Remembering Seven’s Epping era

The Sunrise team earlier this week posted a picture via their Twitter feed showing the demolition (“using Gladiator props as wrecking balls?”) of the Seven Network’s former studios in Sydney.

The studios, in the suburb of Epping, were barely completed when the ribbon across the Studio B doors was cut on ATN7’s opening night – 2 December 1956.  And the opening night almost didn’t happen at all as a massive thunderstorm hit Sydney earlier that day, blacking out many suburbs – including Epping.  Power was restored just in time to allow the studio cameras the required 45 minutes to warm up before airtime.  VIPs arrived at the complex in torrential rain and had to make their way across mud tracks to get to the building.

In its early years the Epping complex hosted many Australian television firsts – the first ‘tonight’ show, Sydney Tonight with Keith Walshe, the first breakfast news show, Today with Ray Taylor, the first current affairs show, Seven On 7, and the first soap operas, Autumn Affair and The Story Of Peter Grey.  ATN7 was the first TV station in Australia to install videotape equipment in the late 1950s.  The station also partnered with Melbourne’s GTV9 to complete the first ever transmission between Sydney and Melbourne via a series of microwave links.

Other shows to have emanated from Epping include Revue ‘61, Startime, Sing Sing Sing (The Johnny O’Keefe Show), Beauty And The Beast, Captain Fortune, Pick-A-Box, The Mavis Bramston Show (pictured), My Name’s McGooley What’s Yours?, Great Temptation, Sydney Today, Eleven AM, The Naked Vicar Show, Kingswood Country, Romper Room, Sounds, Cartoon Connection, Saturday Morning Live, Sportsworld, Terry Willesee Tonight, Wheel Of Fortune, Hey Dad!, Real Life, Sunrise and The Main Event.

Some of TVs most famous names have also spent time at Epping.  Roger Climpson was ATN7’s principal newsreader for many years and also hosted This Is Your Life and Australia’s Most Wanted.  Mike Willesee, Graham Kennedy, Clive Robertson, Rex Mossop, Paul Hogan (pictured), Norman Gunston (Garry McDonald), Peter Luck, Bill Collins, Maggie Tabberer, Jana Wendt and Andrew Denton have also worked at the Epping studios.  And of course the many actors and actresses that passed through the various dramas to have come from Epping – series including Jonah, Motel, Catwalk, Class Of ‘74, Glenview High, A Country Practice, Sons And Daughters, Rafferty’s Rules, Home And Away, All Saints and Packed To The Rafters.

ATN7 has now moved to new facilities at the Australian Technology Park (pictured) in the Sydney suburb of Redfern – while news production facilities, including Sunrise, Seven News, Today Tonight and The Morning Show, are based at Martin Place in the Sydney CBD.

Source: Sunrise, Sydney Architecture, Forty Years Of Television: The Story Of ATN7.

Hey… who would have thought…?

When Hey Dad! finished up production back in 1994, who would have ever imagined that 16 years later the show would become the biggest topic on tabloid current affairs shows, newspapers and all over the internet… and would spark a police investigation?

The Hey Dad! controversy started a couple of weeks ago when Sarah Monahan, then a child star in the series (pictured), spoke to Woman’s Day about her time with the show, and in particular one person who she alleged was acting inappropriately towards her – including gestures such as touching her and exposing himself. Ms Monahan did not name the perpetrator involved in her initial interview – but it wasn’t long before A Current Affair took it that step further.

The revelation from ACA prompted a feeding frenzy, in particular between ACA and its Seven Network equivalent Today Tonight. Both shows pursued the issue with great enthusiasm – and were not afraid to use dirty tricks, either. In particular Today Tonight, no doubt miffed at ACA’s scoop, brazenly took footage that ACA had taken of the alleged offender, zoomed in the picture to remove those pesky “ACA” logos splashed all over the image, and then whacked their own “Exclusive” tag onto it.

ACA also scored a coup – an interview with the show’s producer, Gary Reilly. Mr Reilly, who also co-produced other comedies for Seven including Kingswood Country, The Naked Vicar Show and Daily At Dawn, has claimed he was not aware of the incidents that Ms Monahan referred to, but did concede that there had been other complaints made by another cast member.

ACA also managed to score interviews with many of the show’s former cast members who gave varying perspectives on the saga – including former cast member Simone Buchanan (pictured), who gave an account of her own experiences behind-the-scenes that weren’t too dissimilar to Ms Monahan’s, and Ben Oxenbould, who claimed to have witnessed an incident between the accused and Monahan.

Another former child star from the series, Angela Keep, who replaced Monahan in the role of Jenny Kelly, has also reportedly sold her own story to Woman’s Day.

The public accusations have now triggered a NSW Police investigation and Monahan has reportedly flown back to Australia, from her home base in the US, to make a statement to police.

Police are also expected to take statements from Buchanan and others involved in the series at the time.

At this stage no charges have been laid.

Hey Dad! debuted on the Seven Network in 1987. The half-hour sitcom, based on the family of a single father, ran for seven years and 293 episodes – making it one of the longest-running sitcoms in the world, out-ranking US sitcom giants like Seinfeld (180 episodes), Happy Days (247 episodes) and MASH (251 episodes).

1979: June 23-29

Cover: Andrew McFarlane, Robert Coleby (Patrol Boat)

Timeless Land stars are cast
Michael Craig and Angela Punch will both return to Australia to star in ABC’s new big-budget series The Timeless Land, described as Australia’s own Forsythe Saga.  Production of the eight-part series, set in the 25 years following the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, is to commence in October.

The complete guide to Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan is known to viewers as the ocker Aussie, but on a recent appearance on Parkinson it was a more philosophical Hogan that appeared – giving his insight into Australian versus British class distinction, snobbery, politics and larrikin humour.  Michael Parkinson’s interviewing style impressed Hogan: “Parkinson’s an excellent interviewer.  He’s got a pretty laid-back style.  That helps.  But it’s the way he really listens to your answers and follows through on them.  To some journos you could answer a question about your wife’s health with ‘I killed her last week,’ and their next question would still be from their notes, ‘Yes, and how many children do you have?’.  Hogan also tells TV Times about his dining habits (“Where do we eat out as a family?  Simple.  The kids want to go wherever it costs a lot!”), wines (“I drink white wines mostly”), money (“It means the same thing to me as it’s always meant.  Freedom.  The right to say no.”), travelling (“At Rome airport I found myself surrounded by about 80 Australian Italians and they all introduced me to their mammas as Luigi.”) and the topic of canned laughter (“Nothing makes me angrier than shows like Donny And Marie.  A line that should get a giggle gets a belly laugh, a roar.  That’s not real.  We’ve been accused of using laugh machines.  We don’t, except for editing purposes to bridge or integrate something.  We’ve edited more laughs out than in.”)

Don Lane’s US debut a secret
Viewers of The Don Lane Show in the near future may notice a subtle change in the program as it prepares to be taped for a proposed US TV special.  Producer Peter Faiman said the upcoming special episode will not be significantly different to routine shows but it will be seen to be less parochial.

All grown up!
After more than 15 years playing the parts of schoolgirls and teenagers, former Bellbird and Alvin Purple star Anne Pendlebury has finally been cast as a middle-aged mother in ABC’s Twenty Good Years.   “I’ve been happy the way things have been, but this role is the highlight of my career so far and I’m happy to play an older woman.”

Briefly…
Stuart Wagstaff and Noeline Brown are to play the lead roles in a sitcom being made for the Seven Network by RS Productions (producers of The Naked Vicar Show).   The program has the working title of Two-Up and is expected to go into production next month.

Production of the Seven Network’s Young Ramsay is continuing despite its failure to gain approval for a ‘C’ classification for airing in the 4.00pm-5.00pm timeslot.

Former The Box actress Judy Nunn (pictured) is returning to the ATV0 studios to appear in an upcoming role in Prisoner.

Three years after joining Young Talent Time, team member Debbie Hancock has decided to leave the show to become a teacher after being offered a job with a modelling agency and school.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
”I wonder if any other viewers are as besotted as I am with Doctor Who’s helpmate K9?  I look out for him in every episode.” M. Bennett, NSW.

“I have recently noticed that no horror movies are being screened at all.  I do think many people would appreciate at least one horror movie a week, preferably on a Friday night.” M. McEachern, SA.

“I agree with J. Lewis (Viewpoint, 12 May 1979), and wonder if ATN7 Sydney knows how much CBN8 (Orange) and CWN6 (Dubbo) mutilates the Seven Big League program.  I am fortunate in that I am able to receive the League replay two nights later than Orange and it is 200 per cent better than CBN8’s version.  RVN2 (Wagga Wagga) gives League fans 60 minutes of football compared to CBN8’s 35 minutes.” J. Holland, NSW.  (TV Times responds: “A CBN8 spokesman said he had discussed the question with RVN2 and that both stations used the natural breaks already inserted by ATN7.  They both allot the same time to commercials, not adding to the breaks provided by Sydney.”)

What’s On (June 23-29):
On Saturday night and into early Sunday, ATV0 airs live coverage from the UK of the final of the Prudential Cup cricket.  Also late on Saturday and Sunday nights, GTV9 screens delayed highlights of the US Open golf championships that were shown live on ABC last weekend.

This Week Has Seven Days (HSV7, Saturday) visits DPTV10, a closed-circuit TV station broadcasting to 5000 viewers in the community of Debney Park.

This Fabulous Century (HSV7, Sunday) looks at the portrayal and role of women in Australia’s history.

HSV7 on Monday night presents a one-hour special, Parlour Games, providing an insight into operation of Melbourne’s massage parlours.

In The Wild With Harry Butler (ABC, Wednesday) goes to Tasmania as Butler shows the impact of man on the Tasmanian wilderness and the animals that inhabit its wild, wet terrain.

ABC presents the debut of drama series Patrol Boat, starring Andrew McFarlane, Robert Coleby, Danny Adcock and Margo Lee. 

Maurie Fields, Val Jellay and Smacka Fitzgibbon are some of the guests featured this week on Peter Couchman Tonight (ATV0, weeknights).

Sunday night movies: The Wind And The Lion (HSV7), Ten Rillington Place (GTV9), The Eiger Sanction (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 23 June 1979.  ABC/ACP

1979: May 26-June 1

The girl who leads Norman a merry dance
Pamela Gibbons has emerged as one of Australia’s most versatile performers, whether it be acting, singing, dancing or choreographing.  A former member of Ronne Arnold’s contemporary dance theatre with stage acting roles to her credit and a six-month stint in Number 96, Gibbons has recently had the female lead in the ABC drama The Oracle and has been dancer and choreographer for The Norman Gunston Show since it started on ABC in 1975 and has followed the show to the Seven Network.   Gibbons and Gunston (both pictured) will appear in this week’s The Norman Gunston Show in a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers-style song and dance routine.  Working with Garry McDonald (Gunston) has given Gibbons a new confidence in aspiring to a higher standard, such as taking on the role in The Oracle, starring opposite John Gregg, and is now keen to tackle some of the classics of the stage: “That would be a step forward in confidence.  I’d particularly love to play Chekov’s The Three Sisters.  The words are so beautiful.”

Kennedy’s comeback in TV comedy?
Graham Kennedy may return to TV in a comedy series being developed for the Seven Network by RS Productions, producers of The Naked Vicar Show.  Kennedy has already featured in a series of radio plays produced by RS and aired on ABC.  The new TV series, Comedy Playhouse, will be made up of seven half-hour situation comedies, though producers Tony Sattler and Gary Reilly declined to comment on reports that Kennedy would feature in the series.  Since Blankety Blanks wound up production late last year, Kennedy has made a movie – The Odd Angry Shot – and hosted one edition of Sydney TEN10’s Saturday night variety show.

Tanya: Why I came back to TV
Twenty years after becoming one of ABC’s first female TV presenters and after a six-year absence from TV, Tanya Halesworth has returned to host a new ABC series, Sunday Spectrum.  So what prompted Halesworth’s departure from TV, as host (pictured) of Nine’s all-female current affairs program No Man’s Land?  “My youngest son was two, and, well, I’m just the sort of person who hates to miss something I’ll never experience again, and I had a fear of missing out on my boys’ childhood.  I’m not unique.  It’s the sort of situation most women who work find themselves in.”  Halesworth agreed to host Sunday Spectrum as it was “the first suitable, meaning part-time, offer I’ve had since deciding I could come back to work.  And I think the program is something that is needed on TV at the moment.”  Sunday Spectrum is a two-and-a-half-hour program of local and overseas content on general subjects and the arts.

Briefly…
Pop singer Frank Howson and former Early Bird Show co-host Mike McCarthy are working on two children’s series for the Grundy Organisation.  Howson’s project, The Magic Trucking Company, has a strong rock music element and is aimed at eight to 12 year olds.  McCarthy is developing a new format that producer Godfrey Philipp is not ready to give any details on at this stage.  Grundy’s are also planning a children’s drama aimed at breaking down barriers between children of different nationalities.

Cornelia Frances is set to make a return to TV after her departure from the role of Sister Scott (pictured) in The Young Doctors last year.  The actress has had talks with Crawford Productions and is to appear in Cop Shop and Skyways for the Seven Network.

ABC producer Brian Adams has just completed an 80-minute special, in conjunction with Munich’s RM Productions, following the life of Dame Joan Sutherland from her home in Switzerland to touring across the US, Europe, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea and Australia.  The special, Joan Sutherland – Life On The Move, airs on ABC nationally in August.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
”I read that black and white shows will not come back.  It’s a shame.  What difference does it make to watch a black and white movie or serial once a week?  Give us repeats of Rawhide, 77 Sunset Strip, Wanted Dead Or Alive and Surfside Six.  Can’t one channel give it a try and watch the ratings?” T. Thompson, NSW.

“Having seen for myself the idiotic antics of Ron Blanchard introducing young viewers to his ARVO program and making them wait for Play School and Sesame Street while he converses with a puppet called Alexander the Bunyip, I have decided that ABC is no better than the commercials in providing suitable children’s TV.” K. Lochin, NSW.

“I would just like to say something to the people who think Ian Meldrum is a hopeless compere.  Who was it who put the drug specials on TV to help teenagers in these sorts of jams?  Who was it who spent all his time and effort in these specials?  That’s right – Ian Meldrum.  Also, who is it who is now involved in the ‘Save the Whale’ campaign and who is getting all your kids into it as well so that the whales won’t become extinct.  Right again – Ian Meldrum.” D. Lane, VIC.

What’s On (May 26-June 1)
ATV0 launches a new 7.00pm game show, $10,000 Winner’s Circle, hosted by Sandy Scott.

Overseas stars Jack Lemmon, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Chevy Chase, Leif Garrett and Glen Campbell are some of the guests to appear in this week’s The Norman Gunston Show on HSV7.  Also appearing are Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum, Johnny Farnham and Pamela Gibbons.

ATV0 screens the highly-anticipated first two parts of the US mini-series Roots: The Next Generations, the sequel to the mini-series Roots that earned top ratings around the world two years earlier.  The mini-series airs in two-hour episodes this Monday and Thursday evening and continues in the same timeslot over the coming weeks.

The final episode of drama series The Oracle screens on ABC.

On Wednesday night, GTV9 presents a one-hour special on the Billy Graham Sydney Crusade.

Actress Jacki Weaver is the guest star in this week’s Capriccio on ABC, also featuring the Claire Poole Singers, the Carlson Chorale, Daniel Barenboim and George Golla.

Sunday night movies: Eleven Harrowhouse (HSV7), Hustling (GTV9), Dirty Harry (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 26 May 1979.  ABC/ACP

1979: February 3-9

Cover: Rod Stewart

The $1m newsman is as hard as nails!
Brian Naylor, former long-time newsreader for HSV7 in Melbourne, was last year subject of the biggest takeover bid in the business when he was signed up by arch rival GTV9 to front National Nine News.  With more than 20 years at Seven behind him, Naylor is reluctant to confirm exactly how much he was paid to come over to GTV but $1 million has been reported in various circles - and both channels GTV9 and ATV0 have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in previous years to get viewers to switch over from Seven's top-rating news, without much luck.  GTV9's last option was to buy Naylor from Seven.  News director John Sorell had tried once before but Naylor didn't bite.  But then five months ago GTV9 was faced with losing newsreader Eric Pearce to semi-retirement and Sorell knew that Naylor's contract was coming up for renewal at Seven, so Sorell kept his eye on the calendar and when the time was right managed to make a successful offer.

Nationwide - 'a unique mix'
ABC's new current affairs program, Nationwide, will be "a unique mix of national and local current affairs," according to executive producer John Penlington.  The new program, which replaces the long-running This Day Tonight, begins on ABC on 19 February and will screen Monday to Thursday nights.  Former Adelaide TDT host Clive Hale (pictured) will present Nationwide from Sydney and will be joined by Canberra correspondent Richard Carleton and investigative reporters Paul Griffiths and Andrew Olle.  The program will also have local segments compiled in each state capital to include stories of local interest.

Many happy returns for Dorrie
Director Peter Williams was a schoolboy when he first saw Pat McDonald (pictured) perform in stage play The Cell in Canberra.  The young Williams went backstage after the show to meet McDonald and the rest of the cast.  Now Williams will be directing McDonald as she takes over from Ruth Cracknell in the stage comedy Bedroom Farce which is about to tour Australia.  Bedroom Farce marks McDonald's return to the stage after six years on TV as dotty pensioner Dorrie Evans in Number 96.  McDonald, whose career started in theatre, told TV Times she loves working on stage but would like to do another TV series if the public would accept her as someone other than Dorrie.

Briefly...
John Bond, winner of ABC's first Mastermind series, is "rather scared" at the prospect of facing Mastermind winners from Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Nigeria in a Mastermind International special to be taped this week at BBC in London.  The program will air in Australia later this month on ABC.

American-born Evie Hayes has returned from her annual trip back to the home country to start her eighth year as an adjudicator on Young Talent Time, and despite reports to the contrary, has no thoughts of moving from  her adopted home of Melbourne.

Rolf Harris has returned to his home town of Perth to appear in a televised concert to commemorate Western Australia's 150th anniversary.  The 49-year-old entertainer, now based in the UK, has also been negotiating with ABC to televise a concert that he is appearing in with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in May.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"So Pensioner, you think you have it bad in Canberra (Viewpoint, 6 January 1979).  Here in Darwin, TV starts at 5.30pm-6.00pm and finishes at 11.30pm.  And that's on a late night!  At least Canberra TV starts at midday with The Mike Walsh Show.  We don't even get it - or The Sullivans.  One program here is The Cisco Kid made in the 1950s.  It's about time it was put in moth balls.  The movies are third rate." C. Kidd, NT.

"I'm a great fan of horror films and I think there should be one or two scary movies a week, at early times like there used to be on Saturday nights.  And I'm sure my blood thirsty friends would enjoy them as I will when, or if, it happens." T. Amalfigano, NSW.

"To that Canberra pensioner (Viewpoint, 6 January 1979) who wants another commercial channel!  Please point out to her the rubbish we have in Sydney with four channels.  Tennis, cricket, cricket, tennis.  I am a pensioner in bed with one leg in plaster.  I would like to see the people who run these stations spend time in hospital or in an old people's home and look at this trash.  So tell her Canberra is no worse off."  'Pensioner', NSW.

What's On (February 3-9):
Another week of cricket with World Series Cricket on GTV9 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and One Day International on ABC on Saturday and Sunday.  With school going back in various states, ABC's schools programming resumes between 10.00am and 2.30pm weekdays.

Also for kids is This Week Has Seven Days on HSV7 on Saturday afternoon.  This week's show includes David Johnston examining the history and background of the ancient city of Athens and Honor Walters' careers segment features optical mechanics.

Daytime show The Mike Walsh Show returns for another year, and GTV9's drama double, The Young Doctors and The Sullivans (pictured), are returned to their normal 6.00pm and 7.00pm timeslots for the 1979 season.  Game show Family Feud is settled back into its 5.00pm timeslot.

The new comedy series Doctor Down Under (based in the British Doctor In The House series) begins on HSV7 on Monday night, and The Naked Vicar Show returns featuring cast members Noeline Brown, Kevin Golsby, Ross Higgins, Colin McEwan, Laurel McGowan and guest stars John Farnham and Linda George.

Sunday night movies are The Mad Bomber (HSV7) and The Fox (ATV0).  GTV9 has World Series Cricket through to 10.30pm.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 3 February 1979.  ABC/ACP

1978: October 28-November 3

Sammys Golden Night
It was a Who's Who of Australian Showbusiness when 800 stars, producers and writers gathered at Sydney's Seymour Centre on 11 October for the third annual Sammy Awards.  The awards, held in partnership between TV Times, the Variety Club of Australia charity and the Seven Network, honour the Australian film and television industries.  The event is also a major fund-raising effort for Variety which has collected over $30,000 over the last three years.

1978 Sammy Awards TV category winners: Gold (male): Mike Walsh Gold (female): June Salter Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Ken G Hall Best Actor in a Single TV Performance: Tony Bonner (End Of Summer) Best Actress in a Single TV Performance: Davina Whitehouse (The Night Nurse) Best Actor in a TV Series: George Mallaby (Cop Shop) Best Actress in a TV Series: Lorraine Bayly (The Sullivans) Best Variety Performer: Julie Anthony Best Variety Program: Julie Anthony's First Special Best Comedy Program: The Norman Gunston Show Best Drama Series: The Sullivans Best TV Play: End Of Summer Best News Coverage: Brisbane shoot-out (QTQ9) Best Documentary: A Big Country Best Current Affairs Program: Four Corners 'Utah' report Best Children's Series: Wombat (BTQ7) Best Sports Coverage: Australian Open Golf 1977 Best Light Entertainment Program: The Mike Walsh Show Best Writer TV Series: Tony Morphett (The Sullivans) Best Writer TV Play: Cliff Green (End Of Summer)

News team under fire in Vietnam
An ABC news team came under fire on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, during a four-week news-gathering visit to Vietnam.  ABC's Singapore correspondent Tony Joyce, sound recordist Steven de Vroom and cameraman David Westray, were filming material for a documentary, Vietnam Today, to screen nationally on ABC later in the year.  "There was quite a bit of sniper fire and shelling so we were creeping and crawling, close to the ground.  We were warned if the Cambodians saw us they would assume we were Russian military advisors.  Then they would really let loose.  Luckily they didn't," Joyce told TV Times.  The Vietnam visit is only the second by Australian newsmen since the war ended in 1975.  A team from the 0-10 Network had been there earlier this year.

Polly put the kettle on for Kerry
Before Against The Wind and the role of convict woman Polly came along, actress Kerry McGuire (pictured) had almost despaired that her big acting break would ever happen.  The 32-year-old actress, who had studied at NIDA and scored some roles in TV series such as ABC's Dynasty and the Seven Network's Catwalk and stage productions including Hedda Gabler and Antony And Cleopatra, was still waiting for a big break but feels now with Against The Wind she is able to move into the next stage of her acting career: "I think I'm just beginning to break into my age group.  I've been a mature style of actress competing with some very good older women.  Now I'm growing into the era that should be mine..."

Briefly:
Marcia Hines is to present another series of six shows for ABC in the new year, but still has commitments in Europe to fulfil before she can start work on the series.

Former Homicide cop Don Barker is back in Melbourne for a guest role in the new 0-10 Network series Prisoner, now in production.

Former Australian Test skipper Bobby Simpson is to be chief commentator for the Gillette Cup series of cricket matches to be telecast on the 0-10 Network over the next three months. 

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"Why, oh why has TEN10 decided to put The Steve Raymond Show on at 1.30 of all times?  Don't they realise that a very popular show is on the other channel at the same time.  Steve Raymond will put on a fantastic show, but after watching Days Of Our Lives for the past twelve years, I think TEN10 could have found any other time to put the show on." E. Fuller, NSW.

"Although I am enjoying Against The Wind (pictured), I find it difficult to believe that after a hard life for 10 years that people would not age at all.  It is a pity that the continuity was not up to the excellent standard of the rest of the series so far." J. Higson, NSW.

"I really enjoyed the article in TV Times about viewers who ring in to TV stations.  However, I hope they got a better reception than I did on the two occasions I phoned TV stations here in Sydney.  When I called ATN7 to congratulate them on their camera-work in the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo at Bathurst, the switchboard operator was amazed that a woman would even watch motor racing, let alone comment on the camera-work.  Then I called ABC to say how much I was enjoying Sailor, but the girl on the switchboard  didn't go a bundle on my taste in TV programs either.  I'll never ring in again, that's for sure." M. Bennett, NSW.

What's On (October 28-November 3):
On Saturday, ATV0 presents the Gillette Cup cricket, live from the Gabba in Brisbane, for the match between Queensland and South Australia.  On Sunday, the Gillette Cup moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the match between New South Wales and Victoria.

Denise Drysdale (pictured) is Ernie Sigley's special guest on HSV7's Penthouse '78.

On Monday night's A Big Country on ABC, reporter Kenyon Castle follows jazz musicians Don Burrows and George Golla on their tour through the mining areas of the north west.  The program features aboriginal performers David Gulpilil and David Blanasi.

Vince Lovegrove presents a two-hour special on HSV7, Australian Music To The World, paying tribute to the Australian artists who have achieved international acclaim.  Lovegrove and his film crew travelled the world to catch up with Australians including the Bee Gees, the Little River Band, Olivia Newton-John, Peter Allen and Sherbet.

The Naked Vicar Show and The Best Of Norman Gunston appear on HSV7 on Wednesday night, while on GTV9 there's a one-hour special An Evening With Les Girls, recorded at the Carousel Room of the Chevron Hotel, Surfers Paradise.

On Friday night, ATV0 presents the final episode of The Daryl And Ossie Show, after forty episodes, and The Peter Couchman Show presents a special Melbourne Cup preview on Friday night.

Jeanne Little (pictured) and John Ewart are guest panelists on ABC's Micro Macro on Friday night, joining host Noel Ferrier and regulars Carol Raye and Stuart Wagstaff.

Sunday night movies are The Shootist (HSV7), A Touch Of Class (GTV9) and The Drowning Pool (ATV0), while ABC's Sunday night opera is L'Heure Espagnole (The Spanish Hour) produced at ABC's Sydney studios and featuring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 28 October 1978.  ABC/ACP

1978: October 7-13

The Sammys: Who will win?
TV Times promises a glittering night of stars when the third annual Australian Film and TV Awards - otherwise known as The Sammys - will be presented this week from the Seymour Centre in Sydney. The awards are a joint venture between TV Times, the Seven Network and the Variety Club of Australia. Roger Climpson will be the awards host and among the presenters to take part in the awards will be Tasmanian-born Hollywood actress Merle Oberon.

There are 39 award categories in this year's Sammy awards covering both film and television, but not all will be included in the two-hour Seven Network telecast. Following is a list of some of the award categories and nominations:

Best Variety Performer: Bert Newton (pictured), Paul Hogan, Don Lane, Barry Crocker, Marcia Hines, Julie Anthony, Garry McDonald

Best Actress In A TV Series: Joanne Samuel, Lorraine Bayly, Jill Forster, Tina Grenville, Paula Duncan, Rowena Wallace, Julieanne Newbould, June Salter

Best Actor In A TV Series: Paul Cronin, Sonny Blake (pictured), Nick Hedstrom, Malcolm Thompson, Tim Page, George Mallaby, Peter Adams, John Hamblin

Best Drama Series: Case For The Defense, Young Ramsay, The Sullivans, Cop Shop, The Young Doctors, The Restless Years

Best Sports Coverage: Australian Open Golf, VFL Grand Final, Davis Cup Tennis, World Series Cricket, VFA Grand Final, Hardie Ferodo 1977

Best Current Affairs Program: Willesee At Seven, Four Corners, A Current Affair, Eleven AM, Shoulder To Shoulder.

Best Comedy Program: The Norman Gunston Show, The Naked Vicar Show, Bobby Dazzler, Father Dear Father, The Paul Hogan Show, The Dave Allen Show, Benny Hill In Australia

Best Children's Series: Romper Room, Fat Cat And Friends, Here's Humphrey, Super Flying Fun Show, The Curiosity Show, What In The World, The Magic Bag, Wombat, This Week Has Seven Days, Happy-Go-Round, Magicat

Best Light Entertainment Series: Family Feud, This Is Your Life, Sound Unlimited, It's Not Just A Story, Blankety Blanks (pictured), The Mike Walsh Show, The Peter Couchman Show, Countdown, Mastermind, Nightmoves

Gold (Female): Cornelia Frances, Delvene Delaney, Lorraine Bayly, June Salter, Marcia Hines, Noeline Brown, Paula Duncan, Joanna Lockwood, Caroline Jones, Julieanne Newbould, Wendy Hughes.

Gold (Male): Don Lane, Paul Hogan, Mike Walsh, Graham Kennedy, John Waters, Harry Butler, Roger Climpson, Garry McDonald, Robert Moore, Mike Willesee (pictured), Sir Robert Helpmann, Paul Cronin, Gulpilil, Bill Hunter.

Grundy claims record!
Reg Grundy Productions is claiming a world record for an independent TV production company. The company has a current production schedule of around 30 hours a week of TV programming, with programs emanating from four capital cities: The Restless Years, The Young Doctors and Blankety Blanks from Sydney, The Daryl And Ossie Show from Melbourne, Pyramid Challenge and Perfect Match from Brisbane, and Family Feud from Perth. Although this only accounts for around 17 hours a week of TV airtime, production of game show episodes are produced in larger quantities each week to enable stockpiling of episodes. For instance, Pyramid Challenge has 20 episodes being produced in one week, while they are only aired at a rate of five per week.

Not just a pretty face!
Monique Daams (pictured) is the girl adding a touch of glamour to the 0-10 Network's The Daryl And Ossie Show. The Dutch-born 24-year-old has appeared in numerous TV commercials and modelling contests - winning the Australian Quest of Quests four years ago - but this is her first regular TV appearance. Executive producer of The Daryl And Ossie Show, Bill Mason, predicts a big future for Daams, "We wanted a fresh face, one that was not over exposed on TV, and someone with intelligence as well as beauty. We saw several dozen girls and Monique fitted our concept perfectly. We think she has a big future in TV."

Just briefly:
Crawford Productions and the 0-10 Network are planning a new police drama for next year, tentatively titled Murder Squad.

Harry Michael's Greek Affair looks like becoming a home away from home for former Number 96 stars, with Elaine Lee, Joe Hasham, Bettina Welch and Shiela Kennelly having filled in for Michaels who is in Greece.

Paul Jennings, the former radio newsman whose political impersonations made him a national personality on shows like A Current Affair, is now working backstage at ATV0 as the warm-up man for the studio audience of The Tea Ladies.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"There are many things on TV that bother me, but three things especially make me clench my fists. The first is Ross D Wylie on ATV0. I like the movies they put on but I can never stay awake once he comes on. And why can't GTV9 bring their late movies up to date? We're almost into the 1980s and they're showing films from the 1940s and 1950s. And I like Mike Walsh but I also like a bit of variety. I'm sick to death of soap operas." S. Edgell, VIC.

"I am sick of reading letters complaining of small inaccuracies in the production of The Sullivans. Some the criticisms are not even valid. Even if the criticisms do have some basis, surely a more constructive way of rectifying the mistake is to write to Crawford Productions directly." A Pellizzer, VIC.

What's On (October 7-13):
The Nine Network's new early-morning show, The Job Show, debuts on Monday, screening weekdays at 6.30am leading in to The Super Flying Fun Show.

The third annual Sammy Awards are on HSV7 on Wednesday night at 8.30pm, honouring the best talent in Australian film and television.

GTV9 presents the (TV Week) King Of Pop Awards, a 90-minute presentation on Friday night, hosted by Glenn Shorrock with special guests Kate Bush and Leif Garrett.

Sunday night movies are The Great Scout And Cathouse Thursday (HSV7) and Lost Horizon (ATV0) while GTV9 presents the first instalment of mini-series The Bastard, with remaining parts screened on the following two nights.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 7 October 1978. ABC/ACP

1978: June 3-9

Sonny's rocky road to stardom
Sonny Blake (pictured, with Zoe Bertram) was on the verge of becoming a professional boxer until a change in direction saw the 19-year-old cast in the 0-10 Network series The Restless Years. A self-confessed film buff, Blake boasts a collection of classic films on videotape and a large part of his record collection is made up of movie soundtracks. He is saving up to go to the US for acting lessons: "What I see myself doing in 10 years time is coming home to my room at the YMCA in New York and pulling out a script and sitting down to spend the evening how I'm going to handle the role."

Catspaw set to pounce
In air force jargon a catspaw is a "bunny" - someone left holding the bag. In ABC's new adventure series The Catspaw, it's up to viewers to work out who should be carrying the blame. The seven-part series, featuring familiar names such as Ken James (pictured), Rowena Wallace, Peter Sumner, John Diedrich and John Stanton, revolves around the disappearance of an RAF officer Tim Keppel (Warwick Sims).

Naked Vicar seeks new pastures
The team behind the popular sketch comedy series The Naked Vicar Show is expanding into other areas of showbusiness. RS Productions' Gary Reilly told TV Times, "We're starting to find it hard to write just sketches. We want to start doing something a little more expanded, still comedy but with a bit more length and involvement." The company is producing a new series of radio plays for ABC called RS Playhouse. Meanwhile, The Naked Vicar Show is enjoying massive popularity - particularly in Melbourne and Brisbane and to a lesser extent in Sydney - and has been sold to regional markets.

Gwen Plumb's in a new kind of cast
Hosting a party at her beachside home had dangerous consequences for actress Gwen Plumb. Taking guests to a rock pool near her house at Sydney's Whale Beach saw Plumb knocked over by a big wave but it was when she saw her dog Selina potentially stranded, she was carried out by the undertow when trying to retrieve the pet. Plumb ended up with a leg in a plaster cast, and scriptwriters for The Young Doctors have had to re-write episodes. As for the dog? "The little b---- didn't even get wet!"

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
"During a recent Blankety Blanks, Ugly Dave Gray popped up with another one of his 'gems', on the subject of rape. Considering the thousands of children that watch this show, rape is a very unsuitable and tasteless topic to joke about." J. Johnson, NSW.

"I thought the Marcia Hines series on ABC was magnificent. Not only was her singing great, but her clothes and settings were fantastic." Name and address supplied, NSW.

"I am writing in support of Glenview High. I love the show, especially Grigor Taylor, who is a tribute to Australian talent." J. Janson, SA.

What's On (June 3-9):
GTV9 crossed live on Sunday to Oran Park raceway in NSW for six-hour telecast of The Rothmans 500.

ABC's coverage of the soccer World Cup continues with highlights packages at 6.00pm and full match replays at 10.00pm.

Crawford Productions' cop shows get a re-run with GTV9 screening late-night repeats of Division 4, and ATV0 showing Matlock Police on weekday afternoons. HSV7 screens new episodes of Cop Shop on Monday and Thursday nights.

Sunday night movies are Escape Of The Birdmen (HSV7), Time For Loving (GTV9) and Night Moves (ATV0). The final episode of The Duchess Of Duke Street screens on ABC.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 3 June 1978. ABC/ACP

1978: March 4-10

Red-hot plan home and hosed:
ABC's Monday Conference host Bob Moore (that's not him on the cover!)found the only way to tackle Moscow's minus 18 degree temperatures was to wear pantyhose. Moore had embarked on a tour including Canada, USA, Russia, India and Hong Kong to investigate TV news and current affairs programs around the world. But for Moore the more pressing issue was finding the right size of pantyhose, when he admitted to having to resort to a brand called Chubby Chick!

A TV test for lovers:
A special to air on the 0-10 Network during the week will ask men and women how many points out of 100 they would give themselves or their partner. The Australian Sex, Love And Marriage Test would also ask such questions as 'have you ever wished you had not married?' and 'if you found your teenage daughter had lost her virginity, what would your reaction be?'.

TV cameras go shopping for the housewife:
ABC announces plans to get out into suburbia for its new daytime show Lookout. The proposed 13-week series, to air at midday, will feature live broadcasts from shopping centres around Australia with segments aimed at the housewife audience covering topics such as health, cooking, gardening, consumer advice and fitness. Lookout is preparing for a May launch from Sydney's Roselands shopping centre, and is to be hosted by ABC rural affairs reporter Paul Williams.

Julie for Jokes:
Former Naked Vicar Show cast member Julie McGregor is returning to TV to feature in a new six-part sketch comedy series Jokes. The new series, to be produced in Sydney for ABC, is also to feature Noni Hazelhurst, Terry Bader and Chris Heywood.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
"I am thankful that my TV set is able to receive Sydney channels now our one and only Newcastle commercial channel, NBN3, has dropped A Current Affair and substituted Willesee At Seven. I found A Current Affair to be much more interesting and more to my taste." T. Grant, NSW.

"We need a further serial continuing the life of Bellbird. I don't know how I'm going to get through 1978 without it. It was the highlight of my day, the best program TV has ever produced." L. Strehling, QLD.

"Recent letters have bemoaned the poor treatment that science-fiction fans receive from TV stations. But little is mentioned of the plight of the horror devotee. On those rare occasions when the channels screen good horror, one is always apprehensive that crucial scenes may have been censored." M. Newton, NSW.

What's On (March 4-10):
The Moomba festival is on in Melbourne, and ATV0 gets in on the fun with live telecasts of the 1978 Birdman Rally and Bathtub Regatta events on Sunday afternoon.

Women's magazine icon Margaret Fulton presents a five-minute prime-time series on ABC, Recipes From The Duchess Of Duke Street, based on recipes from the British drama series screening on Sunday nights.

The sketch comedy series The Naked Vicar Show and the premiere movie The Cars That Ate Paris dominate HSV7's Wednesday night.

Night football makes an appearance with the Friday night AMCO Herald Cup, live from VFL Park, on HSV7, while ABC presents the final episode of the Australian mini-series Loss Of Innocence.

Sunday night's premiere movies are Snowbeast (HSV7), Having Babies (GTV9) and Pocket Money (ATV0), while I Claudius continues on ABC.

Cover: Shaun Cassidy
Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 4-10 March 1978, ABC/ACP