They’re back! Or, should we say, they’re Back To The Rafters.
Australia’s favourite family returns to our screens in the highly anticipated reboot of Channel Seven’s Packed To The Rafters.
Revived by streaming service Amazon Prime Video, the series is set to return on September 17 – reuniting viewers with Dave and Julie Rafter (Erik Thomson and Rebecca Gibney) for the first time in eight years.
They’re not the only ones returning, with stars like Hugh Sheridan (Ben Rafter), Angus McLaren (Nathan Rafter) and Michael Caton (Granddad Ted) reprising their roles for the revival.
Mum and dad are back in action!
(Image: Amazon Prime)
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Alongside the original cast are a few new faces, including HaiHa Le (Cassie) and Georgina Haig (Rachel Rafter).
Whether you’re a fan of the original series or you’re newly keen to check out the reboot, it’s time to familiarise yourself with the characters!
Scroll through to get to know the cast of the new Back To The Rafters.
Julie Rafter (Rebecca Gibney)
Julie Rafter.
(Image: Amazon Prime)After working across other critically acclaimed shows including Halifax: Retribution and Wanted over the past few years, Rebecca is thrilled to return to her role as Julie.
“It was such a joy to reunite with this family (with some fantastic new additions),” she said after filming wrapped on the six-part drama series. “And in a year that brought so much uncertainty – this was definitely one of my highlights from 2020.”
Back in action as the matriarch of the Rafters clan, Julie was always loved for her no-nonsense attitude and her big heart – seriously, it’s enormous. The lady’s got a lot of love.
Set six years after the last episode, the reboot picks up with Julie, Dave and Ruby living in the small country town of Buradeena. But Julie grows restless away from the rest of her family and considers moving back to Sydney, putting a strain on her marriage.
Dave Rafter (Erik Thomson)
Dave Rafter.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Erik is a staple of the Australian and New Zealand television scene, spending the last eight years keeping extremely busy on popular shows including 800 Words, Aftertaste and The Luminaries.
Now, he’s thrilled to return to one of his most beloved roles as the quintessential Aussie dad, Dave Rafter.
Dave and Julie have had 35 wonderful years together, many of which were spent taking care of their VERY grown up children – you know, like in all six seasons of the original show? – so Dave thinks it’s time for them to live the life they’ve always wanted to in Buradeena.
The town is charming, relaxed, and he’s loving working alongside his young employee, Paddo (Aaron L. McGrath). Will Julie want to stay in town with Dave?
Ben Rafter (Hugh Sheridan)
Ben and Ruby Rafter together on-set.
(Image: Instagram)Hugh has worn many hats since first portraying the goofy Ben Rafter. Hugh formed The California Crooners Club, starred in INXS: Never Tear Us Apart and most recently played a part in the hugely popular Aussie series Five Bedrooms. Now, Hugh is back in their breakout role of Ben.
Ben was always the scruffy, cheeky younger brother who annoyed his siblings and parents to no end – but was able to step up whenever it counted. Though Ben lost the love of his life, Mel (Zoe Ventoura), in the third season of the show, he’s since managed to find someone new.
When Rafters returns, Ben is newly married to Cassie (HaiHa Le) and trying for a family.
Cassie Rafter (HaiHa Le)
Ben and his new wife, Cassie.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Meet HaiHa, the newest member of the cast! You might recognise her from a previous role in Neighbours, where she played Michelle Tran, or from Hardball, Seven Types of Ambiguity or more recently, the SBS drama Hungry Ghosts.
She’ll be taking on the role of Cassie, Ben’s new wife and – as the pair hope – the future mother of his children. The duo are trying for a family when the series returns.
Nathan Rafter (Angus McLaren)
Ben and Nathan.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Recently appearing in The Naked Wanderer, Home And Away, Operation Buffalo and Bloom, alongside his former Rafters co-star Ryan Corr, Angus has been trying out a whole host of different characters since wrapping on Rafters.
But the actor says he’s “stoked” to return to the role of Nathan, writing on his Instagram: “It was awesome to create with these mighty fine folks again, we had a blast.”
Fans will remember that Nathan could never quite seem to get his life together. At least, not in the way he wanted to. His marriage to Sammy (Jessica McNamee) was short-lived, he struggled with his career and his big move to London didn’t exactly pan out the way he had planned. His wife Saskia (Lauren Clair) cheated on him while he tried to get their life sorted back home in Sydney.
But, living back home in Australia and raising his son Edward (now played by Kaspar Frost) for the past six years, Nathan is hoping his life will soon be back on track.
Rachel Rafter (Georgina Haig)
Rachel Rafter.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Jessica Marais won’t be returning to the role of Rachel. Instead, Georgina Haig – of Once Upon A Time and Secret Bridesmaid’s Business fame – will be stepping into the role.
When last we left off, Rachel had moved to New York City with her boyfriend Jake (James Stewart) and the duo had recently become engaged. There will be a lot of questions when the show returns, with Rachel leading a secretive life in NYC away from her family.
Ruby Rafter (Willow Speers)
Dave and Julie with their youngest, Ruby.
Meet newcomer Willow Speers, taking over the role of Ruby Rafter!
Ruby was the unexpected addition to the Rafter family that turned life on its head… In the best way possible. Born at the end of the second season, she was just a little kid when the family set out on a road trip in their green kombi van in the final episode.
Now, she’s matured into a headstrong and clever young girl – much like her older sister Rachel.
Granddad Ted (Michael Caton)
The Rafters pay a visit to Granddad Ted.
(Image: Amazon Prime)An icon of Australian film and television, Michael Caton is loved for his roles in The Castle, Strange Bedfellows and, recently, Rams alongside Sam Neill. But as Granddad Ted, he truly captured all of our hearts.
In the final season of Packed To The Rafters, Ted was checked into a nursing home due to his worsening Alzheimer’s and it was a pretty huge moment for the family. When the series picks back up, Ted is still struggling to find his place.
Paddo (Aaron L. McGrath)
Paddo and Dave are the new besties in town.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Introducing Dave’s new protégée, Paddo! He’s a local tradie from Buradeena who joins Dave in his new construction business – and shares a love for adventure. The pair are having an epic time in the country town, bonding over a love of motocross racing.
Of course, fans will recognise Aaron from his roles in Aussie TV shows like Redfern Now, Mystery Road, KGB and Glitch.
Nick “Carbo” Karandonis (George Houvardas)
Carbo returns!
(Image: Amazon Prime.)Nobody panic, George Houvardas is indeed returning to ours screens in the reboot!
The star has appeared in just a handful of roles since wrapping the show in 2013, taking time to focus on his McMahon’s Point restaurant, Piato.
However, following on from roles in Chasing Comets, Outlaws and the recent ABC series Frayed, George is ready to step back into the loveable role of Carbo once more.
Ben’s best friend and longtime roommate, Carbo was loved for his wild ideas, one-liners and the fresh energy he always brought to the show. Now, he’s receiving international fame as a social media star with his own ‘Get Carbonated’ punchline – and, thankfully, he’s still with his wife, Retta (Hannah Marshall).
Edward Rafter (Kaspar Frost)
Edward sits front and centre in the Rafter family photo.
(Image: Amazon Prime)Another new cast member, Kaspar is playing Nathan’s son Edward – from his brief marriage to Saskia. Edward is sure to bring fresh life to the show, running around with his young aunt, Ruby.
Back to the Rafters premieres on Amazon Prime Video on September 17.
