australian television information archive

The Battlers

Year: 1994
Executive Producers: Valerie Hardy and Tom Donald
Producer: Gus Howard
Director: George Ogilvie
Writer: Peter Yeldham

The 'battlers' are the itinerants left living a hand to mouth existence on the back roads of rural Australia after the great pre-war Depression. The Battlers is the story of Snow Grimshaw and Dancy, who meet on 'on the road' looking for work. What they find is each other. Adapted from Kylie Tennant's prize-winning novel. (2 x 120 min)

Cast: Gary Sweet, Jacqueline McKenzie, Marcus Graham, Audine Leith

Available on DVD from Chaos.com

Children of the Dragon

Year: 1991
Executive Producers: Penny Chapman, Scott Meek, Kim Williams
Producer: John Edwards
Director: Peter Smith
Writer: Robert Caswell

The epic story of one man's search to vindicate the most important decision of his life - a man who goes to China and is caught up in the tumultuous events that led to the tragedy of the massacre in Tiananmen Square. (4 x 50 mins)

Cast: Bob Peck, Lily Chen, Linda Cropper, Dennis Chan, Gary Sweet, Cindy Pan

Come in Spinner

Year: 1990
Executive Producer: Jan Chapman
Director: Rob Marchand
Screenplay by: Nick Enright, Lissa Benyon

The tide is turning in the Pacific war, and Sydney - teaming with US soldiers on R&R - is in the grips of the greatest party it has ever known. The upheavals of war have changed social values forever... when death is so close, daily living becomes a game of chance. At the centre of the party are Claire, Deb and Guinea - each playing for the highest stakes: survival, security and the chance for love and happiness. (4 x 60 min)

Cast: Lisa Harrow (Claire), Kerry Armstrong (Deb), Rebecca Gibney (Guinea)

Available on DVD from amazon.com and Chaos.com

The Leaving of Liverpool

Premiere: July 8 and 9, 1992 (ABC)
Executive Producers: Penny Chapman, Michael Wearing
Producers: Steve Knapman
Director: Michael Jenkins
Screenplay by: John Alsop, Sue Smith

The Leaving of Liverpool is a two part mini-series about the migrant/orphan program conducted during the 1950's. Under this scheme orphans from post-war England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales were sent to Australian and Canada. The show follows the path of three of these children Bert, Lilli and Wilson. We witness an account of orphan life in both England and Australia. (2 x 100 min)

Cast: Kevin Jones, Christine Tremarco, Bill Hunter, Martin Jacobs, Frank Whitten, David Kaff, John Hargreaves, Frances Barber, Kerry Walker, Frankie J. Holden, Colin Moody

Available on DVD from Chaos.com

No Worries

Year: 1993
Executive Producer: Kim Williams
Producers: David Elfick, Eric Fellner
Director: David Elfick
Screenplay by: David Holman

11-year-old Matilda Bell is a spirited country girl who plays an important part in the running of the family sheep station. When Matilda and her family are forced to leave their drought ravaged farm to live in the big city, the shock is enormous. Then Matilda finds a new friend who is experiencing a culture shock of her own. (92 min)

Cast: Amy Terelinck (Matilda), Geoff Morrell (Ben Bell), Susan Lyons (Ellen Bell), John Hargreaves (Clive Ryan), Geraldine James (Anne O'Dwyer), Steven Vidler (Gary Hay), Bob Baines (Tom Drew), Maureen Green (Kim Drew)

Pirate's Island

Year: 1990
Producers: Philip East, Roger Mirams
Director: Viktors Ritelis
Writer: Rick Maiert

A group of children are swept away in a hot air balloon and land on an island out of time—an island where a group of Spanish pirates have been marooned for a hundred years or more. (100 min)

Cast: Beth Buchanan, Brian Rooney

Ratbag Hero

Year: 1990
Executive Producer: Zelda Rosenbaum
Producers: Zelda Rosenbaum, Oscar Whitbread
Director: Oscar Whitbread
Screenplay by: Sonia Borg

Ratbag Hero takes place around the picturesque towns of the Murray River during the 1930s. Set against the colourful background of loggers and bargees, the mini-series revolves around the Kelsall family and a generation not only coming to grips with their environment but of the ties that bind a family. We experience a young man's coming to terms with his father's expectations and his own destiny. (4 x 60 min)

Cast: Cameron Nugent, Marcus Graham, Peter Fisher, Elaine Smith, Marion Edward, Matthew Ketteringham, Reg Evans, George Mallaby, Kate Whitbread, Robert Morgan

The River Kings

Year: 1990
Producer/Writer: Rob George
Director: Donald Crombie

Life on the Hofner farm has become intolerable - with an absent father and the imminent threat of drought, sixteen year old Shawn is forced to leave home and provide for his family. Chasing a childhood dream, he takes a job on the steamboats that ply the river for trade. The unglamorous reality of this nomadic way of life provides a rude awakening for the naive country boy, and Shawn must draw on all his strength and resourcefulness in order to survive.

During the course of his adventures he will witness tragedy and disaster, suffer betrayal and despair, discover loyalty and romance - a combination of experiences that will transform the boy into a man. The River Kings tells a gritty human story that will appeal to all ages - whilst the characters and settings are unique, the themes they portray are universal. (4 x 60 min)

Cast: Bill Kerr, Tamblyn Lord, Edward Hepple, Willie Fennell, Cecil Parkee, David Bradshaw

Available on DVD from Chaos.com

The Rogue Stallion

Year: 1990
Director: Henri Safran
Writers: Rick Maier, Ysabelle Dean

Young Anna and her mother arrive in New Zealand after her father is killed in a tragic accident in Australia. Anna dreams of owning a horse but her mother is afraid to let her as it was a horse that killed her father. A wild brumby terrorises the mean-minded landholder, Garrett, and despite all his attempts to kill the horse, it continually outsmarts him. The horse, declared untameable and possessed, meets young Anna and together they make Garrett realise he cannot be the ruler of everything. (100 min)

Cast: Beth Buchanan, Brian Rooney, Andrew Shephard, Michele Fawdon, Jos» MarÃa Caffarel, Peter McAllum, Rawiri Paratene, Jodie Rimmer, Dean O'Gorman, Bruno Lawrence

Shadows of the Heart

Year: 1990
Executive Producer: Jock Blair
Producer: Jan Marnell
Director: Rod Hardy
Teleplay: Deborah Cox

Dr. Kate Munro arrives on the remote Gannet Island to take up a medical practice, keen to introduce the marvels of modern medicine to an island untouched by the twentieth century. The islanders lead conservative lives, ruled by the ingrained tradition and doctrines of the Catholic Church. Kate is instantly swept off her feet by Vic Hanlon, a strapping young grazier whose family represents the island''s wealth, but she is continually in confrontation with the island's priest who represents the dogmatic reactionary forces she despises. Yet beneath the philosophical and ideological antagonism there is something stirring: they are irrevocably attracted to each other as man and woman. Their passionate liaison surfaces repressed emotions, enabling Michael to become compassionate and caring as a priest, and a man. (2 x 120 min)

Cast: Josephine Byrnes, Marcus Graham, Jerome Ehlers, Jason Donovan, Robyn Nevin, Barry Otto, Harold Hopkins

Street Angels

Year: 1992
Executive Producer: Jill Robb
Producer: Kim Dalton
Director: Kathy Mueller
Writer: Alison Nisselle

Two social workers reach breaking point with the heartless welfare system which treats destitute children as criminals. Reaching out to these children means entering into the world of drain kids, pinball parlour pimps, graffiti gangs, the 14-year-old dealers and their 12-year-old customers. It's an exhausting and sometimes dangerous occupation but they care about the kids with a passion and the successes make it all worthwhile. (90 min)

Cast: Peter Brady, David Franklin, Gary Day, Alexander Sangster, George Zach, Jonathan Kennett, Tom Hutchings, Linda Perugini

Tracks of Glory

Year: 1991
Executive producer: Paul Barron
Producers: Damien Parer, Paul Barron
Director: Marcus Cole
Writers: Tony Morphett

The year is 1903, and two men are using their talents to win themselves a place in the sun. Don Walker an Australian champion cyclist, and Major Taylor who is a dedicated professional and the first black American athlete to smash his way through the colour bar. This is their story of hopes, dreams and ideals. Thay have everything to lose... and everything to win. Based on the book by Jim Fitzpatrick.

Cast: Phil Morris, Cameron Daddo, Richard Roxburgh, Nicholas Eadie, Justine Clarke, Joan Sydney, Brett Climo, Scott Burgess, John Ewart, Janet MacLachlan, Robert Vaughn, Renee Jones