When rumours began that a Packed To The Rafters reboot was in the works, we couldn’t contain our excitement at the thought of seeing our favourite family back on our screens.
And now, Amazon Prime Video has officially announced the show’s spin-off Back To The Rafters, will be the first scripted Australian Amazon Original series. The show will be set six years after Packed To The Rafters wrapped. In even better news, the actors playing the Rafter family will be all coming back – but two big names were noticeably absent from the line-up.
Back To The Rafters is set six years after the Packed To The Rafters finale.
(Image: Supplied)Rebecca Gibney (Julie Rafter), Erik Thomson (Dave Rafter), Jessica Marais (Rachel Rafter), Hugh Sheridan (Ben Rafter), Angus McLaren (Nathan Rafter), Michael Caton (Ted Taylor) and George Houvardas (Nick “Carbo” Karandonis) are all returning to play their original roles. However there was no word on whether James Stewart and Ryan Corr, who played Jake Barton and Coby Jennings, respectively will be back.
We did get an idea of what to expect plot-wise with Amazon Prime explaining that the story will follow Dave and Julie’s new life in the country with youngest daughter Ruby, while the older Rafter children face new challenges and Grandpa Ted struggles to find his place.
We can’t wait!
WATCH: Rebecca Gibney chats to TV WEEK at the TV WEEK Logie Awards 2019. Post continues after video…
Rumours of a reunion show surfaced in September when the Courier Mail reported that producers were in talks with the original cast about a possible spin-off.
And it seems that the cast clearly couldn’t wait. Erik Thomson previously told TV WEEK, “I think we’re all quite keen to do a reunion show.”
He continued: “We haven’t officially been approached to do anything, but it would be good to somehow put something together.”
Erik’s co-star Rebecca Gibney, who plays his on-screen wife added, “We’ve finished this chapter, but that doesn’t mean to say Rafters won’t come back in some other form.”
The Rafter family is back!
(Image: Channel Seven)Meanwhile, Hugh Sheridan said the show left a hole in his heart and he was always keen to get the gang back together.
“I love the show and I really, really love playing Ben Rafter,” Hugh told TV WEEK back in September. “I miss him, and I miss playing that character everyday!
“Obviously, they sold the house, so it would have to be somewhere else. But I think it would be about what has happened in their lives over the last 10 years and where they are now.”
He even added that Zoë Ventoura who played his on-screen wife Mel, who tragically died in heartbreaking scenes on the show, are still really close.
“We just have figure out a way to bring her back [to the reboot]. Maybe in a dream sequence!” he said.
