Cirrus@Austlit

'Three separate and unconnected groups of people from different walks of life arrive at a point in their lives where they are emotionally dysfunctional, just as they arrive at a place where they are about to be greeted by something even more dysfunctional.' (Author's abstract)

'1960s outback Australia. Four boys in a convent orphanage watch younger kids leave with newly adopted parents, fearing their time may never come. The Reverend Mother sends them to the seaside where they meet a young autocratic couple that would make perfect parents. As men, they remember sabotaging each other’s efforts to be the chosen one, only to discover that the real meaning of what it is to be a family, is to be one of the December Boys.'

Source: Screen Australia.

On the cold and inhospitable planet of Zyrgon in a galaxy light years away, X's father wins the state lottery for the 27th time in a row. Knowing he will now be severely punished, twelve-year-old X is determined to save her family from jail, and decides to buy a spaceship. The whole family then set off into space, head halfway across the galaxy, and turn left. They land on an even stranger planet: Earth.

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

American revival of the 1966 television program, but filmed in Australia (largely in Queensland), and making extensive use of Australian directors and script-writers: eight of the twenty-two writers and five of the nine directors are Australian. As with the earlier version (and the later film incarnations), the program made extensive use of high-tech gadgetry that often crossed the line from science into science fiction.

Like previous Grundy production Waterloo Station, Richmond Hill was an attempt to replicate Crawford Productions' success with the police-drama/soap-opera fusion that was Cop Shop. But like Waterloo Station, it was unsuccessful, limping through a year's worth of poor ratings before being cancelled.

Moran notes in his Guide to Australian TV Series that the program was

designed to fit on the other side of the main evening news, thus hopefully holding viewers already hooked by Neighbours. Although the program had its share of younger characters, it is chiefly remembered for its older players, including the monumental Maggie Kirkpatrick as the pretentious butt of much of the comedy, veteran Gwen Plumb as the caring owner of a boarding house, and Ross Higgins as the police sergeant trying to hold it all together.

Moran also notes that the serial cost $8 million to produce.

The 1986 television series is set seven years after the events of the 1983 mini-series. Stephanie Harper, Australia's richest woman, is happily married to her plastic-surgeon husband. Her two children are now young adults, involved in the Harper 'empire' but with their own problems. The release of Jilly Stewart from prison starts a dramatic chain of events.

This mini-series is an adaptation of Helen Simpson's novel, previously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1949. The narrative traces the domestic life of former convict Samson Flusky and his alcoholic wife Lady Henrietta, and the tensions that creep into their life and marriage when they meet Charles Adare, newly arrived in New South Wales with his uncle, the new governor.

Moran notes, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, that the mini-series was more overtly Australian in focus and feel than the original film, which 'was a noir mystery/romance that happened to have a period setting':

The mini-series is certainly a mystery/romance but it is also part of the Australian historical or period cycle of feature films and mini-series which have recreated the nation's history. Thus this mini-series immediately belongs to a cycle that includes not only such nostalgic quality films as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Irishman, Gallipoli and others, but most especially such mini-series of the early convict settlement as Against the Wind, Sara Dane and For the Term of His Natural Life.

Moran concludes that the mini-series was not an overall success: 'the mini-series, while containing the film noir nuances, moves the narrative firmly in the direction of being both Australian and historical in its concern with the early convict/emancipation phase of Australian settlement, much like Against the Wind and The Timeless Land. There is much detail of settlement life and this fits rather oddly with the psychological drama. One understands the hesitation of the Nine Network in marketing the series.'

Based on the uprising of gold miners at Ballarat, Victoria, in 1854.

The first major film treatment of the Eureka Rebellion since the 1949 film version, this mini-series drew some of the same criticism as its predecessor. For example, Albert Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, notes that 'Bryan Brown in the central role of Lalor was no more comfortable with his life and appearance than Chips Rafferty had been in the original. Bill Hunter, on the other hand, was much more comfortable in his role as Hayes'.

Employing the same producer, writer, director, and star as the highly successful mini-series A Town Like Alice, Eureka Stockade cost $2.5 million to produce, but managed to secure only reasonable ratings in Sydney and Melbourne, especially compared to the success of A Town Like Alice. It did sell well overseas, including in the United States: Moran notes that the series 'aimed to tap residual memories [including of the 1949 film] in older segments of its audience both in Australia and in Britain where the series was shown on BBC television. For North American audiences, there were Canadian and American characters as well as hints of the connections between Californian and Victorian goldfields'.

An attempt to re-invoke the popularity that police procedurals had enjoyed a decade earlier, Special Squad was the most expensive program produced in Australia up to 1985 (at $150,000 per episode), yet received such lukewarm ratings that Channel Ten chose not to commission a second series.

According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series,

it was good to watch, with expert stunt work and special effects. With well-paced narratives, intelligently and nicely worked out situations and plenty of emphasis on the villains and victims, Special Squad was just as watchable and entertaining as Homicide had been in its last series.

According to Moran, the failure of Special Squad lay both in its difference from and its similarity to Homicide. The novelty (of Australian accents and Australian locations) that had helped make Homicide so successful was no longer in play, and 'the sight of tough men (on both sides of the law) made the program [Special Squad] seem very old-fashioned. In addition, the plethora of other Australian dramas on air at the time gave viewers more than enough alternatives.'

Elizabeth Bathory's descendant is unaware of her infamous ancestor, until she is abducted. Her captors claim to have reached the status of supermen by drinking human blood, and are eager for her to join them ...

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'.

Young Ramsay follows the adventures of a Sydney-based vet who becomes disillusioned with his work on the racecourse circuit, and moves to the small, fictional town of Jindarra, where he starts work with the veterinary practice of Jack Lambert (who is semi-retired on the grounds of ill health). It was conceived as family entertainment: neither violent nor explicit, but sufficiently exciting to keep the attention of both children and adults. Ramsay is supported by Julie Lambert (Jack's daughter, nurse, and receptionist) and Ray Turner (local park ranger).

The program begins in media res, with Ramsay already established in Jindarra, and unfolds his background and past experiences slowly, over a number of episodes. According to Don Storey, in Classic Australian Television, Ramsay is 'Not a super-cool type who never puts a foot wrong, but rather a well-rounded personality with successes and failings. He is a very competent vet; sometimes he makes a fool of himself or confuses names but he always makes good under pressure or in an emergency'.

Series one was followed by a two-year hiatus, and significant changes were made to the program for series two, including the re-casting of Ramsay's receptionist (Julie Lambert having been said to have left Jindarra after her father's death) and a stronger focus on happy endings.

According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian Television Series, 'Young Ramsay had a heavy stress on good ecological practices and was actively supported by the Victorian Ministry for Wildlife and Conservation'.

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'TERRY HOOD Age 39. A farm labourer who lives with his wife and two kids in a rented house in a corner of his boss's land. A quiet, mellowed, even-tempered man - perhaps a little too easy-going for his own good. He lets his wife wear the trousers in the house - look after the money, supervise the kids - but that doesn't mean she dominates him. It's just agreed that he lets her take all the responsibilities. He's not going to change now. Rides horse.

'ROSEMARY (ROSIE) HOOD A bright 13 year old tomboy of a girl with much of her father's open good-nature combined with a deal more energy. The two most important people in her life are her dad and her elder brother, Frank, but before the end of the episode she will have seen both of them in a new light and understand their weaknesses for the first time. Rides horse.

'SALLY (SAL') HOOD Terry's wife. Middle 30's. Hard working and ready to take on all those responsibilities that her husband leaves to her. Realised a while ago that Terry was never going to be any difrerent [sic] so has tried to make her kids aware of the work outside of Terry's all-encompassing "She'll be right". Her advice has tended to fall on stoney ground and become indistinguishable from her general low-key, tidy-yourself-up nagging. And it is only nagging - she's not the real heavy she'd sound like if you took every word of hers literally.

'FRANK HOOD Age 18. A nice kid but of an age where he's quickly tiring of the seemingly aimless "Life on the farm". Doesn't know what he wants to do with his life but is certain that he doesn't want to end up the same as his father. He gets involved with Martin McGill to have some fun but then he gets out of his depth. It's a shame. Must ride and drive.

'TED BLAKE Middle-aged country garage proprietor. Easy going.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'DONNY MORGAN: "Typical" country boy, at home in the bush, a good, strong swimmer because his father's property borders the river. He can drive a tractor and so knows the basic principles of driving generally and he's watched Hogan operate the Toyota radio often and can do it himself without hesitation. He's a good enough kid, breaks the rules as set by adults occasionally, but doesn't mean any real harm. About 12. Must swim.

'BILL MORGAN: Donny's father, a battler, a man who puts a lot of stock by kids being "respectful" to elders, especially parents. Underneath the stern exterior, he's a fair man and there is actually quite a good rapport between Bill and Donny, even though Bill does come down hard on him at times. Early 30's.

'MITCH STEWART: Donny's city cousin up in the country for a couple of weeks. A boy who's dreamt of "adventure" and sees the country as an ideal place to live out his dreams. He's a poor swimmer but he's long on guts. He's about Donny's age and the two boys have a lot in common and get along well. Must swim.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'HARRY THOMAS: 30 years old. But mentally he's about 10. He looks normal enough, but when he speaks we see and hear the child. Harmless.

'JEFF DAVIS: 12 years old. A quiet, friendly boy and a diabetic. When he meets up with Harry, he understands Harry's need for a friend.

'TIM BENSON: 12 years old. Mischievous, always in trouble, without really meaning any harm.

'BOBBY CLARK: 12 years old. He's very like Tim and follows him in everything, they're buddies.

'MRS. JUPP: 45 years old. A sour faced woman. The Thomas' neighbour, not happy.

'MRS. DAVIS: 30 years old. Hardworking, pleasant woman. A little too easy going with Jeff perhaps.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BOBBY DUNCAN: 12 years old (well nearly). A likeable lad and usually well adjusted to the disappointments he's had on his previous birthdays, but this time he decides it's once too often and he runs away, only to regret it as soon as he does, running away isn't all that it's cooked up to be.

'BILL DUNCAN: 30 years old. Bobby's father, a hard working man with a stubborn streak, like a lot of parents, he can't understand why Bobby doesn't understand that disappointments are part of growing up. The trouble is, Bill's forgotten what it was like to be a boy.

'LOUISE DUNCAN: 29 years old. Bobby's mother. Like her husband, hard working, unlike her husband she does understand what it's like to be Bobby's age, but she also understands the problems her husband faces, so she finds herself caught between the two.

'JOHN PRITCHARD: 11 years old (11½ really). Like Bobby, likeable. He's used to disappointments and doesn't expect things to change. He's always talking about running away, but would never do it on his own. Allows himself to be led by Bobby in most things. He also finds out that running away isn't all that it's cooked up to be.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BILL BENSON 70 Years old [sic]. Known locally as "Strike Me Die" Benson, also known for his penchant for malapropisms. An old royalist and member of the ninth division in the first world war [sic]. He tries to appear stern and ornery most of the time but this is just a cover for a lonely old man. He loves his dog "Sergeant" but tries not to allow this to show, he treats him like a soldier of the lower rank.

'HARRY RILEY 45 years old. From Melbourne. A mean, weasly, sour-faced looking individual. Flashily dressed, he thinks all country people are hicks. Only one thing in life is important and that's Harry Riley.

'VERA RILEY 40 years old. From Melbourne. A plain looking woman, would probably still be single except that she decided that Harry was better than having no husband at all. She is completely dominated by him.

[...]

'SERGEANT Benson's dog. A large animal, slightly scruffy looking. Probably an Alsation cross breed.'

A spin-off from Crawford Productions' Matlock Police, Solo One transferred motorcycle officer Gary Hogan from the fictional town of Matlock to the real town of Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges, where the program was filmed on location.

The program, an attempt to capitalise on Gary Hogan's popularity with child viewers of Matlock Police and less adult in focus than its predecessor, wasn't renewed for a second season, after Cronin moved on to Crawford's war-time drama, The Sullivans. Don Storey, in his Classic Australian Television, notes that the program 'was very successful and received much critical acclaim', but Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, counters that 'Cronin, though lovable both to Crawford's and the Victorian Police, who were advisors on the series, was far too long in the tooth to be playing this kind of role'.