RFDS soars to Australia’s #1 drama

RFDS soars to Australia’s #1 drama – Total TV audience up 17% on last season, with 7plus up 79%.

The Seven Network’s award-winning outback drama series, RFDS,has soared to new heights, with the 2025 season becoming Australia’s most watched free-to-air drama on consolidated viewing.

Season three was the show’s highest rated season ever, reaching 4.59 million people. Each episode attracted an average total TV audience of 1.028million on consolidated viewing over seven days, up 17% (6% on broadcast and 79% on 7plus) compared to the 2023 season.

The average audience for each episode grew by 41% in its first seven days on 7plus, making RFDS one of the most popular shows to watch on-demand on the streaming platform.

Last night’s movie-length RFDS season final was its biggest ever, reaching 1.4 million people, with a total TV audience of 761,000 for part one and 707,000 for part two – up 36% on 38% respectively.

Seven Group Managing Director, Television, Angus Ross, said:

“RFDS has excelled in its 7.30pm timeslot. It grabbed hold of the fantastic lead in that Home and Away provided and took off – proving that Australians have a strong appetite for premium, homegrown drama in prime time.

“RFDS has become one of the most popular shows on 7plus, with the consolidated audience growing 79% on last season. Australians are not only embracing the series but they’re increasingly watching it when it suits them.”

Seven’s Director of Content, Scripted, Julie McGauran, who was also an Executive Producer on RFDS, said:

“With its gripping storytelling, breathtaking outback landscapes and authentic portrayal of emergency services, RFDS has cemented itself as essential viewing for drama lovers nationwide.

“Seven is proud to tell stories that reflect the courage, compassion and complexity of life in remote Australia, and to honour the emergency services heroes who inspire every episode.”

RFDS, which was the winner of the 2024 TV WEEK Logie Award for Best Drama Program, is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Entertainment company), in association with the Seven Network.

The series receives major production investment from Screen Australia, Seven and the South Australian Film Corporation. Post, digital and visual effects are supported by Screen NSW. Banijay Rights manages international distribution for RFDS.

All three seasons of RFDS are available on-demand on 7plus.

Media Release – Seven

TV Central Seven content HERE

RFDS soars to Australia’s #1 drama

About the Show

Aussie drama RFDS hits new heights. RFDS Season 3 premieres Wednesday, 1 October on Seven.

Beloved by fans and critics alike, RFDS soars into its third season from 7.30pm Wednesday, 1 October on Seven and 7plus.

When a bus that Pete (Stephen Peacocke) is travelling on crashes on a remote desert highway, the team are suddenly reunited. Several harrowing medical emergencies compete for resources: a young woman trapped under the bus, the driver with a life-threatening chest injury, and a young man with a severe head trauma. The situation turns from bad to worse when one of the RFDS’ own finds themselves badly injured in the rescue attempt. With limited space, Eliza (Emma Hamilton) is forced to make the horrible decision of who to save and who to leave behind, the repercussions of which will leave lasting scars on the community and the team.

Winner of the 2024 TV WEEK Logie Award for Best Drama Program, the new season of RFDS sees the return of ensemble cast members Emma Hamilton (Ten Pound Poms, Last Cab to Darwin), Stephen Peacocke (Home and Away, Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader), Rob Collins (Total Control, Limbo), Emma Harvie (Colin From Accounts, In Limbo), Justine Clarke (The Time of Our Lives, Fisk), Ash Ricardo (Offspring, Force of Nature: The Dry 2), Jack Scott (Hardball, Joe v Carole), Sofia Nolan (Home and Away, The Artful Dodger, The Last Days of Space Age), Rodney Afif (The Hunting, Ali’s Wedding, Lucky Miles) and Thomas Weatherall (The Long Narrow Road To The Deep North, Heartbreak High).

This year also sees the exciting arrival of Rick Davies (Apple Cider Vinegar, Austin) as Fire and Rescue Officer Ryan.

Based on remarkable real-life stories, RFDS tells the stories of doctors, nurses, pilots, and support staff in the Royal Flying Doctor Service as they navigate emergency retrievals across some of the most inhospitable places in the country.

The upgrade of the Broken Hill airport and Royal Flying Doctor Service facilities mean this season was filmed in South Australia. The action unfolds across locations in Adelaide and the stunning Flinders Ranges, with the Port Augusta RFDS Base and regional surrounds doubling for Broken Hill.

RFDS is executive produced by Endemol Shine Australia’s Director of Scripted Content Sara Richardson, RFDS creator, writer and director Ian Meadows and Julie McGauran for Seven. It is produced by Lisa Scott and directed by Adrian Russell Wills (The Newsreader, The Warriors), Shawn Seet (Storm Boy, NCIS: Sydney), Leticia Caceres (The House of Bernarda Alba) and Ian Watson (Heartbreak High).

RFDS is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay Entertainment company) in association with the Seven Network.

Major production investment from Screen Australia, Seven and the South Australian Film Corporation. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Banijay Rights manages international distribution for RFDS outside of Australia.