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{{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}} | {{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}} | ||
{{Infobox television | {{Infobox television | ||
| |
| genre = {{ubl|]|]}} | ||
| caption = | |||
| alt_name = | |||
| genre = ]<br>] | |||
| creator = ] | | creator = ] | ||
| |
| starring = {{ubl|Peter Aanensen|]|]}} | ||
| director = | |||
| creative_director = | |||
| developer = | |||
| presenter = | |||
| starring = | |||
| voices = | |||
| narrated = | |||
| theme_music_composer = | |||
| opentheme = | |||
| endtheme = | |||
| composer = | |||
| country = Australia | | country = Australia | ||
| language = English | | language = English | ||
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| num_episodes = 1,562 | | num_episodes = 1,562 | ||
| list_episodes = | | list_episodes = | ||
| executive_producer = | |||
| producer = | |||
| editor = | |||
| location = | |||
| cinematography = | |||
| camera = | |||
| runtime = 15 minutes (excluding commercial) | | runtime = 15 minutes (excluding commercial) | ||
| network = ] | | network = ] | ||
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| related = '']'' (film version) | | related = '']'' (film version) | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Bellbird''' is an Australian ] broadcast by the '']'' and written and created by ], it screened for 10 seasons between 1967 and 1977, with the series centering around the residents of the small fictional ] rural township of the series title.<ref |
'''Bellbird''' is an Australian ] broadcast by the '']'' and written and created by ], it screened for 10 seasons between 1967 and 1977, with the series centering around the residents of the small fictional ] rural township of the series title.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bellbird |url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~fangora/bellbird.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714182609/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~fangora/bellbird.html |archive-date=2018-07-14 |access-date=2015-09-01 |website=Aussie Soap Archive}}</ref> | ||
|url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~fangora/bellbird.html | |||
⚫ | Bellbird has the distinction of being the longest-running soap opera/serial ever produced by the ABC. It ended the same year as commercial broadcast series '']'' and '']'', which had run for six and four years respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-03 |title=Prisoner stars before Prisoner |url=https://televisionau.com/2019/03/prisoner-stars-before-prisoner.html |url-status=live |access-date=2020-07-13 |website=Television.AU}}</ref> | ||
|title=Bellbird | |||
|work=Aussie Soap Archive | |||
|access-date=1 September 2015 | |||
|archive-date=14 July 2018 | |||
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714182609/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~fangora/bellbird.html | |||
|url-status=dead | |||
}}</ref> | |||
⚫ | Bellbird has the distinction of being the longest-running soap opera/serial ever produced by the ABC. It ended the same year as commercial broadcast series '']'' and '']'', which had run for six and four years respectively.<ref>{{ |
||
==Production and broadcasting== | ==Production and broadcasting== | ||
⚫ | The series was produced by the ABC at the Ripponlea Studios in Melbourne, with the opening titles filmed at nearby ]. Bellbird screened from 28 August 1967 to 23 December 1977 and although it was not Australia's first television serial (the first was ]'s '']''), it was the first successful soap opera and even spawned a feature film and tie-in novel. | ||
⚫ | The show's ratings were modest but it had a devoted following, especially in rural Australia. During most of its 10-year production run, 15-minute episodes of ''Bellbird'' screened from Monday to Thursday nights, leading in to the 7:00 pm evening news bulletin. In 1976, the series was screened as a single one-hour episode each week, before switching to three half-hour instalments per week during its final season.<ref>{{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=Australian Film Television & Radio School |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-642-18462-7 |location=North Ryde, NSW |page=77}}</ref> | ||
⚫ | The series was produced by the ABC at |
||
⚫ | The show's ratings were modest but it had a devoted following, especially in rural Australia. During most of its 10-year production run, 15-minute episodes of ''Bellbird'' screened from Monday to Thursday nights, leading in to the 7:00 pm evening news bulletin. In 1976, the series was screened as a single one-hour episode each week, before switching to three half-hour |
||
==Storylines== | ==Storylines== | ||
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==Cast == | ==Cast == | ||
''Bellbird'' featured a regular cast of 46 actors over its 10 year run (see links, for actor information). | ''Bellbird'' featured a regular cast of 46 actors over its 10 year run (see links, for actor information). | ||
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! Actor | ! Actor | ||
! Character | ! Character | ||
! Season / episodes | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Peter Aanensen || Jim Bacon |
| Peter Aanensen || Jim Bacon | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Cheryl Turner |
| ] || Cheryl Turner | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Lori Chandler |
| ] || Lori Chandler | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Michael Foley |
| ] || Michael Foley | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Elaine Thomas |
| ] || Elaine Thomas | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Carl Bleazby || Colonel Jim Emerson |
| Carl Bleazby || Colonel Jim Emerson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Dorothy Bradley || Rose Lang |
| Dorothy Bradley || Rose Lang | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Wendy Robinson |
| ] || Wendy Robinson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Moira Charleton || Olive Turner |
| Moira Charleton || Olive Turner | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Rhoda Lang |
| ] || Rhoda Lang | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Kelly Jameson |
| ] || Kelly Jameson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Mary Campbell |
| ] || Mary Campbell | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Keith Eden || Gil Lang |
| Keith Eden || Gil Lang | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || John Quinney |
| ] || John Quinney | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Dossie Rumsey |
| ] || Dossie Rumsey | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Ginny Hill |
| ] || Ginny Hill | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Brian Hannan || Roger Green |
| Brian Hannan || Roger Green | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Gabrielle Hartley || Maggie Emerson |
| Gabrielle Hartley || Maggie Emerson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Matthew Reed |
| ] || Matthew Reed | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Ian Bennett |
| ] || Ian Bennett | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Ruth Grossark |
| ] || Ruth Grossark | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Kate Andrews |
| ] || Kate Andrews | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Stella Lamond || Molly Wilson |
| Stella Lamond || Molly Wilson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Glenda Chand |
| ] || Glenda Chand | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Gerry Walters |
| ] || Gerry Walters | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Jerry Cochran |
| ] || Jerry Cochran | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Max Pearson |
| ] || Max Pearson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Georgia Moorhouse |
| ] || Georgia Moorhouse | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] ||Constable Des Davies |
| ] || Constable Des Davies | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Carmel Millhouse || Marge Bacon |
| Carmel Millhouse || Marge Bacon | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Scott Leighton |
| ] || Scott Leighton | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Fiona Davies |
| ] || Fiona Davies | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Joe Turner |
| ] || Joe Turner | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Tom Grey |
| ] || Tom Grey | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Kate Ashwood |
| ] || Kate Ashwood | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Louise Philip || Christine Jackson |
| Louise Philip || Christine Jackson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Father John Kramer |
| ] || Father John Kramer | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Charlie Cousens |
| ] || Charlie Cousens | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Gregory Ross || Chris Lang |
| Gregory Ross || Chris Lang | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Ron Wilson |
| ] || Ron Wilson | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Russell Ashwood |
| ] || Russell Ashwood | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Leo Hil |
| ] || Leo Hil | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Ross Thompson || Terry Hill |
| Ross Thompson || Terry Hill | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Bryon Williams || Adam Lockhart |
| Bryon Williams || Adam Lockhart | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Clive Winmill || Tony Buckland |
| Clive Winmill || Tony Buckland | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || | ||
|} | |} | ||
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|} | |} | ||
The ] holds a collection of 43 black and white prints from 1977, identifying over 30 actors involved at that time,<ref>{{ |
The ] holds a collection of 43 black and white prints from 1977, identifying over 30 actors involved at that time,<ref>{{Cite web |title=C612 Bellbird |url=https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=60102650&isAv=N |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=National Archives of Australia}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2024}} | ||
==International screenings== | ==International screenings== | ||
⚫ | Episodes of ''Bellbird'' were screened in the United Kingdom in 1972. After the initial 52 episodes had been screened, ] in Australia insisted the ABC increase the price of the episodes so as to pay the actors more. As a result of the price increase, the UK broadcaster purchased no further episodes.<ref name="great-unwashed">{{Cite news |last=Mercado |first=Andrew |date=2004-11-27 |title=Soap: It's just what the great unwashed need |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Soap-The-great-unwashed/2004/11/25/1101219663320.html?from=storyrhs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023081418/http://www.theage.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Soap-The-great-unwashed/2004/11/25/1101219663320.html?from=storyrhs |archive-date=2012-10-23 |work=]}}</ref> | ||
⚫ | Episodes of ''Bellbird'' were screened in the United Kingdom in 1972. After the initial 52 episodes had been screened, ] in Australia insisted the ABC increase the price of the episodes so as to pay the actors more. As a result of the price increase, the UK broadcaster purchased no further episodes.<ref name=" |
||
{{cite web | |||
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/TV--Radio/Soap-The-great-unwashed/2004/11/25/1101219663320.html?from=storyrhs | |||
| title = Soap: It's just what the great unwashed need | |||
| author = Andrew Mercado | |||
| date = 27 November 2004 | |||
| publisher = ] | |||
}} | |||
</ref> | |||
==Episodes== | ==Episodes== | ||
Although an extensive selection of episodes survive and reside with the ], it was reported that the ABC taped over the master tapes of the series, which was a common practice of the time <ref name=" |
Although an extensive selection of episodes survive and reside with the ], it was reported that the ABC taped over the master tapes of the series, which was a common practice of the time <ref name="great-unwashed" /> something which series cast member Alan Hopgood had complained about in a '']'' article in 1976: "They just wiped off and another episode run over them .... This failure to preserve the program is criminal, to my way of thinking."<ref>{{Cite news |date=11-17 December 1976 |title=Home-Truths From Bellbird |work=] |page=10}}</ref> | ||
One complete ] episode is available to be viewed at the Australian Mediatheque at the ] in Melbourne, while several colour episodes are known to exist in the hands of private collectors. | One complete ] episode is available to be viewed at the Australian Mediatheque at the ] in Melbourne, while several colour episodes are known to exist in the hands of private collectors. | ||
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==Ratings== | ==Ratings== | ||
⚫ | In 1971, ''Bellbird'' was the fifteenth most popular show in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1971-05-06 |title=TELEVISION RATINGS |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131805241 |access-date=2017-09-20 |work=] |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=45 |issue=12,803}}</ref> | ||
⚫ | In 1971, ''Bellbird'' was the fifteenth most popular show in the country.<ref>{{ |
||
== See also == | == See also == |
Revision as of 00:02, 15 May 2024
Australian television series
Bellbird | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Created by | Barbara Vernon |
Starring |
|
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 10 |
No. of episodes | 1,562 |
Production | |
Running time | 15 minutes (excluding commercial) |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | 28 August 1967 (1967-08-28) – 23 December 1977 (1977-12-23) |
Related | |
Country Life (film version) |
Bellbird is an Australian soap opera serial broadcast by the ABC and written and created by Barbara Vernon, it screened for 10 seasons between 1967 and 1977, with the series centering around the residents of the small fictional Victorian rural township of the series title.
Bellbird has the distinction of being the longest-running soap opera/serial ever produced by the ABC. It ended the same year as commercial broadcast series Number 96 and The Box, which had run for six and four years respectively.
Production and broadcasting
The series was produced by the ABC at the Ripponlea Studios in Melbourne, with the opening titles filmed at nearby Daylesford. Bellbird screened from 28 August 1967 to 23 December 1977 and although it was not Australia's first television serial (the first was Network Seven's Autumn Affair), it was the first successful soap opera and even spawned a feature film and tie-in novel.
The show's ratings were modest but it had a devoted following, especially in rural Australia. During most of its 10-year production run, 15-minute episodes of Bellbird screened from Monday to Thursday nights, leading in to the 7:00 pm evening news bulletin. In 1976, the series was screened as a single one-hour episode each week, before switching to three half-hour instalments per week during its final season.
Storylines
The show's storylines followed the lives of the residents of the small fictional country town that gave the show its title. While the series plots concentrated mainly on small-scale interpersonal, domestic and local relationships, issues and conflicts, there were occasional moments of high drama. One of the most celebrated was the death of the local stock and station agent, Charlie Cousens, played by foundation cast member Robin Ramsay. When Ramsay decided to leave the series in 1968, his character was written out in dramatic fashion, with Cousens plunging to his death from the top of a wheat silo. The death scene has figured prominently in retrospectives of great moments in Australian television, and its celebrity meant that it became one of the few segments from the early years of the series that has survived.
Other notable deaths during the course of the series included those of local farm girl, Hagar Grossark (Barbara Ramsay), who drowned during a flood, and the 1974 death of major character Rhoda Lang, played by foundation cast member Lynette Curran, who was killed when her car was struck by a train at a level crossing.
Cast
Bellbird featured a regular cast of 46 actors over its 10 year run (see links, for actor information).
Main cast
Actor | Character |
---|---|
Peter Aanensen | Jim Bacon |
Lesley Baker | Cheryl Turner |
Elspeth Ballantyne | Lori Chandler |
Bruce Barry | Michael Foley |
Julia Blake | Elaine Thomas |
Carl Bleazby | Colonel Jim Emerson |
Dorothy Bradley | Rose Lang |
Anne Charleston | Wendy Robinson |
Moira Charleton | Olive Turner |
Lynette Curran | Rhoda Lang |
Penny Downie | Kelly Jameson |
Beverley Dunn | Mary Campbell |
Keith Eden | Gil Lang |
Maurie Fields | John Quinney |
Sheila Florance | Dossie Rumsey |
Penne Hackforth-Jones | Ginny Hill |
Brian Hannan | Roger Green |
Gabrielle Hartley | Maggie Emerson |
Alan Hopgood | Matthew Reed |
Brian James | Ian Bennett |
Lynda Keane | Ruth Grossark |
Patsy King | Kate Andrews |
Stella Lamond | Molly Wilson |
Anne Lucas | Glenda Chand |
Bob Maza | Gerry Walters |
George Mallaby | Jerry Cochran |
Terry McDermott | Max Pearson |
Maggie Millar | Georgia Moorhouse |
Dennis Miller | Constable Des Davies |
Carmel Millhouse | Marge Bacon |
Rod Mullinar | Scott Leighton |
Gerda Nicolson | Fiona Davies |
Terry Norris | Joe Turner |
Tom Oliver | Tom Grey |
Anne Phelan | Kate Ashwood |
Louise Philip | Christine Jackson |
Michael Preston | Father John Kramer |
Robin Ramsay | Charlie Cousens |
Gregory Ross | Chris Lang |
Sean Scully | Ron Wilson |
Ian Smith | Russell Ashwood |
John Stanton | Leo Hil |
Ross Thompson | Terry Hill |
Bryon Williams | Adam Lockhart |
Clive Winmill | Tony Buckland |
Judy McBurney |
Guest cast
Actor | Character |
---|---|
Anne Scott-Pendlebury | Cathy |
Barbara Ramsay | Hagar Grossark |
Denise Drysdale | |
Elizabeth Alexander | |
George Spartels | |
Gerard Kennedy | Edward Grey |
John Orcsik | |
Lesley Baker | Cheryl Turner #2 |
Melissa Jaffer | |
Ruth Cracknell | |
Tommy Dysart | |
Tracy Mann | |
Tristan Rogers | |
Val Lehman |
The National Archives of Australia holds a collection of 43 black and white prints from 1977, identifying over 30 actors involved at that time,
International screenings
Episodes of Bellbird were screened in the United Kingdom in 1972. After the initial 52 episodes had been screened, Actors Equity in Australia insisted the ABC increase the price of the episodes so as to pay the actors more. As a result of the price increase, the UK broadcaster purchased no further episodes.
Episodes
Although an extensive selection of episodes survive and reside with the National Archives of Australia, it was reported that the ABC taped over the master tapes of the series, which was a common practice of the time something which series cast member Alan Hopgood had complained about in a TV Times article in 1976: "They just wiped off and another episode run over them .... This failure to preserve the program is criminal, to my way of thinking."
One complete black and white episode is available to be viewed at the Australian Mediatheque at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, while several colour episodes are known to exist in the hands of private collectors.
Film and novel
The series was the first soap opera in Australia to spin-off into a feature film version and tie-in novel, entitled Country Town (1971). It focused on Bellbird's problems during a severe drought. Many future soaps followed suit, spawning their own film versions, including Number 96 and The Sullivans.
Ratings
In 1971, Bellbird was the fifteenth most popular show in the country.
See also
References
- "Bellbird". Aussie Soap Archive. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- "Prisoner stars before Prisoner". Television.AU. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 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 & Radio School. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-642-18462-7.
- "C612 Bellbird". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ Mercado, Andrew (27 November 2004). "Soap: It's just what the great unwashed need". The Age. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
- "Home-Truths From Bellbird". TV Times. 11–17 December 1976. p. 10.
- "TELEVISION RATINGS". Canberra Times. Vol. 45, no. 12, 803. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 6 May 1971. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
- Aussie Soap Archive: Bellbird Archived 14 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine – Overview and review
- Bellbird at IMDb
- Bellbird at the National Film & Sound Archive
- 1967 Australian television series debuts
- 1977 Australian television series endings
- Australian television soap operas
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Television shows set in Victoria (state)
- Black-and-white Australian television shows
- Australian English-language television shows
- Works by Barbara Vernon
- Works by Alan Hopgood