Simon Townsend's Wonder World
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The multi-award winning Simon Townsend's Wonder World! was Australia's highest rating, most popular 'C' classified program, regularly drawing double-digit ratings figures and outrating even the TEN evening news. It aired every weekday of the year from 1979 until 1986.
The program was conceived by Simon Townsend in the early Seventies and designed to be a fast-moving and wonderous daily dose of informed entertainment for kids. Of course, it was also meant to be suitable for and attractive to older teens and adults. Indeed some came to call it 'The Muso's Breakfast Show'. Both the Nine and the Seven Networks helped Simon make pilots for his concept, but neither network bought the series. However in 1979 when the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal introduced a compulsory 'C' classification and made it a requirement for networks to broadcast only 'C' classified shows between 4 PM and 5 PM weekdays, Simon was smart enough to quickly apply for and win one of the first 'C' classifications for his show. At the same time, Network TEN was searching for a program with a coveted 'C', and when Simon offered them his, TEN jumped at the opportunity and signed the show.
The first episode of Simon Townsend's Wonder World went to air on 3 September 1979. At first the show was telecast only in the East Coast capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But after Harvey Shore joined the program as producer in early 1980, his publicity expertise resulted in rapidly expanding public awareness and interest in the program throughout Australia. (In addition to being an award-winning film and TV producer, Harvey Shore had also been head of publicity for Village Roadshow movie distributors and exhibitors, and for the Maritime Services Board of New South Wales where Sydney Harbour was his office. He had met Simon Townsend when they both worked on Mike Willesee's top-rating TV show 'Willesee At Seven'. They were an odd partnership - Harvey being a graduate of the Royal Military College Duntroon and Simon being a conscientious objector who refused to be drafted into the army. But together they formed a superb partnership that delivered a reliable flow of remarkable television supported by great amounts of regular publicity that created enormous public awareness amongst the total television audience Australia-wide.) Before long other capital city and regional stations began signing up for the show. By the end of 1980 it was screening in every single TV broadcast region throughout Australia. Soon it became the top-rating program on the TEN Network outside prime time - and sometimes its ratings were better than programs in prime time. For many years the TEN Network ran two episodes of Simon Townsend's Wonder World! every weekday because of its ratings power - an old repeat show at 4PM followed by a new show at 4.30PM. Under the publicity-savvy Harvey Shore, the regular featuring of Simon Townsend's Wonder World! in press and radio stories throughout Australia led to the show winning itself one of the highest media and public profiles of any afternoon show on Australian TV. One press story in 1985 said, "I read a newspaper today and there was not a single mention of Simon Townsend. Is this a record?"
Simon Townsend's Wonder World! also won an exceptional number of awards - five Logie Awards and many other trophies and prizes, including a special trophy presented by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke on the occasion of its 1,000th show (as recorded in TV Week, issue of 9th June 1983.)
Each episode of Simon Townsend's Wonder World! featured an introduction by Simon Townsend as the studio host, accompanied by his bloodhound Woodrow. Simon would then present four individual magazine-style stories, each starring one of his four young and talented reporters. The stories covered any and every subject imaginable, from the most amazing pets, to the meaning of one hand clapping. Every show also contained a viewer segment, and a music segment - often produced by the program itself. For instance Simon Townsend's Wonder World! made the first ever music clip of famous Aussie band INXS.
Simon Townsend would always end every show with the same signature farewell - "And remember, the world really is wonderful!"
Simon Townsend was a great supporter of new Australian talent. Many people who got their first break in television via Simon Townsend's Wonder World! went on to achieve fame in the industry. For instance Jonathan Coleman became a huge star in both Australia and England. Angela Catterns became a radio star. Edith Bliss became an advertising and music star. Philip Tanner and Maurace Parker became top producers. Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie went on to win an Academy Award (an Oscar) for his film work. Fiona Baker went on to create many hit TV shows for other networks. There are many similar success stories that began with Simon Townsend and his gun producer Harvey Shore; who was not only Simon's friend and producer and publicity expert, but also a gifted organiser who (on a zero budget) arranged for the Wonder World! team to travel all over Australia and to many and varied locations in America, the UK, Europe, India, Asia and the Pacific region.
The extraordinary success of Simon Townsend's Wonder World! has never been repeated by any other show, though many sought to copy its style. Simon's pet and companion Woodrow died in 1985 and was replaced at first with a sulphur-crested cockatoo and then with another baby bloodhound. Reporters left the show and were replaced by other talented young Australians. The show became an Australian TV phenomena and remained that way for eight years. Decades later it was still fondly remembered by all who had seen it.
In September 1994, a special 32mm bronze medallion was struck by Sydney medallists Amor Sanders to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the start of Simon Townsend's Wonder World! The Simon Townsend's Wonder World! medallion contains on its obverse an image of Simon Townsend and Woodrow with the show's logo, surrounded by the legend, "On 3 September 1979 a TV legend began - to prove the world really is wonderful!" On its reverse, the medallion contains a quote from producer Harvey Shore: "To live in the hearts and minds of others is to never die." This 32mm bronze medallion is the first and only medallion struck to commemorate a television show in Australian history. Only 500 copies of the Simon Townsend's Wonder World! medallion were minted, and most were distributed to members of the cast and crew who attended a special 15th Anniversary party in September 1994 in Sydney.
After more than 2,000 episodes, Simon Townsend's Wonder World! finally folded its tent in 1986. During its seven years on air, these were its main on-camera personalities:
- Simon Townsend
- Woodrow
- Jonathan Coleman
- Angela Catterns
- Hugh Piper
- Sandy Meagher
- Edith Bliss
- Sheridan Jobbins
- Maurice Parker
- Phillip Tanner
- Hugh Munro
- Brett Clements
- Wednesday Kennedy
- Adam Bowen
In 1990, two of Simon Townsend's former reporters Phillip Tanner and Brett Clements bought the rights to Simon Townsend's Wonder World! and sold the concept to the Nine Network which re-launched the show. Its name was simplified to Wonder World! Harvey Shore was hired to train new reporters and produce the show once again. The hosts and reporters of this series included Liesl Macdonald, Jody Young, Pascall Fox, Nick Penn, Tony Johnston and Catriona Rowntree. This updated version of Simon Townsend's show began production in 1992, and rated well in its three-year run.
