What is Packed to the Rafters?
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family drama that aired on the Seven Network from 2008 to 2013. It follows the Rafter family of Sydney, whose grown-up children keep moving back home.
Rebecca Gibney and Erik Thomson starred as Julie and Dave Rafter, parents who expect an empty nest but instead find their house full again. Their children, along with Julie's father Ted, played by Michael Caton, crowd into the family home.
The show mixes humour and heartbreak, dealing with marriage, parenting, illness, money troubles and relationships across generations.
Ratings success
Packed to the Rafters was one of the most-watched Australian dramas of its time, regularly drawing more than two million viewers in its early seasons.
It won many Logie Awards, including Most Popular Drama, and Rebecca Gibney and other cast members won acting awards.
The series was set and filmed in Sydney, with the Rafter home located in the suburbs. It launched the careers of actors such as Hugh Sheridan and Jessica Marais, who played the Rafter children Ben and Rachel.
Did You Know?
A sequel series, Back with the Rafters, was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.