Stormy Petrel (TV series)
Stormy Petrel was an early attempt at Australian television drama. A mini-series/period drama, the 12-episode series told the story of William Bligh,[1] and aired in 1960 on ABC. Other period drama series produced by ABC in the early 1960s included The Outcasts[2] (1961), The Patriots[3] (1962), and The Hungry Ones[4] (1963). Additionally, in 1964 the broadcaster aired The Purple Jacaranda, a mini-series/serial with a contemporary setting. Telerecordings (also known as Kinescope recordings) of the series are held by National Archives of Australia.
Reception
Coming at a time when Australia produced few dramatic television series, The Age called it a "successful serial" and commented "These colorful - and factual - Australian series are a "must" for Australian television"[5]