ACA interviews Reg Grundy

It is not often that this site actively promotes A Current Affair but will make an exception for this coming Monday’s edition as host Tracy Grimshaw interviews legendary television producer Reg Grundy (pictured) and wife, actress and author Joy Chambers at their home in Bermuda.

Grundy first appeared on TV in 1959 as the host and producer of an afternoon game show, Wheel Of Fortune, which had made the move from radio to Sydney’s TCN9.  He then went on to produce more game shows during the 1960s before branching out into TV dramas and movies in the 1970s.  The list of Grundy productions read like a timeline in the history of Australian television, including Ampol Stamp Quiz, I’ve Got A Secret (where he met his future wife), Temptation, Moneymakers, Class Of ‘74, Pot Of Gold, Family Feud, Blankety Blanks, The Celebrity Game, The Young Doctors, Chopper Squad, The Restless Years, Sale Of The Century, Prisoner, Sons And Daughters, Perfect Match, It’s A Knockout, Neighbours, Secret Valley, Wheel Of Fortune, Australia’s Most Wanted, Richmond Hill, Embassy and The Price Is Right. 

Wife Chambers, a winner of two TV Week Logie awards for most popular female personality in Queensland in the late 1960s before becoming Mrs Grundy, went on to appear in a number of Grundy productions including The Restless Years, The Celebrity Game and Neighbours (most recently appearing in the lead-up to the show’s celebrated 6000th episode).  She is also an accomplished author in her own right.

As well as many Grundy dramas selling internationally – most notably Prisoner (pictured), The Young Doctors, Neighbours and Sons And Daughters – he also successfully franchised various game show and drama formats overseas, producing international versions of Sale Of The Century, Prisoner and The Restless Years.  He also produced a game show, Scrabble, for US network NBC.

He sold Grundy Television Productions to UK-based Pearson International in the mid-1990s – it has since been incorporated into the global Fremantle Media group.

Grundy was inducted into the TV Week Logie Awards’ Hall of Fame in 1993 and received Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2008. 

Despite his many years in television, Grundy has remained a very private figure and has very rarely allowed to be interviewed and the appearance on A Current Affair came as the expense of Sunday Night and 60 Minutes which had both also tried to secure an interview.

The interview is said to coincide with the release of his autobiography.

A Current Affair.  Monday 20 September, 6.30pm.  Nine*

Source: The Daily Telegraph (via The Spy Report), Sydney Morning Herald.

 

* Melbourne.  Other areas, check local guides.

1979: February 10-16

Around the world in 60 Minutes
The wait is over.  This week marks the debut of Nine's new multi-million dollar current affairs gamble 60 Minutes.  The show's reporting team and producers have been around the world gathering stories.  Former ABC New York correspondent Ray Martin has been travelling the United States.  Former A Current Affair and Eyewitness News journalist Ian Leslie has been to Asia, and former A Current Affair and This Day Tonight reporter George Negus has been through Europe.  With executive producer Gerald Stone, the program has been in planning since May last year and is believed to have a budget of $2 million.  Stone is confident that his reporters' personalities will help them connect with viewers, even though they are reluctant to adopt the celebrity tag that may come with the show.  "I can't say I'll be looking forward to that side of it," Leslie told TV Times.  "I loathe the idea of my personal life coming under scrutiny because I become well-known as a TV reporter.  I shall be guarding against that side of the job." 

Ossie battlers hit back
After departing GTV9 in a blaze of publicity a year ago, Daryl Somers and Ossie Ostrich had the disappointment of the ill-fated The Daryl And Ossie Show for the 0-10 Network.  But now the pair could be making a return to the Nine Network in a deal that could include them featuring in a movie later in the year.

The laugh's on them
A new rapid-fire sketch comedy series is about to debut on ABC.  Jokes is to be a four-part series comprising purely of jokes presented as short sketches, some as short as ten seconds.  Starring in the show is Noni Hazelhurst (The Sullivans), Chris Haywood, Robyn Moase and Terry Bader. 

Star seekers - a game of snakes and ladders
Winning a TV talent quest is not a sure-fire way to stardom.  Even though some winners manage to get an extra few bookings or maybe a short-lived record deal, the journey to stardom is still a long hard slog.  For Ray Highcock, since winning Pot Of Gold, he has lost his job, his prize and his agent.  But the 42-year-old is not giving up, "I've got to get this entertainment bug out of my system, so I'll keep giving it a go."  Singer Christine Mullane won a trip for two to the UK from Young Talent Time, but found the prize didn't include accommodation, but did score a record deal that only led to one failed single.  Another singer, Denis Walter (pictured), won a Young Talent Time contest in 1971, and then went on to win on New Faces, but even then his dreams of instant wealth and stardom wasn't to be:  "And that was my first let down.  I think all I got was a $200 prize."  Walter has been one of the lucky ones since then, however, with regular appearances on Young Talent Time, four top-selling albums and performing at a Royal Command Performance in London.

Briefly...
Luigi, the Italian taxi driver featured regularly on Willesee At Seven and The Penthouse Club, is going to be missing from TV screens for the next few months.  Alter ego Colin McEwan is headed to the United Kingdom and Europe, but may film some Luigi segments for the Willesee program.

Radio 3UZ announcer Peter Byrne is going to be the new 'man about town' for HSV7's new Saturday Night Live (formerly The Penthouse Club). 

Former Bellbird star Elspeth Ballantyne is enjoying a career comeback with a role in the movie Blue Fin and an ongoing role in the 0-10 Network's upcoming new series Prisoner.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
"I read with interest your recent article on Lorraine Bayly in TV Times, and her identity crisis, but was disgusted to read how much she is being paid each week.  As far as I am concerned, that is none of our business.  Also, this attractive, very talented actress does nothing to get into the public eye and telling us her salary is certainly invasion of privacy." V. Hannaford, WA.

"I have been a regular ABC viewer for 17 years, and have always admired the tremendous personality and style of the various announcers.  Their clean, neat appearance and well-educated accents epitomise Australian manhood at its best.  And I think the most promising of the new faces is Graeme Lyndon.  I congratulate ABC for their good choice, and, of course, I must congratulate Graeme Lyndon for such a consistently high standard of performance." D. Anderson, NSW.

What's On (February 10-16):
HSV7's Saturday morning music show Sound Unlimited, hosted by Donnie Sutherland (pictured), presents its fifth anniversary show.

GTV9's Sunday night talent quest, New Faces with Bert Newton, returns for another year - followed by the premiere of current affairs program 60 Minutes.  HSV7 tries to take some of gloss of the new current affairs show by programming a US special, Mickey Mouse's 50th Anniversary, up against it.

On Tuesday night, ATV0 presents the Victorian Sports Star for 1978 from the Southern Cross Hotel, hosted by Tony Charlton with Tracy Wickham.

Sunday night movies are The Ambushers (HSV7) and The Omega Man (ATV0).  US mini-series Washington Behind Closed Doors screens over six consecutive nights on GTV9.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 10 February 1979.  ABC/ACP

Celebrating Mr Grundy

The wife of long-time TV producer Reg Grundy (pictured) is arranging an exclusive celebration in his honour, to be held next week at a Sydney hotel.

Grundy turned 85 earlier this year and was also named in the Queen's Birthday honours list for his services to television.

Joy Chambers, an author and former model, TV game show panelist and actress, married Grundy back in the 1970s and has invited a list of TV stars and back-stagers that helped Grundy become a household name and create an international production empire, with hit shows including Wheel Of Fortune, Sale Of The Century, Pot Of Gold, Neighbours, The Young Doctors, Chopper Squad, Prisoner (pictured), Perfect Match, The Price Is Right, Blankety Blanks, Sons And Daughters, It's A Knockout and The Restless Years.

Grundy also produced US versions of Sale Of The Century and Prisoner and co-produced the 1977 feature ABBA The Movie which followed the pop group's Australian tour.

Some of those believed to be attending next week's celebration include Brian Henderson, Ernie Sigley, Larry Emdur, Alan Jones, TV boss David Leckie and production staff that worked on Grundy's first TV venture Wheel Of Fortune which he hosted back in 1959.

Having dominated Australian television production and expanded the business overseas - with branches in the United States and Europe -  Grundy sold the company to British-based Pearson Television in 1995.  The company is now part of the international Fremantlemedia group, continuing production in Australia with shows including Neighbours, Australian Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.

After selling his TV production company, Grundy invested in radio as major shareholder in regional network RG Capital before the company was bought out by Macquarie Bank.

Reg Grundy and Joy Chambers now live in Bermuda.

Source: news.com.au

Ernie Sigley preparing to sign-off

Ernie Sigley, the "little Aussie battler" with over fifty years in radio and television, has announced his resignation from his long-standing role as afternoon host on Melbourne radio station 3AW, signaling a move into semi-retirement.
Beginning at radio station 3DB as a turntable operator in 1952, Sigley went on to become a disc jockey for the station and then graduated to television in 1957 as one of the hosts of Melbourne's first popular music program Teenage Mailbag on HSV7.
He then took a gamble and tried his luck overseas, managing to score work at BBC and at Radio Luxembourg. Returning to Australia in the mid-'60s, Sigley went to Adelaide where he took over as host of NWS9's Adelaide Tonight. Hosting Adelaide Tonight for almost a decade led to Sigley and co-host Anne Wills scoring a swag of TV Week Logie awards for most popular personalities in South Australia.
In 1974, Sigley returned to Melbourne to host The Ernie Sigley Show at GTV9, and which famously paired him up with former go-go dancer Denise Drysdale. They both went on to win TV Week Gold Logies as most popular personalities on Australian television and also had recording success with their single 'Hey Paula' becoming a best-seller.
The Ernie Sigley Show came to an abrupt end early in 1976 when an off-air outburst - after an episode which had been cut short for a sports awards telecast coming down the link from Sydney - aimed at his producer Peter Faiman and boss Kerry Packer saw Packer sack him in person the next day.
After being sacked, Sigley went to ATV0 to host a nightly variety show, Ernie, and in 1978 he replaced Mike Williamson as co-host of HSV7's Saturday night variety show The Penthouse Club, which then became Saturday Night Live.
In 1981, after a break from TV, Sigley made a few token appearances on game shows like Personality Squares before being signed up by Reg Grundy to host the Seven Network's new game show Wheel Of Fortune, a role which he held for three years before handing over to John Burgess. At the same time he launched Wheel Of Fortune, he also returned to 3DB, where his career began thirty years earlier, to host the breakfast program. And in 1982, he had a brief stint as host of the regional variety program Thursday Night Live from Ballarat's BTV6.
In the mid-'80s, Sigley reprised The Ernie Sigley Show for GTV9 which had only a brief run before he went to the Ten Network to host the daytime talent show Pot Luck, a revival of the 1970s Pot Of Gold.
In 1989, Sigley and Denise Drysdale were reunited, hosting GTV9's new morning show In Melbourne Today which later became Ernie And Denise when the program went national a few years later. Sigley also returned to radio, first at 3AK, then to 3AW in 1996 where he continues hosting the afternoon shift until later this year.  Sigley, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, is expected to stay at 3AW but in a part-time or reduced capacity.

1978: May 27-June 2

What makes Bert run?
Bert Newton (pictured, with wife Patti) has taken on a lot in the last three years - marriage, fatherhood, five mornings a week on radio 3UZ, two nights a week on The Don Lane Show, his own weekly show New Faces, TV commercials and was King of Melbourne's annual Moomba festival - but sees no danger of repeating the famous breakdown he suffered in the early 1960s. Now approaching 40, Newton reflects on that earlier period: "A breakdown was inevitable and I even had the warnings. But who takes heed of such things at that age?"

Gwen Plumb, TV's genial menial
Ada Simmons, the gossipy kiosk lady of Nine's The Young Doctors, would think Gwen Plumb (pictured) is a bit posh. After all, Plumb is everything Ada Simmons isn't - sophisticated, self-assured and independent. Plumb looks back on over 30 years in show business - from early days as a copywriter with Sydney radio station 2GB, to working on stage in London's West End and hosting her own popular radio and television shows in Sydney in the 1960s.

Greatest show on Earth kicks off!
ABC's coverage of the soccer World Cup begins this week - with live coverage of the opening match between West Germany and Poland, highlights and delayed coverage of other matches, and live coverage of the final for third place to be played on 25 June, and the final on 26 June.

Chopper Squad's Hollywood connection
Chopper Squad actor Robert Coleby has confessed to TV Times that his real name is actually Robert Taylor. When he graduated from acting school in London, he was encouraged to assume a new name rather than keep his real name to avoid any comparison at that time to the Hollywood actor of the same name. He chose the name Coleby when browsing the London telephone directory for inspiration and found only two Colebys listed for the whole of London.

By Georgiou, it's Detective Orcsik!
Cop Shop's newest recruit John Orcsik (pictured) might have been born in Hungary, but has lived in Australia most of his life and considers himself only as "Australian" - yet the 32-year-old actor has played everything from a Irish priest in The Sullivans, an Arab guerilla in the telemovie Harvest Of Hate, and is now playing a Greek-born detective in Cop Shop: "Crawford Productions have been good to me, but some other production companies have ruled me out because I look 'too European'." The first time he played a run-of-the-mill Australian was in the soap Number 96. When he's not in Melbourne filming for Cop Shop, Orcsik spends his time in Sydney with girlfriend Margaret and two-year-old son Simon.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
"How refreshing it was to see such a superb production as ABC's Loss Of Innocence. It was well acted and set perfectly to present the top-class product we should always be able to enjoy." J. Browing, QLD.

"Why is it what when we have many of own fine young actors and actresses in Australia - like Nick Hedstrom in The Restless Years - people have to make ridiculous statements like "they say he's another Brando"? He doesn't look like Marlon Brando, and surely he would much rather be popular as himself and not because "they" say he's another Brando. I wonder who "they" are?" S. Gerry, NSW.

"On Sydney ATN7 news I had the displeasure to see an item about the murder of a security guard where the camera followed a trail of blood out of the building, along the footpath to a pool of blood next to the body under a sheet. I would rather watch supposedly violent TV shows which I do not believe influence children than to see real death and violence which could give anyone nightmares." J. Wright, NSW.

What's On (May 27-June 2):
ABC presents Rocturnal, a late-night music series based on the ABCFM program of the same name, hosted by David Woodhall.

Thursday night (actually, 2.00am Friday morning) sees ABC's live telecast of the World Cup soccer from Argentina - the opening ceremony and the first match between West Germany and Poland. The telecast is repeated Friday evening.

ATV0 presents the Grand Final of the talent quest Pot Of Gold, with host Tommy Hanlon Jnr and resident judge Bernard King. Although the series normally screened on weekday afternoons, the final was shown on Sunday at 5.00pm, marking the end of over three years of the program.

Sunday night movies are Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (HSV7), Lady Caroline Lamb (GTV9) and A Fistful Of Dollars (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 27 May 1978, ABC/ACP.

1978: May 6-12

Cover story: Their real restless years
TV Times spoke to some of the cast of the 0-10 Network soap The Restless Years to find out what their real-life restless years were like: Julieanne Newbould was a child performer, making her TV debut at the age of 12 on a TEN10 talent show and had also appeared in minor roles in a number of TV dramas. Nick Hedstrom helped compile the school magazine and also produced a play, prompting him to decide his future career in acting. Jon "Sonny" Blake (pictured) recalls the frustration in trying to find a job after finishing school, eventually getting a job at a cinema as an usher before scoring his big break as Alan Archer in The Restless Years. (On TV Times' cover: Julieanne Newbould, Nick Hedstrom, Deborah Coulls)

Bernard's golden chance when show goes to pot
Within 24 hours of the axe falling on the 0-10 Network talent show Pot Of Gold, panelist judge Bernard King had received three separate offers for new shows including a gardening show, a variety series and a Beauty And The Beast styled panel show. After 650 episodes over three years, the final episode of Pot Of Gold is to air on the 0-10 Network in early June.

Sigley moves into the Penthouse...
After a health scare earlier in the year, Ernie Sigley is back on screens as co-host of HSV7's Penthouse '78 - with the program now being relayed live to Tasmania's two commercial TV channels. Sigley will also host his own local variety show over in Adelaide for NWS9.

...and Mary gets a surprise
Sigley's opening night on Penthouse '78 suddenly switched direction when he introduced surprise "barrel girl" Roger Climpson, who told co-host Mary Hardy: "This Is Your Life". The special tribute program was then recorded after 12.30am, and the party that followed continued well into the morning. (Pictured above: Ernie Sigley, Roger Climpson, Mary Hardy)

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
"Marcia Hines, Australia's First Lady of Song? Oh, ABC, how could you? Whatever happened to music - and poor Joan Sutherland? What an insult to singers!" (name and address supplied)

"Well if Cop Shop and Glenview High aren't the most retrograde step in Australian TV, I don't know what is. Usually I enjoy Australian TV, but Cop Shop and Glenview High are the most puerile shows on air. The Sullivans and The Young Doctors to me are the best Australian productions." M. Hamilton, QLD.

"I do not often disagree with Mike Willesee (pictured), but it irked me when on several occasions (even after a year or so) he still talked about the ghouls at the Granville train disaster, who came running to watch. Well, I'd like to know the difference between them and the ones that ran with cameras and took notes of all that happened to tell us all on the news, in each gory detail, and show pictures of it." E. Plant, NSW.

What's On (May 6-12)
Late on Saturday night, HSV7 presents a direct telecast of the FA Cup Final, between Arsenal and Ipswich, live from Wembley Stadium in London. For those that missed the live telecast, HSV7 repeated it the next afternoon.

ATV0 presents a 90-minute musical special The 20s And All That Jazz, based on the Australian stage show. Appearing in the special, produced at the Nunawading studios of ATV0, are John Diedrich, John O'May, Caroline Gillmer and Denise Drysdale (pictured)

ABC's new series of A Big Country featured a documentary on the making of the film The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith - adapted from Thomas Kenneally's book of the same name.

ABC's legendary children's program Mr Squiggle returns for a new series of ten episodes with host Miss Jane (Jane Fennell) and joining the pencil-nosed Mr Squiggle are friends Gus and Bill Steamshovel.

Sunday night movies are Carry On Henry (HSV7), the movie-length pilot of The Love Boat (GTV9) and the 'modified TV version' of High Plains Drifter (ATV0). The Duchess Of Duke Street and I Claudius are still going on ABC after twelve weeks.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 6 May 1978. ABC/ACP

1978: January 14-20

Cover: Cop Shop's Restless Mum
Actress Rowena Wallace is feeling that she's becoming typecast after a succession of roles which the 30-year-old has played a "homely wife" figure - a perception not helped by her naturally silver hair ("a hereditary thing") and that one of her earlier roles in the mini-series Power Without Glory had her play an aging role. Image problems aside, Rowena is happy in her new role in Seven's Cop Shop opposite actor George Mallaby (pictured with Rowena on the TV Times cover), although playing a housewife with a teenage daughter is a far cry from her trail-blazing teenage role in You Can't See Round Corners a decade earlier.

Sparring partners' birthday toast:
The 0-10 Network's daytime talent show Pot Of Gold has reached its 600th episode, celebrated by host Tommy Hanlon Jnr and resident judge Bernard King. The pair had an uneasy on-air partnership - Hanlon insisting King's vicious criticisms of contestants were too harsh, but King felt Hanlon was too soft on them. Over its 600 episodes, 4300 acts have appeared.

John finally cops the job:
Sydney-based actor John Orcsik has finally scored a role in a Crawford Productions series. The former Number 96 actor had auditioned for roles in Bluey and Homicide, and for the original casting of Cop Shop, and had missed each time - but now had been chosen by Crawfords to appear in a new Cop Shop role to fill the gap left behind by departing actor Tony Bonner.

The Sullivans' Greek connection:
Greek-born actress Chantal Contouri has just made her debut appearance in the World War II series The Sullivans, as a widow who becomes involved with some of the Australian soldiers fighting in Greece. The 27-year-old actress had made a recent trip to Greece and with husband Peter Walker had restored a peasant cottage into a home where the pair plan to spend time each year.

Max-In-The-Box bounces back:
Following the demise of the soap opera The Box, actor Barrie Barkla moved to Perth in the hope of distancing himself from his character from the series, TV executive Max Knight. But for Barkla, who has established himself at Perth's STW9 with on-air and backstage roles, it was harder to move on from the character than he had expected - especially given that The Box still had a considerable time to run still in Perth.

Viewpoint - Letters to the Editor:
"My complaint is not about the quality of Australian TV so much as the misrepresentation of Australians. There is no reflection on the mixture of races in Australia. I would like to see Italian or Indian teachers in the Grundy programs set in schools - for example, Glenview High." M.S., NSW

"I am evidently (and as usual) in the very small minority, but I remain completely amazed that a really hilarious show like Celebrity Squares should be replaced with a sort of B-class quiz effort called Blankety Blanks...." R.H.G., WA

"I thank Crawford Productions and the Seven Network for Cop Shop. It is not just another police series. It is a more realistic series, showing the pressure on police and their families." F.M., NSW.

What's On (Melbourne):
More cricket on GTV9 with World Series Cricket, but also there's cricket action on ATV0 with Tasmania versus South Australia in the Gillette Cup.

On weekday afternoons, with non-ratings still dictating the schedules, GTV9 presents re-runs of police drama Division 4, while ATV0 presents a magazine program Shoulder To Shoulder with journalist Mickie de Stoop. In the mornings, ATV0 starts the day at 7.00am with The Early Bird Show, GTV9 has the Holiday Fun Show in the same timeslot, and ABC has Sesame Street at 8.00am. HSV7 doesn't commence weekday transmission until 10.00am with Miss Patricia on Romper Room starting the broadcast day.

David Johnston and Honor Walters present the children's magazine program This Week Has Seven Days on HSV7. Among this week's topics are toffee making, macrame, safety when canoeing and resident vet Dr Tim looks at water dragons.

Sunday night movies are Honky Tonk (HSV7), The Chairman (GTV9) and Crooks And Coronets (ATV0).

Source: TV Times, 14 January 1978. ABC/ACP