Michael Plant (1930–1965) was an Australian screenwriter, actor and producer best known for co-creating ''

Whiplash Whiplash may refer to: * The long flexible part of a whip * Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury ** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles Film and television * ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer * ''Whiplas ...

''. ''The Bulletin'' said on his death in 1965 that Plant "had left as big an impression on Australian viewing habits as any one man in the industry's brief history."

Biography

Plant, the son of Major-General

Eric Plant Major General Eric Clive Pegus Plant, (23 April 1890 – 17 May 1950) was an officer in the Australian Army who served during the First and Second World Wars. Plant served in the pre-war part-time military from 1908, before joining the permanent ...

, was educated in Canberra and at

The Scots College , motto_translation = O that we may be worthy of our forefathers , location = Bellevue Hill, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney , country = Australia , type = Independent single-sex primary ...

, Sydney. Plant started writing and producing radio plays while still at high school. According to one obituary, "At 15, and still in short pants, Michael Plant presented himself at the office of a Sydney radio producer, insisting that he wanted to be a scriptwriter. He was given a script outline to work on and returned the next morning with a story which is still remembered as "brilliant". He worked for Grace Gibson as a writer, actor and producer then moved to London. A play he co-wrote '' Miss Isobel'' was performed on Broadway. He wrote for several American television series before returning to Australia in 1964. His final job was as executive producer over 28 episodes of the '' Mavis Bramston Show''.

Barry Creyton Barry Creyton (born 1939, Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian actor and playwright. Creyton began his professional career in radio and revue in Melbourne, Australia and became well known in Sydney starring in and writing popular comedy-melod ...

recalled, "He had a wicked sense of humour and understood precisely the nature of topical and political satire. ATN kept a bunch of lawyers vetting everything we did for libel and slander, but Michael always managed to stay one step ahead of the threatened lawsuits, always with stinging wit. He was a great talent."

Death

He died age 33. Police were told that he had been working up to 80 hours a week on the production of the show, and that there were no suspicious circumstances to his death.

TV Select Credits

*'' The Veil'' (1958) – writer episode "Jack the Ripper" *''

One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Step ...

'' (1959) – writer *'' Men into Space'' (1959–60) – writer *'' Bourbon Street Beat'' (1960) – episode "Find My Face" *'' The Detectives'' (1960) – episode "Floating Face Down" *''

The Barbara Stanwyck Show ''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...

'' (1961) – episode "High Tension" – story *''

'' (1960–61) – co creator, story editor, writer *''

Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' Ben (Hebrew), son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria ...

'' (1963) – story editor, writer *''

The Mavis Bramston Show ''The Mavis Bramston Show'' was a weekly Australian television satirical sketch comedy revue series which aired on the Seven Network from 1964 to 1968. Inspired by the British TV satirical revue TV shows of the period (notably ''That Was The Week ...

'' (1965) – producer

Other Writing

*''Rube Knew All About Art'' (1949) – winner ABC radio short story competition *''They Lied to Henry Wilson'' (1950) – radio producer *'' Miss Isobel'' (1957) – play

As actor

*''Dear Charles'' (1955) theatre

References

External links

Michael Plant
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Australian screenwriters 1930 births 1965 deaths 20th-century Australian screenwriters {{Australia-tv-bio-stub