Anzacs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (January 2008)

Anzacs (named for members of the ANZAC army formations) was a 1985 5-part Australian mini series set in World War One. The series was hugely successful worldwide and starred Paul Hogan, of "Crocodile" Dundee fame, as likeable soldier Pat Cleary. Well noted for its humour and historical accuracy, the series follows the lives of a group of young Australian men who enlist in the Australian army in 1914, fighting first at Gallipoli in 1915, and then on the Western Front for the remainder of the war.

The mini-series is very much an ensemble-acting affair with some very well known faces in the line-up including Andrew Clarke, Paul Hogan (in his first dramatic role), Tony Bonner, Megan Williams, Jon Blake, Patrick Ward, Ilona Rogers and Robert Coleby.

Australian composer Bruce Rowland composed the original music for the series which also popularised many old marching songs of the period for example:

(Tune: John Brown's Body)

One staff officer jumped right over another staff officer's back.
And another staff officer jumped right over that other staff officer's back,
A third staff officer jumped right over two other staff officers' backs,
And a fourth staff officer jumped right over all the other staff officers' backs.

They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog,
When one staff officer jumped right over another staff officer's back.

[edit] Episodes

  • Episode 1: Australia in 1914… Outbreak of war… Recruitment… Training… Gallipoli: Landing/stalemate/withdrawal.
  • Episode 2: Arrival in France (1916)… Nursery Sector… The Battle of the Somme… Pozieres.
  • Episode 3: The Somme Winter (1916-17)… The Hindenburg Line… Bullecourt… Blighty Leave… Third Battle of Ypres begins (July 1917)… Menin Road… Broodseinde Ridge
  • Episode 4: Third Battle of Ypres bogs down (November 1917)… The German Offensive (March 1918)… The Battle of Amiens… Hazebrouk… Battle of Nieppe Forest.
  • Episode 5: The Yanks are coming… "Peaceful Penetration"… Monash appointed Commander of the 5 Australian Divisions… Battle of Hamel… The "Jack ups" Monash's Big Push (August 8, 1918)… Armistice (November 11, 1918)… Back Home.

[edit] External links