Packed to the Rafters

While only Lara Bingle and Brynne Edelstein have officially signed on to compete in Dancing with the Stars this year, there are plenty of rumours regarding other celebrity competitors.

The Morning Show’s Larry Emdur is the latest to be linked to the Channel 7 series, after his co-host Kylie Gillies did so in 2009.

Hugh Sheridan from Packed to the Rafters is also among the names continuing to come up as is Rebecca Breeds from Home and Away.

Kate Richie and Terri Irwin are others who have been rumoured to dance.

Source: The Spy Report

8:30pm – Tuesday, March 15 on Seven

- SARAH SNOOK GUEST STARS

This week on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, Nathan doesn’t have much luck getting attention for his Parts Exchange website, so he makes up some flyers to distribute around the town, with Ben’s help – help Ben is all too willing to give when he realises Nathan’s business name “Parts Exchange” reads as “Part Sex Change” when run together as a domain name.

Nathan is bemused when he receives dodgy emails and phone calls and when he finally realises his mistake, is comically furious with Ben for letting him embarrass himself.

Jake risks everything by returning to the scene of the alleged attempted rape to confront Jodi (SARAH SNOOK), hoping he can convince her he is innocent of the charge. Has Jake made the right decision, or will the confrontation land him in more hot water?

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, JAMES STEWART as Jake Barton, RYAN CORR as Coby Jennings and HANNAH MARSHALL as Retta Schembri.

It seems like the season has only just begun, but already we have a mid season finale for Packed to the Rafters tonight (March 15).

Actor Erik Thompson who plays Dave Rafter in the hit series in an interview with Confidential has said he is not too pleased with the break in the season.

“These decisions are out of our hands,”he says. “I don’t like audience members being played around with. They’re such a loyal audience. I don’t know why they’re doing it. As long as the public realises we’re not too happy about it either, I suppose.” Series five starts filming in October.

The break in production, however, will allow the father of two to spend more time with his family as well as a well earned break.

Winners and Losers premieres next Tuesday March 22, at 8.30, while Rafters is off until later in the year.

Source: Confidential

Next Tuesday, March 15, is the season finale of Packed to the Rafters.

In this, the final episode for now, Rachel is presented with an opportunity that could see her leave the Rafters – given that the actress Jessica Marais has indeed left the series, it could be one of her last.

Nathan starts a web site which does not attract the attention he would like – he starts receiving dodgy emails and phone calls. Meanwhile, Jake risks everything by returning to the scene of the alleged rape to confront Jodi.

Packed to the Rafters will return later in 2011.

With Rafters finishing next Tuesday at 8.30pm, that pretty well all but guarantees that new drama – from the same people that make Packed to the Rafters – Winners and Losers will premiere Tuesday March 22, at 8.30pm.

With less than two weeks to go, Seven are promoting the new show more than ever.

8:30pm – Tuesday, March 8 on Seven

- MARTIN LYNES AND MERRIDY EASTMAN GUEST STAR

This week on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, Nathan examines what it means to be free as he receives potentially upsetting news – his divorce from Sammy is final.

The Rafter family have all witnessed Nathan’s heartbreak over the end of the marriage and there is reasonable concern that Nathan could suffer an emotional setback over this. However Nathan takes this potential hurdle and turns it into a springboard for a new and better tomorrow. He successfully packs up the remnants of his time with Sammy, cuts himself free from some family ties, and launches himself into a new business, a new attitude, a new future.

Jake and Rachel have been skirting around each other for days, both of them unsure how to bridge the divide that’s grown between them. Finally they reach out to each other and reaffirm their love, but secretly both of them are afraid love might not be enough.

Coby is also grappling with the issue of freedom as the day of his sentencing hearing arrives. Having promised to vouch for Coby in court, Dave is initially casually confident that the kid will get a slap on the wrists and that will be the end of it. Julie unwittingly rocks Dave’s confidence and he becomes genuinely worried that Coby could be locked up. Can Dave overcome his fear and make a real difference in Coby’s life?

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, JAMES STEWART as Jake Barton, RYAN CORR as Coby Jennings and HANNAH MARSHALL as Retta Schembri.

Could Seven’s new local drama Winners and Losers premiere in Packed to the Rafter’s timeslot?

In seven’s advanced program guide for week 13 – commencing Sunday March 20, 8.30pm Tuesday March 22 – where you would expect to see packed to the Rafters listed – is listed as TBA.

Given that Seven are ramping up promotion for Winners and Losers, it is likely the show will premiere sooner, rather than later.

One possible timeslot is Mondays at 8.30pm – once Conviction Kitchen concludes. As there are 6 episodes in the series of Conviction Kitchen, that would mean an April 4 premiere, the week after the final Conviction Kitchen airs Monday March 28.

But to air the drama sooner – it is possible that Seven may use 8.30 Tuesday March 22 - the time when the highest number of people are tuned into Seven - to launch the new drama, giving Packed to the Rafters a week or even two weeks off. This would have the effect of exposing as many people as possible to Winners and Losers without disrupting their routine too much.

Then, another episode could air the following Tuesday, before moving to Mondays 8.30 from April 4. Rafters does that well, that time off will not hurt it – if anything, a few weeks off will mean a later finish for the series this year and prolong its weekly ratings dominance.

Whether this theory of the Tuesday March 22 premiere of Winners and Losers plays out or not, is to be seen. But there certainly is some merit to the idea.

Another possible theory is that Rafters is rested while Winners and Losers remains at 8.30pm Tuesdays, with Rafters taking over the timeslot again when Winners and Losers concludes. With how successful Seven have been so far in 2011, they may chose not to air both dramas at once.

8:30pm – Tuesday, March 1 on Seven

- MARTIN LYNES AND ANNETTE SHUN WAH GUEST STAR

This week on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, the aftermath of Jake’s ill-fated rugby weekend is fully felt as Julie realises how much perception and misperception can affect the lives of her family and friends.

Rachel is determined to support Jake in light of his charges of attempted sexual assault – if only he’d let her. Jake has gone to ground, reeling from the momentary doubt he felt he saw in Rachel’s eyes. And when Rachel forces him to talk to her, assuring him of her love and belief, it’s clear that Rachel, unlike resigned Jake, is unlikely to wait patiently for a court to reach its verdict. When it comes to light that it is in fact Camel (guest star DIARMID HEIDENREICH) who is truly to blame – not only for the charges but also for not sticking up for Jake – a furious Rachel goes to confront him. But is she only making the situation worse for Jake?

Rachel’s woes are compounded when her boss, Paul Morgan (guest star MARTIN LYNES) tells her he expects her to deliver a contract signed by Coby as the main artist for their new alcopop campaign. However, Coby can’t be shaken from his perception that Rachel showing his work without permission is an unforgivable betrayal of trust. Paul makes it clear that the client won’t take no for an answer. With a major campaign and now her job on the line, can Rachel convince Coby to change his mind?

Ted meanwhile reveals to Julie that he’s developed a crush on a beautiful Chinese woman, Mai (guest star ANNETTE SHUN WAH) who teaches Tai Chi in the park every morning. Feeling simultaneously like an old fool and a teenage boy, his attraction to her has been fuelled by her daily smile and wave to him. But when he reveals he’s been learning Cantonese in an attempt to forge a connection with Mai, we see how powerful his crush is. Will Mai respond to Ted’s advances, or has he set himself up for a fall?

When Julie bites the “child care” bullet and goes to check the place out before enrolling Ruby, she is surprised to find Hamish (guest star TORQUIL NEILSON) at the centre. His son Jack has been enrolled five days a week since Hamish’s marriage broke up. Despite the awkwardness of their last meeting, Julie’s heart goes out to him as he reveals he has lost his custody case thanks to a judge whose perception of the world is that children belong with their mothers. Overwhelmed by the unfairness of life towards good men – Ted, Jake, Hamish – Julie can’t help but feel that sometimes, despite your best intentions, you can’t change people’s perceptions.

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, JAMES STEWART as Jake Barton, RYAN CORR as Coby Jennings and HANNAH MARSHALL as Retta Schembri.

8:30pm – Tuesday, February 22 on Seven

- DINA PANOZZO AND MARTIN LYNES GUEST STAR

This week on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, Rachel wrestles with the potentially relationship-wrecking pitfalls of getting everything you want – particularly when truth is number one on the wish-list…

Guilt-ridden about invading Coby’s private garage space, Rachel compounds her sin by inadvertently offering his artwork as part of an advertising campaign. Under the pump from pushy boss Paul (MARTIN LYNES), Rachel is forced to admit to Coby the truth – she’s seen his art. Feeling betrayed, Coby immediately sets about destroying it as Rachel understands how deeply she’s hurt him. Hiding his hurt behind forced party-mode, Coby organises an impromptu birthday bash for himself, inviting the Rafter regulars and his bogan mates from Coolong and generally regressing all around. But Rachel suspects Coby’s act is actually a mask for his pain. Will she ever be able to regain his trust again?

Rachel’s also having honesty issues with Jake, who’s being vague about his reasons for quitting rugby. Things come to a head at Coby’s party, when the police come to take Jake away for questioning. Upon his return, Jake reveals he’s been charged with attempted sexual assault, strongly asserting his innocence. Rachel is reeling. Why would Jake have kept the dramatic events of his rugby weekend a secret so long? And how can their relationship survive such a grievous breach of trust?

Meanwhile, Carbo and Retta continue to suffer as Rita (DINA PANOZZO) descends further into loneliness, driving her neighbours mad with dirge-like Greek folk music. Nathan can’t bear it, spending the majority of his time complaining to Dave and Julie about his living conditions. At wit’s end, Retta turns to Julie for advice, unwittingly sending Rita on a brief foray into the world of internet dating – much to Carbo’s horror. Eventually a heart to heart with Julie helps Rita move beyond her impasse and relative peace returns to the Karandonis house.

A vacancy at the local child care centre sends Ruby’s baby-sitters Ben and Ted into a spin, and they become locked in a comic competition to prove their baby-sitting worth. Julie’s torn, and Dave reminds his wife she’s always wanted more time on their hands – but is this another case of being ‘careful what you wish for…’?

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, JAMES STEWART as Jake Barton, RYAN CORR as Coby Jennings and HANNAH MARSHALL as Retta Schembri.

8:30pm – Tuesday, February 15 on Seven

This week on PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, it’s a time for new beginnings as Dave learns the truth about underlying tensions between Ben and the recently returned Nathan and urges his sons to start afresh.

As Council Clean-Up Days looms Dave gets the clean-out bug, chucking stuff out from the big and small sheds. He’s distracted, however, by Nathan’s return from the big road trip. Dave soon picks up on an underlying tension between Nathan and Ben, although neither brother is willing to admit to it. Nathan and Ben have a private talk, alluding to serious issues that took place on the road trip. Ben assures him he’s a changed man since he came home and Nathan wants to believe him. But when Dave presses Ben for more information, a defensive Ben nearly steps into the path of an oncoming car. What happened on the road trip and why has it affected both brothers so badly?

Jake and Coby head off for a rugby weekend and Rachel is left to enjoy the house alone. She can’t help herself and launches into a major rearrangement of furniture to suit her taste. But when she finds the key to Coby’s garage, her curiosity gets the better of her and taking a peek inside, is shocked by what she finds there. What is Coby hiding and will he be able to forgive Rachel for violating his privacy?

Carbo meanwhile, is playing the supportive son as Rita, still shaken by her marriage breakup, puts Carbo and Retta to work tossing out all of Theo’s possessions. She rallies for a short time, hoping Theo might come back to her, and asks Carbo and Retta to bring Theo’s belongings back in again. But when, in a fit of sudden rage, she demands everything be tossed out once more, a physically and emotionally exhausted Carbo decides enough is enough – he’s got to put his foot down and call an end to Rita’s to-ing and fro-ing. But how?

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS stars REBECCA GIBNEY as Julie Rafter, ERIK THOMSON as Dave Rafter, MICHAEL CATON as Ted Taylor, JESSICA MARAIS as Rachel Rafter, HUGH SHERIDAN as Ben Rafter, ANGUS McLAREN as Nathan Rafter, GEORGE HOUVARDAS as Nick ‘Carbo’ Karandonis, JAMES STEWART as Jake Barton, RYAN CORR as Coby Jennings and HANNAH MARSHALL as Retta Schembri.

Another of the Packed to the Rafters women has decided to up sticks and move to Hollywood to attempt to snare the elusive career in the US.

Jessica Marais, who plays the eldest of the Rafters siblings Rachel, will depart the Seven series this season after shooting her final scene last Monday.

Marais has headed to the US in the hopes of securing work during the pilot season in the US, when networks are on the hunt for new talent.

The 25-year-old will be seen on Rafters until at least June this year, when the storyline will explain her departure.

However producers have ruled out a death as they want to keep the door open in case she returns at some point.

“After four seasons, Jess is taking a break from Rafters to explore some other acting opportunities,” a Seven spokesman told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. “Creatively, it’s great to stretch and grow as an actor.

“She has Seven’s full support and will always be a part of the Rafter and Seven family.”

The news comes less than a week after former Neighbours actress Margot Robbie landed herself a major role in a new US pilot.

Source: News.com.au