Cirrus@Austlit

'Frederick Manning left Australia at the age of 14 and completed his education privately in rural Lincolnshire before making a career for himself in poetry and literary criticism.

'In his 30s, he joined the British Army and went to France, where his experiences were to lead him to write The Middle Parts of Fortune under a pseudonym, a novel which Hemingway was to describe as 'the finest and noblest book of men in war'. Yet Manning is not recognised as one of Australia's finest writers. Where does he belong?

'The differences and resonances between Manning's life and his own are a source of fascination for James, a lecturer in literature, who is struggling to make sense of his own life- further complicated by looming retirement and his various relationships with women.

'The play uses dramatised scenes from The Middle Parts of Fortune, which bring home how the ordinary soldier coped with both the horrors and the camaraderie of the First World War.'

Source: ABC Radio National's website, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/
Sighted: 21 April 2008

'It's 1919 and Isaac and Elsie make people laugh. They've teamed up - unlikely as it is, an old East End Jew and a cheeky young Aussie - to make a quid, but their act is tired. Do people really want to sing and clap and giggle in the aftermath of The Great War? Isaac has a flash of inspiration: Aussies want to mourn, not have jokes cracked at them; families want to hear from the sons they lost at Gallipoli or the Somme. Spiritualism is big business and even better showbiz. When they enlist a young black housemaid, Theresa, as a seer, they reckon her looks are guaranteed to sell tickets. But there is a slight problem. Theresa really does have an unsettling, other-worldly gift. And she can't control it.

Michael Cove's new play is an affectionate, astute and timely look at those who soldier on with the show and those who have to soldier on with life. This is a play about commemoration and the place of war in our history. Through popular song, soft-shoe shuffle and seance we travel across the outback to a new cenotaph and a dedication ceremony destined to make history.'

Source: Sydney Theatre Company website, http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/
(Sighted: 02/01/2007)

'Sam's world is falling apart. His marriage has ended and he struggles to come to terms with both his past and his future. Will his writing be enough? Can the friendly sympathy of the landlady in the boarding house help? 'Washable Vinyl' paints a powerful and ultimately moving picture of a man who has lost hope.'

Source: ABC Radio National website, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/airplay/s1391524.htm
Sighted: 04/07/2005

'A fast-paced television drama set within the fascinating environment of a State Coroner's office complex. Each day a team of highly trained professionals deal with the questions of deaths, murders, accidents, suicides, fires, drownings and even the odd natural cause. We see their battles with grieving families, slow or meddling authorities and organized crime, from the initial inquiry through to the courtroom appearances and the Coroner's final verdict and recommendations for trial or reform.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive (http://www.australiantelevision.net/statecoroner/statecoroner.html). (Sighted: 8/3/2013)

'Jack and Terri decide to run away from their foster parents to find their real dad, Tom, a merchant seaman. Their journey takes them through adventures and mishaps. As the chase comes to a close, the 'Rainbow's End' is sighted and everyone's dreams come true.'

Source: Screen Australia.

'Fast-paced series spin-off of the hit feature film. Filmed at an abandoned school in Sydney's Maroubra, this program was about an ethnically diverse group of students attending Hartley High School.'

Source: National Film and Sound Archive record.

'An Australian priest returns from Central America where he has been imprisoned by a dictatorial government. A gripping story of torture, politics and religion.'

Source: Green Left ('Radio Highlights', 2 September 1992).

A one-hour soap opera focusing on life in a gritty inner-city suburb.

Dancing Daze was an ABC production about two sisters who move to the "big city" to pursue dance. 

Jane Campion directed one episode, collaborating with producer Jan Chapman for the first time. 

'Series based around the fortunes of the fictional rock band The Takeaways.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 3/12/2013)

'The film tells the true story of a remarkable relationship between a young teacher and deeply disturbed 13 year-old boy. [...] The product of a broken home, Tom vents his aggression through playing truant, stealing cars and motor bikes, and violent behaviour towards others.

'He and his cronies hang around outside pubs, sipping from cans of beer and taking part in generally anti-social behaviour such as street fights and "gang bangs".

'Not without reason, he is dismissed by most adults as a hopeless case, a delinquent headed for a life of crime.

'Embling attempts to understand Tom's problems, committing himself fully to the boy and providing him with a relationship that is honest and physically secure.

'The teacher and student pass through stages of hostility and caring, frustration and hope, suspicion and trust.

'The relationship is constantly thwarted by the apathy and active opposition of other teachers and officials whose approach is often as brutal as it is archaic.

'Ultimately, Embling and Tom win their fight to a better future.'

Source:

'"Fighting Back" Moved Marshall to Tears', Canberra Times, 12 May 1982, p.24.

Set in a small, fictional, New South Wales country town called Wandin Valley, A Country Practice focused on the staffs of the town's medical practice and local hospital and on the families of the doctors, nurses, and patients. Many of the episodes also featured guest characters (frequently patients served by the practice) through whom various social and medical problems were explored. Although often considered a soap opera, the series was not built around an open-ended narrative; instead, the two one-hour episodes screened per week formed a self-contained narrative block, though many of the storylines were developed as sub-plots for several episodes before becoming the focus of a particular week's storyline. While the focus was on topical issues such as youth unemployment, suicide, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, and terminal illness, the program did sometimes explore culturally sensitive issues, including, for example, the Aboriginal community and their place in modern Australian society.

Among the show's principal characters were Dr Terence Elliott, local policeman Sergeant Frank Gilroy, Esme Watson, Shirley Dean Gilroy, Bob Hatfield, Vernon 'Cookie' Locke, and Matron Margaret 'Maggie' Sloan. In addition to its regularly rotating cast of characters, A Country Practice also had a cast of semi-regulars who would make appearances as the storylines permitted. Interestingly, while the series initially targeted the adult and older youth demographic, it became increasingly popular with children over the years.

Another of the ABC's now-obscure anthology programs, Premiere ran to only four short episodes. The program combined experienced script-writers with directors who had never worked on television before: at least two of the directors (Mary Lancaster and Peter Fisk) went on to work more extensively in television.

According to Moran in this Guide to Australian TV Series, the four episodes were 'Partners', 'Friends of the Family', 'Mr Elvey's Friday Nights', and 'And the Meek Shall Inherit the Earth'. Of these, only the latter is speculative fiction: it covers, according to Moran, 'the future faced by a wealthy industrialist who is cryogenically brought back to life after his death'.

The final episode in Cove's series A Place to Call Home.

Five men meet again at a high-school reunion, allowing them to reflect on the past and plan for the future.

The Oracle 'stars Australian actor John Gregg. He plays Steve Black, a high-rating Sydney radio announcer. Each self-contained episode follows not only the personal life of Steve, but also the stories of some of the listeners who phone him on air to tell their trials and tribulations' (Australian Women's Weekly 21 February 1979, p.47).

While not solely a crime drama, The Oracle touched on people on the fringes of society and vulnerable to desperate (and illegal) actions. For example, The Canberra Times reported (Wednesday 9 May 1979, p.3) that episode 9, 'Pick a Side, Any Side', drew viewers' complaints for 'showing a distraught mother killing her baby', and indicated that the ABC was not inclined to apologise for the episode's content.

The Oracle is frequently described as a spin-off from the telemovie Say You Want Me, and the two do share subject matter. However, while Say You Want Me is dated at 1977 in some sources, its earliest traceable airdate is June 1979, which would mean that the telemovie did not air until a fortnight after the series had finished airing.

Further Reference:

Karen Earnshaw. 'TV '79'. Australian Women's Weekly 21 February 1979, pp.45-50.