Packaged in black and white. RAN is a dramatic television series, suitable for students from middle to senior secondary school, that follows the story of the life and work of a remote area nurse, Helen Tremain, and the lives of people in a remote Torres Strait island paradise.

Originally broadcast on SBS, the series focuses on the importance of nurses in this area as well a being an engaging drama with strong characters and stories. Helen has spent the last five years caring for the health of this community, and has a strong sense that this place is now her only home. Her mother has died, and Helen is the last of her family. But when she returns, the island isn’t the tropical paradise she remembers and she faces conflicts with the local departmental policy and lands herself in hot water and becomes emotionally attached to many of the island’s people. The study guide provides a historical background to the role of white Australians in the Torres Straits, a history of its peoples, opportunities for students to critically analyze Australians’ actions in this area, activities to analyze the television series and its production as well as its narrative and characters.

Many of the activities in the study guide are based on interdisciplinary and integrated curriculum approaches. Studying the series will allow students to gain insights into Torres Strait island traditions, culture and contemporary society, as well as more universal themes of relationships, religious beliefs, family life, risk-taking behaviour, love, health issues and community.