Sammys Golden Night
It was a Who’s Who of Australian Showbusiness when 800 stars, producers and writers gathered at Sydney’s Seymour Centre on 11 October for the third annual Sammy Awards.  The awards, held in partnership between TV Times, the Variety Club of Australia charity and the Seven Network, honour the Australian film and television industries.  The event is also a major fund-raising effort for Variety which has collected over $30,000 over the last three years.

1978 Sammy Awards TV category winners:
Gold (male): Mike Walsh
Gold (female): June Salter
Chips Rafferty Memorial Award: Ken G Hall
Best Actor in a Single TV Performance: Tony Bonner (End Of Summer)
Best Actress in a Single TV Performance: Davina Whitehouse (The Night Nurse)
Best Actor in a TV Series: George Mallaby (Cop Shop)
Best Actress in a TV Series: Lorraine Bayly (The Sullivans)
Best Variety Performer: Julie Anthony
Best Variety Program: Julie Anthony’s First Special
Best Comedy Program: The Norman Gunston Show
Best Drama Series: The Sullivans
Best TV Play: End Of Summer
Best News Coverage: Brisbane shoot-out (QTQ9)
Best Documentary: A Big Country
Best Current Affairs Program: Four Corners ‘Utah’ report
Best Children’s Series: Wombat (BTQ7)
Best Sports Coverage: Australian Open Golf 1977
Best Light Entertainment Program: The Mike Walsh Show
Best Writer TV Series: Tony Morphett (The Sullivans)
Best Writer TV Play: Cliff Green (End Of Summer)

News team under fire in Vietnam
An ABC news team came under fire on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, during a four-week news-gathering visit to Vietnam.  ABC’s Singapore correspondent Tony Joyce, sound recordist Steven de Vroom and cameraman David Westray, were filming material for a documentary, Vietnam Today, to screen nationally on ABC later in the year.  “There was quite a bit of sniper fire and shelling so we were creeping and crawling, close to the ground.  We were warned if the Cambodians saw us they would assume we were Russian military advisors.  Then they would really let loose.  Luckily they didn’t,” Joyce told TV Times. The Vietnam visit is only the second by Australian newsmen since the war ended in 1975.  A team from the 0-10 Network had been there earlier this year.

kerrymcguire Polly put the kettle on for Kerry
Before Against The Wind and the role of convict woman Polly came along, actress Kerry McGuire (pictured) had almost despaired that her big acting break would ever happen.  The 32-year-old actress, who had studied at NIDA and scored some roles in TV series such as ABC‘s Dynasty and the Seven Network‘s Catwalk and stage productions including Hedda Gabler and Antony And Cleopatra, was still waiting for a big break but feels now with Against The Wind she is able to move into the next stage of her acting career: “I think I’m just beginning to break into my age group.  I’ve been a mature style of actress competing with some very good older women.  Now I’m growing into the era that should be mine…”

Briefly:
Marcia Hines is to present another series of six shows for ABC in the new year, but still has commitments in Europe to fulfil before she can start work on the series.

Former Homicide cop Don Barker is back in Melbourne for a guest role in the new 0-10 Network series Prisoner, now in production.

Former Australian Test skipper Bobby Simpson is to be chief commentator for the Gillette Cup series of cricket matches to be telecast on the 0-10 Network over the next three months.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
“Why, oh why has TEN10 decided to put The Steve Raymond Show on at 1.30 of all times?  Don’t they realise that a very popular show is on the other channel at the same time.  Steve Raymond will put on a fantastic show, but after watching Days Of Our Lives for the past twelve years, I think TEN10 could have found any other time to put the show on.” E. Fuller, NSW.

againstthewind “Although I am enjoying Against The Wind (pictured), I find it difficult to believe that after a hard life for 10 years that people would not age at all.  It is a pity that the continuity was not up to the excellent standard of the rest of the series so far.” J. Higson, NSW.

“I really enjoyed the article in TV Times about viewers who ring in to TV stations.  However, I hope they got a better reception than I did on the two occasions I phoned TV stations here in Sydney.  When I called ATN7 to congratulate them on their camera-work in the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo at Bathurst, the switchboard operator was amazed that a woman would even watch motor racing, let alone comment on the camera-work.  Then I called ABC to say how much I was enjoying Sailor, but the girl on the switchboard  didn’t go a bundle on my taste in TV programs either.  I’ll never ring in again, that’s for sure.” M. Bennett, NSW.

What’s On (October 28-November 3):
On Saturday, ATV0 presents the Gillette Cup cricket, live from the Gabba in Brisbane, for the match between Queensland and South Australia. On Sunday, the Gillette Cup moves to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the match between New South Wales and Victoria.

denisedrysdale Denise Drysdale (pictured) is Ernie Sigley‘s special guest on HSV7‘s Penthouse ’78.

On Monday night’s A Big Country on ABC, reporter Kenyon Castle follows jazz musicians Don Burrows and George Golla on their tour through the mining areas of the north west.  The program features aboriginal performers David Gulpilil and David Blanasi.

Vince Lovegrove presents a two-hour special on HSV7, Australian Music To The World, paying tribute to the Australian artists who have achieved international acclaim.  Lovegrove and his film crew travelled the world to catch up with Australians including the Bee Gees, the Little River Band, Olivia Newton-John, Peter Allen and Sherbet.

The Naked Vicar Show and The Best Of Norman Gunston appear on HSV7 on Wednesday night, while on GTV9 there’s a one-hour special An Evening With Les Girls, recorded at the Carousel Room of the Chevron Hotel, Surfers Paradise.

On Friday night, ATV0 presents the final episode of The Daryl And Ossie Show, after forty episodes, and The Peter Couchman Show presents a special Melbourne Cup preview on Friday night.

jeannelittle Jeanne Little (pictured) and John Ewart are guest panelists on ABC‘s Micro Macro on Friday night, joining host Noel Ferrier and regulars Carol Raye and Stuart Wagstaff.

Sunday night movies are The Shootist (HSV7), A Touch Of Class (GTV9) and The Drowning Pool (ATV0), while ABC‘s Sunday night opera is L’Heure Espagnole (The Spanish Hour) produced at ABC’s Sydney studios and featuring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 28 October 1978.  ABC/ACP

4 thoughts on “1978: October 28-November 3

  1. NEWS TEAM UNDER FIRE IN VIETNAM
    To say that we were under fire is a gross exaggeration. We could hear shelling in the distance, if we really listened carefully. During our trip the Vietnamese took great care to ensure that we were never in danger. I believe that Tony was misquoted in this item. Tony Joyce died a year later in Africa when he was shot while sitting in the back of a police car. He was one of the most professional journalist I have ever worked with.

    Steven de Vroom

  2. Many thanks for your comments Steve. Really good to get a perspective on the situation from somebody who was there as obviously I’m only going by what was quoted in TV Times.

    1. I remember the l978 sammy awards im sure that tommy Lewis won a sammy for best new talent as l was friends with him and attended the sammy awards when he won it but l cant find it mentioned anywhere ive tried to research but can’t find it thank you

      1. Hi Colleen, you are correct. Tommy Lewis won Best New Talent at the 1978 Sammy Awards for The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith. The article above lists only the TV category winners.

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