Touch the Sun (Australian TV series)

Touch the Sun was a television series commissioned by the Australian Children's Television Foundation in 1988 as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations. It may have been intended that seven feature-length episodes were produced, one for each State, plus the Northern Territory, but only six were completed. Executive producer was Patricia Edgar in association with the ABC and production company Revcom.

Contents

Scope

The six telemovies (each 95 minutes' duration) deal with issues important to children: adoption, multiculturalism, country life, fame, running away and deafness. They are set in a different States and depict children overcoming problems in different family and social situations.

Titles

1. Captain Johnno (South Australia) dir. Mario Andreacchio

writer Rob George
A deaf boy makes friends with an Italian fisherman who speaks no English.
cast included Damien Walters, Joe Petruzzi, John Waters, Rebecca Sykes, Michele Fawdon, Elspeth Ballantyne, Vivienne Graves, Sam Sowton, Phoebe Salter, Peter Green, Henry Salter and Grant Piro

2. Devil's Hill (Tasmania) dir. Esben Storm

writer David Phillips from the novel by Nan Chauncy
City boy and country cousin get lost in the mountains
cast included Cameron Atkins, Peter Hehir, Mary Haire, John Flaus, Alexander 'Matthew' Jacobs, Emma Pugh and Jane McArthur

3. The Gift (Victoria and Western Australia) dir. Paul Cox

writers Paul Cox and Jeff Peck
A Melbourne couple wins some land in Western Australia.
cast included Nicholas Hatjiandreau, Vicki Serbos, Alexis Anthopolous, Con Laras, Rena Frangioudakis, Peter Felmingham, Margaret Ford, Bill McClusky, Ken James and Susanne Chapman

4. Peter and Pompey (Queensland) dir Michael Carson

writer John Misto
Three Queensland children find Latin inscriptions in a cave.
cast included Clayton Williamson, Kate McDonald (who is daughter of Garry McDonald), Emile Minty, Aaron Ferguson, Paul Chubb, Lynnette Curran, Dennis Miller, Amanda Muggleton, Basil Clarke and Bruce Venables

5. Princess Kate (New South Wales) dir. George Ogilvie

writers Kristin Williamson and David Williamson
Adopted daughter of wealthy couple searches for her birth mother
cast included Justine Clarke, Lyndel Rowe, Alan Cassell, Myra Noblet, Shane Tickner, Rebekah Elmaloglou, Lorna Lesley, Martin Sacks, Mouche Phillips, Claudia Karvan, Beth Buchanan, Annie Byron and Nick Enright.

6. Top Enders (Northern Territory) dir. Jackie McKimmie

writers Michael Aitkens and Jackie McKimmie
Alice and her Aboriginal friend get lost while fleeing to Kakadu
cast included John Jarratt, Madeleine Blackwell, Bennendine Woods, Donald Dale, Tom Lewis, Justine Saunders, Bernadette Hudson, Mai Nguyen, Willy Johnson and Marcus Rosas.

Recognition

Captain Johnno won the International Emmy Award in 1988.

Publication

VHS copies were made available for general release and at least one, Captain Johnno appeared in a subtitled classroom edition.

Only one of the six movies, Princess Kate, has been released on DVD.

Sources