Barley Charlie was an Australian television sitcom which aired in 1964. It was the second television sitcom produced in Australia; being preceded by the 1957–1959 series Take That, although that Crawford Productions sitcom had only aired in Melbourne.[1] Some of the creatives went on to be involved in the serial drama Undercurrent (1965).
| Barley Charlie | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Rod Kinnear |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Bruce Clark |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Rod Kinnear |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | GTV-9 |
| Release | 31 March – 23 June 1964 |
Overview
editBarley Charlie aired for 13 episodes, produced by GTV-9 and also shown on other stations across Australia.[2] Though short-lived, the series was a ratings success.[3] The main cast were Sheila Bradley, Robina Beard, and Eddie Hepple.[4]
The National Film and Sound Archive hold at least four episodes of Barley Charlie as well as some documentation.[5]
Cast
editMain
edit- Eddie Hepple as Charlie Appleby
- Robina Beard as Shirley Muggleton
- Sheila Bradley as Joan Muggleton
- Stewart Weller as Stinger
Guests
edit- George Whaley (1 episode)
- Wynn Roberts as Jim Fogarty (1 episode)
- Terry Norris as Herb (1 episode)
- Joe McCormick as Harrison Blake, Jr (1 episode)
Premise
editThe premise was developed by the British scriptwriting team of Chesney and Wolfe while they were visiting Australia in the wake of the worldwide success of The Rag Trade.[4]
Joan and Shirley Muggleton are two cityslicker sisters who inherit a roadhouse café and garage midway between Melbourne and Sydney. Working there is Charlie Appleby, a lazy and clueless mechanic.[4][6]
Episodes
editAll episodes were produced and directed by Rod Kinnear. The first six episodes were written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney and adapted for Australian audiences by Alan Hopgood; the remaining seven were written solely by Hopgood. The series was first broadcast in Melbourne; selected episodes were later broadcast for the first time in Adelaide.[6]
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date [6] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Double Take" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 31 March 1964 | |
| 2 | "The Big Fix" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 7 April 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 17 August 1964.[6] | ||||
| 3 | "A Quid Each Way, Every Way" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 14 April 1964 | |
| 4 | "The Inspector Calls" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 21 April 1964 | |
| 5 | "Petticoat Prison" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 28 April 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 7 September 1964.[6] | ||||
| 6 | "Hygiene Hi-Jack" | Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe | 5 May 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 14 September 1964.[6] | ||||
| 7 | "Home Sweet Brew" | Alan Hopgood | 12 May 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 21 September 1964.[6] | ||||
| 8 | "Hot Lines" | Alan Hopgood | 19 May 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 28 September 1964.[6] | ||||
| 9 | "Cawler's Ghost" | Alan Hopgood | 26 May 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 5 October 1964.[6] | ||||
| 10 | "Bad Nose for Charlie" | Alan Hopgood | 2 June 1964 | |
| 11 | "Colonel Blood" | Alan Hopgood | 9 June 1964 | |
| 12 | "Frenzy Persuasion" | Alan Hopgood | 16 June 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 26 October 1964.[6] | ||||
| 13 | "A Candle for Charlie" | Alan Hopgood | 23 June 1964 | |
|
Also aired in Adelaide on 2 November 1964.[6] | ||||
References
edit- ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". FilmInk. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Cast in GTV-9 Series". TV & Radio Guide. The Age. Melbourne. 12 December 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Barley Charlie". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c "GTV-9s new comedy series". TV & Radio Guide. The Age. Melbourne. 9 January 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "Australia's Living Archive Annual Report 2010–11" (PDF). National Film and Sound Archive. p. 196. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Storey, Don; Keating, Chris (2013). "Barley Charlie Episodes". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
