Packed to the Rafters
Meet Dave and Julie Rafter - just your average Australians with three grown-up children. On the eve of their twenty-fifth wedding-anniversary it seems they're at last about to have the house to themselves.
Cast:Rebecca Gibney , Erik Thomson , Michael Caton , George Houvardas , Hugh Sheridan , Angus McLaren , James Stewart , Jessica Marais , Hannah Marshall , Zoe Ventoura , Sabella Storey , Hannah Storey , Ryan Corr , Jessica McNamee , Merridy Eastman , Zoe Cramond , Jacob Allan , Brooke Satchwell
S1.E1 ∙ Pilot
Happily married couple, Julie and Dave are over the moon when Ben, their last child, finally decides to leave home. After raising three kids, the couple are free. It's a chance for them to do what they want, and on their own terms.
S1.E2 ∙ Playing a Googly
An unemployed Dave struggles to regain his manhood and position in the family, landing himself in hospital.
S1.E3 ∙ She Ain't Heavy
Rachel's growing alcohol dependence sends her family over the edge. Her careless actions could spell the end for one of them. Julie desperately brings the family together for a therapeutic barbecue but simmering tensions erupt.
S1.E4 ∙ How Did We Get Here?
Sammy and Nathan's marriage is in crisis when she can no longer bear keeping the secret reason for their move into the Rafter home. This leaves Nathan with no option but to count on the family he's always taken for granted.
S1.E5 ∙ Lines of Communication
Ben finds himself in uncomfortable possession of a devastating secret which could blow his family apart, and with Dave's freelance career failing to take off, Julie makes a tough decision which tests the strength of their marriage.
S1.E6 ∙ Facing Demons
Rachel faces up to her shameful past. In flashbacks, she tells how she met, fell in love and eventually left Daniel, the man responsible for emailing their private video. Ted decides to move back home but what is he hiding?
S1.E7 ∙ Self Made Man
Nathan's world is turned upside down as Julie and Dave make a splash at his father-in-law's 50th birthday party. Nathan learns a valuable lesson about wealth and happiness when the life he has and the life he wants collide.
S1.E8 ∙ Taking the Lead
Ben's world is turned upside down after a drunken one-night stand. Dave must face up to the secrets of his past while Carbo strikes up a surprising friendship with unexpectedly romantic results.
S1.E9 ∙ Suburban Boy
Dave reconnects with his foster brother, '80s rock star Steve Wilson, leading to an offer he can't refuse. Meanwhile, after a risky gamble with his boss's money, Nathan races the clock to save his job.
S1.E10 ∙ All in the Planning
Rachel is faced with a terrible decision. Ben gets the wrong idea when he stumbles upon a secret in Melissa's handbag. Sammy is offered the possibility of a glamorous job in London - but will she leave Nathan behind?
S1.E11 ∙ Away from It All
Julie forces her dispirited family to the beach for a restorative weekend away - leading to everyone feeling restored but Julie herself. Ted receives advice from beyond the grave.
S1.E12 ∙ Removing the Block
Ted steps back into the weird and wonderful world of dating. His journey begins when, encouraged by Louise's letter to the future, he attends a meeting of Friend Finders - a social networking group for people over 50.
S1.E13 ∙ Smiling Through the Pain
Dave's birthday end in disaster after a fight breaks out in a pole-dancing club. Forced to take on extra work to pay some unexpected bills, Dave reluctantly bonds with Warney - and discovers the beginnings of a surprising friendship.
S1.E14 ∙ A Mother's Radar
Julie struggles with the realisation that her 'mother's radar' is not always exact when it comes to her children's problems. Rachel is trying to keep her relationship with Vishnu a secret from the family - but is he all that he seems?
S1.E15 ∙ Natural Justice
Ben willingly takes on a call to jury duty where he meets Kat, a massage therapist with a refreshing perspective. Meanwhile, Dave's fledgling business is struggling under the weight of too much work until he gets a helping hand.
S1.E16 ∙ Having It All
Looking for direction and focus, Rachel throws herself into a new chapter in her life. This includes an embarrassing night of speed-dating and also the nerve-wracking experience of applying for a job far above her level of experience.
S1.E17 ∙ Changes
Dave sees red when he learns that the man Rachel is seeing is an old cricket friend from many years ago. He remembers Rob as a tireless lothario.
S1.E18 ∙ House of Cards
After a drunken one-night-stand with Kat, Ben faces a gut-wrenching dilemma. Should he tell Melissa the truth?
S1.E19 ∙ Over the Moon
The full moon inspires erratic and crazy behaviour amidst the Rafter clan.
S1.E20 ∙ Losing the Touch
Julie fears that as she heads into menopause she's losing the "mojo" that has always enabled her to dispense sound wisdom to family and friends.
S1.E21 ∙ What a Difference a Year Makes
Julie is struggling to adjust to what she believes is the onset of menopause and the first anniversary of her mother's death.
S1.E22 ∙ Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone
Julie and Dave wrestle with a life-changing decision that will shake the family's foundations. Meanwhile, Rachel reveals a secret, and Ben fears the worst when Melissa's ex-fiance turns up at his door.
S2.E1 ∙ Look Into My Eyes
Bonnie Bright, a psychic/sandwich vendor gets Julie worried about her family especially when her predictions start to come through one by one. Meanwhile, Ben tries too hard to win Mel back.
S2.E2 ∙ Dodging the Issue
Julie is convinced that Warney is ripping off Dave's business. But Dave is positive his mate is doing no such thing and his loyalty to Warney is strengthened when he discovers they shared similar childhoods.
S2.E3 ∙ Living by the List
Encouraged by her best friend Libby, Rachel reluctantly agrees to be set up on2.03 a blind date but gives Libby an impossible checklist of necessary qualities her date must possess.
S2.E4 ∙ Glittering Prizes
Rachel continues to rise to the bait of Jake's brazen teasing flirtation and Ben gives Melissa an ultimatum - it's all or nothing.
S2.E5 ∙ Brave New World
Pregnant late in life, the chances of Julie and Dave's child having Downs Syndrome are already high - but the results of preliminary ultrasound indicates those chances are even higher.
S2.E6 ∙ Little Arrows
Ted's burgeoning relationship with Marjorie appears to be going romantic gangbusters until he meets her daughter Susannah and her pregnant partner Abby, who've left the Gold Coast to live with her.
S2.E7 ∙ Belonging
Sammy is forced to assess her place in the Rafter family when her mother has a breakdown and is left with nowhere to live. To Ben's surprise, Melissa turns up unexpectedly at the Karandonis house with her bags - but is she back for good?
S2.E8 ∙ What's in a Name?
A week into Trish's stay in the Rafter house, Julie pleads with her boss Don to give Trish a job. He agrees but the plan backfires when Trish spends more time flirting with Don than she does working.
S2.E9 ∙ Naked Visions
Ben faces three things he never wanted to see - his mother naked, his father crying - and hesitation after he pops the question to girlfriend Melissa.
S2.E10 ∙ Ready to Catch You
Dave has finally opened his original birth certificate. Inside is the name of his birth mother, but his birth father is 'unknown'. Encouraged by Julie, Dave tells the rest of the family.
S2.E11 ∙ Power Play
After turning up at the Rafter house and disappearing without so much as a word, Rachel 'Chel' Warne uses an electrical ruse to lure Dave to the shop where she is working.
S2.E12 ∙ Out of Left Field
Carbo's mother Rita arrives from Lesbos to stay for six weeks with Artemis, the 18-year-old daughter of her best friend. Despite Ben and Melissa's insinuations that this may be a romantic set-up, Carbo sees Artie like a little sister.
S2.E13 ∙ Blurring the Lines
Artie is preparing for her first day of work at the boat club with Ben. Carbo, who's aware of his romantic feelings for her, is happy with her choice of job - after all, how much trouble can she get into under the watchful eye of Ben?
S2.E14 ∙ First Instinct
The Rafters throw a surprise party for Dave's mum, Chel, who is swept up in the family history and moved by the love shown to her. But clouds are gathering. Meanwhile, Carbo works hard to fan the flames of his relationship with Artie.
S2.E15 ∙ It's My Party
Dave is determined to give Ben and Melissa the engagement party that he and Julie never had. But his focus is sidetracked by the accidental discovery that Chel's increasingly regular hospital visits are in fact to the Renal Ward.
S2.E16 ∙ Mr Fix-It
Dave has been searching for Chel since she ran from the engagement party, with no luck. Ted gallops to the rescue, persuading Melissa to find out which hospital Chel is now going to for her dialysis.
S2.E17 ∙ Putting the House in Order
On her last day at work Julie quizzes psychic tea lady Bonnie about the troubling prediction she'd made months earlier. Rachel spies Sammy having lunch with her ex Owen, and becomes concerned.
S2.E18 ∙ Space Junk
When a bunch of flowers arrive for her at work with no card, Rachel assumes Jake must've sent them. However, she soon discovers that they are from her ex-boyfriend, meth addict Daniel.
S2.E19 ∙ A Small, Traditional Affair...
At the bucks night, Ben is having a fantastic time until the stripper Carbo has organised arrives. It turns out to be Kat, the woman he slept with and who came between him and Melissa.
S2.E20 ∙ Only a Heartbeat Away
At the five-star resort Be and Melissa are staying at, they meet Adrian and Nicole, and hit it off. They become new besties. There might even be a new job in it for Ben. But there's more than meets the eye with this friendly duo.
S2.E21 ∙ Unlimited Options
Nathan makes a shocking discovery about Dave's father. Meanwhile, Rachel is feeling the pressure of organising a baby shower for Julie, while Ben and Melissa try to get rid of their new housemate.
S2.E22 ∙ Nativity Play
Julie faces her greatest challenge yet - the birth of her fourth and final child without husband Dave at her side.
S3.E1 ∙ The Blank Page
As Julie recovers in hospital after the birth of baby Ruby, she reflects on how simple Ruby's life is at the moment, while her adult children juggle the complexities of theirs.
S3.E2 ∙ Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Julie's confidence as a mum takes a beating when baby Ruby resists Julie's attempts to breastfeed. Newly single Nathan hits the town with Carbo, and Ben can't help feeling left out.
S3.E3 ∙ To Tell or Not to Tell
With all seemingly at peace in the Rafter house, Dave wrestles whether to tell mother Chel that the love of her life, his father Tom Jennings is alive.
S3.E4 ∙ A Good Husband
Ben is plagued with unexpected doubts about his ability in the sack, while a miscommunication between Dave and Julie in the bedroom department sends her into a frenzy of frustration.
S3.E5 ∙ The Invisible Man
Ted struggles with feelings of worthlessness when, coming home from a movie, he and Chel are attacked by a gang of teenage girls. Ashamed he couldn't protect Chel and feeling marginalised by the world, Ted begins to retreat into himself.
S3.E6 ∙ Home Matters
Rachel is forced to deal with the fallout when Alex reacts badly to the many changes that have taken place in the Barton household in his absence.
S3.E7 ∙ Simple Needs
Julie has been uncharacteristically disconnected from the daily goings on of her family, focusing entirely on Ruby. But when Dave reveals the crushing news that he has been rejected as a kidney donor, Julie forces herself to re-engage.
S3.E8 ∙ Rites of Passage
Nathan is forced to question his motives for wanting to donate a kidney, triggering a crisis of confidence. Will he be able to put his demons to rest and in doing so, save Chel's life?
S3.E9 ∙ The Price of Parenthood
Someone's watching the Rafter house - and the surprise culprit leads to Dave and Nathan meeting Dave's dad Tom in prison for the first time.
S3.E10 ∙ Out of the Comfort Zone
Ben is forced to step outside his comfort zone when a moral stand clashes with workplace politics. Julie steps out of her comfort zone too by joining a local mother's group.
S3.E11 ∙ Lessons in Happiness
Rachel rides the ups and downs of happiness, struggling to find it in the frenetic pace of life. But will her choices have future repercussions for her relationship with her family and Jake?
S3.E12 ∙ Moments of Truth
Nathan faces a life-changing moment of truth - the operation to donate a kidney to his grandmother. With only three days to go until the procedure, Chel's need to put her affairs in order inspires Nathan to write letters to his family.
S3.E13 ∙ Live and Let Live
Julie explores the principle of "live and let live" as she struggles to implement the philosophy in various areas of their lives. A possum has taken up residence in the Rafter roof, keeping the family up with its nocturnal activities.
S3.E14 ∙ Know Yourself
Dave Rafter prides himself on being easy going and uncomplicated. He knows himself and life is going well - or so he thought.
S3.E15 ∙ Don't Go There!
When Melissa feels queasy during dinner, Ben immediately assumes she is pregnant and is beside himself with excitement.
S3.E16 ∙ When Worlds Collide
Dave's money and work woes are stressing him out, so Julie offers to help the business by doing accounts, freeing Nathan up to do some light labouring.
S3.E17 ∙ Spark of Life
Ted returns with renewed spark from a rejuvenating break, only to find all is not well with his family.
S3.E18 ∙ Between the Covers
A wild night in Kings Cross teaches Nathan not to judge a book by its cover.
S3.E19 ∙ Breathe
Rachel takes a crash course in remembering to breathe as she juggles a toxic workplace and an estranged boyfriend. Something's got to give.
S3.E20 ∙ Perfect Bubble
What Rachel would love more than anything is a holiday with Jake. Unbeknown to her, Jake takes the hint and takes time off - but before he can spring the surprise, Rachel gets a call from former boss Paul Morgan offering her job back.
S3.E21 ∙ Rest in Peace
Julie and Dave struggle to help their family rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the devastating tragedy as additional support comes from unlikely quarters.
S3.E22 ∙ One Day at a Time
With Christmas and Ruby's first birthday fast approaching, Dave searches for the words to put himself and his family back on track. Dave is struggling with his own demons. Julie gently convinces him to give therapy another try.
S4.E1 ∙ What Lies Beneath
It's been three months since Ben and Nathan left on their road trip around Australia. Bearded and tanned, Ben returns without Nathan and smooths over his family's concern with a plausible excuse.
S4.E2 ∙ In with the New
As Council Clean-Up Days looms Dave gets the clean-out bug. He's distracted, however, by Nathan's return from the big road trip.
S4.E3 ∙ Careful What You Wish For
Rachel wrestles with the potentially relationship-wrecking pitfalls of getting everything you want - particularly when truth is number one on the wish-list.
S4.E4 ∙ Other People's Eyes
The aftermath of Jake's ill-fated rugby weekend is fully felt as Julie realises how much perception and mis-perception can affect the lives of her family and friends.
S4.E5 ∙ The Taste of Freedom
Nathan examines what it means to be free as he receives potentially upsetting news - his divorce from Sammy is final.
S4.E6 ∙ The Dollshouse
Nathan doesn't have much luck getting attention for his Parts Exchange website, so he makes up some flyers to distribute around the town, with Ben's help. . .
S4.E7 ∙ Sweet Sorrow
Rachel's doubts are intensified as she visits Jake to invite him to her farewell dinner. One thing leads to another and the invitation inevitably turns into a moment of good-bye passion.
S4.E8 ∙ The Male Communication Handbook
Dave relishes finally having a relationship with his dad, Tom, despite Julie's reservations about her recently paroled father-in-law. Julie raises concerns that Tom may not have reformed his crooked ways.
S4.E9 ∙ From Little Things
The comic rivalry between Ted and Tom continues. Ted's convinced Tom isn't looking for work at all, instead sneaking off to spend time with an unknown lady friend.
S4.E10 ∙ Big Kids
Dave comes across some lingerie that Julie has bought for her performance, but when she doesn't wear it, he is left feeling jealous and insecure about her relationship with Hamish.
S4.E11 ∙ Swimming in the Gene Pool
Grace tells her sons Jake and Alex that she's engaged, and both boys are happy for her until they find out that she has never actually divorced their father.
S4.E12 ∙ You've Got to Have Friends
Julie's new friendship with Donna is tested when she discovers that Donna suffers from Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
S4.E13 ∙ Tipping Point
Dave's successful friend Warney offers him a shot at the contract for a big office rewiring job, and Dave leaps at the chance. But blinded by ambition, Dave ignores the fact that he doesn't have a hope of getting the job done in time.
S4.E14 ∙ Trust Issues
Ben opens up to Emma about Melissa's death, and the cathartic experience enables him to finally get some closure.
S4.E15 ∙ Risky Business
Ben initiates a night on the town with the boys, and everyone is impressed by the up-market nightclub he takes them to.
S4.E16 ∙ Second Chance
Everybody is up in arms about Tom's disappearance with the insurance money. Coby is particularly gutted, secretly blaming himself for not being honest with the Rafters about Tom's part in the worksite robberies.
S4.E17 ∙ Small World
Julie comes into contact with Matt Jennings, an affable and flirtatious taxi driver. Little does she know, that Matt is actually Tom's other son - Dave's half-brother.
S4.E18 ∙ Sign of the Times
Dave's increasingly exhausted as the demands of his new job take their toll, and for the first time in his life he forgets his anniversary.
S4.E19 ∙ Leap of Faith
Ted is trying to find the new purpose in his life. He decides to do all the things he's always wanted to do, but has never had the time: home-brewing, volunteer work, finding a job - even skydiving.
S4.E20 ∙ Butterfly's Wings
Dave is alone with Ruby when he gets a call requiring his presence back on site. With no babysitter, Dave takes Ruby with him and enlists Coby to look after her.
S4.E21 ∙ Sleepwalking
When Ben and Retta discover Carbo sleepwalking, they decide enough is enough - he's got to tell his parents he's already married before he hurts himself.
S4.E22 ∙ Endings and Beginnings
Ben and Emma are both nervously looking forward to their first date. When Carbo and Retta return from the honeymoon from hell, Ben and Emma head out to a restaurant and enjoy a perfect evening.
S5.E1 ∙ Answering the Call
Julie receives a surprise invitation from the charming editor of a local paper Adam Goodman - an offer that will ultimately send her into uncharted waters but is she ready to say yes?
S5.E2 ∙ Great Expectations
Frankie is having trouble finding her place at Dave's, as what he considers to be chivalry, she perceives as sexism and she fights hard to earn respect on her own merits.
S5.E3 ∙ The Power of Words
Donna is still carrying a candle for Ted and Julie is unimpressed when Ben encourages Donna to invite Ted to a romantic dinner.
S5.E4 ∙ The Things We Do for Love
Oblivious to the knowing smiles of Dave and Jake, Coby finds himself falling for Frankie.
S5.E5 ∙ Judgement Day
When Jake receives a surprise phone call from his estranged father, he is unable to forgive him for abandoning his family
S5.E6 ∙ Secret Fears
Dave struggles with his secret fear that his relationship with Jake is permanently damaged and that Julie's relationship with Adam might turn out to be more than just professional.
S5.E7 ∙ The Great Escape
After being romantically shunned by Frankie, Coby does his best to avoid her at work; however, when the awkwardness becomes too much to bear, Frankie makes a proposal.
S5.E8 ∙ Unwritten Rules
Dave booked an electrician convention for himself, despite a bad cold, industrious Jake and Frankie. Cody is so eager for the party side that he pays tickets for himself and Matt, who steals identity tags to get them in, but keeps making unsafe picks. After drinking and karaoke, Dave ends up in Frankie's room, from where Coby sees him leave. Ben warms up Emma for bidding on the cottage they enjoyed lately and setting up some undetermined country existence. Adam Goodman convinced Julie to accompany him to a movie premiere gala, but she cancels last minute on account of Ruby's cold, in fact feeling unfaithful to Dave, yet spends a suspiciously cozy evening with him afterward.
S5.E9 ∙ A Kiss Is Just a Kiss
Following an awkward moment, Frankie announces she's going to quit and with a niggling feeling of guilt, Julie tells Dave about Adam's visit.
S5.E10 ∙ Letting Go
Tension remains high in the Rafter house as Julie and Dave struggle to forgive each other. Ted is caught in the middle and is sick of having to hide the real reason behind their squabbles from Ben.
S5.E11 ∙ The Right Time
For Ben, it finally feels like the right time to move on from Mel and start a new chapter with Emma, beginning with the purchase of their country cottage.
S5.E12 ∙ Life's Surprises
Nathan returns back home unannounced and is taken out by the elated family for a noisy family lunch. Nathan has big news and drops not just one, but two bombshells.
S5.E13 ∙ Filling the Void
Julie tries to find ways to fill the void left by her absent kids, while the calamitous return of Alex sees Jake's life fuller than ever before.
S5.E14 ∙ Bad Habits
Coby is drowning in his new relationship with Heather and resorts to desperate measure to break up with her. Alex's drug habit and friendship with Sian's brother (Frankie's ex) is a cause for concern for all involved.
S5.E15 ∙ Moments of Clarity
In light of his ongoing tests, Ted isn't sure whether he should reveal his health concerns to his family. When he suffers a mild stroke he resolves to keep the tests to himself.
S5.E16 ∙ Displacement
Julie is in denial about Ted's health and Dave carefully voices his concerns but Julie doesn't want to discuss it. Meanwhile, Jake is still having issues with Alex who's partying too hard.
S5.E17 ∙ Keeping Step
Despite having rejected Coby's initial interest in her, Frankie is finally letting her guard down. But can she open herself up enough to admit her true feelings for Coby, or are they destined to never quite fall into lock step?
S5.E18 ∙ That Heady Rush
Emma is deeply embarrassed by explicit evidence of Donna's physical affair with Duncan Galloway, who turns out to be a major developer and hands Dave a big contract.
S5.E19 ∙ Got What It Takes
Dave is determined to take his business to the next level, beginning with his new contract with Duncan. But when Duncan's wandering eye puts him on a collision course with Coby, does Dave have what it takes to stop the impact?
S5.E20 ∙ Weathering the Storm
Torrential rain and bad luck descends as Jake realises the old adage is true: it never rains but it pours.
S5.E21 ∙ Free to Choose
Julie's main preoccupation is Ted, who is still reeling from recently having briefly not recognised Cooper.
S5.E22 ∙ Rewriting History
As Dave and Julie's 30th wedding anniversary approaches, thoughts naturally turn to family and history.
S6.E1 ∙ High Hopes
Julie muses about high hopes, excited that Nathan is moving back to Australia. Donna continues with Logan. Buzz is the new addition to Rafter Electrical. Ted gets lost.
S6.E2 ∙ First Time for Everything
Nathan is working hard to build a solid base for Saskia and Edward in Australia and accepts a job offer despite its obvious shortfalls.
S6.E3 ∙ Setting Limits
Donna is mortified when she learns that both she and Emma have been played by Craig. Donna tries to avoid telling Emma, but she can't hide the truth forever
S6.E4 ∙ Secret Women's Business
Having found a place to rent, Nathan's done all he can to prepare for his wife and baby's arrival. But when he gets to the airport, all the planning in the world could not prepare him for what he found.
S6.E5 ∙ Reality Checks
Nathan travels to London to track down his wife, Saskia and their son.
S6.E6 ∙ Manning Up
Ted continues to drift between present day and his memories of the past, forcing both him and his family to come to terms with their new reality.
S6.E7 ∙ Taking Stock
Needing to escape the pressures of home-life, Dave throws himself into being a cricket coach, as well as secretly restoring his beloved Kombi.
S6.E8 ∙ Damage Control
Frankie visits Coby in prison and after some initial awkwardness, they fall back into their usual, easy banter.
S6.E9 ∙ Role Reversals
Frankie is juggling a visit from older sister Carla and once again, unresolved family issues loom large. After an intense build-up, Buzz and Emma finally get together.
S6.E10 ∙ Head vs. Heart
It's a matter of head versus heart as Julie and Dave wrestle with their decision to sell their beloved family home. When push comes to shove will they be able to go through with it?
S6.E11 ∙ Centre of the Universe
Ben, Coby and Sammy all return to the Rafter fold. But with the Rafter house already sold and Julie and Dave unable to decide on another house to buy, it's obvious the centre of the Rafter universe has shifted.
S6.E12 ∙ Packing Up the Rafters
The Rafters begin the emotional task of packing up their beloved family home. But is moving into a small, unappealing rental townhouse their only option?
