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{{Short description|Australian espionage adventure television series}}
{{About|1967–1969 Australian espionage series|the 1984–1985 children's television series|Hunter (1984 Australian TV series)|other television series|Hunter (disambiguation)}} {{About|1967–1969 Australian espionage series|the 1984–1985 children's television series|Hunter (1984 Australian TV series)|other television series|Hunter (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
| name = Hunter | genre = ]
| image = | creator = {{ubl|]|Terry Stapleton}}
⚫ | starring = {{ubl|]|]|]|]|Ronald Morse|Anne Morgan}}
| caption =
| alt_name = | country = Australia
| genre = ]
| creator = ]<br>Terry Stapleton
| developer =
| writer =
| director =
| creative_director =
| presenter =
⚫ | starring = ]<br>]<br>Nigel Lovell<br>Fernande Glyn<br>Ronald Morse<br>Anne Morgan
| judges =
| voices =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer =
| country = ]
| language = English | language = English
| num_seasons = <!-- or num_series --> | num_seasons = <!-- or num_series -->
| num_episodes = 65 | num_episodes = 65
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer =
| producer =
| editor =
| location =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 60 minutes | runtime = 60 minutes
| company = ] | company = ]
| distributor =
| channel = ] | channel = ]
| picture_format =
| audio_format =
| first_run =
| first_aired = {{start date|1967|7|4|df=y}} | first_aired = {{start date|1967|7|4|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{end date|5 March 1969}} | last_aired = {{end date|1969|3|5|df=y}}
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| related =
| website =
| production_website =
}} }}


'''''Hunter''''' was an ]n ] adventure ] screened by the ] from Tuesday 4 July 1967 to 1969. The series was created by ] and produced by ].<ref name="guide">Moran, Albert. ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', Allen & Unwin, 1993. {{ISBN|0-642-18462-3}} } p 234-5</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/top-ten-australian-james-bond-homages/|title=Top Ten Australian James Bond Homages|date=December 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8NoQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2020%2C1579858|date=12 January 1967|title=Counter spying Aussie Style|page=10}}</ref> '''''Hunter''''' was an Australian ] adventure ] screened by the ] from Tuesday 4 July 1967 to March 1969. The series was created by ] and produced by ].<ref name="guide">{{Cite book |last=Moran |first=Albert |title=Moran's guide to Australian TV series: your complete guide to every drama series, children's show and sitcom |publisher=] |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-642-18462-7 |location=North Ryde, NSW |pages=234–5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vagg |first=Stephen |date=2019-12-31 |title=Top Ten Australian James Bond Homages |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/top-ten-australian-james-bond-homages/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103094509/https://www.filmink.com.au/top-ten-australian-james-bond-homages/ |archive-date=2020-01-03 |access-date=2020-01-03 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Harrison |first=Agnes |date=1967-01-12 |title=Counter spying Aussie Style |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8NoQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b5MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2020%2C1579858 |access-date=2020-05-08 |work=] |page=10}}</ref>

==Cast==

===Main / regular===
{{cast listing|
* ] as John Hunter
* ] as Kragg
* ] as Charles Blake
* ] as Eve Halliday
* Anne Morgan as Julie Coleman
* Gordon Timmins as Doug Marshall
* Ronald Morse as Mr Smith
* Jack Hume as Vargon
* ] as Gil Martin / Ted Cook
* Patricia Smith as Georgie Savage
* Kevin Sanders as title sequence narrator
}}

===Recurring / guests===
{{cast listing|
* ] as Patricia French (2 episodes)
* ] as Dr. Wallace (6 episodes)
* ] as Hickman / Fishta (2 episodes)
* ] as Rosie Glow (3 episodes)
* ] as Marion Tolhurst (1 episode)
* ] as Chris Charter / Alison Bean (3 episodes)
* ] as Collis/ Cardwell (3 episodes)
* ] as Brian Clarke (1 episode)
* ] as Karen Savage / Sharon Reid / Diana Mannering (3 episodes)
* ] as Day (2 episodes)
* ] as Jean Gallagher (1 episode)
* ] as Humphrey Wilding (1 episode)
* ] as Sue (1 episode)
* ] as Hans Felburg (1 episode)
* ] as Wilson (1 episode)
* ] as Sue Gallagher (1 episode)
* ] as Mrs West (1 episode)
}}


==Series synopsis == ==Series synopsis ==
The title character, John Hunter, was an agent working for SCU3, a sub-division of the ]-like COSMIC ('''C'''ommonwealth '''O'''ffice of '''S'''ecurity & '''M'''ilitary '''I'''ntelligence '''C'''o-ordination). While it is mentioned in episodes that "Hunter" is a status level for agents (similar to the "Double-O" status of ]), with the title character being "Hunter 5"; he gives "Hunter" as his surname both in current scenes and flashback sequences. He was played by ]. The title character, John Hunter, was an agent working for SCU3, a sub-division of the ]-like COSMIC ('''C'''ommonwealth '''O'''ffice of '''S'''ecurity & '''M'''ilitary '''I'''ntelligence '''C'''o-ordination). While it is mentioned in episodes that "Hunter" is a status level for agents (similar to the "Double-O" status of ]), with the title character being "Hunter 5", he gives "Hunter" as his surname both in current scenes and flashback sequences. He was played by ].
However, he was quickly overshadowed by the show's main ], Kragg, an agent employed by the Australian operation of the CUCW ('''C'''ouncil for the '''U'''nification of the '''C'''ommunist '''W'''orld). Played by ], Kragg became the show's ], with Kennedy winning a TV Week ] for Best New Talent for his portrayal of the character.<ref name="CAT">Storey, Don. ''TV Eye - Classic Australian Television'', </ref>


SCU3 was the Melbourne-based arm of COSMIC, headed by Charles Blake (]). Blake's secretary was Eve Halliday (played by Fernande Glyn), who also acted as a field agent. Halliday was replaced for the second season by the recurring character of Julie Coleman (played by Anne Morgan), with real-life police detective Gordon Timmins appearing as agent Doug Marshall (Timmins played a character of the same name in '']'', on which he also acted as police advisor, although the two roles were not the same character).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Hunter.htm |title = Hunter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/homicide1.htm |title = Homicide2}}</ref> However, he was quickly overshadowed by the show's main ], Kragg, an agent employed by the Australian operation of the CUCW ('''C'''ouncil for the '''U'''nification of the '''C'''ommunist '''W'''orld). Played by ], Kragg became the show's ], with Kennedy winning a TV Week ] for Best New Talent for his portrayal of the character.<ref name="CAT">{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Don |year=2005 |title=Hunter |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Hunter.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821172131/http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Hunter.htm |archive-date=2006-08-21 |access-date=2006-08-12 |website=Classic Australian Television}}</ref>

SCU3 was the Melbourne-based arm of COSMIC, headed by Charles Blake (]), with offices in the former ] Centre building or ]. Blake's secretary was Eve Halliday (played by Fernande Glyn), who also acted as a field agent. Halliday was replaced for the second season by the recurring character of Julie Coleman (played by Anne Morgan), with real-life police detective Gordon Timmins appearing as agent Doug Marshall (Timmins played a character of the same name in '']'', on which he also acted as police advisor, although the two roles were not the same character).<ref name="CAT" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Don |year=2013 |title=Homicide - Part 2 |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/homicide1.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110073056/http://classicaustraliantv.com/homicide1.htm |archive-date=2017-01-10 |access-date=2017-06-07 |website=Classic Australian Television}}</ref>

⚫ The CUCW or simply the Council was overseen by Mr. Smith (Ronald Morse), with sinister overseas superiors appearing from time to time, notably the bearded Vargon (Jack Hume).


⚫ The CUCW was overseen by Mr. Smith (Ronald Morse), with overseas superiors appearing from time to time.
==Production== ==Production==
Scripts were written by Ian Jones and Terry Stapleton.<ref name="guide"/> The series became extremely popular rating in the top-ten most popular programs in Australia for 1967, and had a run of 65 one-hour episodes; it also achieved a limited number of international sales.<ref name="CAT"/> It was shot in black and white, with interior scenes shot on ] in the ] Richmond studio and outdoor scenes shot on location on ].<ref name="guide"/> Compared to Australian drama series of the day, the series featured an above-average quota of location-shot action footage. It featured a sophisticated jazz score by ] player Frank Smith. The Melbourne-based show filmed some episodes in ] and in the ] in ], on the ], in ], and overseas in ].<ref name="CAT"/> Screenplays were written by Ian Jones, Terry Stapleton and ], who reputedly had a background in British military intelligence before emigrating.<ref name="guide"/> The line producer for the majority of the show's run was ], who also appeared occasionally as an actor. Most episodes were directed by Ted Gregory, a longtime Crawford studio director, with Jones supervising a lean and mobile film unit.
The series became extremely popular rating in the top-ten most popular programs in Australia for 1967, and had a run of 65 one-hour episodes. It also achieved a limited number of international sales.<ref name="CAT" /> It was produced in black and white, with interior scenes recorded on ] in the ] Richmond studio and outdoor scenes shot on location on ].<ref name="guide"/>
Compared to Australian drama series of the day, the series featured an above-average quota of location-shot action footage, explosions and stunts. It was accompanied by a sophisticated, original jazz theme, fanfare and underscore by ] player and composer ]. The Melbourne-based show filmed some episodes in ] and in the ] in ], on the ], in ], and overseas in ].<ref name="CAT" />

⚫ Initially stories were serialised over three and four-episode story arcs. Soon the decision was made to switch to stand-alone episodes. After episode 15 episodes largely featured a self-contained story, apart from two subsequent two-part stories. Notably, a first season arc, "The ] File," was set at the high-security ] and featured actual footage of the ] launch, with the actors even allowed access to the tallest ] for the climactic fight.<ref name="CAT" />

Kevin Sanders, a GTV-9 news journalist and announcer, supplied the opening narration setting up the lead character and premise over the main title sequence. While the series was in early development, ] made a ] through Melbourne in October 1966, which was opportunistically filmed as a backdrop to establish Hunter as a special agent in the large welcome crowd at ] for inserting in the first season intro.


⚫ Initially stories were serialised over three and four-episode story arcs. Soon the decision was made to switch to stand-alone episodes. After episode 15 episodes largely featured a self-contained story, apart from two subsequent two-part stories.<ref name="CAT"/>
==Series evolution== ==Series evolution==
As the series progressed the immense popularity of the villain Kragg presented several problems. Apart from apparently being more popular amongst viewers than the show's title character, in the stories the villain invariably had to defeat the ostensible hero in order to still be around for the next episode.<ref name="CAT"/> In a concession to the character's popularity, Kragg ultimately defected to the side of good. Series star Tony Ward had been somewhat dissatisfied with the direction his character was taking and the increased emphasis on Kragg, and late in the show's run suggested that the high output of episodes by this stage had outstripped the ability of the writers.<ref name="CAT"/> As the series progressed the immense popularity of the villain Kragg presented several problems. Apart from apparently being more popular amongst viewers than the show's title character, in the stories the villain invariably had to defeat the ostensible hero in order to still be around for the next episode.<ref name="CAT" /> In a concession to the character's popularity, Kragg ultimately defected to the side of good after being wounded when his girlfriend (played by Patricia Smith, later cast in ''Division 4'') was savagely killed. Series star Tony Ward had been somewhat dissatisfied with the direction his character was taking with the increased emphasis on Kragg, and commented that the high output of episodes by this stage had outstripped the ability of the writers.<ref name="CAT" />

⚫ Late in the show's run and after some disagreements with the show's producers, Ward left the series to pursue movie options—"John Hunter" was executed by a firing squad in an East European country after a mission went wrong (filmed in ]). A new lead spy (Gil Martin) was introduced, portrayed by British import ], who had been trialed in a few ''Homicide'' roles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Don |year=2013 |title=Hunter—Part 2 |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/hunter2.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109232614/http://classicaustraliantv.com/hunter2.htm |archive-date=2017-01-09 |access-date=2017-06-07 |website=Classic Australian Television}}</ref> Mullinar completed eight episodes of the series before it was cancelled. Keen to retain the services of Kennedy, Crawfords decided that new police series '']'' would be a better vehicle for his talents. They convinced the Nine Network to cancel ''Hunter'' and proceed with ''Division 4'', which indeed emerged as a popular success.<ref name="CAT" /> Mullinar subsequently took the titular role of a private eye in another Crawford drama series, '']'' (1973).

The complete series was rerun in Melbourne on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. in late 1969 to early 1970;<ref>See for instance Melbourne ''Age'' "TV-Radio Guide" 1 January 1970 p. 7</ref> late at nights on Wednesdays in late 1970 to early 1971;<ref>See for instance Melbourne ''Age'' "TV-Radio Guide" 28 January 1971 p. 10</ref> and late at night on Sunday in late 1971 to early 1972.<ref>See for instance Melbourne ''Age'' "TV-Radio Guide" 13 January 1972 p. 7</ref> In Sydney it was shown on Mondays at 3 p.m. starting in March 1971<ref>See for instance ''Sydney Morning Herald'' "Guide to TV Programs" 1 March 1971 p. 2</ref> and in December 1972 to January 1973 it was shown once again daily at 3 p.m.<ref>See for instance ''Sydney Morning Herald'' "Guide to TV Programs" 1 January 1973 p. 2</ref>


The first season of the series was released on DVD in 2018, missing one episode. The second season has yet to be released by Crawfords.
⚫ Late in the show's run and after some disagreements with the show's producers, Ward left the series to pursue movie options - "John Hunter" was executed by a firing squad in a European country after a mission went wrong. A new lead spy (Gil Martin) was introduced, portrayed by ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/hunter2.htm |title = Hunter2}}</ref> Mullinar completed eight episodes of the series before it was cancelled. Keen to retain the services of Kennedy, Crawford's decided that new police series '']'' was a better vehicle for his talents. They convinced the Nine Network to cancel ''Hunter'' and proceed with ''Division 4'', which indeed emerged as a popular success.<ref name="CAT"/> Mullinar subsequently took the lead role in another Crawford's drama series, '']'' (1973).


==Home Media== ==Home media==
{|class="wikitable" {|class="wikitable"
|- |-
Line 82: Line 99:
| Hunter (Collector's Edition) | Hunter (Collector's Edition)
| DVD | DVD
| style="text-align:center;" | Episode 01-04 | style="text-align:center;" | Episodes 01–04


Episodes 06–14
Episode 06-14
| 04 | 04
| December 2018 | December 2018
Line 104: Line 121:
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 13:25, 13 November 2024

Australian espionage adventure television series This article is about 1967–1969 Australian espionage series. For the 1984–1985 children's television series, see Hunter (1984 Australian TV series). For other television series, see Hunter (disambiguation).

Hunter
GenreAdventure
Created by
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes65
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companyCrawford Productions
Original release
NetworkNine Network
Release4 July 1967 (1967-07-04) –
5 March 1969 (1969-03-05)

Hunter was an Australian espionage adventure television series screened by the Nine Network from Tuesday 4 July 1967 to March 1969. The series was created by Ian Jones and produced by Crawford Productions.

Cast

Main / regular

  • Tony Ward as John Hunter
  • Gerard Kennedy as Kragg
  • Nigel Lovell as Charles Blake
  • Fernande Glyn as Eve Halliday
  • Anne Morgan as Julie Coleman
  • Gordon Timmins as Doug Marshall
  • Ronald Morse as Mr Smith
  • Jack Hume as Vargon
  • Rod Mullinar as Gil Martin / Ted Cook
  • Patricia Smith as Georgie Savage
  • Kevin Sanders as title sequence narrator

Recurring / guests

Series synopsis

The title character, John Hunter, was an agent working for SCU3, a sub-division of the ASIO-like COSMIC (Commonwealth Office of Security & Military Intelligence Co-ordination). While it is mentioned in episodes that "Hunter" is a status level for agents (similar to the "Double-O" status of James Bond), with the title character being "Hunter 5", he gives "Hunter" as his surname both in current scenes and flashback sequences. He was played by Tony Ward.

However, he was quickly overshadowed by the show's main antagonist, Kragg, an agent employed by the Australian operation of the CUCW (Council for the Unification of the Communist World). Played by Gerard Kennedy, Kragg became the show's breakout character, with Kennedy winning a TV Week Logie Award for Best New Talent for his portrayal of the character.

SCU3 was the Melbourne-based arm of COSMIC, headed by Charles Blake (Nigel Lovell), with offices in the former National Mutual Centre building or St Kilda Road. Blake's secretary was Eve Halliday (played by Fernande Glyn), who also acted as a field agent. Halliday was replaced for the second season by the recurring character of Julie Coleman (played by Anne Morgan), with real-life police detective Gordon Timmins appearing as agent Doug Marshall (Timmins played a character of the same name in Homicide, on which he also acted as police advisor, although the two roles were not the same character).

The CUCW or simply the Council was overseen by Mr. Smith (Ronald Morse), with sinister overseas superiors appearing from time to time, notably the bearded Vargon (Jack Hume).

Production

Screenplays were written by Ian Jones, Terry Stapleton and Howard Griffiths, who reputedly had a background in British military intelligence before emigrating. The line producer for the majority of the show's run was Allan Trevor, who also appeared occasionally as an actor. Most episodes were directed by Ted Gregory, a longtime Crawford studio director, with Jones supervising a lean and mobile film unit.

The series became extremely popular rating in the top-ten most popular programs in Australia for 1967, and had a run of 65 one-hour episodes. It also achieved a limited number of international sales. It was produced in black and white, with interior scenes recorded on videotape in the GTV-9 Richmond studio and outdoor scenes shot on location on 16 mm film.

Compared to Australian drama series of the day, the series featured an above-average quota of location-shot action footage, explosions and stunts. It was accompanied by a sophisticated, original jazz theme, fanfare and underscore by reed player and composer Frank Smith. The Melbourne-based show filmed some episodes in Sydney and in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in South Australia, and overseas in Singapore.

Initially stories were serialised over three and four-episode story arcs. Soon the decision was made to switch to stand-alone episodes. After episode 15 episodes largely featured a self-contained story, apart from two subsequent two-part stories. Notably, a first season arc, "The Prometheus File," was set at the high-security Woomera Rocket Range and featured actual footage of the Blue Streak launch, with the actors even allowed access to the tallest gantry for the climactic fight.

Kevin Sanders, a GTV-9 news journalist and announcer, supplied the opening narration setting up the lead character and premise over the main title sequence. While the series was in early development, President Johnson made a tickertape motorcade through Melbourne in October 1966, which was opportunistically filmed as a backdrop to establish Hunter as a special agent in the large welcome crowd at Melbourne Town Hall for inserting in the first season intro.

Series evolution

As the series progressed the immense popularity of the villain Kragg presented several problems. Apart from apparently being more popular amongst viewers than the show's title character, in the stories the villain invariably had to defeat the ostensible hero in order to still be around for the next episode. In a concession to the character's popularity, Kragg ultimately defected to the side of good after being wounded when his girlfriend (played by Patricia Smith, later cast in Division 4) was savagely killed. Series star Tony Ward had been somewhat dissatisfied with the direction his character was taking with the increased emphasis on Kragg, and commented that the high output of episodes by this stage had outstripped the ability of the writers.

Late in the show's run and after some disagreements with the show's producers, Ward left the series to pursue movie options—"John Hunter" was executed by a firing squad in an East European country after a mission went wrong (filmed in Old Melbourne Gaol). A new lead spy (Gil Martin) was introduced, portrayed by British import Rod Mullinar, who had been trialed in a few Homicide roles. Mullinar completed eight episodes of the series before it was cancelled. Keen to retain the services of Kennedy, Crawfords decided that new police series Division 4 would be a better vehicle for his talents. They convinced the Nine Network to cancel Hunter and proceed with Division 4, which indeed emerged as a popular success. Mullinar subsequently took the titular role of a private eye in another Crawford drama series, Ryan (1973).

The complete series was rerun in Melbourne on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. in late 1969 to early 1970; late at nights on Wednesdays in late 1970 to early 1971; and late at night on Sunday in late 1971 to early 1972. In Sydney it was shown on Mondays at 3 p.m. starting in March 1971 and in December 1972 to January 1973 it was shown once again daily at 3 p.m.

The first season of the series was released on DVD in 2018, missing one episode. The second season has yet to be released by Crawfords.

Home media

Title Format Ep # Discs Region 4 (Australia) Special Features Distributors
Hunter (Collector's Edition) DVD Episodes 01–04

Episodes 06–14

04 December 2018 None Crawford Productions

References

  1. ^ Moran, Albert (1993). Moran's guide to Australian TV series: your complete guide to every drama series, children's show and sitcom. North Ryde, NSW: Australian Film, Television and Radio School. pp. 234–5. ISBN 978-0-642-18462-7.
  2. Vagg, Stephen (31 December 2019). "Top Ten Australian James Bond Homages". FilmInk. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  3. Harrison, Agnes (12 January 1967). "Counter spying Aussie Style". The Age. p. 10. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. ^ Storey, Don (2005). "Hunter". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. Storey, Don (2013). "Homicide - Part 2". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. Storey, Don (2013). "Hunter—Part 2". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. See for instance Melbourne Age "TV-Radio Guide" 1 January 1970 p. 7
  8. See for instance Melbourne Age "TV-Radio Guide" 28 January 1971 p. 10
  9. See for instance Melbourne Age "TV-Radio Guide" 13 January 1972 p. 7
  10. See for instance Sydney Morning Herald "Guide to TV Programs" 1 March 1971 p. 2
  11. See for instance Sydney Morning Herald "Guide to TV Programs" 1 January 1973 p. 2

External links

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