Out There

Four Very Different Youths Find Common Ground

The original cast of Out There

Reilly’s dad went to jail and then his mom had a nervous breakdown. Doesn’t sound like your average children’s television program, does it? It wasn’t. It was Out There, an engaging, realistic drama that followed four kids through the challenges of adolescence.

Out There revolved around life at Ellen Archer’s Wildspring Animal Clinic, a veterinary hospital in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It starred four adolescents, each with their own distinct personality and challenges, whose lives converge through their work at the clinic. Fourteen-year-old Reilly Evans struggles to adapt to life in Australia after his recent move from the United States to live with his veterinarian aunt. Aggie Thackery, a precocious, straitlaced teen has traveled from London to work in the clinic. Snarky, idiosyncratic Australian Miller McKee is part scientist and part dreamer, while Fiona McDaniel is an introverted Australian teen who doesn’t mind being a loner.

Throughout the show’s two seasons, the characters became closer to each other as they faced issues surrounding self-esteem, communication, and the importance of respecting other people’s feelings. Through direct-to-camera monologues, the teens revealed their inner thoughts and emotions, giving viewers a greater insight into each character and their situation. The teens talked about how they approached or avoided problems, made decisions and understood the impact of their decisions on themselves and others.

Out There had four main educational objectives: to demonstrate the importance of respecting others; to underscore how one’s own decisions can impact other people; to emphasize effective communication; and to demonstrate the importance of building on one’s individual strengths. The show never assumed that a problem has a quick and easy resolution – and it allowed for the fact that some problems resolve negatively. Out There demonstrated that while life is not always happy and predictable, young people can learn to make informed choices and employ constructive coping strategies.

Trivia

Cody Kasch (Tom, season 2) went on to play Zach Young on Desperate Housewives.
The show’s soundtrack featured indie rock and electronica from the US, UK, and Australia.

Notable Cast Members

Richard Wilson
David Roberts
Douglas Smith
Cody Kasch
Rebecca Jones
Molly McCaffrey
Jade Ewen
Genevieve Hegney

Number of Seasons

Two

Number of Episodes

Season one: 26
Season two: 26

Episode Runtime

22 minutes

Format

Live Action

Target Audience Age

9-14

Broadcasters

United States: Noggin
Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
UK: CBBC