All night, the Logies has been counting down the results of a viewer-voted poll of the Best Aussie Shows of all time.

TV WEEK asked viewers to have their say on the shows that have defined the small screen over the past seven decades to mark the 70th anniversary of Australian television, with the results being unveiled as part of this year’s Logies celebrations.

And there were plenty to choose from.

From beloved soaps and gritty dramas to children’s classics, reality TV and comedy gold, the poll covered 70 of the best Australian shows of all time,

Which means, for better or worse, this is what Australia has decided.

Some of the results have been questionable (sorry, Australian public) – Play School outside the top 10? Blue Heelers, McLeod’s Daughters, Packed to the Rafters and All Saints, all ranked next to each other high in the top 10? Aren’t they all (whisper it) kinda the same show in different settings?

Still, there can only be one winner.

Break out the Tia Maria, it’s Kath & Kim!

The full top 10 is:

10. Countdown

The countdown has started with Countdown – and yes, the name is doing a lot of work here.

The ABC music institution ran from 1974 to 1987 and became the defining music show of its era, showcasing the biggest songs and artists through performances, music videos and interviews with the irrepressible Molly Meldrum.

It wasn’t just a music program. For a generation of Australians, Countdown was Sunday-night television, fashion inspiration and a front-row seat to the biggest acts in the world.

9. Neighbours

Before it became an international launching pad for Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and countless other Australian stars, Neighbours was simply the show everyone watched at 6.30pm.

The Ramsay Street soap premiered in 1985 and went on to rack up more than 9000 episodes before its cancellation in 2022 and subsequent revival in 2023.

Its UK following became enormous, helping turn an Australian suburban soap into a genuine global TV institution.

8. Bluey

There was a time when putting a children’s cartoon this high on a list of Australia’s greatest shows might have seemed barking mad.

Not anymore.

Since arriving in 2018, Bluey has become a worldwide phenomenon, following the blue heeler pup, her sister Bingo and their parents Bandit and Chilli through the everyday chaos of family life.

It may be made for children, but the jokes, emotional gut-punches and painfully recognisable parenting moments have made it popular among adults, too.

7. All Saints

For more than a decade, Australians tuned in to see what fresh disaster was unfolding at Ward 17.

All Saints premiered in 1998 and became one of Australia’s most successful medical dramas, following the doctors, nurses and staff of the fictional hospital.

And while there were plenty of medical emergencies, it was the relationships that kept viewers coming back – with stars including Georgie Parker, Erik Thomson and Judith McGrath among the cast’s household names.

The series eventually ran for 12 seasons and 400 episodes.

6. McLeod’s Daughters

It made an entire generation want to throw in their city jobs, buy a horse and move to the country.

McLeod’s Daughters followed sisters Claire and Tess McLeod as they took over their late father’s sprawling Drover’s Run cattle station.

Running for eight seasons from 2001 to 2009, the series became beloved for its strong female characters, sweeping Australian landscapes and endless supply of family drama.

5. Packed to the Rafters

If McLeod’s Daughters made us dream of the bush, Packed to the Rafters reminded us that sometimes the suburban family home is more than chaotic enough.

The Seven drama followed Dave and Julie Rafter and their adult children as the empty nest they had been dreaming about promptly became full again.

The relatable family comedy-drama ran for six seasons from 2008 to 2013, before returning in 2020 with Back to the Rafters.

It was messy, funny and painfully familiar – basically the quintessential Australian family experience.

4. Blue Heelers

For 13 years, Mount Thomas was Australia’s favourite fictional small town.

Blue Heelers followed the hardworking cops of the local police station, tackling everything from petty crime to murder while somehow finding plenty of time for relationship drama.

The series ran from 1994 to 2006 and became one of the defining Australian dramas of its era.

And then there was Maggie Doyle.

Lisa McCune’s beloved police officer became one of the show’s biggest stars, with the character’s eventual death ranking among the most-watched moments in Australian television history.

3. A Country Practice

There was no escaping Wandin Valley.

From 1981 to 1993, A Country Practice followed the residents of the fictional NSW country town as they dealt with medical emergencies, accidents, romances, weddings, deaths and pretty much every other crisis a small community could possibly encounter.

Across 14 seasons and 1088 episodes, the show also launched the careers of some of Australia’s best-known actors, including Anne Tenney, Shane Porteous and Georgie Parker.

And fittingly, on the same night it landed at number three, A Country Practice was inducted into the TV WEEK Logies Hall of Fame.

2. Home and Away

Somehow, after almost four decades, Summer Bay is still standing.

Home and Away premiered in 1988 and has remained one of Australia’s great television constants, following the residents of the fictional coastal town through romances, heartbreak, disasters, deaths and an extraordinary number of mysterious blow-ins.

It has also been a star-making machine, with generations of Australian actors passing through Summer Bay.

And with Logies legends including Ray Meagher and Lynne McGranger among its stars, the show’s place in Australian television history is beyond question.

1. Kath & Kim

Noice.

Different.

Unusual.

But apparently, the best Australian TV show of all time.

The viewer vote has crowned Kath & Kim number one, beating out decades of soaps, dramas, children’s shows and Australian television institutions.

Created by and starring Jane Turner and Gina Riley, the four-season sitcom followed the deeply suburban adventures of Kath Day-Knight and her daughter Kim Craig.

Along the way came Kel Knight, purveyor of fine meats; Brett, Kim’s long-suffering husband; and, of course, Sharon Strzelecki – still one of the most beloved characters Australian television has ever produced.

The series ran from 2002 to 2005, spawned movie-length specials and even an ill-fated American remake.

But more than 20 years later, Kath, Kim and their collection of fabulous tracksuits remain firmly embedded in the Australian cultural vernacular.

So there you have it.

The people have spoken.

Kath & Kim is officially Australia’s greatest TV show of the past 70 years.

Originally published as Australia’s best show of all time revealed