Elly & Jools

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Elly & Jools
Genre Children's television series
Created by Posie Graeme-Evans [1]
Written by
  • Greg Haddrick
  • Maureen Ann Moran
  • Chris Roache
  • Alister Webb
Directed by Karl Zwicky
Starring Rebecca Smart
Clayton Williamson
Peter Fisher
Anne Tenney
Abigail
Dennis Miller
Damon Herriman
Vanessa Collier
Theme music composer
  • Chris Harriott
  • Dennis Watkins
Opening theme"Help Me Through The World" by Andrew Cam and Nadine Weinberger
Ending theme"Help Me Through The World" (instrumental)
ComposerChris Harriott
No. of series1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producerErrol Sullivan
Producers
  • Posie Graeme-Evans
  • Errol Sullivan
EditorJohn Cameron
Running time25 minutes
Production company Southern Star Group
Original release
Network Nine Network
Release11 June (1990-06-11) 
26 June 1990 (1990-06-26)

Elly & Jools is an Australian children's television series that originally aired on the Nine Network in 1990. [2]

Contents

It starred Rebecca Smart as Elinor 'Elly' Lockett and Clayton Williamson as Julian 'Jools' Trevaller. It also featured Abigail, Anne Tenney, Peter Fisher, Dennis Miller, Damon Herriman and Vanessa Collier. [3] [4]

Cast

Plot synopsis

The Trevaller family move from the city to a new house in a small country town called Waterloo Creek. [5] The house they move into is haunted by the ghost of a young girl called Elinor "Elly" Lockett who died in the 19th century. [5] Elly befriends the Julian "Jools" Trevaller, who tries to help solve the mystery of her death. [5]

In the final episode it is revealed that Elly died in a tragic accident and stayed in the world of the living in order to clear the name of the man suspected of her murder. Having achieved peace, she passes to the afterlife and is reunited with her loving family whilst Jools meets Eloise, a living girl identical to Elly who is perceived either as her reincarnation or as a sign to him that the world is full of human girls just like her. [6]

Production

Filming of Elly and Jools commenced in July 1989. [7] Rebecca Smart's casting announced shortly after the commencement of filming. [7]

The show was filmed at Peninsula House in Windsor, New South Wales and at the Australiana Pioneer Village in Wilberforce.[ citation needed ]

The dog which appeared in the series also played the dingo in the Meryl Streep and Sam Neill film, A Cry in the Dark .[ citation needed ]

Home media

In 1991, the twelve 30-minute episodes were condensed into one three-hour video distributed by CIC Video. [8] [9]

Reception

Elly and Jools received positive reviews from television critics.

The Sydney Morning Herald's Jon Casimir praised the show describing it as a "pleasure to watch" due to Karl Zwicky's inventive direction, an up-tempo soundtrack from Chris Harriott, the "sterling work" of the actors and also because of "an all-pervasive sense of fun" and "an unabashed enthusiasm." [10] Casimir also wrote: "...what Elly and Jools has to say about life is every bit as pertinent if not more so, that anything you could learn from Ramsay Street or Summer Bay." [10]

While discussing Australian children's television which had been produced during the year of 1990, Margaret Geddes from The Age described Elly and Jools as "another gem made locally" and a "delightfully gentle romantic comedy." [2]

See also

References

  1. Frances, Ellen (16 December 1993). "Viewing for a new millennium". The Age. p. 47. Retrieved 30 September 2025. Posie Graham-Evans, the producer and creator of the 1989 children's mini-series Elly and Jools says Australian children's drama is among the best available...
  2. 1 2 Geddes, Margaret (13 December 1990). "These were the best for children in '90". The Age. p. 54. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  3. Albert Moran, Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, AFTRS 1993 p 158
  4. Sadler, Kevin (10 June 1990). "Hair's a surprise". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 84. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Elly & Jools". AustLit. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  6. "Elly & Jools". Nostalgia Central. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. 1 2 Casimir, Jon (24 July 1989). "Smart casting by Bateman". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 67. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  8. "Elly is a ghostly friendly". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 September 1991. p. 80. Retrieved 30 September 2025. Elly and Jools is a CIC Video...
  9. "Video". The Age. 10 October 1991. p. 43. Retrieved 30 September 2025. ...Elly and Jools, originally 12 half-hours directed by Karl Zwicky, has been cut into one three-hour video (G, CIC)...
  10. 1 2 Casimir, Jon (11 June 1990). "Guide preview: Elly and Jools". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 60. Retrieved 30 September 2025.