# 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 (Australia), an Australian division of Hanna-Barbera (which was founded by Kevin Weldon). 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 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 (Australia)'s founder Kevin Weldon passed away 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 (1982, TV movie)
* Return to Eden (1983–1986)
* Remember Me (1985, TV movie)
* The Last Frontier (1986, TV miniseries)
* Shark's Paradise (1986, TV movie)

#### As Southern Star

* Party Tricks
* Offspring
* Return to Eden
* Love My Way
* The Surgeon
* Blue Heelers
* The Secret Life of Us
* Always Greener
* Water Rats
* Marking Time
* Police Rescue
* Murder Call
* Rescue: Special Ops
* Wild Boys
* Rush
* Young Lions
* Blue Murder
* Dangerous
* Out of the Blue
* Fireflies
* Spirited
* Rain Shadow
* The Alice
* Tangle
* Puberty Blues
* Bed of Roses
* Big Sky
* Howzat! Kerry Packer's War
* McLeod's Daughters (2001–2009)
* City Homicide
* Echo Point
* The Beautiful Lie
* Cody
* Which Way Home
* Good Vibrations
* Gallipoli
* Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo
* Paper Giants: Magazine Wars
* Children of the Dragon
* Beaconsfield (TV movie)
* Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War
* Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy (TV movie)
* On the Beach (TV movie)
* Joh's Jury (TV movie)
* Dripping in Chocolate
* Hard Knox
* Do or Die
* Police State (TV movie)
* A Difficult Woman
* Marshall Law
* Ring of Scorpio
* Secret Men's Business (TV movie)

### Comedy

* Bad Cop, Bad Cop
* The Bob Morrison Show
* Dayne's World
* Legally Brown
* You Have Been Watching
* Con's Bewdiful Holiday Videos

### Kids & family
#### Animation outsourced from Hanna-Barbera USA

* Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972–1974) (season 1 and some episodes of seasons 2 & 3)
* The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1973) (season 2)
* Valley of the Dinosaurs (1974)
* Clue Club (1976)
* The Robonic Stooges (1977–1978)
* Wonder Wheels (1977)
* The All New Popeye Hour (1978–1983)
* The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979, TV movie)
* Casper's Halloween Special (1979, TV special)
* Casper's First Christmas (1979, TV special)
* The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (1980–1981)
* The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma (1981, TV special)
* Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981–1982)
* Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982–1983)
* Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper (1982, TV special)
* The Dukes (1983) (season 2)
* Pac-Man (1983) (season 2)
* Pink Panther and Sons (1984)
* Snorks (1987) (season 3)
* Pound Puppies (1987) (season 2)
* Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987)
* Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats (1988)

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

* Famous Classic Tales (1973–1983)
* The Toothbrush Family (1974)
* Taggart's Treasure (1976) (unsold pilot)
* The Flintstones: Little Big League (1978, TV movie)
* Dinky Dog (1978–1981)
* Drak Pack (1980)
* The Kwicky Koala Show (1981–1982)
* CBS Storybreak (1985–1989) (co-production with CBS Entertainment Productions)
* The Berenstain Bears (1985–1987)
* Teen Wolf (1986–1987) (co-production with Clubhouse Pictures in Season 1 and Atlantic/Kushner-Locke in Season 2)

#### As Southern Star

* A*mazing
* Foreign Exchange
* The Adventures of Sam
* The Beeps
* Blue Water High
* RAGGS Kids Club Band
* The Sleepover Club
* Tracey McBean
* Cake Business!
* The Missed Christmas Presents
* The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky
* Magic Mountain
* Snobs
* Bananas in Pyjamas (co-production with ABC)
* Faireez
* Ketchup: Cats Who Cook
* Time Masters
* Wipeout
* Marvin: Baby of the Year (TV special)
* Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (TV special)
* Fox's Peter Pan & the Pirates (co-production with TMS Entertainment and Fox Children's Productions, distributed by 20th Television)
* Mad Scientist
* Hi-5 (2008–2012) (co-production with Nine Network)
* Elly & Jools
* Kangaroo Creek Gang
* Don't Blame The Koalas
* Pig's Breakfast
* In Your Dreams
* Outriders
* Sea Princesses
* Y?
* A gURLs wURLd
* High Flyers
* All for Kids
* Hairy Legs
* Classic Tales
* Sumo Mouse
* Snake Tales
* Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
* Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table
* The Wayne Manifesto
* Gordon the Garden Gnome

## Films

* beDevil (1993)
* No Worries (1994)
* The Sum of Us (1994)
* Rough Diamonds (1994)
* The Well (1997)
* Serenades (2001)