ANZACS (TV Series)

''Anzacs'' (named for members of the all volunteer army formations) is a 1985 Australian five-part television miniseries set in World War I. The series follows the lives of a group of young Australian men who enlist in the 8th Battalion (Australia) of the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914, fighting first at Gallipoli in 1915, and then on the Western Front for the remainder of the war.

It follows in the wake of Australian New Wave war films such as ''Breaker Morant'' (1980), '' Gallipoli'' (1981), and precedes '' The Lighthorsemen'' (1987). Recurring themes of these films include the Australian identity, such as mateship and larrikinism, the loss of innocence in war, and also the continued coming of age of the Australian nation and its soldiers (the ANZAC spirit).

Episodes

Cast

Main

* Andrew Clarke as Martin Barrington
* Jon Blake as Robert Flanagan
* Paul Hogan as Pat Cleary
* Christopher Cummins as Roly Collins
* Jonathan Sweet as Bill Harris
* Megan Williams as Kate Baker
* Shane Briant as "Kaiser" Schmidt
* Alec Wilson as "Pudden" Parsons
* Peter Finlay as "Bluey"
* Bill Kerr as General Monash

Supporting

* Tony Bonner as Harold Armstrong
* David Lynch as Max Earnshaw
* Ilona Rodgers as Lady Thea Barrington
* Elaine Lee as Madame
* Robert Coleby as Reverend Lonsdale
* Peter Browne as Carter

Additional

* David Bradshaw as Keith Murdoch
* Mark Hembrow as Dick Baker
* Jim Holt as Dinny "Dingo" Gordon
* Patrick Ward as Tom McArthur
* Edmund Pegge as Captain Young
* Wayne Jarratt as Private Upton
* Karl Hansen as Erik Johansen
* Tony Cornwill as Karl Johansen
* Terry Brittingham as Private Morrissey
* James Wright as 'Edward Kelly'
* Vincent Ball as Rupert Barrington
* Sheila Kennelly as Mrs Baker
* Howard Bell as Cyril Earnshaw
* Diana Greentree as Mrs Collins
* Leah Steventon as Marie

* Vivean Gray as Matron
* Mark Mitchell as a dying German soldier
* Bruce Kerr as Lancashire Colonel
* Gareth Wilding-Forbes as Buffs Officer
* Chris Gregory as German Sergeant
* Noel Trevarthen as Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
* Michael Adams as General Kiggell
* Rhys McConnochie as Lloyd George
* Malcolm Robertson as General Bridges
* Sean Myers as Lt General Walker
* Reg Evans as General Birdwood
* Chris Waters as General White
* Francis Bell as Major-General Elliott
* Geoff Parry as General Blamey

Production

The series was produced by Geoff Burrowes for Nine Network, Australia. The episodes were directed by Pino Amenta, John Dixon, or George Miller (of '' The Man from Snowy River'' fame). The story consultant was Patsy Adam-Smith and the filming took place over 20 weeks.

The actors playing British officers and politicians were almost all New Zealanders. Many of the extras playing the roles of Allied, American, and German soldiers were serving members of the Australian Army. This was done to keep costs down so that actors did not have to learn how to act as soldiers or to have to teach them how to use the weapons. Many of the actors would also appear on the US TV series '' Mission Impossible'' which was filmed mostly in Australia.

In one episode, an Australian soldier remarks how much the French countryside reminds him of Daylesford back home in Victoria, Australia. This was an in-joke as some scenes were filmed near Daylesford, including the German counter-attack scene in episode 4.

Music

Australian composer Bruce Rowland composed the original music for the series which also popularised many old marching songs of the period. The classic Australian song 'Waltzing Matilda' is heard at several points as is 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'. Several songs from the satirical musical 'Oh, What a Lovely War!' were also used, including the title song, 'I wore a tunic', 'The bells of Hell' and other period numbers, like 'If you were the only girl' and 'keep the home fires burning' – which were performed by various actors.

A 45-minute cassette tape of the soundtrack, entitled ''ANZACS : original soundtrack from the television mini series'', was released in 1985.

Reception

Well noted for its humour and historical accuracy, the series was "a huge rating success for the Nine Network when it aired". According to the review by James Anthony: "The battle scenes are terrific and the muddy trenches of the Western Front look acceptably cold and horrible. hen againSome of the acting goes a bit astray and there is sometimes a bit too much play on larrikinism and ockerness, but overall it sits well as a quality drama with good characters." In the 2003 book ''German Anzacs and the First World War'' by John F. Williams, even more contextual detail is provided: "'Anzacs' is essentially a very long buddy movie in the form of television soap. While