Product Details

• Directors: Shawn Seet, Fiona Banks
• Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
• Run Time: 326 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001B43IVW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,451 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Rain Shadow: Series One" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Two women fight for the future of their outback community

After a decade of drought, a devastating sheep disease strikes the small Australian farming town of Paringa. Tough-minded veterinarian Kate McDonald (Golden Globe®-nominee Rachel Ward, The Thorn Birds) struggles to save her community with the help of a feisty new assistant (Victoria Thaine, The Caterpillar Wish) -- who is just as determined to unlock the mysteries of Kate’s past.

Filmed entirely on location in a natural rain shadow region in the Adelaide Hills, this poignant drama features stunningly stark vistas and exceptional performances. Hostility and hope, determination and despair mix in a combustible series that pits two strong women against the odds and, oftentimes, against each other.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE behind-the-scenes featurette, a Rachel Ward biography, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A STORY OF LADY VETS TOUGHING IT OUT IN A RUGGED MAN'S REGION--AND WINNING, October 3, 2008

By 

Harold Wolf "Doc" (Wells, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rain Shadow: Series One (DVD)

Six episodes are not enough. It's that good. The views of the rain shadow country alone make the viewer desire to experience the ruggedness, even overcome the hardships. This Australian drama was filmed in southern Australia, rain shadow country. A rain shadow is an arid region on the lee side of mountains allowing little rain to cross, like Nevada. It creates a setting as tough, as desperate, and as determined as the veterinarian Kate McDonald living in fictional Paringa.

Dr. Kate (widowed 10 years) is played by Rachel Ward. Ward turns from her more recent directing and writing activities to lead the cast with her superb acting portrayal of a woman who has taken charge of her life caught up in extreme harshness located an arid region and a struggling community. Driving into Paringa, is the newest arrival in a long string of attempts to secure an assistant, in the person of Dr. Jill Blake (Victoria Thaine). Her own extraordinary performance adds to the off-again, on-again, personal and professional relationship between the two vets that have a community animal health situation to deal with as well as their own secret lives. It's a powerful combination as intriguing as the interacting lives of the rest of Paringa's citizens.

Move aside, James Herriot, make room, as Rain Shadow has rekindled interest in a country veterinarian's life. Dr. Jill is new, not nearly as tough as Dr. Kate McDonald--YET! And the viewer is as confused about the history and personality exchanges of Paringa as Jill. The community seems to have it's own definitions for integrity and law. For example Larry Riley's (Gary Sweet) unexplained wealth in a struggling location. And, why were so many other newly arriving vet assistants driven off so fast?

This is a contemporary wild country, gritty, survival-of-the-fittest story; not altogether unlike some old tales of the US Wild West. Rain Shadow is gripping drama that, although it ends satisfactorily, it leaves itself open for a reunion and an additional series. Hopefully writers Tony Morphett and Jimmy Thomson will comply. I for one would like to spend another six hours with the lady vets' adventures.

Viewing ladies will like the assertiveness (to the point of big, bad, boldness) of the pair of female Paringa vets. Men will wonder if they would have the fortitude to stick it out, like the courageous young and old men of the Rain Shadow. At what lengths would you go? At what point of endurance would you fold it in? IN REALITY, how much longer can you wait to see this stunning story of those determined to live through the drought, persevere, and conquer the outback?

Each of the 6 episodes of Rain Shadow is equal to a 5-star movie.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Mini-Series, February 24, 2009

By 

TheTange "theTange" (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rain Shadow: Series One (DVD)

I stumbled upon this series in late 2008 in the new releases section on Amazon. The two user reviews here convinced me that this would be a perfect birthday gift for a friend of mine - and it absolutely was. After she enjoyed the series, she let me borrow it.

The actors are excellent as is the story. The 6 episode story arch is paced perfectly, each building on the prior installment. After watching one episode, I couldn't wait to watch more. My only regret was that I wanted the series to continue (it wraps up perfectly, while still leaving room for future installments).

Since borrowing the set that I bought as a birthday gift, I have purchased my own copy of the set, and given yet another one as a Christmas present. I'm a bit surprised that this series hasn't gotten more attention - again, I stumbled on it by accident. The quality, in every respect, makes this set more like a six hour feature film than a television mini-series. It captures the beauty, lonelyness and isolation of life in a very accurate way that I think most people can relate to.

I hope this gets aired on PBS at some point because this quality series deserves a much larger audience. I'd sure love to see another 6 episodes.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent gift for anyone who enjoys fine drama, October 10, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rain Shadow: Series One (DVD)

Rain Shadow Series 1 collects the first six episodes of a dramatic series following the small Australian farming town of Paringa. Battered first by drought, then an outbreak of disease among its sheep, Paringa is on the verge of dissolving; veterinarian Kate McDonald (played by Golden Globe nominee Rachel Ward) and her plucky assistant (played by Victoria Thaine) fight to save their community. Filmed on location in the Adelaide Hills, Rain Shadow is a poignant drama of hope, and the determination to fight for one's way of life, as well as the strong wills of two women resisting the odds against them. An excellent gift for anyone who enjoys fine drama. 16:9 widescreen, 326 minutes, color.