AustLit

Six gifted juniormotocross riders spent the summer holidays in Central Australia.

'When gigging guitarist, Noah, finds himself disillusioned and transient, he quits the band of his 90’s pop icon mentor, and returns to his mother’s home. Clashing with his mother over old wounds, Noah seeks solace elsewhere, and soon finds himself with a young, trans-man, Finn, who is a proud, Auslan-only speaker. But as the two become closer, and with no shared language to fall back on, they only risk hurting each other, as they learn to be true to themselves.'

Source: Screen Australia.

'When he is knocked off his pedestal and on to the Impaired Registrants Program, prodigal Sydney surgeon and party boy Hugh Knight must return to his family home in rural Whyhope where he might learn to swallow his pride and mend his ways – or not.'

Source: Production blurb.

Detective Sergeant Eve Winter investigates the deaths of two young women, both of whom are tattooed with the same design.

'[This] series centres on four young families with one thing in common: the men are in charge of raising the kids.

'It's the beginning of a new school year and recently retired Lewis (Gary Sweet) finds himself in the unfamiliar role of stay-at-home dad to Tilda, his daughter with nurse Gemma (Julia Morris).

'Gemma works at the hospital with her best friend Abi (Natalie Saleeba) whose husband Mark (Rhys Muldoon) is juggling a return to part-time work and looking after five-year-old Poppy.

'Mark's brother-in-law Kane (Gyton Grantley) is in a relationship with Tom (Tim Campbell), raising Tom's orphaned niece Stella.

'When dropping their daughters off on the first day of school, the three men meet Justin (Firass Dirani), a former AFL star who, thanks to his bad boy ways, has seen his career and family walk out the door. He is now facing the fight of his life to win custody of his twin boys Zac and Jacob and eight-month-old daughter Angie.

'Finding themselves severely outnumbered by all the mothers at the school drop-off zone, the four men band together and help each other along as they face the challenges of raising a young family.'

Source: Channel Nine website (http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8469113) (Sighted: 17/10/2012)

Underbelly: Badness chronicles the spider web of criminality spun by Anthony Perish and the quest by a dedicated team of police to bring him and his associates to justice. A feared underworld figure, Perish managed to maintain an almost non-existent public profile, which was only revealed when his connection to the murder of Terry Falconer, a former inmate of Sydney's Silverwater jail, brought him to the attention of Strike Force Tuno, which was formed to find Falconer's killers. Displaying an extraordinary level of perseverance and determination, Strike Force Tuno, led by Detective Inspector Jubelin spent ten years gathering the evidence that would finally see Perish brought to justice.'

(Source: Inside Film website)

'In Hopetoun there are few rules... And even fewer willing to follow them.

'In this town moral codes are muddied by circumstance and opportunity. There's gold for the taking, cash being splashed and power wielded ruthlessly with little regard for right and wrong. It's hard to know the good guys from the bad when guns, blades and fists speak louder than any law.

'This is the world of the Wild Boys, a high-energy adventure series about a gang of bushrangers whose charisma is as captivating and entertaining as their extreme exploits in the Australian bush.

'Set in 1860s NSW at the frontier - where gold has lured the opportunistic away from the still fledgling main colonies - Wild Boys follows four men on the outside of the law as they come up against authority, the rich and greedy and the foibles of their own hearts.

'Jack, Dan, Conrad and Captain Gunpowder are the Wild Boys.

'Jack wants enough gold to head west, buy land and settle down with Mary, Hopetoun's publican, butcher and brothel owner.

'Dan wants enough gold to head west and buy women (any women, really).

'Captain Gunpowder just wants to have fun with Jack, Dan and his cache of explosives (and maybe win the heart of a certain school teacher).

'And Conrad doesn't really care about money; he just wants to elope with the mayor's daughter Emilia.

The Wild Boys are making plans for the future, but for now they will have to make do with each other - staging hold-ups and keeping one step ahead of traps, trackers, and other outlaws.

'The question is: Are they smart enough to stay ahead of Fuller, Fife and Scanlon (each of whom has a very good reason to want the Wild Boys dead)?'

Source: Wild Boys official website )http://au.tv.yahoo.com/wild-boys/) (Sighted: 30/08/2011)

'A 10 part crime drama following the story of Andrew Fraser's rise from small time lawyer to successfully defending the most infamous criminals this country has ever seen, and then his ultimate downfall and imprisonment for five years in maximum security. His clients included Dennis Allen, Jimmy Krakouer, Alan Bond and those accused of the Walsh Street murders. At the top of his game, Fraser commanded a huge salary and lived the dream. But when his cocaine addiction spiralled into a thousand dollar-a-day habit, he lost everything and his life became intertwiined with villains, larrikins and soldiers of justice. He was disbarred, discredited, broken financially and his marriage was destroyed. Caged amongst serial killers and psychopaths, Fraser is forced to reflect on where it all went so wrong, and try to salvage his shattered reputation.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive (http://www.australiantelevision.net/killing-time/). (Sighted: 22/2/2013)

A co-Australian and German television series, Dance Academy revolves around Tara Webster, a young woman who has grown up on property in outback Australia all the while dreaming of becoming a dancer. When she makes it into the National Academy of Dance, Tara realises that her life is about to change forever. As the series progresses, she also comes to realise that she is not alone in this journey.

'While Melbourne mother of two, Maria Korp, lay dying in the boot of her car, her husband, Joe Korp, pointed the finger of blame at his mistress Tania Herman. As the truth unravelled, a twisted tale of suburban swingers‚ grand scale deception and murder emerged, which shocked Australia. This is the shocking and macabre story of Maria: The Woman In The Boot.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 5/4/2013)

'Dean Gallagher, 34, and Chase, 26, are brothers. Competitive alpha males, they argue over everything, agree on nothing, but defend each other from outsiders no matter what. They’re members of Rescue Special Ops. Experienced paramedics in peak physical condition, they're skilled in abseiling, rock climbing, surf and sea rescue, 4WD driving and fire brigade procedures. They're the first to be called in for any natural or man-made disaster, salvage or rescue operation.'

Source: Screen Australia.

A six-part crime series focusing on the character Carla Cametti, a determined private detective. While she has the looks and street smarts to get what she wants, she also has a personal life that's rife with danger, from a family riddled with gangsters to her volatile relationship with Detective Luciano Gandolfi, a policeman seconded to curb Melbourne's burgeoning gangland activity.

'CANAL ROAD is a medical and legal advisory centre where the lives of inner-city professionals and their patients entwine in a story of mystery and medical intrigue. At the heart of the series are the tragic deaths of the wife and son of psychiatrist Spencer McKay, who is confronted by the killer of his loved ones and sets out on a journey of revenge which will implicate friends, workmates and his darkest demons.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 3/5/2013)

'Jack discovers that a man jailed for matricide could be innocent and the killer could still be close to home. Did Jack's own father-in-law have some part to play in the mystery?'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 19/4/2013)

Based on the original tele-movie, The Alice follows the adventures of a group of people who, drawn to Alice Springs through a series of fateful encounters, find they still have more to do in the town.

The program was cancelled after a single series due to poor viewing figures.

The Cooks, a 13-part series made for Network Ten, centres on the relationships between the staff of rival restaurants. The series first went into production in October 2003 after the screening of the telemovie Temptation, on which it is based, in August. Episode one was screened on Network Ten 18 October 2004. Only one season of the series was produced, the final episode was screened 2 July 2005. The series was also screened in Canada.

'The Cooks begins with the return of Gabe Francobelli (Toby Schmitz) a young hot-shot chef who comes back to Sydney's inner-west after a year away working in the top kitchens of Europe. Gabe is shocked to find his family restaurant has closed down, having lost the battle to rival restaurant "R & R" run by Rita (Rhondda Findleton) and Gabe's former classmate and lover Ruth (Kate Atkinson). With help from two of his best mates Sachin (Nicholas Brown) and Dishpig (Leon Ford), Gabe reinvents his family restaurant renaming it "Snatch and Grab" and throws down the gauntlet to the girls. The battle of the restaurants begins: Classmate vs Classmate. Lover vs Lover. Boys vs Girls.'

Source: Network Ten publicity, October 16, 2003 (Sighted 27/01/12)

The first Australian drama series to be made specifically for pay television, Love My Way follows the lives of a group of thirty-somethings who explore issues of friendship, step-parenting, divorce, and relationships. It deals with the randomness of life and the need many of us have to carve out a place in the world.

Central to the series is Frankie Paige, who attempts to negotiate the web of contemporary relationships, juggle the priorities of family obligations, and be both successful at love and fulfilled professionally, while hoping that 'happiness' might occur if all the other things fall into place. She lives with Tom, a once-successful chef who now cooks at the local rehabilitation hospital. Just down the road in a much nicer house lives her ex-husband (and Tom's brother), Charlie. An emotionally stunted architect/surfer now married to Julia, he and Frankie still have a relationship through their daughter, Lou. Throughout the series, these principal characters are pulled and strained by desires and contradictions that appear to be part and parcel of modern life.

A series of short dramas from children, adapted from the works of Australian and New Zealand authors. Not all of the episodes contain speculative-fiction content, though the majority do.

In 'The Giant's Tooth', two children assist a young giant who has lost his tooth.

In 'Pumped Up', a young boy's grandfather designs a pair of basketball boots that enable the wearer to perform feats of great physical strength and dexterity.

In 'Ben and the Alien Invasion', a young boy and his talking wart save the world from an alien invasion.

In 'Bull Harris and the Purple Ooze', a group of friends outsmart the class bully with the help of a mysterious miniature brain.

In 'The Mystery of the Talking Tail', a young boy helps a demanding talking tail find a new home.

In 'Rose Meets Mr Wintergarden', a young girl helps a reclusive old man re-enter life.

In 'Skating on Sand', a young girl overcomes rocky terrain and sibling rivalry to teach herself how to roller blade.

'The detectives of the Kingsway Major Crime Squad fight to preserve their Pacific Paradise. Crime knows no boundaries—from the Miami-like streets of Sylvania Waters, all dark glass and pontoons, to the towering cranes on the Container Wharves of Botany Bay, bordered by the white beaches and blue water between Monterey and Hungry Point. This is our world. It's tough. It's beautiful. Dangerous. A contradiction.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 12/6/2013)

'They've each been given a $20,000 head start but there's still time for you to catch up with Loc Minh, Clare and Patrick Gormley, Basia Lem, Seth Wallace, Kyle Richter and Katherine Ingram as they take off in pursuit of their dreams. Shepherded by company representative Garret Quinn, a reformed maverick trying to redeem his reputation in the eyes of his multi-national banker bosses, seven young adults try to make their mark on the world with their own dynamic and innovative ideas. Will they accomplish their cherished objectives or go with their failed ambitions like lambs to the slaughter?'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 22/10/2012)

'About a group of 20-somethings living in the urban environs of St Kilda. They have yet to make it, but know it's just a matter of time.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 28/11/2013)

Farscape was an Australian/American co-production, a science-fiction television program combining puppetry and live actors to follow the trevails of American astronaut John Crichton, flung into the far reaches of the galaxy during the maiden flight of his experimental craft.

Farscape made use of puppetry to circumvent the problem of having to present alien life-forms as roughly humanoid in size and shape. However, despite the use of Jim Henson's puppet studios, the program was distinctly adult in tone and content.

Unlike other programs filmed in Australian studios (for example, Terra Nova), Farscape was very strongly a co-production, employing a high number of Australian actors and directors. Over a third of the scripts (thirty of the eighty-eight episodes in the original four seasons) were written by Australian script-writers (see below for details). In addition, two Australian script-writers (Lily Taylor and Grant McAloon) served as script/story editors and another (Justin Monjo) acted as creative consultant.

After its abrupt cancellation, Farscape was succeeded by a number of ancillary texts (including a mini-series, graphic novels, and a role-playing game), but these works were American productions rather than Australian/American co-productions.

'Inspired by true events, Stingers reveals the shadowy and ambiguous world of undercover cops — people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. They are police who defeat crime from within the criminal world — always without a badge and frequently without protection. The series follows the lives of the operatives as they befriend and betray those on the other side of the law. For these select few, it is a deadly way of life.The undercover cops of Stingers are a unique breed. They must juggle their own lives — love, laughter, family and humanity — with the tension of the criminal personas they adopt in their passion for justice.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 7/6/2013)

'In one day successful city lawyer, Laura Gibson's world falls apart. Suddenly she realises she no longer knows her husband, her children, or where her all-consuming career is going. On a whim, Laura grabs at a position as magistrate in the small coastal town of Pearl Bay and with two bewildered kids in tow sets off to change their lives forever.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 18/9/2012)

One of Australia's highest rating dramas, All Saints is a Logie Award-winning Australian medical drama set in the fictional All Saints Western General Hospital in suburban Sydney. The stories originally focused on the nursing staff of Ward 17 run by Nursing Unit Manager Terri Sullivan. It was sometimes referred to as the 'garbage ward' because it took the overflow of patients.

In 2004 Network Seven producers overhauled the series in an effort to increase the show's gradually dwindling audience. They achieved this by closing down Ward 17 and transferring some of the staff to the Emergency Department managed by Frank Campion. Several other new lead characters were also introduced. The changes also saw the storylines begin to focus more on the lives of the doctors and nurses.

Another significant change to the series came in early 2009 when the producers introduced the Medical Response Unit. Central to this development was the helicopter which took doctors to rescue situations outside the hopsital and which in turn brought patients to the All Saints Emergency Department. The show's name was also changed at this time to All Saints: Medical Response Unit. The increased production costs created by having scenes shot on location played a part, however, in the series being cancelled mid-year. The series ended with the Emergency Department and Medical Response Unit teams having a dinner to farewell the last remaining original character, Von Ryan on her final day at All Saints.

All Saints was popular in many countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Iran.

'Murder is the ultimate crime. It touches the lives of ordinary people, casting its long shadow over the glossy cityscape and glamorous haunts of the sprawling metropolis. For homicide detectives Steve Hayden and Tessa Vance, solving a murder is a journey from darkness into light. An urgent, vicious confrontation with evil, a walk through the devil's own world.

'Tessa and Steve are the elite new face of homicide. She is young and brilliant, he is logical. She is instinctive, he goes by the book. She's complicated, he's down to earth. Together this powerful partnership must confront and overcome the intrigue, fear and shattered lives which murder leaves in its wake.'

Source: McElroy All Media (http://www.mcelroyallmedia.com.au/index.php?page=murder-call). (Sighted: 19/4/2013)

The authors above are those credited as script-writers for the series. A number of other authors were also credited with 'story': Jennifer Rowe is the most frequently credited, but other authors credited with 'story' are Leanne Williams, Duncan Ball, Kel Richards, Jenny Pausacker, Kerry Greenwood, Richard Hall, Peter Gawler, John Banas, Jean Bedford, Karen Petersen, and Helen Robinson.

'A fast-paced television drama set within the fascinating environment of a State Coroner's office complex. Each day a team of highly trained professionals deal with the questions of deaths, murders, accidents, suicides, fires, drownings and even the odd natural cause. We see their battles with grieving families, slow or meddling authorities and organized crime, from the initial inquiry through to the courtroom appearances and the Coroner's final verdict and recommendations for trial or reform.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive (http://www.australiantelevision.net/statecoroner/statecoroner.html). (Sighted: 8/3/2013)

An adult drama set in an inner-city crisis centre and police station, Wildside focuses on a group of people who deal with the endless array of problems, crimes, and triumphs that tumble onto the streets of a city bursting with life. In addition to the police, other characters include those who work in a crisis centre in the tough red-light district of the city.

'Set in a newspaper, MERCURY looks at the lives of journalists and their relationships with the paper and each other.'

Source: Screen Australia.

Produced by the same television production company responsible for the successful medical drama G.P., Law of the Land moved away from the inner-city urbanity of G.P. Set in the fictional small town of Merringanee, series one involves the arrival in town of young magistrate Peter Lawrence, who (thanks to a stolen car and a long-buried body) learns that the locals have their own way of enforcing the law.

Series two involved a different character, Kate Chalmers, unravelling the truth behind Peter Lawrence's death.

The program ran to a total of four thirteen-episode series, yet it is obscure enough today that little information about it is readily available.

Cinematographer Brendan Lavelle did, however, contribute an article to Metro Magazine ('A Day in the Life: The Work of a Cinematographer', issue 99) while he was working on the series.

Set in a small, fictional, New South Wales country town called Wandin Valley, A Country Practice focused on the staffs of the town's medical practice and local hospital and on the families of the doctors, nurses, and patients. Many of the episodes also featured guest characters (frequently patients served by the practice) through whom various social and medical problems were explored. Although often considered a soap opera, the series was not built around an open-ended narrative; instead, the two one-hour episodes screened per week formed a self-contained narrative block, though many of the storylines were developed as sub-plots for several episodes before becoming the focus of a particular week's storyline. While the focus was on topical issues such as youth unemployment, suicide, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, and terminal illness, the program did sometimes explore culturally sensitive issues, including, for example, the Aboriginal community and their place in modern Australian society.

Among the show's principal characters were Dr Terence Elliott, local policeman Sergeant Frank Gilroy, Esme Watson, Shirley Dean Gilroy, Bob Hatfield, Vernon 'Cookie' Locke, and Matron Margaret 'Maggie' Sloan. In addition to its regularly rotating cast of characters, A Country Practice also had a cast of semi-regulars who would make appearances as the storylines permitted. Interestingly, while the series initially targeted the adult and older youth demographic, it became increasingly popular with children over the years.