''Skyways'' is an Australian

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

drama series made by Crawford Productions for the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

Production and casting

The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there. ''Skyways'' was mainly taped in a television studio where, in many interior-set scenes, Colour Separation Overlay created the illusion of a bustling airport with taxiing planes outside the window. Many of the exterior scenes were shot on location at Melbourne Airport. The show's regular cast members included Tony Bonner as airport manager Paul MacFarlane, later replaced by Gary Doolan ( Gerard Kennedy).

Tina Bursill Tina Bursill (born 24 July 1951) is an Australian actress. She played Louise Carter on the television series '' Skyways'' (1979–1981) and Sonia Stevens on ''Prisoner'' (1983–1984). She played Meryl Knight in the Nine Network drama series ...

played glamorous and ruthless assistant manager Louise Carter.

Bill Stalker William Robert Stalker (3 August 1948 – 28 November 1981) was a New Zealand actor, most famous for his roles in television, both in his native country and Australia. Early life Stalker was born in Masterton, New Zealand and grew up in Hawke' ...

, played head of airport security Peter Fanelli, an ex-detective. When ''Skyways'' ended Fanelli was moved to Crawford

police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eit ...

'' Cop Shop'', while Brian James' character George Tippett was transplanted to ''

Holiday Island ''Holiday Island'' is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten. The show aired twice weekly from 1981 to 1982, with the first episode going to air on 17 June 1981. Series synopsis Like preceding Crawford' ...

''.

Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan roles

Years before ''

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'' and international pop stardom,

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

and

Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 m ...

appeared together in one episode as siblings.

Storylines

An early storyline featured a lesbian flight attendant (

Judy Morris Judith Ann Morris (born 17 February 1947) is an Australian character actress, as well as a film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 58 different television shows and films, starting her career as a child ...

) unsuccessfully attempting to seduce a colleague (Deborah Coulls) who revealed she was heterosexual. Morris' character was soon afterwards stabbed to death in the shower as part of a murder-mystery storyline.

International broadcast

The series screened across Europe and the UK during 1985–1986 on Sky Channel which would later become Sky One. It also aired in the UK on Astra Satellite channel Lifestyle during 1990 at 1.00 p.m Monday to Friday. Syndication During the first week of January 2006 the entire series was replayed Thursday early mornings weekly at 2.00am then at the later time-slot of 3.00am on WIN TV in Wollongong, South Coast NSW as part of the early morning Crawfords Classics TV series.

Cast

* Tony Bonner – Paul MacFarlane *

– Louise Carter * Ken James – Simon Young * Bruce Barry – Douglas Stewart *

– Peter Fanelli * Brian James – George Tippett * Joanne Samuel – Kelly Morgan * Deborah Coulls – Jacki Soong * Kris McQuade – Faye Peterson *

Bartholomew John Bartholomew John (born 24 August 1952 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is an actor best known for his roles on television in America and Australia. In 1974, his single "Someone" peaked at number 75 in Australia. Career He played Dr. Chris Piper in ...

– Nick Grainger *

– Robyn Morris * Andrew McKaige – Alan MacFarlane * Gaynor Martin – Mandy MacFarlane * Gerard Kennedy – Gary Doolan * Kerry Armstrong – Angela Murray *

Maurie Fields Maurice Fields (born Maurice Sheil, 4 August 1926 – 18 December 1995) was an Australian vaudeville performer, actor and stand-up comedian. Career Fields became a well-known face on television first thanks to his comic sketches on live progr ...

– Chas Potter * Kylie Foster – Belinda Phipps * Charles Tingwell – Harold Forbes * Ron Falk – Derek Powell *

Cecily Polson Cecily Polson, is a New Zealand-born former Australian actress, known for her role as Martha O'Dare in the television series '' E Street'' in which she appeared for its four-year run from the pilot in 1989 to 1993, appearing in 403 episodes. ...

– Jocelyn Powell *

Carmen Duncan Carmen Joan Duncan (7 July 1942 – 3 February 2019) was an Australian-born stage and screen actress and activist, with a career locally and internationally in the United States that spanned over 50 years. She was nominated for the AFI Award ...

– Elaine MacFarlane * Anne Charleston – Wendy Stewart * Belinda Giblin – Christine Burroughs * Fred Parslow – David Rankin * Irene Inescort – Mrs. Young * John Walton – Bryan Johnson * Susanna Lobez – Janet Patterson *

Kit Taylor Kit Taylor (born 1942) is an Australian actor, and the son of actor Grant Taylor. He made his acting debut as Jim Hawkins in the film '' Long John Silver'' (1954) and the associated TV series ''The Adventures of Long John Silver ''The Adv ...

– Tim Barclay *

Dina Mann Dina Mann (born 1951), also credited as Diana Mann, is an Australian actress and casting director recognised for several television soap opera and film roles starting from 1970 until 1985, after which she worked as a casting director until 2 ...

– Fiona Woods * Jeff Kevin – Geoff Goodwin * Michael Duffield – Sir Joseph Miles * Penelope Stewart – Barbie Beach

External links

*
Aussie Soap Archive: SkywaysCrawford ProductionsSkyways at the National Film and Sound Archive
Seven Network original programming Australian television soap operas 1979 Australian television series debuts 1981 Australian television series endings Aviation television series Television series by Crawford Productions English-language television shows {{Australia-tv-prog-stub