A Young Doctors’ wedding album:
The Young Doctors‘ wedding of the year between Dr Tony Garcia and Nurse Tania Livingston (Tony Alvarez and Judy McBurney, pictured). The surprise wedding came after plans for Dr Garcia to marry Lisa Brooks (Paula Duncan) had fallen through the previous year.
Sigley plans sidelined:
Plans for Ernie Sigley to negotiate with HSV7 for the role of co-host of Penthouse Club have been put on hold after Sigley went to hospital after a mild heart attack and has had doctors’ orders to avoid work for three months. Sigley had been one of three guest co-hosts on Penthouse Club while the channel finds a permanent replacement for former co-host Mike Williamson. A spokesman for the channel said negotiations may resume when Sigley is clear to work again.
Tate home for TV play:
Actor Nick Tate, currently in the sci-fi series Space 1999, has returned home to Australia to star in a new ABC drama, Man Of Action. In the play, one of three to be produced, Tate plays a ruthless businessman, Kenneth Riessel. The part of Riessel’s wife is to be played by former Number 96 actress Carmen Duncan. The three plays form a trilogy, A Place In The World, written by Michael Cove. The only link between the three stories is that the main character in each went to the same school.
Are they really different up north?
TV Times‘ Queensland editor Peter Dean questions the perception of outsiders that those from the Sunshine State are a ‘different’ bunch, and if they are, is this reflected on local TV screens? Dean approached the program chiefs of Brisbane channels ABQ2, BTQ7, QTQ9 and TVQ0 to explore this obviously pressing issue. Among the responses received, ABQ2’s Bernard Terry said it was important to maintain a local focus with programming, while taking into consideration national trends. Mike Lattin of BTQ7 said the main difference in Brisbane viewers when compared to southern cities is that they are more honest. They admit to watching soaps and sitcoms, while viewers in Canberra will say they watch ABC but really watch shows like Number 96.
Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
“Is Graham Kennedy going to leave Blankety Blanks? I hope not as the show wouldn’t be the same without him. It is the best on TV.” A. Tanzer, QLD.
“The Sullivans‘ producers have successfully presented a realistic portrayal of Australian war years. But we have found one flaw in The Sullivans. During the war years, beer was considered as liquid gold and where we were in those times, bartenders never gave drinks on the house, which is a ritual by barlady Maggie Hayward (Vikki Hammond).” V. Swilks, VIC.
“I have long suspected TCN9 of being anti-British in their programming, and now I am certain. A friend in England told me to look out for Get Some In and to be sure to watch it as it was in the top 10 in the UK. It turned up on TCN9.. but not for long. They used it as a filler when the cricket was rained out.” M. Bennett, NSW.
What’s On (March 11-17):
The Moomba Festival continues in Melbourne, and is covered on TV with HSV7 televising the Moomba Masters Waterski International from the Yarra River, and all four Melbourne channels showing live coverage of the annual Moomba Parade from the streets of the Melbourne CBD though ironically for the other channels, the year’s Moomba King is GTV9 personality Bert Newton.
The first episode of Marcia Hines Music appears on ABC, hosted by pop queen Marcia Hines with guest appearances by actor John Waters and singer-songwriter Doug Ashdown.
ATV0 presents a Sunday afternoon live telecast of the Vintage Sports Car Club meeting at Phillip Island – forty-five pre-war sports cars will compete in a special day of road racing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Australian Grand Prix held in Phillip Island in 1928.
ABC presents The Geeks, the first play in the 1978 series of Stuart Wagstaff’s World Playhouse. John Stanton, Judy Morris, Lynette Curran and Rod Mullinar star as two couples whose friendship is headed for change with one of the wives suggesting the couples go one step further and share their love.
Sunday night’s premiere movies are The Super Cops (HSV7), Cabaret (GTV9) and the ‘modified TV version’ of Chato’s Land (ATV0), with British dramas The Duchess Of Duke Street and I Claudius on ABC.
Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 11 March 1978. ABC/ACP
