Ten years ago I came up with the idea of an elderly couple who manage to get their life back, but one by one, their thirty-something-year-old children move in back home and create chaos. I pushed the idea around for ten years to various TV networks and funding bodies. About a couple of years ago I even came close to shooting a pilot. But now that someone has beaten me to getting this story idea to air, I might as well not even bother to ever resurrect the project. The only similarity to my story is the premise, but at least mine had an edge. This was bland TV. Froth with bubbles. In the end I found it to be pretty bland and very predictable (maybe because I knew what was to come because I had the same idea). I might need to watch a few more episodes to allow the characters to grow. But for now, I think it has to try that little bit harder to keep my interest!

Wow channel 7, what the hell happened? All of the female lead role actors are jumping ship faster then I have ever seen for a new soap. Last season went for 6 shows (WTF?), and upon its return this Aug 2011, it seems like it has lost its magic. Are the actors 'over it', because it seems like all the spark has gone flat. Rachael has gone, Mel has gone, Carbo's flat mate has gone (now on Winners and Loosers).I never thought I'd say this, but my hectic time schedule allows for Winners and Loosers these days. I am afraid Packed to the Rafters have had too many false starts. I loved this show so much too. A shame!

Some people rate this show poorly but I think it's great. It revolves around a middle age couple who's mature kids all move back home through different circumstances and the relationship between all of them. It is pretty light but when there are so many dark serious shows and movies around it's nice to see a really nice show based on good old family values. The characters are all well played and after telling my girlfriend this looks like a load of rubbish for 2 weeks I watched an episode and am totally hooked. This is in it's second season and I hope it goes for a few more. Can't wait for the 2nd season to come out in NZ.

Packed To The Rafters is a perfect example of Australia's fantastic television industry. The show is not fake, although it is fictional, it deals with characters, relationships and experiences that everyone can relate to.Packed To The Rafters focuses on the lives of the Rafter family made up of father, Dave (Erik Thomson), mother (Rebecca Gibney), the eldest, Rachel (Jessica Marais), middle child, Ben (Hugh Sheridan) and youngest, Nathan (Angus McLaren). Each episode is narrated by a different family member giving each episode an exciting new take on each characters life. Almost always Packed To The Rafters is full of happiness, joy and laughter. However, darker issues are covered especially when dealing with Rachel and her troubled life and relationships.Packed To The Rafters is a rare show where the viewer is transported into a different family, which is so like their own, dealing with everyday issues that are exciting and often extremely funny.The best show on Australian television since the ABC's hit drama, SeaChange.