P14-16
DRAMA AND FEATURES Drama (Television}
Australian authors wrote each of the 221 plays and series episodes produced by A. B.C. TV this year.
A number of industry awards gained by these and other recent drama productions reflected improved standards. These awards included the Australian Writers' Guild top award, an Awgie, to Alan Hopgood, author of the play "The Cheerful Cuckold" and the Television Society of Australia 's Penguin award to Eric Tayler, Executive Producer of the adventure series " Contrabandits". Ken Hannam received a commendation for its direction. Other "Contrabandits" awards went to Denis Quilley and Janet Kingsbury commended for their acting, and A. B.C. cine cameraman Lloyd Shiels, who received a commendation for drama cinematography. Thirteen 50-minute episodes of "Contra bandits" were completed during the year, making a total of 30 episodes for the series. All have now been screened on A.B .C. - TV channels throughout Australia.
" Contrabandits" was the most ambitious series so far undertaken by the National Television service. Between acceptance of the pilot production in April, 1967, and completion of the final programme, "Contrabandits" used the services of about 500 different actors and actresses. The cast for each episode averaged 20 people, about 12 of whom had speaking roles. Six episodes of a new major 50-minute series, " Delta", have been produced and it is hoped to begin transmission in September. Further "Delta" episodes are being filmed on location in the Eastern States and in the Sydney studios. Writers currently contributing to "Delta" are Colin Free, Pat Flower, Tony Morphett, John Martin, Robert Peach, Glynn Davies and Richard Lane. Music has been specially written for the series by the Australian composer George Dreyfus and will be played by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Five half-hour episodes of " Pastures of the Blue Crane", adapted from the H. F. Brinsmead novel by Eleanor Whitcombe, were shot on location near Murwillumbah, N.S .W., and in the Sydney studios.
Eight single one- hour plays were produced- five at the Melbourne studios and three at Sydney. They included Richard Beynon's " The Shifting Heart", Tony Morphett's " Dynasty", and Robert Wales' " The Cell " .
As mentioned in the introduction of this report, the series "Bellbird" has steadily increased its audience and recent surveys indicate that 750,000 viewers now follow regularly this continuing story of life in a small country town. This year 188 episodes were produced, making a total since " Bellbird" commenced of 324 episodes, approximately the length of 54 feature films. The series has given employment to about 150 Australian actors and actresses in character roles as w ell as some 200 extras. " Bellbird" will be continued in 1969/70.
P 57
Single plays : The Shifting Heart (Melbourne)
The Cell (Sydney)
Tilley Landed on Our Shore (Sydney)
Queens Bishop (Sydney)
The Cheerful Cuckold (Melbourne)
Dynasty (Melbourne)
Cobwebs in Concrete (Melbourne)
Ride on a Big Dipper (Melbourne)
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