RPA (TV series)

"RPA" is an Australian reality television show that is filmed at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and shows the everyday workings of this major hospital in Sydney, Australia. Premiering in 1995, the program is based on the British series "Jimmy's" which was filmed at St James's University Hospital in Leeds. [cite news|first=Michael|last=Idato|authorlink=Michael Idato|title=Those were the days|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/those-were-the-days/2007/04/29/1177787956160.html?page=5|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2007-04-30|accessdate=2008-01-10]

Format

For the majority of its thirteen year run, each episode of RPA has run for half an hour. However, its initial 2007 run was broadcast in combined hour-long episodes, and its return later in the year saw it assume a permanent one hour timeslot. [http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/enews/Nine_stretches_out_a_good_thing_240107.html Nine stretches out a good thing] ] Operations are recorded on camera and the doctors provide commentary as they operate on patients.

A new "RPA: Where Are They Now" series, begun in 2007, runs for half an hour. It profiles the lives of patients who have previously appeared on "RPA", recapping the original stories and showing follow-ups on the patients' lives or deaths following their initial appearance on the programme.

Both series are narrated by Max Cullen.

A brand new series of the medical/observational series is set to air on the Nine Network in October 2008. Max Cullen will continue to narrate. [cite news|authorlink=TV Tonight|title=RPA on the way|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/09/rpa-on-the-way.html|=TV Tonight|date=2008-09-13|accessdate=2008-09-13]

Awards

"RPA" has been nominated for an award at the annual TV Week Logie Awards in every year since 2000 (eight times in succession); from 2000-2006, it was nominated in the Most Popular Reality Program category, while in 2007 it was nominated in the Most Outstanding Factual Series category. It won silver Logies at the 2000 and 2003 Logie Awards. [http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/apocalypse/361/logies.html TV Week Logie Awards 2000] ] [http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=63389 TV Week Logie Awards 2003] ]

Other stories

A feature of "RPA" is its storyline nature, in that it has a strong emphasis on following the stories of patients throughout the series. Examples include Kenyan burns victim Safari, who appeared in every episode of the 2001 series and in an episode of "RPA: Where Are They Now".fact|date=October 2007

Professor Chris O'Brien, a head and neck surgeon, has appeared since the start of the show but is now retired after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January, 2007. He has since recovered from his operation and his story was told on 60 Minutes. [http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=269920 Never say die, Chris O' Briens Story] ] .

References

External links

* [http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/section.aspx?sectionid=5285&sectionname=rpa Official website]
* [http://australianetwork.com/guide/00000486.htm RPA - Australia network guide]