Wanted down under is back on!

And as silly as ever.....

I'm glad we didn't agree to sign up to that show. We were approached but it didn't fit in with our timeline of getting to Australia. Can't say I've watched any of the series.

Just a reminder when discussing the show's participants that they may very well be members of the forum. Cal (moderator) was the very first family and has even done a re-visited show.

I quite watching it. Just to see scenery of Australia, the different houses etc

I've always watched it and the new one 'new life in oz'. Can I ask out of curiosity why people don't like it? Is it not realistic?

The show can be entertaining, sometimes.

B

I've always watched it and the new one 'new life in oz'. Can I ask out of curiosity why people don't like it? Is it not realistic?

They often have people on who would struggle to get a permanent visa, or have a dependent who would. To me it is a bit cruel to give them false hope.

It is a great opportunity for many people who would not otherwise get a chance to afford a reccie visit.

Unfortunately the participants sometimes seem to be clutching at false hope when all of the employment and financial evidence seems to be telling them to stay put.

You also see a lot of relationships where one person is very invested in the move and the other is quite resistant to the idea. It seems there is a lot of heartache behind the scenes for our entertainment.

I like it just for the scenery. Perth was on it the other day so it was nice for me to see it again. The couple in that episode were really nice. I still haven't watched cake episode even though I moaned years ago I wanted the link!

I've revised my opinion. I remember being particularly scathing about the weeping relatives on the messages bit of the show, which I'm a bit ashamed of now, because even though they were going to see the travelers very soon after making the film, for many it was their first realization of how much they would miss that person. I can never resist watching it though ... I like to see the mansions people can buy in some areas for the cost of a one bed flat in Sydney.

We came very close to being on the show for what would have been the 2013 series.

It is what it is, it is daytime TV and is an enjoyable little look at Australia for those in the UK sat at home on a winter's day/evening. Some of the reactions are over the top, they are moving to Australia, not Mars but even so, the reactions are real. In fairness there does seem to have been a reasonably large percentage of participants that have ultimately made the move to either Australia or New Zealand so it isn't all bad.

It does make us laugh with some though who wouldn't have the funds to move from one side of the country to another (if living in the north of England for example) yet are looking to move to the other side of the world.

One thing we have noted from this series so far is how house prices have clearly dropped in WA.

Wanted Down Under is a more enjoyable watch than Channel 5's new offering "New Life in Oz". It follows those who have already made the decision and are making the move. The one last week with the couple who moved from Northamptonshire to Adelaide was not so bad, it did show their genuine initial struggles to find work having made the brave decision to make the move without jobs or even an offer of one. It all sorted itself out though and the show ended on a happy note, or at least we thought, until the postscript at the end where it showed that his Nan who featured in the programme and had brought him up and given her blessing for them to go had ultimately passed away. As for the family from Yorkshire in yesterday's episode, who sold their gym in England and set up one on the Gold Coast, none of them came across on TV very well at all. Next week's episode was due to be the first, until the Daily Mail got hold of it - features a couple from Brighton who move to Brighton in Melbourne, having never even been to Australia before. He cant get a job, she spends all their savings.... You get the drift.

Keeps us interested I guess. At least until we head off down under on the 31st anyway :jiggy:

We came very close to being on the show for what would have been the 2013 series.

 

It is what it is, it is daytime TV and is an enjoyable little look at Australia for those in the UK sat at home on a winter's day/evening. Some of the reactions are over the top, they are moving to Australia, not Mars but even so, the reactions are real. In fairness there does seem to have been a reasonably large percentage of participants that have ultimately made the move to either Australia or New Zealand so it isn't all bad.

 

It does make us laugh with some though who wouldn't have the funds to move from one side of the country to another (if living in the north of England for example) yet are looking to move to the other side of the world.

 

One thing we have noted from this series so far is how house prices have clearly dropped in WA.

 

Wanted Down Under is a more enjoyable watch than Channel 5's new offering "New Life in Oz". It follows those who have already made the decision and are making the move. The one last week with the couple who moved from Northamptonshire to Adelaide was not so bad, it did show their genuine initial struggles to find work having made the brave decision to make the move without jobs or even an offer of one. It all sorted itself out though and the show ended on a happy note, or at least we thought, until the postscript at the end where it showed that his Nan who featured in the programme and had brought him up and given her blessing for them to go had ultimately passed away. As for the family from Yorkshire in yesterday's episode, who sold their gym in England and set up one on the Gold Coast, none of them came across on TV very well at all. Next week's episode was due to be the first, until the Daily Mail got hold of it - features a couple from Brighton who move to Brighton in Melbourne, having never even been to Australia before. He cant get a job, she spends all their savings.... You get the drift.

 

Keeps us interested I guess. At least until we head off down under on the 31st anyway :jiggy:

How funny; we're from Northamptonshire and looking at Adelaide. Will have to watch that one later!

And as silly as ever.....

M

I'm glad we didn't agree to sign up to that show. We were approached but it didn't fit in with our timeline of getting to Australia. Can't say I've watched any of the series.

I had never watched it until recently ...early mornings there is a 30 min slot before I drive my daughter to school.

I actually started watching it by accident .

Most of the families plum for oz straight off ....the only spanner in the works is when they weigh up the costs between oz and u.k

It's good entertaining TV, we certainly enjoyed watching loads of episodes before we moved.

I've always enjoyed it, there was one particular episode a year or two back that was (from what I recall) a northern Dr, that actually traced some of his roots to a statue in Perth and went back to honour it, just made me think what a gent he clearly was not just for the work that he did but in life too, he's someone that I would enjoy meeting and it'd be a honour to buy a pint or two for people like that

The reactions of families makes me smile though, I have to skip past it now because its a well-known personal sacrifice that is different for everyone and I don't really see the point of airing that part

I watched the same episode, where he'd go over, have less responsibility and basically get double what he was on in England. Which is why me and my now wife went on the programme! It was aired on 4th January and we went to Perth. We are still wanting to get to Australia at some point but we have just paid for our wedding so have to save up some money again. Did anybody on here watch our episode? Mathew and Phillipa

I watched the same episode, where he'd go over, have less responsibility and basically get double what he was on in England. Which is why me and my now wife went on the programme! It was aired on 4th January and we went to Perth. We are still wanting to get to Australia at some point but we have just paid for our wedding so have to save up some money again. Did anybody on here watch our episode? Mathew and Phillipa

Yes, watched them all, but enjoyed yours particularly Mathew (big respect for the sacrifices you have made in life, I certainly wouldn't want to argue against you!)

On a more trivial note...does anyone know where Nicki Chapman films her part of the series? Looks amazing:wub:

On a more trivial note...does anyone know where Nicki Chapman films her part of the series? Looks amazing:wub:

GOOD QUESTION: we say that to each other at the start of EVERY programme!!! I've always assumed its NZ, would be good to know, need to find out ASAP now...

GOOD QUESTION: we say that to each other at the start of EVERY programme!!! I've always assumed its NZ, would be good to know, need to find out ASAP now...

As in, a PART of NZ, not the whole place!!!

Yep I did! You both came across as lovely people..we were watching it and did little cheer when your wife said she'd chosen Australia:laugh:

haha..I have tried googling it but so far drawn a blank....was thinking either Fiji, NZ or Whitsundays??

We used to watch it avidly for all its faults. One source of disappointment I recall was how few episodes there were in Queensland where we intended always to come. We have since met and got to know a family who were on a past series. Interestingly they had wanted to go to Adelaide but were then scheduled by the programme-makers for Brisbane (they then bolted on their own Adelaide recce to the trip).

As it happened they were not keen on Adelaide but fell in love with Brisbane so made the move here. Despite some downsides being on the show it is fair to say that they would never have made the move without it and they are loving their life here so WDU helped them immensely.

All "reality" TV has the potential to chew you up and spit you out, because their interest is in making entertainment rather than helping you out - that's just the draw card to get people on

So long as you go in it with your eyes open and try and use it as much as it is using you, then that's fine. As many on here have said, it provides the opportunity for a reccie that some people might otherwise not have had. People who've been on from here seem to have had a positive outcome from it

My Sis-in-Law went on the Aus version of "Location location location" 3 years ago when she was struggling to find a house in the red hot Sydney Inner West market. They have a lot more researchers to look for houses and chase agents on the phone than you can ever do as an individual. My wife used to work in media and worked really hard to befriend the producers to reduce the chance of being edited to look whingey/argumentative (always an easy last resort if they've got no other hook, we all do it sometimes). She really didn't want to be on the telly but it worked - after 9 months of missing out on house after house, she got a really good one from the show, which was the point of going on it. The female presenter (Veronica) on that is a pretty spiky, bitchy individual off camera but she's an awesome negotiator and really nailed the deal. So everyone was happy in the end. Except me, as I had to drop $1000 on clothes for the missus before she'd go anywhere near a camera, and then dropped another $600 on parking fines where she'd left her car overhanging the no parking zone by about 6 inches round the corner from her sister's house

:rolleyes:

I always thought Nicki's bits were filmed somewhere like/ nr Cape Tribulation. ( I don't know that- it just looks similar).

We always watch it out of interest. Maybe how it's edited but sometimes it feels like the people judge the Aussie houses as if they are the only 3 houses available on the market. Surely people must go on real estate.com.au or domain to see what they could get within their budget. I've been looking on those sites for years! Lol!