Designed as an antipodean counterpart to glossy American soap operas Dallas and Dynasty, Taurus Rising (which traced the rivalry of two affluent families, the Drysdales and the Brents) cost $4.5 million to produce, but did so poorly on air that it was rapidly shifted to a weekend timeslot (according to Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series) and ultimately ran to only nineteen episodes. It did, however, later sell to overseas markets, where it was marketed as an extended mini-series.
