Derek Strahan Derek Strahan i(A142666 works by)
Born: Established: 1935 Malaya, Southeast Asia, South and East Asia, Asia, ;
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1942
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Works By

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1 form y separately published work icon The Cult of Death Derek Strahan , ( dir. Geoffrey Brown ) Combridge Film Productions , 1992 6952454 1992 single work film/TV crime detective

'When crusty Irish detective Tom Shanahan is assigned to investigate the bizarre murder of the lovely Luna, he has a hunch that he is dealing with more than the death of a high class call girl. His uncanny intuition picks up a trail of clues which enable him to penetrate the secret world of the Cult of Diana, a neo-pagan religion operating behind the front of an evangelical church. He peels off layer upon layer of deception to reveal the true working of the cult, and to expose the hypocrisy of the powerful men and women who run it for profit and enjoyment...'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 23/1/2014)

1 form y separately published work icon Chopper Squad Ron McLean , Tony Morphett , Robert Caswell , Don Battye , Denise Morgan , Everett de Roche , Peter Smalley , Colin Eggleston , Derek Strahan , Luis Bayonas , James Wulf Simmonds , Simon Wincer , Ross Napier , John Bramley , Bruce Wishart , Tom Mclennan , Colin James , Keith Hetherington , ( dir. Graeme Arthur et. al. )agent Sydney : Reg Grundy Enterprises , 1978 Z1826987 1978 series - publisher film/TV crime adventure

Chopper Squad follows the adventures of a helicopter surf rescue team based on Sydney's northern beaches, as they deal with various difficult rescues and occasionally come into close contact with desperate criminals.

The program suffered from long hiatuses between the pilot and series one, and between series one and series two. Furthermore, Don Storey notes, in his Classic Australian Television, that

Unfortunately, the quality of the scripts varied immensely. Some episodes had excellent dramatic narratives, and the viewers would be on the edge of their seats watching the rescue process. Other plots were contrived merely to justify the use of a helicopter, or to show off some other facet of the surf rescue operation, or were just corny. This variation in quality occurred not only from episode to episode, but quite often within an episode.

However, Storey concludes that

If the scripts left a lot to be desired, the same could not be said for the other aspects of the programme. The actors all gave good performances, and the technical quality is excellent by any standards. Extensive external location work was used, with internal sets being kept to a minimum. The camerawork is second to none, highlighting the magnificent scenery of the Sydney coastline to great effect.

Albert Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, notes that 'World distribution rights to the series were bought by Paramount Pictures, which sold the production to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Britain'.

1 1 form y separately published work icon Glenview High Ron McLean , Robert Caswell , Tony Morphett , Anne Brooksbank , Derek Strahan , Hugh Stuckey , Bob Ellis , Bruce Wishart , Colin James , ( dir. Bill Hughes et. al. )agent Sydney : Reg Grundy Enterprises , 1977 Z1826869 1977 series - publisher film/TV

A relatively short-lived drama series based in a secondary school in one of Sydney's more impoverished suburbs, Glenview High focused on teacher Greg Walker, dividing its attention between his work with his students and his homelife with his brother and two flatmates.

Don Storey, in his Classic Australian Television, notes that 'Glenview High frequently looked at the problems faced by city kids preparing for a world of uncertainty, with less opportunity and high unemployment. It also dealt with the frustration of the education system from the point of view of both teachers and students.' Albert Moran, conversely, notes in his Guide to Australian TV Series that 'Glenview High was mildly concerned with social issues in and around school, kids, teachers and parents but with each episode needing to tie its stories up inside the hour, social problems were mostly solvable and social issues were raised but not explored.'

Storey summarises the program as follows:

Grundy's claimed that Glenview High could not be compared to Class of 74/75, a valid statement with which the critics agreed. Glenview was a better product than Class, but it could not be considered an outstanding series: the scripts sometimes lapse into melodrama, with corny and contrived endings, and being produced entirely on video gives it a cheap look.

(Note: Moran mistakenly lists Ken James and Rebecca Gilling as playing teachers, rather than their actual roles of Greg Walker's brother Tom and flatmate/air hostess Robbie Dean.)

1 form y separately published work icon The Unisexers Robert Caswell , David Sale , Johnny Whyte , Anne Hall , Derek Strahan , ( dir. Peter Maxwell ) Sydney : Cash Harmon Television , 1975 Z1812878 1975 series - publisher film/TV

Devised by American screewriter Anne Hall, The Unisexers was a short-lived series that followed the travails of a group of young people collectively running a jeans-making business in a large inner-city house, from the same production company that produced Number 96.

Unlike Number 96, however, The Unisexers ran for only three weeks, five nights a week. According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series,

'Ironically, given that the timeslot had been such an important factor in the success of Number 96, The Unisexers timeslot [prior to the main evening news] in Sydney and Melbourne proved to be a major part of its downfall. Producers and writers felt particularly circumscribed in terms of what they could show and talk about at that time because of the large number of children viewing then'.

The first episode of The Unisexers is available to watch on YouTube (in black and white).

  • Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3SYqFbfO4c
  • Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI6_tNGKa_A&feature=related
  • Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AGsCMlyb-c&feature=related
  • Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmIpzjK9504&feature=related

(Sighted: 7/10/2011)

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