The Shire was an Australian reality-drama series on Network Ten that debuted on 16 July 2012. The series follows the lives of 15 people, that work, live or play in and around Sydney's Sutherland Shire. The series has been described as "dramality" by Ten, a combination of drama with prompting and light scripting. The Shire was created and produced by Shine Australia. Modelled on the British TV show The Only Way Is Essex, the production company describe the series as a reality show version of soap opera Home and Away. The show's success within key youth demographics was noted by Clare Kemond from The Age. She said the show was in the Top 20 shows of the year among younger viewers, more successful than its counterpart Home and Away.