australian television information archive

Misery Guts

Produced by Barron Entertainment Ltd and Steel Stem Poppy Productions

Executive Producer: Paul Barron, Joan Peters
Producers: Jan Tyrrell
Writer: Mary Morris
Directors: Arnie Custo, Di Drew, Scott Feeney, Brendan Maher

Aired: 1998 (Nine, 13 x 24 mins)

Keith is the only son of Vin and Marge Shipley. They live above a fish 'n' chips shop in South London and things are tough. Keith's parents are misery gutses and he is convinced that the only way for the family to regain its former happiness is for him to make his parents smile again. Keith embarks on a mission to cheer his parents up. He buys a brilliantly coloured tropical fish from Australia, where the sun shines all the time, the sea is full of fish and coconuts just fall into your hands. When all his efforts to cheer his parents up fail spectacularly, Keith decides he must somehow get his parents to Australia. People couldn't be unhappy in a paradise where fish sparkle like rainbows and it's sunny and warm all the time. Or could they? Based on the books by Morris Gleitzman.