Cirrus@Austlit

As Moran notes in his Guide to Australian TV Series, this was (like other productions of the same period, including Are You Being Served? and Father, Dear Father) an importation of a British concept: unlike the other programs, however, this was based on a concept for which William Stewart had produced a pilot, but that had never been picked up for production.

The series revolved around tea ladies working in Parliament House, Canberra. Moran notes that 'The short series made at ATV Channel 0 in Melbourne cost $500 000. Each episode was aired almost immediately after studio shooting and was screened at 8:30pm to small audiences with almost no reviews.'

Spanning the 1890s to the 1950s, Power Without Glory is the story of a man determined to make something of his life. Raised in a Melbourne slum area, John West later gains wealth and power, his influence extending into his business, his political ambitions, and his family life. The events of his life unfold against a backdrop of major historical events, including World War One and the beginnings of the Australian Labour Party.

Episode one of the adaptation of Frank Hardy's novel.