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Wanted Down under is a new TV series being aired by the BBC in the UK. I’ve not seen any of the episodes myself but it sounds pretty damn interesting and I’d love to hear from anyone back in the UK who has seen this program.
Wanted Down Under is touted as a 20 part TV series where the shows producers take people who are thinking of moving to Australia, out to Australia for a week.
The families spend the week getting to know Australia, the lifestyle and some of the challenges such as job and house hunting (the latter of which is something we know a lot about). They are even given the opportunity to partake in regular common Aussie activities such as “petting kangaroos” !
Before we moved out here to Australia, we watched a similar series called “A Place Down Under” which followed the early life and times of families who had recently moved to Australia.
In the main, I found that A Place Down Under followed the emotional journey associated with such a big move (relationship issues etc) but one thing I loved about the program was the fact that it was the first TV show I’d seen that gave us a great glimpse of what living in Australia is actually like.
I hope those of you who got the chance to watch Wanted Down Under got as much out of this series as we did of similar programs.
I say for those of you who got a chance because for some reason the program was aired every week morning at about 9:15am! As the program seems be covering the journey of skilled migrants, it’s surprising that the BBC decided to choose such an odd time slot (when most skilled folks would be grafting away at work).
The production of such a big (and likely expensive) series is quite a bold move by the BBC but I wonder if there are more ‘moving to Australia’ type programs starting to appear on TV.
It could just be that you may be becoming more aware of the existence of such programs because of your own interests in moving to Australia
Another one of life’s little mysteries I guess!?
Article Popularity: 54%
Related Posts
- Wanted Down Under – Applications wanted by the BBC for second series
- Wanted Down Under Series 5 – How to Apply for Series 5 of Wanted Down Under
- Wanted Down Under Series 3 – How to Apply for Wanted Down Under
- Wanted Down Under Series 4 back on the BBC
- Wanted Down Under? – How to Apply for Series 4 of wanted down under
Guys, I’m going to close down the comments on this post so thank you for your contribution. If you have any further comments about the new series of wanted down under please post these in response to the newer article I’ve posted Here
Cheers
Mark
It seems to me that the production of this series is deliberately excluding the black race altogether. I’ve been watching and noticed that there’s not a single African person in the whole series. So, what message does this send? Are there no African people in Australia? Is prejudice prevalent there. The BBC has always been equal in the past. But after watching this I’ve begun to rethink. What message does this send to my interracial children? To all my ethnic friends? Are we welcome in Australia?
Just posting my observations..
Hi Susan, there are plenty of people of African decent living in Australia and you’d be made to feel very welcome
Racism does exsist within Australia, especially towards the indigenous population (Aborigines) however I’d suggest it is significantly Less prevalent then it is in the UK.
Don’t let it put you off
Having watched all the previous series and also enjoyed two wonderful holidays in Australia in the last 5 years we are left a little disappointed by the new series, so far. It would seem from the first three episodes that the families have too much baggage in the UK to really want to make the move and are not being given the same opportunities as previous candidates. I think some them are just on the series for a cheap holiday. In the other series they had the option actually visiting the different locations, potential properties, jobs and other ex-pats. This time they are placed in either town, country or coast and that is it. Giving them the chance to view the different options I feel would open their eyes to the wonderful chance they are being offered. The new presenter Nicky Chapman was obviously flown out to Sydney when the series was completed with 20 changes of outfit, a script and a few different Sydney beaches were used to complete the links. She would appear to not even meet the the families.
hi guys
we are on the new series of wanted down under and the first family to go to tasmania, we loved it and in the new year will begin the visa process.
Hi Guys, thanks for popping by. Please feel free to keep in touch. Happy to help if you need it
Cheers
Mark
hi,
glad you had a great time.is there a contact number for applying for the show or any further details?we have started the process for our visa to perth and cant wait.all the very best in the future love amanda x
Hi Amanda, previously emailing wanteddownunder@bbc.co.uk was the best course of action although I’m unsure at this stange if the BBC are looking for people to take part in Series 5 of Wanted Down Under.
Cheers
Mark
Hi we were the Jones family on the first series of Wanted down Under and the revisited, my husband is the carpet fitter. We have been in Oz for over a year now and are all loving the life Oz has to offer us. My husband works as a self employed floor finisher (carpet fitter) and I have set up a relocation company called gold coast relocations http://www.goldcoastrelocations.com.au helping other migrants moving to the Gold Coast area of Queensland. We have all settled as a family and would just like to say to anyone thinking of doing the process to do it, don’t just sit and think about it , it was the best move we have ever done
Sarah x
Good to have you here Sarah and good luck with your endeavours
we love the program we are also thinking of moving out there as i have a big family downunder would love to find out more about relocation to austrailia.
we have four young children both good job’s.
My family and I are looking into moving to Perth. My husband is a Finance manager and we have two children 4 & 6. We would love to experince going for one week to test run so we are waiting for your call!
We have watched several episodes and feel the programme targets the key areas everyone wants to know about. However there is never any follow up episodes. To see if people have really moved or chose to go home would provide people with even more info and prove that Oz really is the place we all think it will be for us. Or not maybe in some cases.
Thanks
Natalie
Hi,
i have been watching this programme now everyday for the past week. Me and my family are hopefully emigrating to Australia and are currently awaiting our visa.
At first i thought the programme was really interesting and good advice for people thinking about emigrating. However, i now find it rather repetative. The show doesn’t actually tell you alot about the more useful things to know for example the Skilled Occupation List, full medical examinations including chest x rays and blood tests, the costs of medicals and visas as well as police checks, the cost of removals to australia (a container costs around £3000 pounds!! and you will not recieve your belongings for 6 weeks after that).
Only after the sixth episode it mentioned stamp duty and on another episode it mentioned child care once. I just think that more detail is needed on the show for example local taxes, fuel, cost of living, cars etc.
As me and my family have had to go through all of this and spent an awful lot of money and yet no guarantee that our visas will be accepted, i just thought it would be useful for other people to know what they are getting into first and consider the cost and other issues.
Many Thanks
Emma
Hello,
My husband and I love the series Wanted Down Under.
We were £10 Poms in 1971, with our son Terry.
We stayed at Glenelg Hostel South Australia, until we had a
house at Christie Downs.
Australia was and is the land of opportunity, as long as your
prepared to work,
We are forever grateful to Australia, for making us the people
we are.
George was a plasterer and I was a Nurse Assistant, we achieved
much in the three and a half years we lived in OZ. Some of our
friends are still in Australia and have done well.
I unfortunately promised my Mother I would see her again, and
she became ill so I felt I must return to Wales, and we returned in 1974.
Mum died three months later.
Then I realised what a mistake I’d made.
Still life is a experiance and we must be grateful for our time in Australia.
It taught us to stand up and make a go of things.
We visited South Australia two years ago, saw our former home at Christies
downs, and some of our friends it was amazing.
We have two beautiful grandchildren so we are very fortunate indeed.
Good luck and fortune to all of you who emigrate to OZ.
Yours sincerely,
M.Martha & George Lowman.
Hi Paul, my partner Frank and I are planning to go in January also, and we would like to speak to other brits too!
feel free to get in touch via email jemmashemma@hotmail.com
Hi,
After watching your show on the BBC, this made me realise that there maybe another part of the world where we would like to possibly settle. Me and my husband are a newly married couple and often we have spoke about emmigrating to another country. (Canada was our main goal) This program gives us the opportunity to give it a chance before we have children and commiting to a mortagage.
My husband is a professional Graphic Designer and I am currently unemployed after being made redundant from my job where I worked for 8 years. I believe this would be a great opportunity to do I now than before settling down and starting a family..
I will look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Thanks
Panna Parmar
Hi ive just watched your programme on bbc im goin in january and im wondering if u could put me in contact with people who are goin or are there so i get to know people especially british people thank u
Hi Adam,
Thankyou for sharing your families story with us, I shall look out for the ‘Robinsons’ episode! I love the programme & I cant wait to get my family to Australia.
I have written many emails to the show trying to apply, but didnt recieve so much as a ‘thankyou for your email’!
Mayby they had anough applicants? But I still think it was a little rude not to even reply!
Kind Regards, Kelly.
I have watched both series of Wanted Down Under and they hav definately given myself and family very itchy feet. What with all the happenings going on in this country it makes me feel scared for me, my children and our future in this country so cant wait for the new series!!! Maybe this time next year we will be there
Michelle
Who plays the music on the show and what is it called please?
Hello, my name is Adam, i’m from Northamtonshire. My parents are appearing in the next series of Wanted Down Under, as they are looking to move out there in the next 18 months. My mum grew up as an Australian after her family emergrated as part of the ‘£10 poms’ exercise in the early 1960’s, which was a huge plan to fill jobs, and improve the population/economy with a big influx of foreign people.
My mum’s parents unfortunately split up 12 years after the move, and her mum decided to leave during the middle of the night, and come back to England. My mum was about 12 years old when she came to England, and with her dad remaining in Australia she never saw him again.
30 ish years later after my mum now having her own family of 4 kids and a perfect husband in the uk, she decided she really wants to move back ‘home’ and with 3 of her kids now grown up, living in thier own homes, she has been very encouraged to make the move while she can. On top of that, and during her research on the country, she stumbled on a website that had a picture of her dad on the front page! She has now tracked down her father and has over 30 years of life to catch up on.
My mum said from the second she stepped off the plane into England, she always wanted to go back, and with the uk going in the direction it is, its certainly not suprising she feels that way. She has worked her way to the highest graded nurse possible (currently working as a drugs and alcohol rehab nurse) yet she is still not benefiting financially as she should from her years of hard work.
She is hoping that Australia will provide a better standard of living, a better future for her youngest son/my brother (2 years old) who ironically is named Ozzy!!
and a possible future for me, my other bro, or even my sister down the line. Who knows?? I’m a singer, and for now i need to stay in the uk to further my career.
Its an amazing story though, which is why the BBC are very excited to start filming during this summer 2008. Its a dreadful shame that the programme is aired at 9am, whilst everyone is at work, it should be PRIME TIME viewing, especially as it is not an average low budget daytime show. Maybe we can voice our opinion to the BBC?
LOOK OUT FOR THE ROBINSONS SERIES OF WANTED DOWN UNDER!!!
Adam. xx
ooooppps i forgot, i have narrowed it down to perth or gold coast(i know a huge differance) if you have any advice or information that might help me decide would be greatly apprieciated.
hi mark its me again.thanx for advice about using the visa agents.if i were to start the process on my own where do i start,(who do i get forms from?) is it true that you need a lot of money to be elligable?
we are going to get rid of all debts in the mean time and my partener has started training to be a plumber/gas man.
Also do you think it would be wiser to get married before we start filling in forms for visas as we were going to get married when we got to oz.
would be greatfull for any help on the later.
hope you are well
my husband and I have been looking into living in Australia, we have 4 young daughters and would really like for us all to visit so they could see what it is like.There ages are 12, 9, 8and 4. I went there in 1990 and always hoped to go back , now with the thought of living their would be really good. Hopefully we will be considered for this and look forward to hearing from you.
sincerely
Rosemary Browell
hello i am a 29 year old hairdresser who has a young family and am seriously considering re locating to australia have just recieved my first bit of paperwork for my long journy ahead of us!!
realise that its a long process and thats if you get accepted, but its such a big gamble when you have never been there!! have watched the show wanted down under lots and would like the opp to apply to go on the show can you help?? please thanks
Hiya Hollie
All the info you need is here:
How to Apply for series 3 of BBC’s Wanted Down Under
Good luck!
Regards
Mark
Hiya my name is hollie and im a 14 year old girl and my parents really want to move to austallia and im having second thoughts i have been watching your show every day and trying to get an upside to moving there byh watching other peoples thougts and reactions i would really like the chance for me and my family to appear on your show to see if it would give me a better out look to moving there because i want to see if i would really miss my family and friends and see if it would be easy to move away from my life style.
if any body could give me any imformation about how to get on the show that would be fantastic
Hollie x
well said mark.
Thats not very nice Steve. You’ll probably need to be aware that a Criminal history will actually stop you getting into Australia now
Still, I know that there are a minority of Aussies who would prefer to avoid the poms, at the end of the day though we are contributing to the Australian economy by providing skill sets which can’t be sourced locally
BTW guys, Steve is not a typical Aussie. Most are a little more welcoming and friendly
I thought that England had STOPPED sending convict and criminals to Australia. Stay where you are!
hi poppy, have you thought why do they all end up going back though.i think its because they know where their better off…..
Are BBC licence payers, paying for this program or is it the Australian immigration board. I hope the latter. We didnt hear so much about people wanting to emigrate to Australia when we had a tory government supported by the press. Of course the papers want to sound off they dont like labour governments in the UK, dont be misled the UK has a lot to offer, thats why thousands of Aussies are living here!!!
Hello!
I’m a third year University student based in Birmingham and after a trip to New Zealand i fell in love with the place and know that i want to live there….I can’t stop thinking about it!!
Anyway i’ve been watching the series which does seem to offer good help and many things to think about in terms of moving to Australia/New Zealand (as it also covers NZ)….Especially the fact of leaving family and friends behind. However i find the programme is too produced and it’s almost the same programme everytimg you watch it (but thats probably my Media & Comms studying coming through).
I would love to move to NZ but i am wanting to work in Radio and believe that the industry out there wouldn’t be easy to get in to!?…
Hi Mark thank you byour website was very helpful. for the past 7 years i have been looking high and low for options to go to melbourne having lived there in the past….but it seems so hard….:-( our only option there is through a job sponsor….Mark would you be able to tell me if you know of any websites that deal with employer sponsorships? any help advice will be much appreciated. Thank you
Dino
Hi Michelle, yep, the poll is pretty current so will give you an idea where most folks are going
As for agents, expect to pay anything upwards of £1500 – £2000. Remember though you don’t have to use an agent. Also check with this post for more info:
Clicky Here
Good luck and regards
Mark
also the guy who wants copies to show his wife.if you go to http://www.bbc/iplayer you can watch all this weeks at least anyway.
hi its me again.also what areas are the most popular at the moment?or is the poll very current?
sorry to all about my appaling spelling.X
hi mark.well im just obsessed with the program.dont miss it.i lived in NZ for a year when i was 15 yrs old and got bitten by the bug and have felt empty since i left and swore to raise my children thier when i had them.well i now have 2 kids 10 & 6 yrs and until now have just plodded along and just surpressed my longing to go back,until now.the program has reawakened the longing to go back,and ive just convinced my partener that its the best thing for all of us.but am now considering austrailia insted because i have a cousin there and thought its probably best to have at least one near by.and that maybe the oppertunitie maybe better for the kids and jobs (correct me if im wrong).i did fill in a form with liveinaustrailia.com to see if im elligable and i passed but not sure if they said that just to get me to have them sort out visas and such? can you please addvise if any person you know has used them and are they good at their job ? also whats the going rate to pay for this kind of service?
hope to hear from you,much apprieciated
michelle
Hi my name is Hannah, I am a qualified nurse and work within a busy a/e department in the midlands
I have been considering moving to Australia for the past 2 years, and have been watching Wanted Down Under and you could give me the opporunity to discover more about the Country I would like to work in.
I have considered both Perth and Brisbane, but this is only due to what i have seen and read about the areas and the AE departments within these cities.
I would be grateful for any opportunity you could give me in trying to accomplish my dream of moving to Australia
Thankyou
Guys, please remember that this is just a post about the program. We are not affiliated with the show or the BBC so cannot (unfortunately) get you on the next series
Cheers
Mark
hi my name is lori i am 30 years old and really interested in taking in part in your programme. i am a qualified nurse and my husband is trained builder. we have two children and seriously thinking of moving to austraila in the near future i would really appreciate if you could contact me regading taking part in your programme
thank you mrs lori hubbard
Hello,
For the previous post, about halfway up by natalie Feb 13th 2007. The music is by Air and is called ‘All i need’
Sorry bit late
Hi yeah have watched the program over the holdiay period. was very taken aback by it.
We met lots of cousings from Melbourne in the Summer, and have been seriously considering a move.
With three children, the future here is looking bleek. Alot of oppurtunities for them in Aus.
would love to appear on program to test drive before making decision final.
We watched the program on 16/17-1-08. It was iteresting to watch as my brother(Not seen for 26 years) and nephew returned to NSW the beginning of January. He said we would love it over there, we know it would be a big step but as the UK is getting worse ,we are definitly thinking about it so programs like this are very helpful
We applied to appear on the show during your last series, we did get one reply from you and then never heard anymore. We are anxious to visit Australia before we make the move and feel that your expertise would be an asset to us. The show is very informative, which is what you need when you are planning a big move like this.
i would also like to be part of wanted down under, how can i get onto the show, id love to test drive australia before moving
cheers