23 eps x 50 mins
The title is the name of the fictional independent research organisation featured in the series, a freelance scientific consultancy which is called in to provide scientific investigators and troubleshooters in a wide range of situations, including pollution, forgery, mining, conservation, and the recovery of a lost satellite.
The series focusses on the exploits of one of Delta's mobile laboratories, and initially featured three lead regular characters, investigative scientist Jeff Mallow (John Gregg), his assistant Inger Petri (Kirrily Nolan) and science specialist Brian Fitch (Kevin Miles). A fourth regular character, scientist Jackie Stuart (Patsy Trench) was added for the second season.
The series was one of the first major in-house productions from the ABC's recently established Drama Unit. It was devised by Colin Free
and overseen by ABC Head of Drama David Goddard, who also acted as
producer for the series. Howard Larder was a script editor.
It broke new ground in Australian TV drama as the first local series to cover topical issues like pollution and conservation from a scientific and investigative viewpoint.
The relatively high budget and the wide-ranging premise of the series allowed for extensive use of locations, and the entire series was shot entirely on film - also unusual for the period, since most Australian series at the time were either videotaped in the studio or had an integrated production that combined videotaped interiors and filmed exteriors.
Free told Moran "it was in advance of its time... it was a bit ambitious. we had to make drama out of science and that is ambitious... It didn't fail but it taxed everyboody considerably especially writers."
April 1969 production begins see here.
In 1972 the show sold to Thames Television, Malayan television, New Zealand. See here. It was repeated in 1972 see here.
Review first ep here and here.
Episodes - guide here
1 The Devil Take The Bluetongue Fly- w Colin Free d Brian Faull
2 Stresspoint- d Wolfgang Storch
3 Wish Upon A Fallen Star |
4 A Pocketful Of Bones |
5 Welcome To Sunhaven- d Wolfgang Storch
6 The Trouble With
Daisy - featured Maria Goddard
7 There’s A Lot Of It About |
8 bThe Initiates- w Tony Morphett
Delicate Balance d Tom Jeffrey
A Beautiful Burn (review here) w Colin Free d Oscar Whitbread - review here
D Is For Destructionw John Kiddell d Tom Jeffrey
R.I.P. First Patsy Trench - star Chips Rafferty d David Goddard
The Short Sell with Ron Randell - w Martin Stormill d Wolfgang Storch
Look Thy Last w John Martin d Tom Jeffrey
The Fatted Calf - guest Michael Pate d David Goddard
Hannah |
Death Walk w Robert Peach d Wolfang Storch - this was the one shot on Lake eyre
A Bite Of History d Frank Arnold
A Touch Of DFP |w Tony Morphett - joint winner of Awgie for this ep
The Honeywind Blows d Frank Arnold
Blackout w John Martin d Tom Jeffrey
Too Many Masters d Frank Arnold
Overkill w Colin Free
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| Delta NAA |
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