AustLit logo
person or book cover
Screen cap
form y separately published work icon Round the Twist series - publisher   film/TV   children's   fantasy  
Adaptation of Round the Twist Paul Jennings , 1990 selected work children's fiction
Issue Details: First known date: 1990... 1990 Round the Twist
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Tony Twist and his three children (thirteen-year-old twins Pete and Linda and nine-year-old Bronson) move to an old lighthouse on the rugged Australian coast. They soon discover that the lighthouse and the outhouse are haunted.

Adaptations

Round the Twist : The Musical Paul Hodge , Paul Hodge (composer), 2024 single work musical theatre

'The home-grown TV show that raised a generation* is back with all the magic you remember (and that song you can’t forget!) in a brand-new Australian musical by Paul Hodge based on the seminal stories of much-loved children’s book author Paul Jennings.

'In an old lighthouse, single dad Tony Twist and his kids Pete, Linda and Bronson are about to embark on a magical adventure to unravel a 200 year old mystery and protect their home from the greedy Gribble family who want to turn their piece of paradise into an Aqua-World-Casino-Burger-Joint-Amusement-Park.

'With the help of a haunted outhouse, a crystal ball, some friendly ghosts and smelly feet (up the pong!), this family might just have what it takes to save the day!

'Whether you’re new to the Twists or a diehard fan (withoutmypants), this big-hearted musical filled with soaring song and jaw-dropping design is for everyone.'

Source: Production blurb.

Notes

  • Further Reference:

  • Produced in 1989 and delivered to Channel 7 in November of that year, Round the Twist did not air in Australia until August 1990, four months after the world premiere on the BBC (April 1990).

    Source: ACTF (https://blog-actf.com.au/imdb-and-wikipedia-are-wrong-round-the-twist-did-not-premiere-30-years-ago-this-april/). (Sighted: 21/03/2019)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1990

Works about this Work

Beyond Bluey : Why Adults Love Re-watching Australian Kids’ TV from Their Childhoods Djoymi Baker , Jessica Balanzategui , Joanna McIntyre , Liam Burke , 2021 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 16 November 2021;

'Due to the COVID-19 extended lockdowns this year, as well as greater accessibility on streaming services, many adults have been returning to their childhoods via nostalgic kids’ TV viewing.' (Introduction)

Round the Twist’s Fans Grew up – and Their Love for the Show Grew with Them Jessica Balanzategui , Djoymi Baker , Joanna McIntyre , Liam Burke , 2021 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 10 September 2021;

'Australian kids’ TV show Round the Twist gained an international following when it was first broadcast in 1989-1990. Broadcast over four seasons up until 2001, young audiences were thrilled by the supernatural adventures of the lighthouse-dwelling Twist family.' (Publication summary)

The Slow Death of Australian Children’s TV Drama Anna Potter , Huw Walmsley-Evans , 2017 single work essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 27 April 2017;

'Australian children’s TV may have recently picked up an Emmy Kids award for the ABCME animation Doodles, but otherwise kids’ TV in this country is in a dire state.

'Free-to-air TV networks have to commission certain amounts of children’s programs each year. But in recent years there’s been a dismaying lack of new live action shows, or recognisably Australian content. Instead, local children’s TV has become dominated by animation with little sense of place.'

Hazel in Tune with Needs of a Nation Sarah Blake , 2013 single work column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 25-26 May 2013; (p. 60-61)
'As tributes flow for former first lady Hazel Hawke and her brave public battle with Alzheimer's disease, those close to her tell Sarah Blake how she changed Australia for the better.'
Networks Fight Children's TV Local Quota Michael Lallo , 2012 single work column
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 4 March 2012; (p. 21)
Networks Fight Children's TV Local Quota Michael Lallo , 2012 single work column
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 4 March 2012; (p. 21)
Hazel in Tune with Needs of a Nation Sarah Blake , 2013 single work column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 25-26 May 2013; (p. 60-61)
'As tributes flow for former first lady Hazel Hawke and her brave public battle with Alzheimer's disease, those close to her tell Sarah Blake how she changed Australia for the better.'
The Slow Death of Australian Children’s TV Drama Anna Potter , Huw Walmsley-Evans , 2017 single work essay
— Appears in: The Conversation , 27 April 2017;

'Australian children’s TV may have recently picked up an Emmy Kids award for the ABCME animation Doodles, but otherwise kids’ TV in this country is in a dire state.

'Free-to-air TV networks have to commission certain amounts of children’s programs each year. But in recent years there’s been a dismaying lack of new live action shows, or recognisably Australian content. Instead, local children’s TV has become dominated by animation with little sense of place.'

Round the Twist’s Fans Grew up – and Their Love for the Show Grew with Them Jessica Balanzategui , Djoymi Baker , Joanna McIntyre , Liam Burke , 2021 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 10 September 2021;

'Australian kids’ TV show Round the Twist gained an international following when it was first broadcast in 1989-1990. Broadcast over four seasons up until 2001, young audiences were thrilled by the supernatural adventures of the lighthouse-dwelling Twist family.' (Publication summary)

Beyond Bluey : Why Adults Love Re-watching Australian Kids’ TV from Their Childhoods Djoymi Baker , Jessica Balanzategui , Joanna McIntyre , Liam Burke , 2021 single work column
— Appears in: The Conversation , 16 November 2021;

'Due to the COVID-19 extended lockdowns this year, as well as greater accessibility on streaming services, many adults have been returning to their childhoods via nostalgic kids’ TV viewing.' (Introduction)

X