1979: October 6-12

Cover: Bill Bixby (The Incredible Hulk)

ABC plans a summer of golf
ABC plans to screen nine golf tournaments over spring-summer circuit, including the Dunhill Australian Open, which will be the largest single golf coverage ever undertaken by the broadcaster.  For the Open, 26 hours of coverage will involve 150 personnel, 25 cameras, $8 million worth of equipment, 11 kilometres of camera cable and 40 microphones.  As well as the Dunhill competition, ABC will cover the Garden State PGA Tournament, Westlakes Classic, NSW Open, Australia PGA Championship, Australian Open, Australia-Japan Trophy, Victoria Open and the Australian Masters. 

Why Gwen Plumb wants the last laugh
Gwen Plumb says she was born with a sense of adventure, and that could explain why she never married.  “I never wanted to pitch my tent in the one place for 50 years.  I always wanted to act and travel, I never wanted to be harnessed.  I never met a man who said I could I remain an individual after we were married.”  Beginning her career as a copywriter at a Sydney radio station, Plumb later (pictured) found herself being cast in local radio dramas and became nationally known in ABC radio serials Blue Hills and The Lawsons.  After a lengthy stay overseas, Plumb returned to Australia to host Women’s World for ABC in the 1960s and then switched to new Sydney channel TEN10 for a daily chat show, Gwen.  She was then cast as the gossiping Ada Simmonds in The Young Doctors when that started late in 1976.  Travelling, particularly overseas, is one of her greatest enjoyments.  “I last went to Europe about four years ago and since then I’ve been to New Zealand and the New Hebrides.  I’d love to go to New York this Christmas because I want to see a lot of theatre and TV. I know a lot of people there who could be into all sorts of interesting things.”

New series for Toothbrush gang
New episodes of The Toothbrush Family, the cartoon series created by Australian Marcia Hatfield and currently viewed by millions across Australia, the United States (via the national Captain Kangaroo program on CBS), Canada and New Zealand, are to be produced in Australia.  For the last two years the cartoon has been produced in Canada but the next batch of five-minute episodes are to be produced by the Grundy Organisation in Sydney.  The new episodes are to coincide with a national promotional campaign to promote dental hygiene.  The Toothbrush Family currently airs in Australia on the Nine Network’s Super Flying Fun Show in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and commences next month in an afternoon timeslot in South Australia.

Briefly…
John Bluthal joins the cast of the upcoming ABC series And Here Comes Bucknuckle, reprising the role originally performed by Frank Wilson in the show’s predecessor And The Big Men Fly.  Production starts this month and the series is expected to air next year. 

Mr Squiggle has just celebrated his 20th anniversary on television, and now his creator Norman Hetherington is planning a one-hour fantasy drama featuring Mr Squiggle and his regular offsiders Miss Jane (Jane Fennell), Bill Steamshovel, Gus the Snail, Kelly the Worm and Blackboard.

Yugoslav actress Vera Plevnik, from the telemovie The John Sullivan Story, gets a chance to do something different playing an Ocker farm girl in an upcoming episode of Young Ramsay.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
”Congratulations to Sydney’s TEN10 for the rodeo specials they have been running.  Everything about the programs was first-class – except, maybe, the late-night viewing time.” L. Haywood, NSW.

“I’m getting a little sick and tired of all the criticism of our Aussie series (eg. Cop Shop, Skyways).  No doubt the people who complain are the same people who get engrossed in the American “soapies” during the day.  At least I get a good old laugh during our programs.  Complaints of homosexuality and illicit sex scenes are also a little unreasonable in comparison.  Skyways has “killed off” lesbianism, and evidence of sexual encounters is portrayed “before” and “after” – by the wearing of a bath robe or towel.  We very rarely go into the bedroom with them.  Perhaps the critics should note that the times these shows are on is late enough for children to be in bed.”  M. Brugel, NSW.

“Sydney TEN10’s presentation of the Felini film Amarcord was a disgrace.  This fine film, which won Best Foreign Film at the 1974 Academy Awards, was shown at 11.10pm on a Friday night.  It received no promotion at all.  Why does TEN10 insist on showing fine films other than American at late hours?”  R. Porter, NSW.

What’s On (October 6-12):
Saturday afternoon sport includes the Citizen Australian Seniors’ Championship (ABC), live from Manly, Sydney.  HSV7 has live coverage of Davis Cup tennis from White City, Sydney, and ATV0 crosses to Flemington Racecourse for five hours of racing coverage.

This Fabulous Century (HSV7, Sunday) looks at the struggles of Australian Aborigines in society.

Mal Walden presents the crowning of Miss Victoria 1980, live from the St Kilda Town Hall. (HSV7, Monday)

HSV7 presents 12 hours of coverage of the Super Tennis tournament over Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights.  The competition, held at Festival Hall in Melbourne, offers a prize money of $530,000.

0-10 Network news reporter Ken Burslem presents a one-hour special, The High Cost Of Dying.  The program aims to remove some of the mystery and some of the rip-offs that occur in the dying business.  Common questions on the subject of dying are tackled and answered.

In Cop Shop (HSV7, Monday and Thursday), O’Reilly (Terry Norris) is beginning to feel something of an outcast and his loneliness leads to depression.  Vic Cameron (Terence Donovan) finally confides in Kate’s (Jacqui Gordon) teacher about his past and the effect it has had upon Kate.

Sunday night movies: Petersen (HSV7) (although TV Times also had this scheduled for the week September 8-14), Murder On The Orient Express (GTV9), High Plains Drifter (ATV0).  ABC presents Measure For Measure, another in the six-year BBC series of TV adaptations of the entire works of Shakespeare.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 6 October 1979.  ABC/ACP

1978: June 24-30

Cover: Ugly Dave hits back
Blankety Blanks panelist Ugly Dave Gray (pictured) answers his critics that say his jokes on the popular game show are too smutty. "I'm not saying we're perfect, we do get a bit naughty at times, but it's harmless. We don't try to shock or offend people," he tells TV Times. "I honestly don't think Blankety Blanks is rude. At the most it could be called cheeky. I don't think any kid would be hurt by watching Blankety Blanks, I strongly believe one of the reasons for its season is that has a double appeal - kids enjoy the atmosphere and the fun, which often gets a bit slapstick, and the adults like it because they can relate to the people that work on show." The game show, with host Graham Kennedy, is approaching its 400th episode.

ABC boosts drama
TV Times reports that ABC is to boost its amount of drama output by 16 hours to exceed 100 hours of TV a year. As well as series such as Catspaw, Truckies and Patrol Boat, the national broadcaster is looking to add more one-off productions and short-run dramas. Two new series, The Oracle and Ride On Stranger, are already in production, and ABC is hoping to add a science-fiction series Locusts And Wild Honey, and a children's drama All The Green Years.

Broadening Horizons
ABC's afternoon rural affairs program Horizon-5 promises to offer an alternative to daytime soaps and variety shows like The Mike Walsh Show. The program is into its third year and as well as covering rural issues, Canberra-based reporter Stewart McLennan says the show is gaining a following in capital cities as well. McLennan and a camera crew have also just completed a trip to Western Australia to film a six-part special report on success stories and farming innovations within the state which he says would be of interest to eastern states audiences.

Now it's the Doctors Down Under
The Seven Network has finalised plans to produce an Australian version of the British Doctor comedies. The thirteen-part series, titled Doctor Down Under, will be taped later in the year at the studios of ATN7 Sydney and will feature Robin Nedwell and Geoffrey Davies from the British original. The network is also in advanced stages of planning a further seven episodes of the Australian version of Father Dear Father, and is also planning a local remake of Love Thy Neighbour.

Toothy smiles home at last
In the 1960s, Australian writer Marcia Hatfield had created a cartoon series concept titled The Toothbrush Family - but could not gain any local interest in the proposal. She instead took the idea to America's CBS network which, in 1976, signed up a multi-million-dollar deal to produce a 20-episode cartoon series as well as merchandising of dental-care products and syndicated comic strips. The success of the program, seen in up to 3 million American households, led to Hatfield being invited to be a guest speaker at the World Health Organisation. The series, which aims to educate children on dental care with characters such as Tom and Tess Toothbrush (pictured), Flash Fluoride, Nev Nailbrush and Susie Sponge, has now been sold back to Australia and is to screen as part of the Super Flying Fun Show on the Nine Network.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
"I have watched Peter Couchman since he was on This Day Tonight. I used to like him very much, but what has ATV0 done to him lately? He used to have the features of a young male, vital, passionate, enthusiastic, with strong opinions. Now he wears make-up which softens his features. He seems insecure, an old lady's sweetie, and soon will begin to talk like Johnny Young!" F. Ross, VIC.

"May I congratulate the networks for their wisdom in showing American mini-series such as Captains And Kings, Rich Man Poor Man, Roots, 79 Park Avenue and Testimony Of Two Men. The series made compelling viewing, and really brighten up an otherwise dull six to eight hours of viewing." L. McKenzie, SA.

"I wish to voice my disapproval at the way in which Crawford Productions wrote Maggie Dence out of The Sullivans. For Aunty Rose to drown was a tragedy indeed. Surely, her part could have been disposed of in a more acceptable way than to have her die in such a manner? Even John has a chance of returning to the scene at a future date. Why not Rose?" Y. Johnson, QLD.

What's On (June 24-30):
As the World Cup reaches its conclusion, ABC screens a live telecast of the playoff for third place, at 3.45am Sunday morning, and the following morning at 3.15am presents live coverage of the World Cup final from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The final is replayed on Monday evening.

HSV7 presents the premiere of the landmark US mini-series Holocaust, reliving the nightmare of the Nazi regime which claimed more than six million lives. The series, which included a cast of 150 actors and 1000 extras, avoided employing Hollywood actors but rather chose performers from stage backgrounds such as Meryl Streep, Rosemary Harris and George Rose. Starting with a three-hour premiere on Monday night, the mini-series continued in two-hour episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and a two-and-a-half-hour final chapter on Thursday.

The premiere episode of the Seven Network's Father Dear Father In Australia airs on HSV7 - featuring Patrick Cargill from the British original, and Australian actors Bill Kerr, Sally Conabere and Sigrid Thornton.

Sunday night's movies are The Oregon Trail (HSV7), The Fortune (GTV9) and Burn (ATV0). GTV9 follows its movie with coverage of the US Open Golf Championships.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 24 June 1978. ABC/ACP