Australian Playhouse Explained

Genre:Anthology
Creator:David Goddard
Country:Australia
Language:English
Num Seasons:2
Num Episodes:40
Producer:David Goddard
Runtime:30 mins
Channel:ABC

Australian Playhouse was an Australian anthology TV series featuring the work of Australian writers.[1] It ran for two series consisting of 40 episodes. Among the featured productions were works by Pat Flower who was the main writer having written 10 episodes, other writers included Tony Morphett, John Warwick, Barbara Vernon, Richard Lane, James Davern and David Sale[2]

Background

Development

In August 1965 Talbot Duckmanton of the ABC announced that the ABC would increase its production of local drama, including a show called Australian Playhouse. This would not necessary consist of Australian plays and be "of an experimental nature".[3]

The series was the idea of producer David Goddard, father of actress Liza.[4] Goddard worked on the show for nine months before it aired. He says he knew of a TV station which claimed it was going to so a TV series and asked for scripts, then claimed the scripts were not of standard; Goddard says the station never put on staff, and actually had no intention of making the show. "It was making a political gesture by saying it was trying to do something. It is absolutely scandalous that this sort of thing should have been going on here. And this is where the idea has been built up that there are no writers in Australia. As we shall prove, this is absolute rubbish."[5]

Goddard said "There's a wealth of untouched and untapped gold in the Australian short story writer. The Australian is gifted with the ability to tell a story."[5]

He said the show "will all be written by Australians and produced in Australia. And because they are written by Australians and aimed at television audiences primarily in Australia, they will reflect, comment on, or observe in a fictional way life in this country, as those writers see fit, know it, or have experienced it. In a word, it will be Australian drama."[6]

Season One

In January 1966 Goddard announced that the ABC would make 39 episodes of 30 minutes each called Australian Playhouse. They would do 14 weeks "in all moods", then 12 "equally Australian dramas on a central theme", then 13 more. This would be in addition to the ABC's monthly dramas, and a comedy series.[7] (The comedy series would be Nice and Jucy and Marcellus Jones.[8]

Series one ran from April 1966[9] to early November 1966.

In April 1966, Neil Hutchinson said, "Most of us have heard or read claims that Australia lacks good writers but I think you will agree this series disproves the claims."[10]

According to Frank Roberts of The Bulletin, writing in May, the series "has to be viewed as a promising nursery".[11]

It is estimated eight to nine productions were written and filmed but not broadcast due to concerns about quality.

In June 1966 The Sydney Morning Herald wrote the series demonstrated that there was a lack of creative talent in the country, particularly of writing.[12]

At the end of 1966 the Age TV critic felt the majority of plays did not deserve to appear on air.[13] Val Marshall of The Sydney Morning Herald, reviewing the season for the year, said "what came up didn't always justify the timeslot. Roughly 10 percent were excellent (with the biggest score of winners going to Pat Flower). Another 40 percent was fair average quality. The other half can be written off as good tries. Was the Playhouse series justified? In my view yes."[14]

It won a 1967 Logie Award for Contribution to the Industry.[15] [16]

Goddard said, "We have plenty of scripts and the future of Playhouse appears good. If there were to be any changes for next year it would only be a change in the time spot - perhaps later in the evening. We have some brilliant plays but they are only suitable for adult viewing."[17]

In December 1966 the ABC reported it spent a million dollars on Australian drama since 1956. It said it produced 358 plays, 187 of which were written by Australians. Australian Playhouse cost a reported $55,000 for 37 plays.[18]

The season was later described as 50% drama, 25% comedy, 25% fantasy.

Season 2

The budget tripled for the second series.[19] However it ran for a shorter time.

The series started on 12 June 1967 in Melbourne and then broadcast in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and then New South Wales on 24 July. By June all the episodes had been filmed and work had started on the 1968 season. Pat Alexander, executive producer, said over 1,000 scripts had been submitted. "The result has been much better material," said Alexander.[20]

Only two scripts were by writers from the previous season. Fifty percent of the plays were comedies, forty percent drama, and ten percent fantasy of experimental.[21] (Another breakdown had it as 40% drama, 33% comedy, 27% comedy fantasy.[20])

The Sydney Morning Herald called it "an inconsistent thing but our own".[22]

A Sunday issue of the same paper called the second series "the biggest flop" of the year.[23]

Episodes

Season 2

Episodes made but not broadcast

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: ABC-TV plays. . . ACT . 29 September 1965 . 15 March 2015 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: Harry. Robinson. A New Drama Series. Sydney Morning Herald. 2 April 1966. 13.
  3. News: 19 August 1965. The Age. 25. ABC to Step Up Local Drama.
  4. News: The Age. Playhouse series could shift drama from doldrums. Agnes. Harrison. 10 March 1966. 14.
  5. TV Times. Yes there are writers in Australia. 18 May 1966. 8.
  6. TV Times. Yes there are writers in Australia. 18 May 1966. 9.
  7. News: Sydney Morning Herald. 24 January 1966. 17. Big Show's Talking Point. Harry. Robinson.
  8. News: 24 February 1966. ABC Drops Yearly Serial Idea. 23. The Age.
  9. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19660414&id=eBZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XZMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2421,2136553&hl=en Article on first show The Age
  10. News: 2 April 1966. Harry. Robinson. Sydney Morning Herald. A New Drama Series. 13.
  11. TELEVISION Helping hand. The Bulletin. 49. 7 May 1966. Frank. Roberts.
  12. News: Sydney Morning Herald. 27 June 1966. 11. Big Bad Telly. Harry. Robinson.
  13. News: The Age. 19 November 1966. 22. Monitor. End of a Useful Experiment.
  14. News: Valda. Marshall. Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 1967. 52. Here's How I See the Passing Year.
  15. http://alldownunder.com/australian-logie/1967-tv-logie-awards.htm 1967 Logie Award Winners
  16. Web site: The Age - Google News Archive Search.
  17. TV Week. Playhouse season ends. 4. 2 November 1966.
  18. TV Times. TV Notebook. 15. 7 December 1966.
  19. News: Ann. Gillison. The Age. Drama is Discipline. 12 June 1967.
  20. TV Times. June 1967. 8. Australian Playhouse new series has "fresh faces, better plays".
  21. News: 11 June 1967. Here comes Batman. Sydney Morning Herald. Valda. Marshall. 74.
  22. News: Harry. Robinson. 16 October 1967. Sanders Atonement for Our Sins. 10.
  23. News: Debits and credits of 1967. Sydney Morning Herald. Valda. Marshall. 31 December 1967. 50.
  24. https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/106330 Shameless Hussies
  25. News: The Pigeon Opens TV Playhouse. The Age. 14 April 1966. 15.
  26. Filmink. Forgotten Australian TV Plays: A Stay at Home and Across the Bridge. 9 August 2024. Stephen. Vagg. 2021.
  27. News: The Age. 8 December 1966. From Kelly to Kindergarten. 32.
  28. https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=13216385&isAv=Y Boy with Banner
  29. Stephen. Vagg. Filmink. Forgotten Australian Television Plays: Boy with Banner, Objector and Watch It. 29 August 2023.