Watch Paper Giants: Magazine Wars

Paper Giants: Magazine Wars is a gripping, Australian drama series from Endemol that premiered in 2013. The show is a sequel to the highly successful Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, which aired in 2011. The second series is set in the 1980s, and explores the cut-throat world of magazine publishing in Australia.

The story follows the fierce rivalry between two powerful women in the magazine industry: Nene King (Mandy McElhinney) and Dulcie Boling (Rachel Griffiths). Nene is the flamboyant editor of the popular magazine, Woman's Day, while Dulcie is the formidable editor-in-chief of the rival publication, New Idea. The two women are constantly at loggerheads, trying to outdo each other in the race to create the most popular, and profitable, magazine.

At the beginning of the series, Nene is riding high on the success of Woman's Day, which has become the top-selling magazine in Australia. However, she soon faces a challenge when she discovers that her arch rival, Dulcie, is planning to launch a new magazine, Family Circle. Nene is determined to sabotage the launch, and uses every trick in the book to try and copy the format of the new magazine.

Meanwhile, Dulcie is facing her own problems at New Idea. She is under pressure from the publishers to come up with a new, fresh approach to the magazine, or risk losing her job. She decides to revamp the magazine, aiming to appeal to a wider audience by including more celebrity gossip, fashion and lifestyle content.

As the two women battle it out for supremacy, they also have to deal with their own personal demons. Nene is struggling with her weight and self-esteem, while Dulcie is trying to juggle her job with being a single mother. Both women are also dealing with the fact that the magazine industry is changing rapidly, with the rise of digital media, and are unsure how to adapt to the new landscape.

The series is anchored by the outstanding performances of Rachel Griffiths and Mandy McElhinney, who bring their characters to life with depth and nuance. Griffiths, in particular, is a standout as Dulcie Boling, capturing the character's toughness, vulnerability and fierce ambition all at once.

Paper Giants: Magazine Wars is also meticulously researched, capturing the zeitgeist of 1980s Australia with attention to detail. The show touches on the major events of the era, from the Prince Charles and Princess Diana's royal tour of Australia to the economic recession, and weaves them into the narrative seamlessly.

Overall, Paper Giants: Magazine Wars is a riveting drama that will appeal to anyone interested in the media industry, the history of magazines, or just enjoys a good story about powerful women. It's a worthy sequel to the previous series, and proves that quality Australian drama can hold its own against its international counterparts.