''Australian Plays'' is a 1969 Australian anthology TV drama series that aired on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
.
It consisted of six original Australian dramas.
It was the first Australian drama play since ''
Lucullus
Lucius Licinius Lucullus (; 118–57/56 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, closely connected with Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In culmination of over 20 years of almost continuous military and government service, he conquered the eastern kingdom ...
'' in Sydney and ''
Cobwebs in Concrete
"Cobwebs in Concrete" is a 1968 Australian TV play written by actor John Warwick. It aired on the ABC as part of the anthology show ''Wednesday Theatre'' immediately after '' The Queen's Bishop''.
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the ti ...
'' in Melbourne.
It was the first Australian anthology series since ''
Australian Playhouse'' and was described by the ABC as "representative of contemporary Australian writers and the development of Australian television drama today." It was produced by Eric Taylor. It was meant to be followed by a series ''Company of Eight'' which will have a regular repertory company of eight actors.
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.
Episodes
Season 1 (1969)
* Ep. 1 - "
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
"
* Ep. 2 - "
Voyage Out
"Voyage Out" is a 1969 Australian TV play. It aired as part of the ''Australian Plays'' anthology series on the ABC.
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.
Premise
A woman, Kathy, decides to reject a series of fleeting physical enc ...
''
* Ep. 3 - "
The Cheerful Cuckold
"The Cheerful Cuckold" is a 1969 Australian TV play. It was written by and stars Alan Hopgood.
Plot
It was about a young university lecturer (Hopgood) who is cuckolded by his wife Sybil (Sue Donovan). He devises a method to deal with it.
Cast
*Al ...
"
* Ep. 4 - "
Tilley Landed On Our Shore
"Tilley Landed On Our Shore" is a 1969 Australian television play. It was part of the '' Australian Plays'' series.
Plot
A comic account of Governor Phillips's 1788 landing in Australia. It is set in the modern day on the mythical island of Extr ...
"
* Ep. 5 - "
The Torrents
''The Torrents'' is a 1955 Australian play by Oriel Gray, set in the late 19th century, about the arrival of a female journalist in an all-male newspaper office, and an attempt to develop irrigation-based agriculture in a former gold mining town.
...
"
* Ep. 6 - "
Fiends of the Family
"Fiends of the Family" is a 1969 Australian television play. It was part of the ''Australian Plays
Theatre of Australia refers to the history of the performing arts in Australia, or produced by Australians. There are theatrical and dramatic as ...
"
Season 2 (1970)
* Ep. 1 - "
Eden House"
* Ep. 2 - "
The Juggler"
* Ep. 3 - "
Catalyst
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
"
* Ep. 4 - "
Ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
"
* Ep. 5 - "
Farce of a Man
"Face of a Man" is an Australian TV play by Richard Benyon, best known for writing ''The Shifting Heart'', who was living in England working as story editor on ''Z-Cars''.
Premise
A no-hoper steals a religious statue.
Cast
* John Meillon as Wall ...
"
* Ep. 6 - "
Chimes at Midnight"
References
{{reflist
External links
''Australian Plays''at
AustLit
AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature), usually referred to simply as AustLit, is an internet-based, non-profit collaboration betwee ...
Australian anthology television series