Winners is an Australian children's television anthology series conceived and produced for the ACTF by its founding director, Patricia Edgar.[1] It first screened on Network 10 in 1985 as part of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal's newly implemented C classified drama quota.[1] It featured eight self-contained telemovies and stories. Patricia Edgar was confident that Winners would be a landmark in the development of quality children's television and that it would go on to set the standard nationally and internationally for future children's productions.[2] More Winners is the second season of the series, first screened on ABC in 1990. It featured six self-contained telemovies and stories.[1]
At the forefront of the creators' minds when making the shows was the importance of Australian children having access to a rich and diverse choice of programs that reflected their own society and were appropriate to their particular stage of development.[3] The different episodes dealt with themes of aspirations, friendship, competition, conflict, jealousy, family, lifestyles, independence, decision making, and personal growth.[4] The series had a general theme of young people winning over their circumstances, accepting challenges, gaining confidence, making their own decisions, coming to terms with life, and growing up.[5]
Winners broke new ground for television and for the classroom.[6] Each telemovie was accompanied by a novel, written by the scriptwriter, along with teaching materials to assist classroom teachers.[1] The series was screened in 82 countries around the world and won awards that drew attention to the Australian children's production industry.