Love Child

Wish I could give it a zero. 1 is being generous.

Predictable storyline's, questionable morales of the cheaters, dark and depressing storyline's where nothing good happens.

The actress who plays Joan always look like she's swallowed a lemon. You can tell the actress was pregnant in real life with the weight she was piling on.

Awful show have no clue why this is rated so highly. Shows lack of morales and intelligence if you actually enjoyed this.

This Aussie take on drama and misfortune surrounding single pregnant women in the late 1960s Australia presents compelling stories and characters. Stanton House represents a place single women lived and worked during their pregnancy, and promptly separated from their newborns. Callus male doctors, a starchy matron, a crusading newcomer, and an ensemble of pregnant female characters who are diverse in looks, life experience and attitudes populate this effort. They seem to be hurtling toward epiphanies and revelations.

This must have been a hoot for set dressers, wardrobe, makeup and hair: every shot looks like a period snapshot. The music track is a little forced and the vintage automobiles are all pristine, much of the wardrobe looks more like party apparel than casual clothing, nevertheless I can't take my eyes off of it.

I think Australian television has finally figured out what it does best. Whenever they try to create a modern show it comes off looking cheap and outdated but their past few attempts at reverting back to the 60's/70's has been really successful. They have done a great job with the costumes, sets and everything 60's related so that it feels real.

Love Child is actually an exceptional TV show. The premise is gritty and delves into a subject matter that would still affect women in Australia today. It is incredibly hard to imagine that not long ago the world was like this. It enforces that people of power and wealth had the control while others were forced to fall in line.

This show may be too raw for some viewers but I believe the general public will enjoy Love Child for what it is. It's a new story that hasn't been explored in detail yet and in a way many people are still affected by this issue, if only to a lesser extent. Whether you personally went through this, was the parent, or the child or you just knew someone who experienced this everyone has their own experience. So yes I do recommend you watch it as it really is very good. 8.5/10

Set in 1969 in Stanton House and Kings Cross General Hospital, Sydney a fictional boarding house for young unwed teenage girls and young women when they fall pregnant and a place for them so as not to shame their families. The birth of Annie's (Gracie Gilbert) baby and the arrival of Sister Joan Millar played by the amazing and talented Jessica Marais back from London and one exam away from becoming a doctor marks the changing of times. Joan Millar the crusader ambitious nurse immediately makes an enemy with Matron Frances Bolton Mandy McElhinney) and Dr Patrick McNaughton (Jonathan LaPaglia) on how the patients and the babies are treated at Kings Cross General Hospital finds an ally in ex boyfriend in Philip Page (Ryan Johnson) a lawyer who helps fight Joan's cause. Bring on season 2!!

Since I am American, when I watch certain Australian shows, I often end up doing some research to understand and learn what is happening or if it is based on real facts or history. I watched the first season of this show, but never checked on it until the 2nd season. I found this show upsetting in the way they seemed to force these poor girls to give up their babies. It felt different from maternity homes in our history. Or if you looked at the Call the Midwife show from the UK. I was shocked when I found out this was a forced government situation/program from the 1950's-1970's in Australia. It is truly beyond my comprehension how this was done to these women. It was their parents, the nurses and doctors and I guess the places they sent them, some of them church based, but it appears it was not a religious movement, it was a misguided, parental moralist government movement against out of wedlock women. I find this very sad and depressing. The show is depressing to me because of this as well. It makes me want to time travel back and help these women and I feel helpless watching it. One lady said in a newspaper article she cannot watch it because she is one of the children who was taken from her mother, and it is too upsetting for her to watch. I can certainly see that.