The first television series produced in Australia was based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island, but drew its shape and tone more explicitly from two Disney films--Treasure Island (1950) and Long John Silver (1954)--particularly in the shift of Long John Silver from the morally ambiguous villain of the novel to the loveable rogue of the series. Both films used largely the same cast as the television series, and the latter film had also been produced in Australia. Though cast and crew included a number of American and English actors, directors, and script-writers, Australia did contribute cast and crew to the series, as well as funding and resources.
Don Storey notes in his Classic Australian Television:
It is somewhat ironic that this should be Australia's first television series, as pirate adventure had nothing to do with Australia's history, and television had not yet commenced here - the series could have been filmed anywhere. It was in effect a 'crossover' of the 1950's Australian film industry to television. (Most Australian films of the 1950's were produced by overseas companies - it was television, and in particular the series Homicide, which later provided a foundation for the revival of the Australian feature film industry in the 1970's [...]).
For a full list of episodes and authors, see Film Details.
