1979: June 16-22

Young doctor with water on the brain
Actor Eric Oldfield (pictured, with Kerri Eichhorn and Judy Lynne) knows what he’d do with a million dollars: “What I’d really like to do would be to clean up the ocean.  Get laws passed to stop the pollution of our waters.  Stop councils from pouring sewage into the ocean.  It’s criminal what’s happening to our beaches.”  The 31-year-old avid surfer, who shot to fame in 1971 in the drama series The Godfathers, is extremely aware of the dangers of man’s impact on the environment and his concern affects his beliefs and lifestyle.  Meanwhile, the former Model of the Year and two-time centrefold for Cleo magazine is enjoying his latest role as Dr Ben Fielding in The Young Doctors – and although he has been in a number of TV series since The Godfathers, he is modest about his abilities: “When I’ve had more experience I think I’ll be a good actor.”

Feud takes on the East
In a bid to strengthen its popularity among eastern states viewers, quiz show Family Feud is moving its production from TVW7 in Perth to GTV9 Melbourne.  Producer Gary Meadows has moved to Melbourne to set up the show in its new home, while host Tony Barber will continue to live in Perth and commute to Melbourne for the show’s taping.  Family Feud is shown on GTV9 Melbourne and TCN9 Sydney, but is shown on Seven Network channels in Brisbane and Adelaide as well as the independent TVW7 in Perth.

Detective Danni quits Cop Shop
Cop Shop star Paula Duncan (pictured) was rushed to hospital after suffering a collapse in the studio – just days after she had informed Crawford Productions that she was intending to quit the popular series.  Duncan had cited ill health for her reason to resign and producers are now hoping that she recovers and changes her mind.

Classic Australian novels for TV
The 0-10 Network is to commit over $2 million to two mini-series productions based on classic Australian novels.  The network, in association with the South Australian Film Corporation, has announced plans to adapt Catherine Gaskin’s novel Sara Dane into a ten-hour mini-series.  The 0-10 Network has also committed to a nine-hour mini-series, based on Sumner Locke Elliott’s Water Under The Bridge, to be produced in partnership with the Victorian Film Corporation.  Sara Dane is expected to go into production early in 1980 with a planned airdate of 1981, while Water Under The Bridge goes into production later this year and is expected to be completed by mid-1980.

Briefly…
Spanish-born actor Tony Alvarez is temporarily hosting the 0-10 Network’s A Greek Affair following the resignation of host, former Number 96 star Harry Michaels.

Former Bellbird cast member Ian Smith will be returning to ABC with roles in upcoming plays.

Twelve-year-old Bobby Driessen is the latest recruit for the 0-10 Network’s Young Talent Time.  Driessen and his family have moved from Perth to Melbourne following his appointment to the popular show’s cast.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
”Where in the world did they dig up that ancient old lady to do the rice commercials?  She looks to be 100 years old.  They must think we are a lot of morons to believe that rice will give us such youthful energy.” L. Doolan, QLD.

“All praise to the Nine Network.  They have unselfishly taken ownership of that pitiful excuse for a comedy-satire called Soap.  The Nine Network also deserves thanks for removing from the domain of ABC that unwanted intruder, cricket.” J. Neumann, SA.

“What a pity the ABC made another soap opera, Twenty Good Years.  What about another series like Who Pays The Ferryman? or The Lotus Eaters, even if it is located on the Barrier Reef, Cape York or the Great Australian Bight?” M. Sawden, QLD.

What’s On (June 16-22):
ATV0’s evening coverage of the Prudential Cup cricket continues from the United Kingdom, with live coverage on Saturday and Wednesday nights.

Debbie Byrne, Ian Turpie, Geraldine Turner and David Atkins star in Troopship, this week’s episode of TV Follies (ABC, Saturday).

This Fabulous Century (HSV7, Sunday) looks at disasters that have saddened the nation – including Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne and the Granville train disaster in Sydney.

Sydney-based action drama Chopper Squad returns to ATV0 on Sunday night.  In this week’s episode, the rescue team joins in a search for two young boys who ran off with a .22 rifle.

ABC screens live via satellite coverage of the US Open golf championship from Toledo, Ohio.  Coverage starts at 5.30am on Sunday and Monday mornings.

Marcia Hines (pictured) returns to television with a new series, Marcia’s Music, on ABC.  Glenn Shorrock and John Farnham are guests in the first episode.

Sunday night movies: A Killing Affair (HSV7), Love Story (GTV9), Uptown Saturday Night (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 16 June 1979.  ABC/ACP

1978: November 25-December 1

How Georgiou stays a jump ahead
The cops featured in Crawford Productions' police dramas are used to high-speed car chases, but actor John Orcsik (pictured) from Cop Shop is just at home on a horse.  A former bodybuilder and karate student, Orcsik for several years owned and operated a horse riding school in Western Australia: "I gave it away in the end because I was working on my body at the time and as I built myself up I became too heavy for the horses."  Orcsik is glad to be able to include horse-riding as a skill when applying for acting roles, but it has only been called upon in the ABC series Ben Hall and in a guest appearance on Tandarra.

Mark's taste of Hollywood
Returning from the Cannes Film Festival saw pop star and actor Mark Holden make a stop in Hollywood, and three months later he's still there.  Originally planning to visit the US to gather songs for his new album, Holden has ended up with a producer and has been arranging and recording tracks, proposing them to record companies, and also attending an acting school.

Germaine to look us over
Aussie ex-pat Germaine Greer is heading to Australia to make a documentary on Sydney as part of the Canadian-produced series Cities Of The World.  Other cities to be featured in the series include Leningrad, Rome, Stockholm, Berlin, Toronto, Jerusalem, New York and Dublin.  The series, being produced by British-born John McGreevy, is expected to air towards the end of 1979.

Tiny talented Tina
According to her mother, 10-year-old Tina Arena (pictured) "had been making singing and chattering noises almost from the day she was born, and when she was two we knew she would have to do something in showbusiness."  The youngster's penchant for singing led to her parents entering her into the Young Talent Time new talent segment.  Tina recalls, "I won the heat and the quarter finals, but I lost the semi-finals.  I wasn't disappointed and I enjoyed myself, but it was a complete surprise when Johnny Young asked if I would join the team. "  The young star is hopeful of an acting career when she is older.

Briefly:
Staff at Melbourne's ATV0 have been amused by the placement of sets for the new series Prisoner.  The replica prison wall, exercise area and vegetable garden are all located next to the channel's administration offices.

Former Number 96 star Harry Michaels (pictured) is celebrating the first anniversary of his weekly daytime variety program Greek Affair which he hosts and produces for the 0-10 Network.  The program is also screened in Cyprus and Michaels is also negotiating to sell the program to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

ABC sports commentator Norman May has tipped England to win the Australia-England Test Series which starts in Brisbane this week.  Joining May on ABC's summer cricket coverage will be former Test captain Bobby Simpson, Keith Miller and Frank Tyson.

Newly-retired naval officer Commander Alun Evans has joined ABC as an advisor on the new series Patrol Boat.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"ABC has one big weak point.  It does not show good quality full-length movies on a regular basis."  D Irving, NSW.

"What is wrong with the stations they they spend thousands on such rubbish as Micro Macro (pictured) and Blankety Blanks?  They are an insult to the average person's intelligence.  Do they really think we are so dumb?"  A McCallum, VIC.

"I'd like to see foreign films on TV (with subtitles of course), and every TV station having its own theatrette in town, to take the place of 'news theatres'.  Why shouldn't someone, who has an hour or two to spare, be able to pop into a mini-theatre to pay to watch on a maxi-screen, the program that they could have been watching had they stayed at home."  P Cunningham, NSW.

What's On (November 25-December 1):
The Seven Network's summer tennis coverage begins with the Queensland Open from Brisbane on Saturday and Sunday, followed by the Federation Cup, the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup, from Monday through to Friday, live from Kooyong in Melbourne.

The Nine Network's usual daytime line-up of US soap operas takes a break for summer, with re-runs of Australian dramas Division Four and Silent Number appearing in the schedule.

ABC's weekly game show Micro Macro moves from Friday nights to Monday at 6.25pm.

The 1978-79 season of World Series Cricket starts on Tuesday with Australia versus the West Indies, telecast live from the Sydney Cricket Ground, on GTV9 from 2.20pm through to 10.30pm.  The following day features Australia versus The World.

On Wednesday night, HSV7 presents a repeat of the one-hour special John Denver In Australia, while ATV0 screens a repeat of the Holiday Survival Test showing viewers how to avoid common accidents over the upcoming holiday period.

The first cricket Test, Australia versus England, starts on Friday with live coverage on ABC from the Brisbane Cricket Ground.  Coverage starts at 11.50am and continues through to 6.30pm.

Friday night sees the final edition of ABC's long-running current affairs program This Day Tonight, ending an almost twelve-year run.

Sunday night movies are Baffled (HSV7), Kotch (GTV9) and an Australian film Squeeze A Flower (ATV0) featuring Rowena Wallace, Jeff Ashby and Barry Crocker.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 25 November 1978.  ABC/ACP