Who are they? Electrician Dave and his wife Julie, their three kids — Rachel, Ben and Nathan — and Julie's dad Ted.

Why they're so awesome: Dominating the ratings, the Rafters have clearly struck a chord with Aussie viewers who love their families to death but sometimes feel like they can have too much of a good thing.

Rival clan The Rivers/Summers (All Together Now). In another case of the empty nest filling up, ageing muso Bobby Rivers had to deal with the sudden return of his twins, Anna and Thomas. They also had Bobby's manager, Wayne, and his love of "chickybabes".