Alister Smart

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Alister Smart
Born1935 (age 89–90) [1]
Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesAlastair Smart
Occupations
  • Actor
  • television presenter
  • television director
  • writer
Years active
Employer Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1966-1991)
Known for Play School as host 1966–1993 (27 years)
Notable work

Alister Smart (born 1935) [1] [2] also credited as Alastair Smart, [3] is an Australian retired television presenter, actor, television director and screenwriter from. A staple of the small screen, he appeared in productions in England, before returning to Australia, and had roles in television plays, telefilms and soap opera/serials with numerous credits from the late 1950s until the mid-1990s.

Contents

Smart is best known for his extended role as a presenter on the children's TV series Play School spanning from 1966 to 1993. He is also recognized for his appearances with fellow members of Play School , including Don Spencer [1] on tie-in records released for ABC Music, as well as in audiobooks. [1] [4] [5] As a presenter on the latter, he had one of the longest stints on television in Australia, co-hosting alongside Spencer, Lorraine Bayly, Benita Collings, John Hamblin, Noni Hazlehurst, John Waters, Philip Quast and Anne Haddy. [4]

In addition to his presenting work, Smart made significant contributions as a television director. He directed 88 episodes of soap opera Sons and Daughters and, briefly, four episodes of the police procedural series Blue Heelers .

Career

Actor

Smart started his career in local theatre in 1957, and continued working in stage drama throughout his life. His theatre roles include Shakespeare's Macbeth, King Henry V and a tour of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. [6]

In the early 1960s, Smart expanded his career to television in England, where he appeared in televised plays. He performed in anthology series including ITV Play of the Week and Comedy Playhouse , as well as serials like Emergency Ward 10 . In the latter part of the 1960s he returned to Australia, [1] where he appeared in guest roles in soap operas and made-for-television movies. His credits in Australia included You Can't See 'round Corners , Homicide . Division 4 , The Sullivans and Cop Shop . Although not a regular in the Number 96 television series, Smart had a prominent role as journalist Duncan Hunter in the film adaption. [7]

Television director

Smart pursued a career in directing both movies and TV series from the early 1970s until his retirement in 1994. His directorial work included notable projects such as Scattergood: Friend of All , Sons and Daughters , Richmond Hill , Prisoner and Blue Heelers . [8] [9] [10]

Television presenter

Smart is known for his role as a presenter on the long-running children's TV program Play School, the Australian adaptation of the original British version of the same title. Smart made his first appearance in the debut episode in 1966, and continued in this role for 27 years until he retired in 1993. During his tenure, he hosted alongside other original cast members including Diane Dorgan (1966), Donald Mcdonald, Kerry Francis, Anne Haddy (1966-1969), and Lorraine Bayly (1966-1978). [5]

Personal life

Smart grew up in Nowra, New South Wales and was married to actress Margery Milne, whom he sometimes acted alongside. He currently resides in East Gippsland, Victoria. [11]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1963 The Right Thing [12] Jose GomezTV movie
1964 Ring Out, Wild Bells (episode of Wednesday Theatre)John LambertTV movie
1965 Arabesque for Atoms TV movie
1966 Twelfth Night (episode of Wednesday Theatre)CurioTV movie
1969 It Take's All Kinds RayFeature film
1974 Number 96 Duncan HunterFilm adaptation
1977Harness FeverSergeant MeekerTV movie
1977 Roses Bloom Twice TV movie
1978 Plunge Into Darkness TV movie
1980 People Like Us Detective RogersTV movie
1992 The Girl Who Came Late (aka Daydream Believer)RonFeature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1961 Theatre 70 Building WorkerTV series
1961Three Live WiresTV series
1961 ITV Play of the Week CheckerTV series
1961 The Seven Faces of Jim Kenneth Kendall,
Digger,
Newspaper reporter		TV series
1962 Comedy Playhouse TV series
1962 Drama 61-67 Dr. JeffersonTV series
1962 Six More Faces of Jim TV series
1963 Emergency Ward 10 Mr. RileyTV series
1965-71 Homicide Doctor Perini,
John Whelan,
Geoff Woods,
Alan Watson,
George Allen,
Lucio Leurini,
John Meadows		TV series
1966-93 Play School PresenterTV series [13]
1967 You Can't See 'round Corners TV series
1967 Contrabandits Greer,
Cox		TV series
1968-69 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Alf,
Sergeant		TV series
1969 Riptide Adam Brockenhurst,
Les Duggan,
Ted		TV series
1969-1975 Division 4 Dennis,
Downey
Kenney Kent,
Alf Clarke,
Stan Hassett,
Don Jenkins,
Taylor		TV series
1970 The Rovers GaryTV series
1970 Delta Paul Falstone-GreenTV series
1970 Dynasty AmbassadorTV series
1971 Spyforce CarlosTV series
1972 Barrier Reef LynchTV series
1971; 73 Matlock Police Ricco,
Barney White		TV series
1973 Ryan Colin BrownTV series
1973 Serpent in the Rainbow Adam QuiggTV miniseries
1974 Behind the Legend Frank GardinerTV series
1974 Silence Number Dr. FisherTV series
1975 Ben Hall Jack TaylorTV series
1975 Wollongong the Brave TV series
1976 The Emigrants Migrant reception officerTV series
1976 The Sullivans Paul HaywardTV series
1976 Number 96 Frank HobsonTV series
1976 The Outsiders Li NortonTV series
1977 Moynihan TV series
1977 Young Ramsay Ken MurrayTV series
1977-79 Glenview High KazimTV series
1978-1980 Cop Shop Phillip Cooper,
Sharkey		TV series
1979 The Magical World of Disney Sergeant MeekerTV series
1979 Skyways Hal BaileyTV series
1984 Carson's Law David MockridgeTV series
1985 Special Squad TV series
1988 Rafferty's Rules RobsonTV series

Director

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1991 The Time Game DirectorTV movie
1993 You and Me and Uncle Bob DirectorTV movie

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1972 The Spoiler (TV series)DirectorTV series, 1 episode
-"The Price"
1972 The Godfathers DirectorTV series, 5 episodes
-"There's a Tortoise in My Bath"
"The Lift"
"Too Many Cakes"
"The Prize"
-Double Trouble
1974One Man in the CompanyDirectorTV series, 1 episode
"Two in One" (also served as producer on 5 eps.)
1974 Scattergood: Friend of All DirectorTV series
1977 Cop Shop DirectorTV series. 6 episodes
1979 Skyways DirectorTV series
1982 A Country Practice DirectorTV series, 14 episodes
1983 Waterloo Station DirectorTV series
1986 Prisoner DirectorTV series, 7 episodes
1982-87 Sons and Daughters DirectorTV series, 88 episodes
1989 Richmond Hill DirectorTV series
1989-90 Rafferty's Rules DirectorTV series, 4 episodes
-Out of Line"
-"One for Us"
-"Free of Passion"
-"In Custody"
1989-90 E Street DirectorTV series, 6 episodes
1991 Neighbours DirectorTV series, 6 episodes
1994 Blue Heelers DirectorTV series, 4 episodes
"Waiting for Apples"
-"Family Lies"
-Good Cop, Bad Cop
-"Crazy Like a Fox"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz page 224".
  2. ↑ GILES, NIGEL "Number 96: Australia's Most Notorious Address"
  3. ↑ "AlisterSmart".
  4. 1 2 "Jottings". The Sydney Morning Herald . 12 July 1987.
  5. 1 2 "Play School (1966-present)".
  6. ↑ "Alister Smart". AusStage.
  7. ↑ "NUMBER 96 movie's 40th birthday bash".
  8. ↑ "Alister Smart". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Alister Smart". BFI Film Forever. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Alister Smart". Osobnosti (in Czech). Tiscali Media. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Arabesque for Atoms". TV-Times. p. 11.
  12. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (17 February 2025). "Forgotten Australian Television Plays: The Right Thing". Filmink. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "Playschool legend visits city". Barrier Daily Truth. 23 October 2018.
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