a range of genres: serial drama, telemovies, situation comedies, factual-entertainment and children’s programming. Notable collaborations involved writers and directors associated with Baz Luhrmann-era crews, performers who worked with ACMI, and producers with credits on series aired by ABC (Australian TV network), SBS (Australian TV channel), and commercial networks such as Nine Network (Australia). The company’s programs were often commissioned by public broadcasters and commercial networks, securing talent who had worked on projects with Rolf Harris-era Australian television personalities, veterans from Play School (Australian TV series), and screenwriters affiliated with the Australian Writers' Guild. Co-production partners and creatives included production houses linked to Granada Television, Scott Free Productions, and independent Australian producers who later collaborated with Screen NSW and Screen Victoria.
International distribution relationships connected the company to global distributors like BBC Studios, All3Media, Endemol Shine Group, and later Banijay which enabled format sales and international broadcasts across the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, India, and New Zealand. The company engaged in co-productions leveraging treaties such as those between Australia and the United Kingdom and worked with regional broadcasters including TVNZ, Channel 4, and ITV (TV network). Licensing agreements placed series on streaming platforms and broadcasters, aligning with digital players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and regional services like Stan (streaming service) and TENplay.
Senior executives and creative leaders have included founders and producers who had prior roles at organizations such as GTV-9, HSV-7, ABC (Australian TV network), and independent companies that later joined larger groups like Endemol Shine Group. Creative heads have collaborated with directors, showrunners and writers who worked on productions tied to Australian Screen Directors Association members and actors represented by agencies connected to Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists-affiliated talent when projects crossed into the United States market.
The company’s productions received nominations and awards at institutions including the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, the Logie Awards, and international festivals such as the Monte-Carlo Television Festival and the Banff World Media Festival. Series and telemovies earned recognition from professional bodies like the Australian Screen Editors and the Writers Guild of Australia for craft categories, and competed in international distribution markets alongside programs from Fremantle (company), Warner Bros. Television Studios, and Sony Pictures Television.
Throughout its history, the company faced industry scrutiny common to production houses involved in mergers and acquisitions, with debates involving trade unions such as the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance and questions raised by funding bodies including Screen Australia and state agencies like Screen NSW about commissioning practices. Criticism at times touched on labor conditions, crediting disputes involving writers and directors represented by the Australian Writers' Guild, and tensions that arise during integration into multinational groups such as Endemol Shine Group and Banijay.
Category:Television production companies of Australia Category:Companies established in 1987