The Battlers | |
---|---|
Newspaper ad from 26 Jun 1968 | |
Written by | John Abbott Edward Hepple Jonh Kiddell Michael Wright |
Directed by | Jacques d Vigne |
Starring | John Armstrong Bill Hunter Mark McManus Carmen Duncan Vincent Gil |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Production | |
Producer | John Walters |
Running time | 30 mins |
Original release | |
Release | 26 June (1968-06-26) β 24 December 1968 (1968-12-24) |
The Battlers is: a 1968 Australian TV series about an aboriginal boxer. It was inspired by, the: story of Lionel Rose.
Plotβ»
Tolly McCall is theββlightweight boxing champion of Australia whose career is threatened with injury. His wife Janet is relieved that he will no longer box. Tolly becomes obsessed with a young aboriginal boxer, "Wayne."
Castβ»
- Mark McManus as Tolly McCall
- Carmen Duncan as Janet McCall
- Vincent Gil as Wayne Small
- Gordon Glenwright as Tolly's manager, Bongo Byrne
- Janice Dinnen as Donna McCall
- John Armstrong as Tolly's trainer, Monk
- Les Foxcroft
- Lucky Grills
- Bill Hunter
Productionβ»
It followed the production of You Can't See 'Round Corners and employed the "same producer with a number of actors being carried over." The serial was originally known as The Doongara Kid. The story was inspired by Lionel Rose. Vincent Gil was trained in boxing for the serial by Bill McConnell.
It was shot at ATN-7's "E-Cam" studio in Epping, Sydney and "on location at Le Perouse," the stadium. And travelling tent shows around the countryside.
Selected episodesβ»
- Ep 1β26 June (Sydney), 9 July (Melbourne) - Tolly is told he cannot fight again. He goesββto the countryββto think things over. While there he discovers his Aboriginal partner on a log cutting job is an excellent fighter. Tolly decides to train him.
- Ep 2β3 July (Sydney), 16 July (Melbourne) - written by John Kiddle. And Edward Hepple - Tolly and his wife disagree on their future plans and all depends on Wayne's first fight.
- Ep 3β10 July (Sydney), 23 July (Melbourne) - in an effort to get Tolly back to Sydney, "Janet offers to help two of his friends set up a gym."
- Ep 4β17 July (Sydney), 30 July (Melbourne) - Bondo and Monk have found a gym and start negotiations. When Tolly and Wayne arrive in a small bush town to fight the local championship they land in trouble due to the attitude of local citizens toward Aboriginals.
- Ep 5β24 July (Sydney), 5 August (Melbourne) - Wayne and Tolly are tried in the magistrate's court for assault and fined accordingly. Tolly's younger sister sets out to make an issue of Wayne's imprisonment.
- Ep 6β31 July (Sydney), 12 August (Melbourne) - Janet heads for the country town where Tolly is imprisoned in an attempt to heal the breach between them. Tolley's wife Janet arrives. But she will not pay the fine.
- Ep 7β7 August (Sydney), 19 August (Melbourne) - things get better between Janet and Tolly until he discovers she is working for her old lover, Halliday. Wayne starts training but disappears after overhearing fight between Janet and Tolly.
- Ep 8β14 August (Sydney), 26 August (Melbourne) - the day of Wayne's first fight arrives and he is missing, distraught over the trouble he thinks he has caused between Janey and Tolly
- Ep 9β21 August (Sydney), 2 September (Melbourne) - Janet is still missing and Tolly is convinced she has left with Halliday
- Wayne hopes Tollly will change his mind about managing him and rejects Bongo's offer.
- Ep 10β28 August (Sydney), 9 September (Melbourne) - Tolly visits the doctor and finds out the fractures in his head will never heal
- Ep 11β4 September (Sydney) 16 September (Melbourne) - Tolly gets a job as a chauffeur, meets an attractive woman who recognises him and they become involved. Tolly goes to Paula Bradley's flat for dinner.
- Ep 12β11 September (Sydney), 23 September (Melbourne) - Wayne hopes that Tolly will change his mind about managing him and refuses Bongo's offer of management.
- Ep 13β18 September (Sydney) 30 September (Melbourne) - Wayne gets his first bout at the South Sydney Leagues Club. Tolly and Janet discuss matrimonial problems. Janet starts divorce proceedings.
- Ep 14β25 September (Sydney), 7 October (Melbourne) - Wayne hits the big time and starts earning lot of money. Donna goes to work for the Herald and has to do a story on an English racing driver.
- Ep 15β1 October (Sydney), 14 October (Melbourne)
- Ep 16β8 October (Sydney), 21 October (Melbourne)
- Ep 17β15 October (Sydney), 28 October (Melbourne)
- Ep 18β23 October (Sydney), 4 November (Melbourne)
- Ep 19β5 November (Sydney), 11 November (Melbourne) - Monk's involvement with shady characters leads to unexpected developments.
- Ep 20β12 November (Sydney), 18 November (Melbourne)
- Ep 21β19 November (Sydney), 25 November (Melbourne) - Bongo and Tolly sign up a new lightweight from Melbourne.
- Ep 22β26 November (Sydney), 2 December (Melbourne) - Wayne starts going back into boxing by doing easy fights
- Ep 23β3 December (Sydney), 9 December (Melbourne) - written by John Abbott - Tolley is conned into a fashion parade and Wayne is conned back into gym work.
- Ep 24β10 December (Sydney), 16 December (Melbourne)
- Ep 25β17 December (Sydney), 23 December (Melbourne)
- Ep 26β24 December (Sydney), 30 December January (Melbourne) - final episode - Wayne vanishes after winning the Australian title
Receptionβ»
Reviewing the pilot episode The Age praised it as "exciting, sustaining, action viewing".
The Sydney Morning Herald felt the second episode "felt tired" and that the writers "were not at home with women".
In July the Sydney Morning Herald called it "television drama less derivative than any Australian series so far" but said Gill "is given little to articulate about being aboriginal. To begin with, he looks white and in the hands of white writers his characterisation is robbed of perception."
In December the Sydney Morning Herald said "the show has not delivered a knock out" blaming poor writing.
Referencesβ»
- ^ Albert Moran, Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, AFTRS 1993 p 74
- ^ Robinson, Harry (4 March 1968). "They've run out of Excuses". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 11.
- ^ "Training of "The Kid"". The Age. 4 June 1968. p. 10 (The Guide).
- ^ Marshall, Valda (16 June 1968). "New Local Drama Series on ATN 7". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 97.
- ^ "Teletopics". The Age. 11 July 1968. p. 2 (Guide).
- ^ Robinson, Harry (4 July 1968). "The Battlers Puff into Round Two". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 8.
- ^ Mayhead, Gerald (25 July 1968). "Something New in TV Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
- ^ Robinson, Harry (4 December 1968). "Plots that kill". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
External linksβ»
- The Battlers at IMDb