The Silver Logie Most Popular Drama Program is an award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards. It recognises the popularity of an Australian drama production.
It was first awarded at the 19th Annual TV Week Logie Awards, held in 1977 when it was originally called Most Popular Australian Drama. This award category was eliminated in 1989 when the category Most Popular Series replaced it, but was reintroduced in 1991, only to be eliminated again the following year for that alternative category name. It returned in 1994 for three years alongside that other category. After a seven-year absence, the category was reintroduced in 2004.
Over the years, it has been known as Most Popular Drama (1978, 1986, 1988), Most Popular Drama Series (1979–1984, 1987, 1991, 2008–2013), Most Popular Drama Program (1985, 2014–15), Most Popular Australian Drama Series (2004–2005) and Best Drama Program (2016–2017). In 2018, the award category name was reverted to Most Popular Drama Program. In 2023, the award category was renamed to Most Popular Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie.
The winner and nominees of Most Popular Drama Program are chosen by the public through an online voting survey on the TV Week website. Home and Away holds the record for the most wins, with eight, followed by Packed to the Rafters with four wins.
Winners and nominees Key Meaning Indicates the winning program
Year Program NetworkRef 1977 Power Without Glory 1978 The Sullivans 1979 The Sullivans 1980 The Sullivans 1981 Prisoner 1982 Prisoner 1983 Sons and Daughters 1984 A Country Practice 1985 A Country Practice 1986 A Country Practice 1987 Neighbours 1988 Neighbours 1991 Home and Away 1994 Police Rescue 1995 The Battlers 1996 Police Rescue 2004 McLeod's Daughters All Saints Blue Heelers Home and Away Neighbours 2005 McLeod's Daughters All Saints Blue Heelers Home and Away Neighbours 2006 Home and Away All Saints Blue Heelers McLeod's Daughters Neighbours 2007 Home and Away All Saints Blue Heelers McLeod's Daughters Neighbours 2008 Home and Away All Saints City Homicide McLeod's Daughters Neighbours 2009 Packed to the Rafters Home and Away McLeod's Daughters Neighbours Underbelly 2010 Packed to the Rafters All Saints: Medical Response Unit Home and Away Neighbours Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities 2011 Packed to the Rafters Home and Away Neighbours Offspring Rush Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities 2012 Packed to the Rafters Home and Away Offspring Underbelly: Razor Winners & Losers 2013 House Husbands Home and Away Offspring Packed to the Rafters Puberty Blues 2014 Home and Away House Husbands Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Offspring Winners & Losers 2015 Home and Away House Husbands INXS: Never Tear Us Apart Love Child Offspring 2016 Home and Away 800 Words A Place to Call Home House Husbands Love Child 2017 Molly 800 Words Doctor Doctor Home and Away Offspring Wentworth 2018 Wentworth Doctor Doctor Home and Away Love Child Offspring 2019 Mystery Road Doctor Doctor Home and Away Neighbours The Cry Wentworth 2022 Home and Away Doctor Doctor Love Me RFDS The Newsreader Total Control 2023 Home and Away Heartbreak High Mystery Road: Origin Savage River The Twelve Underbelly: Vanishing Act
Multiple wins Number Program Wins Home and Away Packed to the Rafters The Sullivans A Country Practice Neighbours Prisoner Police Rescue McLeod's Daughters
See also Logie Award for Most Popular Australian Program
References