A Country Practice

Australian soap operas have always been a big TV export for the island continent and A Country Practice was one of those shows that didn’t just do well, it creamed the opposition for the best part of twelve years. Following the lives and loves of the population of a small country town, ACP centered in on the staff of the Wanden Valley Hospital and a nearby vet clinic, meandering through a weekly series of misadventures and issues affecting the nice country folk. Rebecca Rigg, Anne Tenney, Penny Cook, Georgie Parker, Nicole Kidman, Simone Buchanan, Carmen Duncan, Jacqueline McKenzie and the delectable Kym Wilson (who was in Michael Hutchence’s hotel room just hours before the INXS singer met a somewhat shady fate) all had featured roles in the series over the years. Just as Neighbors and Home and Away have done for names like Kylie Minogue, Dani Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia and Radha Mitchell, A Country Practice gave local Australian actors and actresses not just a national stage but an international stage from which to launch their careers. From 1991 to 1994, the show had a mortgage on the Best Actress honors at the Logie Awards (Australia’s Emmy equivalent), sharing the top prize between Georgie Parker and Kym Wilson. You’d be lucky to find anything even close to nudity on this family friendly show but there’s still plenty to be thankful for.