John Edwards (producer)


Robert John Edwards is an Australian television drama producer.
His series credits include Les Norton, Party Tricks, Puberty Blues, Offspring, Rush , Love My Way, Tangle, Dangerous, The Secret Life of Us, Police Rescue, The Surgeon, Fireflies, Big Sky and Stringer.
His mini-series include Australian Gangster,, Romper Stomper , ', The Beautiful Lie, Gallipoli, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, Howzat! Kerry Packer's War, ', Marking Time, On The Beach, Do or Die and Cyclone Tracy.
His telemovies include Beaconsfield, six Cody telemovies, pilots for Police Rescue, The Secret Life of Us, Hard Knox, Fireflies and the children's telemovie I Own The Racecourse.
In all, John Edwards' productions have won 31 Logie Awards, 30 Australian Film Institute Awards, 11 AACTA Awards, four People's Choice Awards, eight ASTRA Awards and more than a dozen Australian craft awards. Furthermore, On The Beach is the only Australian production to have received two Golden Globe Award nominations.

Biography

Early life

John Edwards was born in Sydney Australia and has lived most of his life in the beachside suburb of Manly. He attended high school at Balgowlah Boys Campus, which turned out numerous other film and television identities including Academy Award winning cinematographer John Seale, actors Rick Carter and Callan Mulvey, director Ian Barry, writer Tim Pye and comedian Phillip Scott. His spent his final two high school years at The Shore School, before attending Sydney University and Jacksonville State University, Alabama.
He was a History teacher in Sydney's West for three years before making the switch into the film and television industry as a researcher then writer at Film Australia in 1981. He wrote a number of productions including Out of Time, Out of Place, The Bounty Experiment and co-writing the two-part telemovie, The Weekly’s War.

Career

After starting his career researching and writing at Film Australia, Edwards began producing, partnered with Tim Read, with the feature film The Empty Beach, starring Bryan Brown, followed by the telemovie I Own the Racecourse and the mini-series Cyclone Tracy.
He followed this with the TV series Stringer in 1988 and then, partnering with Sandra Levy at Southern Star, the successful action crime drama Police Rescue from 1991-1996 which won Most Popular Drama at the Logies in 1994 and 1996, a swag of acting Logies, 5 AFI and a number of international awards. He went on to make Big Sky with Levy but then the two separated. John went on to produce Russell Mulcahy’s mini-series On The Beach, starring Armand Assante, Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown, and which won two AFI Awards and two Golden Globe nominations.
Then came the breakthrough series The Secret Life of Us, a 20-somethings drama series produced with Amanda Higgs which won six Logies, and the ABC mini-series Marking Time which won a record seven AFI Awards.
Edwards is perhaps best known for his award-winning drama series Love My Way, developed and produced specifically for pay television with actor Claudia Karvan and written with Jacqueline Perske, which won eight AFI Awards, six Logie Awards, and six ASTRA Awards. Love My Way was a tipping point for Australian TV not only in its bold portrayal of the complexities of contemporary adult life but its pioneering application of the HBO model of creating quality drama specifically for television. It won both the AFI Awards for Best Television Series three years running and the Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series three years running.
2008 saw the first season of the Channel 10 series Rush, which eventually went to four seasons, and won the 2010 AFI Award for Best Television Drama Series. 2009 saw the launch of new pay television series Tangle which went to three seasons and the shooting of Spirited, the latter again collaborating with Claudia Karvan and Jacqueline Perske.
John has also produced a number of miniseries and telemovies including the Golden Globe nominated miniseries On the Beach ; Marking Time, winner of a record 7 AFI awards, the NSW Premier's Literary Award, AWGIE Award and others; Do or Die ; Children of the Dragon ; Tracy ; six telemovies in the Cody series and telemovie pilots for Police Rescue, The Secret Life of Us, Hard Knox, Fireflies and Offspring . More recently he produced Beaconsfield for the Nine Network and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo for the ABC, becoming their highest rating drama for many years.
In 2012, John produced the new AFI Award-winning series Puberty Blues for Network Ten, and the AFI and Logie Award-winning mini-series Howzat! Kerry Packer's War for the Nine Network. Puberty Blues was the winner of the 2nd AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series, whilst Howzat! Kerry Packer's War was the recipient of the 2nd AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries, the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie, and Silver Logie for Most Popular Miniseries or Telemovie.
In 2013, John produced the fourth and fifth series of Offspring, as well as the second series of Puberty Blues, for Network Ten. He also produced the television mini-series, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story for the Nine Network with Jodi Matterson, which won several acting AACTA and Logie awards.
In 2014, John produced Gallipoli, for the Nine Network, as well as the Asher Keddie and Rodger Corser series, Party Tricks, for Network Ten.
In 2015, John produced The Beautiful Lie, for the ABC. And in 2016, John joined forces with Village Roadshow to form , along with his son, former ITV Studios and Endemol executive, Dan Edwards.
In 2017, John produced Romper Stomper the TV Series for Stan, which won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Miniseries and the AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television.
John was granted an honorary master's degree from the Australian Film Television and Radio School in December 2011, gave the 2015 Hector Crawford Address at the Annual SPAA Conference, and was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in January 2017.

"In Good Company"

A number of important and influential actors, directors and writers are linked with John Edwards. The following list is limited to AFI Awards, Logie and/or AWGIE Awards winners.
Actors:
Lachy Hulme
Claudia Karvan
Ben Mendelsohn
Joel Edgerton
Deborah Mailman
Samuel Johnson
Gary Sweet
Catherine McClements
Kat Stewart
Asher Keddie
Dan Wyllie
Rodger Corser
Directors:
Cherie Nowlan
Jessica Hobbs
Stuart McDonald
Matthew Saville
Kate Dennis
Emma Freeman
Glendyn Ivin
Daina Reid
Geoff Bennett
Writers:
Jacqueline Perske
Judi McCrossin
Christopher Lee
Tony McNamara
Alice Bell
Samantha Winston
David Caesar
Jonathan Gavin
Michael Lucas
Debra Oswald

Partial filmography (as Producer)

In 2011, John was conferred an Honorary master's degree by the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

In 2015, John gave the Hector Crawford Address at the Annual SPAA Conference.

In 2017, Edwards was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the broadcast media industry as a television producer, and as a role model and mentor.
LOVE MY WAY

LOGIE Awards

2005 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Claudia Karvan

2005 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series

2006 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Dan Wyllie

2006 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Claudia Karvan

2006 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series

2007 Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series

AFI Awards

2005 Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television | Max Cullen

2005 Best Television Drama Series

2005 Best Direction in Television | Jessica Hobbs

2005 Best Screenplay in Television | Jacquelin Perske

2005 Best Lead Actress in Television | Claudia Karvan

2006 Best Television Drama Series

2007 Best Lead Actress in Television Drama | Claudia Karvan

2007 Best Television Drama Series

ASTRA Awards

2005 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor - Female | Claudia Karvan

2005 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male | Dan Wyllie

2005 Most Outstanding Australian Drama Production

2006 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female | Asher Keddie

2006 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male | Dan Wyllie

2007 Most Outstanding Drama Program

Miscellaneous Awards

2005 AWGIE Award Best Script in a Television Series | Louise Fox

2005 APRA/AGSC Awards Best Music in a Television Series or Serial | Stephen Rae

2005 SPAA Awards Best Television Drama

2005 Henry Lawson Awards Best Drama



MARKING TIME

AFI Awards

2004 Best Television Mini-Series or Telefeature

2004 Best Direction in Television | Cherie Nowlan

2004 Best Screenplay in Television | John Doyle

2004 Best Actor in a Leading Role in a TV Drama | Abe Forsythe

2004 Best Actress in a Leading Role in a TV Drama | Bojana Novakovic

2004 Best Actor in a Supporting Role in TV Drama | Matt Le Nevez

2004 Best Actress in a Supporting Role in TV Drama | Katie Wall

NSW Premier's Literary Award

2004 Script Writing Award | John Doyle

AWGIE Awards

2004 Mini Series Original | John Doyle



THE SECRET LIFE OF US

Logie Awards

2002 Most Outstanding Drama Series

2002 Most Outstanding Actress | Deborah Mailman

2003 Most Outstanding Drama Series

2003 Most Outstanding Actress | Claudia Karvan

2004 Most Outstanding Drama Series

2004 Most Outstanding Actress | Deborah Mailman

Awgie Awards

2001 Best Screenplay for Original Telemovie | Judi Mccrossin & Christopher Lee

2002 Best Screenplay for Drama Series | Andrew Kelly

AFI Awards

2001 Best Actor in a Leading Role | Sam Johnson

2001 Best Actress in a Guest Role | Catherine McClements

2002 Best Actor in a Leading Role | Joel Edgerton



DO OR DIE

AFI Awards

2001 AFI Open Craft Award in TV Drama – Editing | Shawn Seet



ON THE BEACH

AFI Awards

2000 AFI Open Craft Award in TV Drama - Set Design | Sally Shepherd, Roger Ford

2000 AFI Best Television Mini-Series

Two Golden Globe Nominations



POLICE RESCUE

Logie Awards

1993 Most Popular Actor | Gary Sweet

1993 Most Outstanding Actor | Gary Sweet

1994 Most Outstanding Drama

1994 Most Popular Actor | Gary Sweet

1994 Most Popular Actress | Sonia Todd

1996 Most Outstanding Drama

AFI Awards

1989 Best Director | Peter Fisk

1991 Best Screenplay in a TV Drama | Peter Schreck

1991 Best Actress in a Leading Role in TV Drama | Sonia Todd

1991 Best Actor in a Leading Role in TV Drama | Gary Sweet

1992 Best Actor in a Leading Role in TV Drama | Gary Sweet

1993 Best Direction in a TV Drama
| Michael Carson

People's Choice Awards

1993 Favourite TV Drama or Serial

1993 Favourite Male Star in TV Drama or Serial | Gary Sweet

1994 Favourite Australian Movie Star | Gary Sweet

1994 Favourite Australian Film

1994 Favourite Male Star in TV Drama | Gary Sweet

1995 Favourite TV Drama/Serial

Umbriafiction
1992 Best Non-European Drama Serial

New York Festivals/Worldmedal

1995 International TV Programming



HOWZAT! KERRY PACKER’S WAR

Logie Awards

2013 Silver Logie Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie

2013 Silver Logie Most Popular Miniseries or Telemovie

AACTA Awards

2013 AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries

2013 AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Mandy McElhinney



PUBERTY BLUES

Logie Awards

2013 Silver Logie Most Popular New Female Talent | Brenna Harding

AACTA Awards

2013 AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series



OFFSPRING S1,S2,S3

Logie Awards

2011 Silver Logie Most Popular Actress | Asher Keddie

2012 Silver Logie Most Popular Actress | Asher Keddie

2013 Silver Logie Most Popular Actress | Asher Keddie

2013 Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television | Asher Keddie

2014 Silver Logie Most Popular Actress | Asher Keddie

2014 Silver Logie Most Outstanding Actress | Asher Keddie

AFI Awards

2010 AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Deborah Mailman

AACTA Awards

2014 AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama | Kat Stewart

2014 Best Screenplay in Television | Debra Oswald



PAPER GIANTS: THE BIRTH OF CLEO

Logie Awards

2012 Silver Logie Most Popular Actress | Asher Keddie

2012 Silver Logie Most Outstanding Actor | Rob Carlton

AACTA Awards

2012 AACTA Award – Switched on Audience Choice Award for Best Performance in a Television Drama | Asher Keddie



TANGLE S1, S2, S3

AFI Awards

2010 AFI Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Catherine McClements

ASTRA Awards

2013 Most Outstanding Drama

2011 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female | Justine Clarke

2010 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male | Ben Mendelsohn

2011 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female | Catherine McClements

2013 Most Outstanding Drama

2013 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Female | Catherine McClements

2013 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor – Male | Lincoln Younes



RUSH S1, S2, S3, S4

AFI Awards

2010 AFI Award for Best Television Drama Series



SPIRITED S1, S2

ASTRA Awards

2011 Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor - Male | Matt King

2011 Most Outstanding Drama



POWER GAMES: THE PACKER-MURDOCH STORY

AACTA Awards

2014 Best Direction in a Television Drama or Comedy | Geoff Bennett

2014 Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Lachy Hulme

2014 Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | Luke Ford



THE BEAUTIFUL LIE

AACTA Award

2016 Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Celia Pacquola

Screen Music Awards

2016 Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie | Alan John



ROMPER STOMPER

Logie Awards

2018 Silver Logie Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie

2018 Silver Logie Outstanding Supporting Actress | Jacqueline McKenzie

AACTA Award

2018 Best Sound in Television