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Ian Coughlan Ian Coughlan i(A140103 works by)
Born: Established: 1946 Queensland, ; Died: Ceased: 29 Aug 2001
Gender: Male
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Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • Writer, director, and actor.

    Born in far north Queensland, Ian Coughlan began working as a radio announcer at 4CA Cairns in 1964. In 1970, he was working at FNQ10, where he was discovered by Anthony Buckley, with whom he worked as a sound recordist, recording Leo McKern's voiceover for Buckley's documentary on the life of Frank Hurley, Snow, Sand and Savages.

    Coughlan made the shift into television script-writing when his scripts for The Godfathers were drawn to the attention of producer David Hannay, who described them in Coughlan's obituary as 'strong, well constructed, plot-driven stories that hummed along'.

    Coughlan made the move from Cairns to Sydney, where he became post-production supervisor for Gemini Productions, working on The Godfathers and The Spoiler. By 1973, he was working as a director on The People Next Door.

    Coughlan also wrote extensively for Reg Grundy Enterprises, including writing and directing episodes of The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Glenview High, Neighbours, Richmond Hill, Sons and Daughters, Chopper Squad, and Waterloo Station.

    For producer Roger Mirams, Coughlan wrote and directed the television programs Secret Valley, Silent Number, and The Lost Islands, as well as the telemovies The Scalp Merchant, The Haunting of Hewie Dowker, and The Spiral Bureau.

    He also scripted James Bogle's debut feature film, Kadaicha.

    Hannay emphasises in Coughlan's obituary that 'his body of work is enormous (more than a thousand scripts for Grundy alone) and [...] his contribution to Australian film and television over the past thirty years is considerably more than significant'.

    Source: David Hannay, 'Ian Coughlan: Obituary'. Urban Cinefile (http://www.cinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=5313&s=News_files). (Sighted: 23/8/2012)

Awards for Works

form y separately published work icon Neighbours 1985 Australia : Reg Grundy Enterprises FremantleMedia Australia , 1985-2022 Z1367509 1985 series - publisher film/TV

A daily television drama series set in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, Neighbours chronicles the lives of the residents of Ramsay Street. The series initially revolved around three families: the Ramsays (at number 24 Ramsay Street), the Robinsons (at number 26), and the Clarkes (at number 28). The scope of the series has since broadened to include new Ramsay Street familes.

1990 winner Logie Awards Most Popular Series
1989 winner Logie Awards Most Popular Series
1988 winner Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program
1987 winner Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program
2019 nominated Logie Awards Most Outstanding Drama Series
2019 nominated Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program
form y separately published work icon Sons and Daughters ( dir. Philip East ) 1981 Australia : Reg Grundy Enterprises Seven Network , 1981-1987 Z1510959 1981 series - publisher film/TV

Sons and Daughters explores the dramatic incidents in the lives of the wealthy Hamilton family and the working-class Palmer family. The premise that underpinned the show's early years concerned the character John Palmer, on the run from the Melbourne police, who suspect him of murder. He travels to Sydney and falls in love with the wealthy Angela Hamilton, but they are later revealed to be twins who were separated at birth and raised separately: John raised by the wise former prostitute Fiona Thompson before returning to live with his father and Angela raised by her mother, who subsequently married into money. More wealth later arrives through the introduction of the Morrell clan, who have managed to marry their way into the Hamilton family.

1983 winner Logie Awards Most Popular Drama Program
Last amended 23 Aug 2012 12:48:06
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