1978: June 3-9

Sonny’s rocky road to stardom
Sonny Blake (pictured, with Zoe Bertram) was on the verge of becoming a professional boxer until a change in direction saw the 19-year-old cast in the 0-10 Network series The Restless Years. A self-confessed film buff, Blake boasts a collection of classic films on videotape and a large part of his record collection is made up of movie soundtracks. He is saving up to go to the US for acting lessons: “What I see myself doing in 10 years time is coming home to my room at the YMCA in New York and pulling out a script and sitting down to spend the evening how I’m going to handle the role.”

Catspaw set to pounce
In air force jargon a catspaw is a “bunny” – someone left holding the bag. In ABC‘s new adventure series The Catspaw, it’s up to viewers to work out who should be carrying the blame. The seven-part series, featuring familiar names such as Ken James (pictured), Rowena Wallace, Peter Sumner, John Diedrich and John Stanton, revolves around the disappearance of an RAF officer Tim Keppel (Warwick Sims).

Naked Vicar seeks new pastures
The team behind the popular sketch comedy series The Naked Vicar Show is expanding into other areas of showbusiness. RS Productions‘ Gary Reilly told TV Times, “We’re starting to find it hard to write just sketches. We want to start doing something a little more expanded, still comedy but with a bit more length and involvement.” The company is producing a new series of radio plays for ABC called RS Playhouse. Meanwhile, The Naked Vicar Show is enjoying massive popularity – particularly in Melbourne and Brisbane and to a lesser extent in Sydney – and has been sold to regional markets.

Gwen Plumb’s in a new kind of cast
Hosting a party at her beachside home had dangerous consequences for actress Gwen Plumb. Taking guests to a rock pool near her house at Sydney’s Whale Beach saw Plumb knocked over by a big wave but it was when she saw her dog Selina potentially stranded, she was carried out by the undertow when trying to retrieve the pet. Plumb ended up with a leg in a plaster cast, and scriptwriters for The Young Doctors have had to re-write episodes. As for the dog? “The little b—- didn’t even get wet!”

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
“During a recent Blankety Blanks, Ugly Dave Gray popped up with another one of his ‘gems’, on the subject of rape. Considering the thousands of children that watch this show, rape is a very unsuitable and tasteless topic to joke about.” J. Johnson, NSW.

“I thought the Marcia Hines series on ABC was magnificent. Not only was her singing great, but her clothes and settings were fantastic.” Name and address supplied, NSW.

“I am writing in support of Glenview High. I love the show, especially Grigor Taylor, who is a tribute to Australian talent.” J. Janson, SA.

What’s On (June 3-9):
GTV9 crossed live on Sunday to Oran Park raceway in NSW for six-hour telecast of The Rothmans 500.

ABC‘s coverage of the soccer World Cup continues with highlights packages at 6.00pm and full match replays at 10.00pm.

Crawford Productions’ cop shows get a re-run with GTV9 screening late-night repeats of Division 4, and ATV0 showing Matlock Police on weekday afternoons. HSV7 screens new episodes of Cop Shop on Monday and Thursday nights.

Sunday night movies are Escape Of The Birdmen (HSV7), Time For Loving (GTV9) and Night Moves (ATV0). The final episode of The Duchess Of Duke Street screens on ABC.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 3 June 1978. ABC/ACP