The Games to Good Medicine | Memorable TV Australian Shows

AUSTRALIAN TV - THE GAMES to GOOD MEDICINE

THE GAMES

ABC-Beyond Productions / x60m-e / 1998-2000

Creators: John Clarke, Ross Stevenson / Music: Jeremy Smith / Producers: Denise Eriksen (1998), Mark Duge (2000)

Comedy drama series. An irreverent, pseudo documentary style series where the film crew have carte blanche access to the fictional managing body of the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SCCCG) , as they attend meetings, briefings, site inspections and press conferences. The Games takes a behind the scenes, warts and all view of the 'Committee' at work. ABC scheduled season two so that the 13 episodes ran until the week before the opening of the Olympics on 15 September, as outrageous as many of the storylines were they were allegedly nothing compared to the real life SOCOG.

With:- JOHN CLARKE / GINA RILEY / BRYAN DAWE / NICHOLAS BELL / BARRIE CASSIDY / ROSS STEVENSON / LOUISE SIVERSEN

THE GENIE FROM DOWN UNDER

UK-Australia / BBC-ABC-Australian Children's TV Foundation / 26x25m-e / 1995 and 1998

Executive Producers: Anna Home, Patricia Edgar / Music: Frank Strangio / Script Consultant: Esben Storm / Producers: Peter Jackson, Phil Jones, Jeremy Swan, Elizabeth Symes, Patricia Edgar

Children's fantasy sitcom. When English Penelope Townes discovers a magic opal she discovers it holds two Australian Genies within it - Bruce and his son Baz.

With:- ALEXANDRA MILMAN as Penelope Townes / RHYS MULDOON as Bruce / GLENN MELDRUM as Baz / IAN McFADYEN as Bubbles / ANNA GALVIN as Lady Diana Townes / FLETCHER HUYMPHREYS as Conrad von Meister / JACINTA STAPLETON as Sophie / EMILY MILBURN as Marcia / MARK MITCHELL as Otto von Meister / MONICA MAUGHAN as Miss Mossop

GETAWAY

9 Network/ x60m-e / 1992- continuing (First Episode Broadcast: 14 May 1992)

Holiday show which in its first series looked at only Australian resorts but by 1993 had expanded to look at overseas places. The original reporters were Jeff Watson(1992-98), Tina Dalton / Anna McMahon (1992-93), David Reyne (1992-93/then 1996-) and Rebecca Harris (1992-97). Other hosts have included Jane Rutter (1994), Chrissy Morrisey (1995), Lochie Daddo (1994-99), Catriona Rowntree (1996-), Sorrel Wilby (1996-) and Ben Dark (1999-)

GETTING BACK TO NOTHING

ABC / 1x50m-e / 1971 (Broadcast: Tuesday 8 June / 9.25pm)

Director: Tim Burstall

Documentary about the 1970 World Surfing Championships that took place at Bells Beach in Victoria. The contest was won by Rolf Arness (son of James 'Gunsmoke' Arness).

THE GIOCONDA SMILE

ABC / 1x75m-e / 1963 black and white

Writer: Norman Gear / Story: Aldous Huxley / Producer/Director: Patrick Barton

Drama. The death of his crippled wife spells upheaval for a wealthy man and his mistress.

With:- ALEXANDER HAY / ELIZABETH WING / FAY KELTON / WILLIAM LLOYD / ROMA JOHNSON / KEVIN COLEBROOK

THE GIANT'S TOOTH AND OTHER STORIES

ABC / 8x15m-e / 1999

Children's short stories based on well known Australian stories.

THE GIRL FROM STEEL CITY

SBS-Sinegroup / 23x30m-e / 1986 and 1989

Writer: Angelo Loukakis / Music: Tony Karras / Producers: John Martin, Colin Baker

SBS's first continuing soap style drama series, albeit shortlived, this told the story of a Greek girl living in Wollongong and determined to make it as a singer. Filmed in both Greek and English.

With:- ELLI HART / MICHAEL GARIFALAKIS / NANCY CARUANA / TONY BLACKETT / JANE SEABORN / ERIC OLDFIELD / JIM SPYRIDOPOULUS / GRACE PARR / RAINA McKEON

THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW

Australian Film Foundation-Film Australia Prod / 24x25m-e / 1990-92

Writers: Mark Shirriefs, John Thomson / Music: Nicholas McCallum / Producer: Noel Price / Executive Producer: Ron Saunders

Two children's scifi drama serials. A girl from the 26th century finds herself in the 20th century where she is helped by a young girl called Jenny. In the second 12 part serial the girl from Tomorrow travelled back to her own time taking Jenny with her.

With:- KATHARINE CULLEN as Alana / MELISSA MARSHALL as Jenny / JOHN HOWARD as Silverthorn / JAMES FINDLAY as Petey / HELEN O'CONNOR / ANDREW CLARKE as James / MILES BUCHANAN as Eddie / HELEN JONES as Tulisa / PAULINE CHAN as Arva / MONROE REIMERS as Bruno / CATHERINE McCLEMENTS as Lorien (serial 2) / ANDREW WINDSOR as Macro (serial 2)

GLAD RAGS

9 Network-BBC-Nomad-Southern / 13x25m-e / 1995

Writer: Trevor Todd / Executive Producers: Kris Noble, Douglas Stanley / Producers: Kate Faulkner, Douglas Stanley / Director: Robert Stewart

Children's sitcom. Lizzie Forbes, living above the fancy dress hire shop, Glad Rags, run by her mother, often gets involved in adventure; Usually with her two friends Gino and Brendan whose parents also ran shops either side of Glad Rags. An Australia-UK co-production.

With:- BROOKE 'MIKEY' ADAMS as Lizzie Forbes / SARAH CHADWICK as Patricia 'Trish' Forbes / JOHN MUNACKEN as Gino Ambino / LUCIANO MARTUCCI as Gilbert Ambino / BRETT FERRIS as Brendan Punch / CARMEL JOHNSON as Fiorella Punch / JEROME EHLERS as Grame M. Marsden

GLASS BABIES

9 Network - PBL / 2x90m-e / 1985 22-24 April

Writers: Greg Millin, Graeme Farmer / Concept: Russell Scott / Camera: Ellery Ryan / Design: Peter Tyers / Music: David Skinner / Producer: Peter Herbert / Executive Producer: Ian Bradley / Director: Brendan Maher

Drama. When his son Michael and his wife Sally are unable to have children wealthy businessman John Craig arranges for them to have private in-vitro fertilisation treatment, later when Michael dies Craig tries to take Sally's child from her. The serial mixed a bit of everything with sex, murder, greed, revenge, big business and corruption all in the plot.

With:- GEORGE MIKELL as John Craig / ANDREW SHARP as Michael Craig / BELINDA DAVEY as Sally Craig / ROWENA WALLACE as Dr Gloria McCrae / GARY DAY as Brendan Keller / DEBORA-LEE FURNESS as Joan Simpson / ASHER KEDDIE as Anna Simpson / WILLIAM ZAPPA as Dr Browning / KERRI EICHHORN as Helen / KIKO LANIS as Dimitri / STEWART FAICHNEY as Bob Simpson / CHRIS HALLAM as Ricky Josephs / PHIL SUMNER as Todd

THE GLASS HOUSE

ABC / x30m-e / 2001 (First Episode Broadcast: 24 August / 8.00pm)

A discussion type show in which Dave Hughes, Will Anderson and Corinne Grant looked at the weeks events.

GLENVIEW HIGH

7 Network-Grundy / 39x60m-e / 1977-78 (First Episode Broadcast: 30 September 77)

Producer: Ron McLean / Music: Mike Perjanik

Drama series. Life for the teachers and students at the tough inner city secondary school of the title, especially English teacher Greg Walker fresh from teaching in a rural country school.

With:- GRIGOR TAYLOR as Greg Walker / REBECCA GILLING as Robbie Dean / ELAINE LEE as Margaret Gibson / KEN JAMES as Tom Walker / CAMILLA ROUNTREE as Jill Beamish / BRANDON BURKE as Tony Moore / BILL KERR as Harry Carter / TIM BURNS as Miller / EVA DICKINSON as Helen / GEORGINA McLAUGHLIN as Sharon

GO!!

10 Network-DYT Productions / 60m-e and also x30m-e / 1965-67 black and white

Producer: Julian Jover

Pop music show. The first compere was Alan Field, a little known British entertainer who hosted the Beatles first Australian tour. He hosted the first 21 episodes starting from 4th August 1964. The last show was a 60min special episode hosted by Ronnie Burns on 17th Sept. 1967. Thanks to Rod Jermanus for additional info.

THE GODFATHERS

9 Network-Gemini / 72x25m-e / 1971-72 black and white

Creator (and main writer): Michael Lawrence / Music: Michael Caulfield / Producers: Robert Bruning, John Davies

Sitcom. To help pay the bills, a crippled widow with a young son takes in three male lodgers. Creator Lawrence later took an acting role in the show.

With:- ASHLEY GRENVILLE / TINA GRENVILLE / ANNA VOLSKA / ERIC OLDFIELD / ROBERT BRUNING / HAROLD HOPKINS (later replaced by MICHAEL LAWRENCE) / BRENDON LUNNEY

GO FISH AUSTRALIA

ABC / 13x30m-e / 1987

Lifestyle. John Meillon travels Australia looking at the best fishing spots.

GOING HOME

ABC (Stuart Wagstaff's World Playhouse) / 1x55 minute episode / Broadcast Thursday 5 May 1977 @ 9.00pm

Drama. Miles faces up to a few home truths when he returns to his childhood home for his 40th birthday.,

cast
TERRY DONOVAN as Miles / ROWENA WALLACE as Jacqueline / MARK CLARK as Tom / JOSIE PORTER as Julia

GOING HOME

SBS-McElroy Television / 130x30m-e / 2000-2001

Creators/Executive Producers: Di and Hal McElroy / Producer: Gillian Arnold / Directors: Alan Coleman, Andrew Lewis

Daily drama series. Stories of a group of nine commuters travelling home by train each night, amazingly the show was written, filmed, edited and then broadcast on the same day, the show also contained interactive elements. Filmed at the Film Australia Studio's in Sydney Going Home is the fastest made drama on TV, the actors are just given a script outline and most of the dialogue is improvised, with much of the dialogue centring around the days news.

With:- JOHN GIBSON / ARTHUR ANGEL / CAMILLA AH KIN / DAVID CALLAN / BRIAN MEEGAN / KHRISTINA TOTOS / JASON CHONG / LYN PIERSE / RHONDA DOYLE

GOLDEN FIDDLES

9 Network-Wack0-South Australia Film Corporation / 2x120m-e / 1991

Writer: Sheila Sibley / Novel: Mary Grant Bruce / Camera: Ron Hagen / Design: George Liddle / Costume: Jean Turnbull-Mowlam / Producer: Stanley Walsh / Executive Producer: Jock Blair, Wendy Wacko / Director: Claude Fournier

Period drama serial. During the depressed 1930's the struggling farming family the Balfours have thier lives changed when mother Anne inherits a fortune.

With:- KATE NELLIGAN as Anne Balfour / JOHN BACH as Walter Balfour / RACHEL FRIEND as Kitty Balfour / CAMRON DADDO as Norman Balfour / DAVID REYNE as Jack / JUSTINE CLARKE as Liddy / PIPPA GRANDISON as Elsa Balfour / HAMISH FLETCHER as Bob Balfour / DAVID WHITNEY as Adrian Treherne / CHARLES MAYER as Philippe Allard / EDMUND PEGGE as Mr Craig / PENNE HACKFORTH-JONES as Mrs Craig / MOUCHE PHILLIPS as Daphne / ADRIANA XENIDES as Estelle / CAROLINE WINNALL as Clara / EMMA FOWLER as Rose

GOLDEN PENNIES

ABC-Revcom / 8x30m-e / 1985

Writer: Graeme Farmer / Camera: Ian Warburton / Producer/Director: Oscar Whitbread

Period drama series. In the 1850's a family move to the goldfield town of Jericho to try and make their fortune. An Australia-France co-production.

With:- CAROL DRINKWATER / BRYAN MARSHALL / GERARD KENNEDY / FRANK WILSON / TIBI KAMAN / MICHAELA ABAY / JASON DONOVAN / DAMON SANDERS / PAUL KARO

GOLDEN SOAK

ABC-Portman-Westdeutsches Werbfernsehen / 6x60m-e / 1979

Writer: Peter yeldham / Novel: Hammond Innes / Camera: Peter Hendry / esign: Laurie Johnson / Music: Peter Jones / Producers: Ray Alchin, James Gatward / Executive Producers: Geoffrey Danuiels, James Gatward / Director: Henri Safran

Drama serial. Mining engineer Alec Hamilton (after getting into trouble back home in England) journeys to Australia to try to start a new life, he quickly becomes involved in the fortunes of an abandoned goldmine.

With:- RAY BARRETT as Alec Hamilton / ELIZABETH ALEXANDER as Janet Garrety / CHRISTINA KRUGER as Rosa / BILL HUNTER as Chris Culpin / HEINZ SCHIMMELPFENNIG as Ed Garrety / GUNTHER UNGEHEUR as Kadek / DAVID CAMERON as Johnny / RUTH CRACKNELL

THE GONG SHOW

10 Network-McCabe-Collins Productions / x30m-e / 1976

Producers: Lyle McCabe, John Collins

Bizarre talent show in which the acts had to prove their worth or face the indignity of being "gonged" off. Cancelled after three weeks. Host was Tim Evans and the format was American.

GOODBYE MEAT PIE

Lifestyle (Pay TV) / 3x30m-e / 2001

Director: Ian Stevenson

A documentary reality type show following a group of cooks taking part in the Australian Regional Culinary Competition in Adelaide.

GOOD GRIEF...IT'S THE TWILITERS

ABC / 8x30m-e / 1968 black and white

Mainly music based (but with some comedy sketches added to the mix) variety show starring folk group The Twiliters. The Twiliters were Jim Maguire, Kerry White and Gregg Ferris.

GOOD GUYS BAD GUYS

9 Network-Beyond-Simpson Le Mesurier / 1x120m-e 26x60m-e / 1997-98

Creator: Roger Simpson / Producers: Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Ros Tatarka

Crime drama series. Elvis Maginnis (an ex-cop from the wrong side of the tracks) runs his own dry cleaning business but still finds himself drawn into the shady side of life.

With:- MARCUS GRAHAM as Elvis Maginnis / ALISON WHYTE as Stella Kinsella / TRAVIS MCMAHON as Reuben Zeus

GOOD MEDICINE

9 Network / x30m-e / 199?

Lifestyle show offering advice on all things medical and hosted by Jennifer Keyte, also featuring Dr Ric Gordon, Dr Caroline West and Mark Ferguson.

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AUSTRALIAN TV - THE GAMES to GOOD MEDICINE