australian television information archive

The Price of Gold

Episode 01
April 01, 2001

It's the greedy '80s and Barry Gold, a hotshot DJ from Ipswich Queensland, is hired by the new owner of CHAT AM, a metropolitan talkback radio station. The new owner wants Barry to bring his brash, attention-grabbing style to the ailing station. Barry arrives, expecting to be given the influential morning show but is alarmed to hear he's on NightCrawlers, the late night show. Basil Hannigan, the broadcasting legend, owns the morning slot and despite his ageing audience, he's determined to keep it.
Barry is teamed up with a producer, Tracy Tracey, who figures Barry's on a bullet to mornings. When the truth dawns, Tracy wants out but it's too late.
Barry secretly discovers that Basil is a regular customer of the Batcave Brothel. On opening night, Barry calls the Batcave madam and offers money for the brothel to service one of his listeners. Tracy is aghast. This is a long way from her goal of serious journalism.
When station manager Jack Piper throws the book at Barry for his antics, the phone rings. It's Mike Willesee, wanting to do a story on Barry. The price of Gold goes up…

Guest Starring: Bruce Barnes as Batcave Client, Peter Hosking as Ray

It's Not What You Know

Episode 02
April 08, 2001

Barry Gold, CHAT AM's newest DJ, is told by the station's morning show king, Basil Hannigan, that "It's not what you know, it's who you know". Barry challenges Basil to get the Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, on his show. Basil, who knows everyone but Hawkie, desperately searches for a way to get him.
To everyone's surprise, the PM comes on Basil's show and weeps when the pressure of Basil's interview is too much.
But the dinosaur Basil still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Producer Tracy Tracey discovers that the PM wasn't the PM at all—he was a Bob Hawke impersonator…

Guest Starring: Russell Fletcher as Randy Finklestein, Paul McCarthy as Brian Hobbs

Exposure

Episode 03
April 15, 2001

Ruth Sharp, the dynamic, shoulder-padded Amazon who represents the new, new owner of CHAT AM, tells the team she wants more exposure for the station. Barry Gold takes this literally and does a nude radio show. His producer, Tracy Tracey is less than impressed. Meanwhile, station manager Jack Piper is trying to impress is young girlfriend by getting in shape with a Jane Fonda Workout video.

Guest Starring: Elise McCredie as Wendy

Where The Wild Things Are

Episode 04
April 22, 2001

There's another new owner of Radio CHAT AM who retains Ruth Sharp to begin a strategic plan for the station's future. This could be the time for Shock Jock Barry Gold to make his move on the morning show, and for his producer Tracy to get back to prime-time and some hard edged journalism. So Barry and Tracy decide to make an effort to work together in order to make a good impression on the new owner.
There's a bit of excitement between them as they discover how well they can work together when they set their minds to it. They decide to set up an on-air confrontation between members of two rival bikie gangs. Somehow, they must present the show, make a good impression and avoid World War III. Two out of three ain't bad.

Guest Starring: Vic Plume as Lug, Matthew Quartermaine as Meat

Mein Diary

Episode 05
April 29, 2001

As the Hitler diaries hit the news, CHAT-AM's number one DJ, Basil Hannigan, meets an old German offering to sell the diaries of Hitler's girlfriend, Eva Braun. The price is $50,000. Shock Jock Barry Gold and his producer Tracy Tracey search for a way to trump Basil.
The station's young gofer, Clive, is in love with Tracy and keeps a diary of his own. When the authenticator arrives to see if the Eva Braun Diary is genuine, he accidently examines Clive's diary.
Now there's $50,000 of the station's money missing and a Nazi war criminal on the loose!

Guest Starring: Tim Harris as Rainer Glick, Alex Menglet as Dieter Kohl

One For The Road

Episode 06
May 06, 2001

Barry Gold may be the hottest new talkback 'shock jock' on the block but that doesn't mean he can have a parking space at the station. A parking space is the most highly prized possession in any media organisation. As Barry pushes to get the high-powered morning show, his rival Basil Hannigan refuses to relinquish it. Station manager Jack Piper decides to put the two of them together once a week on the morning show and the sparks fly.
Barry does a show on the new Booze Buses being introduced by the police and when the cops nab Basil for drink-driving, Barry's dream of a parking space looks like becoming a reality. Then again…

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Episode 07
May 13, 2001

When a shady doctor arrives to clear his name in a Deep Sleep Therapy scandal, he falls into the clutches of Barry Gold who prefers Shock Jock Therapy.

Guest Starring: Tim Robertson as Dr Arnold Kipax

Who Loves You Baby

Episode 08
May 20, 2001

It's Valentine's Day and Barry Gold has an admirer who wants a secret rendezvous.

Guest Starring: Christopher Brown as Nigel, Cameron Harris as Col, Stephen Kearney as Lee Ryder

Money For Nothing

Episode 09
May 27, 2001

Late night Shock Jock Barry Gold is proudly brought to you by Mad Mal's Discount Mall. But now Barry's arch enemy, Morning Show king Basil Hannigan, has a new sponsor—Wild Wally's Warehouse.

Dead To Air

Episode 10
June 03, 2001

Radio CHAT-AM's guest psychic predicts that "The Golden One will die!" which instills fear in everyone at CHAT-AM. But the announcement that asbestos is bad for your health brings the psychic prediction into a new light. CHAT-AM is full of the stuff. The station staff are panicking. When Barry Gold's late night show is bombarded with callers threatening to kill themselves, it's anyone's guess who will be the Golden One. When the Golden One finally dies, it's the last person anyone expects.

Guest Starring: Denise Scott as Miss Wanda, David Tredinnick as Bruce

The Power Rush

Episode 11
June 10, 2001

It's State Election time and hot shot DJ Barry Gold realises he's having an effect on the polls. He begins playing with the Parties, wreaking political havoc. It soon becomes apparent Barry could decide the outcome of the election.
Meanwhile, it's the Greed-Is-Good 80s and Radio CHAT-AM has been sold to yet another new owner who wants to begin downsizing. Shoulder-pad queen Ruth Piper decides that the lovable station gofer, Clive, is up for the chop. But Clive has discovered a new phenomenon called the Rubik's Cube. He has a talent for it but can it save him?

Guest Starring: Jan Friedl as Susan McGee, Nathan King as Opposition Leader

The Real Thing

Episode 12
June 17, 2001

New-Romantic sensation Commie Pageant are on tour. Barry Gold loves the band and their "ponce-pirate" look. He's determined to have them on his show. But Morning Show maestro, Basil Hannigan, decides the band might help him discard his older image. The new style jock and the old go to war, using every trick in the book to get the Commies on their shows. Trouble starts when the angst-filled band reveal they have a new sound, thanks to their friends, Stock, Aiken & Waterman. Meanwhile, a large computer is given to Radio CHAT-AM by a sponsor, Mad Mal's Discount Mall. Dubbing the computer "MAL", everyone is amazed at its gigantic 1 megabyte memory. But MAL has a twitch…

Guest Starring: Geoff Brooks as Rowdy Roddy Ringo

Cops and Dobbers

Episode 13
June 24, 2001

Barry Gold is horrified when his outlandish mother arrives at Radio CHAT-AM. His horror grows when it's revealed his mother is an old "friend" of his rival, Basil Hannigan. Meanwhile, Flava Delight, the madam of the Batcave Brothel is on the run, accused of murder. The trouble is, her alibi is Basil who was a customer of hers at the time of the murder. Flava says the killer is a cop. Barry goes to air with the story.
As the police arrest Barry for withholding evidence, Barry finds that the only way he can avoid a jail term is by informing on Basil. The story's big enough to win Barry the prized Morning Show, but will he dob on his rival to get it?

Guest Starring: Jane Clifton as Joy Gold, Robert Morgan as Det. Insp. Stone