AustLit

Guinevere Jones is a Canadian/Australian fantasy television series that revolves around the adventures of the title character. Gwen Jones and her mother flee from Canada to Melbourne, where Gwen's mother is committed to an asylum, Gwen enters foster care, and Merlin turns up to teach Gwen her destiny (to fight evil).

Although the program is billed as a co-production between Australia and Canada, the involvement of Australian script-writers is relatively minimal (though other crew members, including the directors, were also Australian). Only four episodes in season one were written by Australians, and all thirteen episodes of season two were written by Canadian script-writers. However, the Australian writers did invest the essentially European Arthurian legends on which the program is based with something of an Australian flavour: Piers Hobson's episode 'Warwe and Mineer', for example, involves mysterious Indigenous Australian rock paintings.

Guinevere Jones has never been released on DVD.

A Canadian-Australian co-production.

'Amid the excitement and thrill of the horse world growing up seems harder than ever … Stevie, Carole and Lisa are strong, dynamic young women. Each has very distinct and personal dreams for the future. All have one thing in common - a passion for horses. In forming the Saddle Club the girls promise to remain loyal to each other no matter what, but that promise may not prove to be as easy to keep as they think.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 20/8/2013)

'A small group of tourists board an old sailing boat, The Sea Tramp, for a tropical island-hopping cruise through a largely overlooked corner of Micronesia. It should have been the holiday of a lifetime but five days from port they rescue Minh-Tam, a young Vietnamese woman from her sinking fishing trawler. As they attempt to outrun Minh-Tam's attackers, a fire breaks out and the boat sinks. Only a handful of the crew and passengers survive the twin perils of pirates and a fire to reach an uninhabited island that is too dangerous to live on and too dangerous to leave.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 25/2/2014)

According to Screen Australia, 'Julia Brandt, a German graduate, travels to Australia looking for adventure without telling her mother, only to find herself embroiled in drug smuggling and murder in the Outback.'

(Sighted: 13/6/2013)

'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)

'In February 1967, Ronald Ryan was hanged for the murder of Prison Warder George Hodson, shot while Ryan was attempting to escape from Pentridge Prison. The jury found Ryan guilty after a controversial trial, despite Philip Opas QC passionately arguing his client's innocence. The mandatory penalty for murder was death, but since the previous 35 death penalties had been routinely commuted, no one believed Ryan would hang. The Premier, Henry Bolte, saw the case as a contest of wills and brushed aside all appeals and petitions, including one signed by seven of the jurors who sat on the Ryan case. Based on meticulous research, The Last Of The Ryans tells the true story of Ronald Ryan - about his wife Dorothy, and their three young daughters; his friendship with Prison Governor Ian Grindlay, the man who had to hang him; and his conversion by Father Brosnan who so convinced Ryan that redemption was real that Ryan went to the gallows in expectation.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 26/6/2013)

'The Federal Police reel in shock when their chief, Commander Rainer, is suspended from the force after a series of investigations into fauna smuggling are blown and an undercover officer murdered. It is up to the detectives to investigate their boss and everything points to the fact Bass has turned his back on law enforcement and is selling information to an international bird smuggling ring headed by well known criminal Brian Petrie.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

When the head of the Organization of Federal Emergency Services disappears, presumed murdered, rumours arise that he was involved in international espionage; in particular, German authorities arrive in Australia, seeking him for an act of industrial espionage in the 1970s.

'In the night club world of drugs, sex and cocktails, the boundaries of decency become blurred and one never knows who to trust. Working under cover for The Feds, Jo's colleague is murdered before she can pass on information about a massive drug shipment arranged by the club's owner. Jo poses as a law student to infiltrate his organisation but soon discovers more than she anticipated. Meanwhile Dave investigates a suspected leak which may threaten Jo's survival.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

On the cold and inhospitable planet of Zyrgon in a galaxy light years away, X's father wins the state lottery for the 27th time in a row. Knowing he will now be severely punished, twelve-year-old X is determined to save her family from jail, and decides to buy a spaceship. The whole family then set off into space, head halfway across the galaxy, and turn left. They land on an even stranger planet: Earth.

'Dave Griffin has a one-night stand with a beautiful young woman who is later found brutally murdered. Homicide detectives believe Superintendent Griffin is the prime suspect and he is suspended from duty despite protesting his innocence. He faces a race against time to find the real killer, not only to clear his name but to save the lives of others on the killer's hit list.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'The Australian wife of a notorious Colombian drug dealer wants to return home and testify against her husband. It is up to Dave Griffin and Jo Moody to get Brandy Blanco out of Mexico, back to Australia and into the witness box. The drug dealer will go to any lengths to keep his wife out of court.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

A series of ten telemovies.

Crawford Productions describes the series as follows:

The Feds is an exciting series of telemovies based on the work of Australia’s elite international law enforcement body, The Federal Police. These stories focus on The Feds’ busy southern region, and on Superintendent Dave Griffin.

Source: Crawford Productions (http://www.crawfords.com.au/libary/movie/thefeds.shtml). (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'When two young Australian children disappear during an access visit with their Indonesian father he becomes the prime suspect in the Federal Police investigation. Detective Sergeant Jo Moody isn't quite so sure and has trouble convincing her colleagues they could be looking in the wrong direction.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'When a Family Court Judge's wife becomes the victim of a crazed bomber, The Feds swing into action. But the culprit is much closer than The Feds realise and one of their own is the madman's final target.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'The death and subsequent State funeral of a former Prime Minister puts the Feds in charge of security for all visiting Heads of State. What nobody anticipates, except for a visiting German policeman is the white extremist bomber who comes on a special mission, targeting the visiting South African president.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'Superintendent Dave Griffin is preparing for the major arrest of Steven Jellicoe, the pre-eminent brain surgeon and national treasure, for drug importation and Medicare fraud. Jellicoe is being shadowed in Hong Kong by Detective May Po. During the surveillance, May's brother is killed by Kai, a triad hitman.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 17/6/2013)

'There are strange goings on at Brindabella Homestead. Every time someone visits the house, they seem to come to a sticky end. Who is committing these horrible murders?

'Could it be glamorous socialite Mrs Peacock, owner of Brindabella? Perhaps it is her step-daughter, the lovely Miss Scarlet? Scarlet's boyfriend, Professor Plum, has charm but is he to be trusted? The family cook, Mrs White, seems a kindly old soul. But looks can deceive! Colonel Mustard's fine war record would suggest an upright gentleman. But is he? And the good Reverend Green? Surely a man of the cloth couldn't be a killer ... or could he?

'The answer is that any of them could be the killer and the task of finding out who is the criminal rests with you, the audience. In your investigations you will be assisted by the local sleuth, Detective Sergeant Bogong. Help will also come from a studio audience who are able to quiz the characters about their movements and their alibis.'

Source: Crawford Productions publicity material (held in the Crawford Collection at the AFI Research Collection).

A sequel to the 1983 mini-series All the Rivers Run, this series takes place in 1903. Brenton Edwards continues to pilot the riverboat Philadelphia around Echuca, one of the biggest inland ports in Australia at that time. After Edwards makes the acquaintance of Cyrus James, an expatriate American, the pair become partners in the riverboat business. Things don't go well for them, however. First the shipping and tourism industries in Echuca go into a downturn, and then Edwards is sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. James rallies to keep their business afloat and Edwards's family together, as they all search for a way to prove Edwards is innocent.