Tickling the Peter!
Cop Shop‘s Peter Adams hasn’t always been cast in the macho roles he has become familiar for. In fact, he made his acting debut playing a chubby woman in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta at age 10. But in his adult career, mostly in the theatre, New Zealand-born Adams (pictured, with co-star Joanna Lockwood) has also had a variety of roles – including playing an owl in a panto production of Robin Hood. Before scoring the role of “JJ” Johnson in Cop Shop, Adams’ only regular TV roles were in ABC‘s Australia A To Z and as a newspaper reporter in Number 96. Although a guest appearance in Division Four with Judy Morris in 1970 apparently has the unusual distinction of being the first nude bedroom scene on Australian TV.

The Kiwi Invasion
Australian television is about to be invaded by New Zealand actors. Bill Stalker (pictured), one of New Zealand’s most versatile stage and TV actors, is coming to Australia for a role in the new Seven Network series Skyways. The actor had a popular following in New Zealand playing a mechanic in the long-running local soap Close To Home. Fellow Kiwi actor Sam Neill has already had roles in two Australian films, My Brilliant Career and The Journalist, and will be starting work soon on The Sullivans, appearing on screen around mid-year.

‘Sorry about that, love!’
A TV Times photo shoot featuring tennis star John Newcombe and 0-10 Network personalities Victoria Nicolls (pictured), Lenore Smith and Steve Raymond turned sour. Nicolls, “only a social tennis player”, took a fall when trying to return a hit from Smith. Instead of returning to the set of The Restless Years for taping a wedding episode, the actress was taken to the local hospital. No broken bones were found but she did have to keep her arm in a sling and managed to get to the postponed taping of the wedding episode later that day.

Briefly…
Actors John Ewart and Serge Lazareff are to join the cast of The Young Doctors, and there are plans for the Australian World Series Cricket team to also make a guest appearance next year. Executive producer Alan Coleman is keen to have players such as Dennis Lillee come in to the hospital for treatment and end the guest stint with an appearance by the entire Australian team.

Former Young Talent Time regular Debbie Byrne and husband Dave Dudley are expecting their first child in July. Byrne, who appeared in ABC‘s The Saturday Show last year, is also to feature in ABC’s upcoming variety series Follies later in the year.

It has taken two years of planning, but Days Of Our Lives stars Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth are coming to Australia for a series of club appearances starting in Brisbane and touring to other capital cities. The actors will be temporarily written out of the popular US drama to allow them the Australian tour.

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor
“Rowena Wallace, who plays Pamela Taylor in Cop Shop, should wear a wig, because she looks very old with grey hair. A black or red wig would suit her very well. She has a very young face.”  C. Leoni, QLD.

“Monty Python’s Flying Circus brings a touch of ABC sophistication to the otherwise tepid material usually screened on ATN7 Sydney. But as usual we have to suffer for good TV on a commercial station – a fine, fast-moving show like Monty Python gets absolutely butchered by all the silly ads.”  N. Wainwright, NSW.

“I wonder how many viewers know of the series Three’s Company let alone watch it regularly? I needed only one look to realise that it is yet another example of blatant American poaching of British ideas. Man About The House was a far superior series. ABC must have bought the series for a very low price, because it falls way below the standard I have come to expect from them.”  K. Davidson, VIC.

What’s On (March 3-9):
ABC presents live coverage of the Australian Masters’ Golf tournament from Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Saturday is Blue Diamond Stakes Day at Caulfield racecourse. ATV0‘s Phil Gibbs and Clem Dimsey present a two-hour morning preview, then from midday Michael Schildberger heads the afternoon’s live coverage.

Melbourne’s Moomba festival is on again and ATV0 crosses live to the Yarra River embankment on Sunday afternoon for the 1979 Birdman Rally and Bathtub Regatta.

The second episode of HSV7‘s This Fabulous Century (presenter Peter Luck, pictured) is titled ‘Institutions’, looking at the Miss Australia tradition, Bondi Beach and the Holden motor car.

The winner of last year’s Mastermind, John Bond, will represent Australia in Mastermind International which debuts on ABC on Wednesday night. The series, taped in London, features Mastermind winners from around the world including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Nigeria, Canada and the Republic of Ireland.

In ATV0′s Prisoner there has been a murder at Wentworth Detention Centre and both the authorities and the inmates have their own methods of finding the culprit. The new drama screens on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The Australian Football Championships, a national night football competition, continues on HSV7 with Richmond versus West Australian team Subiaco.

This week’s guests on Peter Couchman Tonight include Ian Meldrum, Bob Rogers, Normie Rowe, Stan Rofe, Debbie Byrne, Brian Davies, Gus Mercurio, Peita Toppano, The God Squad, Ross D. Wylie, Jane Scali and Michael Cormick.

Sunday night movies are Eliza Fraser (HSV7), The Steel Cowboy (GTV9) and Flood (ATV0).

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 3 March 1979.  ABC/ACP