Flair (Channel 7 1990, Heather Thomas, Rowena Wallace)

Lavish mini-series Flair took us into the world of Tessa Clarke, a fashion designer, who returns home to Australia from America intent on becoming a major player in the Australian fashion industry.

Her success leads to bitter jealousy amongst her rivals and she also has problems when a one time employee, Pamela Winter-Smith manages to win a court case claiming back her designs.

Very much in the Dynasty-Return to Eden mould and also owing a big nod to the UK series Connie, Flair also had a big USA presence in the cast with both James Healey and Heather Thomas. Despite rating well the critics hated it of course.

production details
Australia | Network 7 – Flair TV Prod – Film Victoria -Australian Film Finance

RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes | NUMBER OF EPISODES: 2 | AIRDATES: 1 – 8 August 1990

WRITER: Alan Hopgood | IDEA: Paul Davies, Gaye Hopgood | MUSIC: Frank Strangio | PRODUCTION DESIGN: David Copping | COSTUMES: Anna Senior | PRODUCER: Paul Davies | DIRECTOR: Henri Safran

cast
HEATHER THOMAS as Tessa Clarke
ANDREW CLARKE as Philip Harmon
JAMES HEALEY as Chris Drake
ROWENA WALLACE as Pamela Winter-Smith
JOSEPH BOTTOMS as Matthew ‘Matt’ Lee
IMOGEN ANNESLEY as Sally Clarke
CHARLES “Bud” TINGWELL as Bert Clarke
DAVID REYNE as Mark Tupper
ELAINE SMITH as Megan
BRIONY BEHETS as Samantha Harmon
JOANNE CANNING as Trudy
MARIE-THERESE BYRNE as Addie
NEELA DEY as Chistine
JAMES PATRICK as Jack Brody

• And The Big Men Fly (ABC 1973, John Hargreaves, Frank Wilson)

• Bellbird (ABC 1967-1977, Terry Norris, Lynette Curran)

• Burn The Butterflies (ABC 1979 with Ray Barrett and George Mallaby)

• Play For Today: The Bankrupt (BBC 1972, Joss Ackland)

• Hamlet at Elsinore (BBC 1964, Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw)

• A Handful of Thieves (BBC One 1969, Helen Worth, Martin Ratcliffe)

• Hands Across the Sea (BBC, 1938, Nadine March, Nicholas Phipps)

• My Son Reuben (Thames 1975, Bernard Spear, Lila Kaye,)

• The Franchise Affair (BBC 1962, Rosalie Crutchley, Michael Aldridge)

• The Galactic Garden