The Battlers (TV series)

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The Battlers
The battlers.png
Newspaper ad from 26 Jun 1968
Written byJohn Abbott
Edward Hepple
Jonh Kiddell
Michael Wright
Directed byJacques d Vigne
StarringJohn Armstrong
Bill Hunter
Mark McManus
Carmen Duncan
Vincent Gil
Country of origin Australia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes26
Production
ProducerJohn Walters
Running time30 mins
Original release
Release26 June (1968-06-26) 
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. [1]

Contents

Plot

Tolly McCall is the lightweight 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.

Cast

Production

It was followed the production of You Can't See Round Corners. It was originally known as The Doongara Kid. [2] The story was inspired by Lionel Rose. Vincent Gil was trained in boxing for the serial by Bill McConnell. [3]

It was shot at ATN's studio in Epping, Sydney and on location at Le Perouse, the stadium, and travelling tent shows. [4]

Selected episodes

Reception

Reviewing the pilot episode The Age praised it as "exciting, sustaining, action viewing". [5]

The Sydney Morning Herald felt the second episode "felt tired" and that the writers "were not at home with women". [6]

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." [7]

In December the Sydney Morning Herald said "the show has not delivered a knock out" blaming poor writing. [8]

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References

  1. Albert Moran, Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, AFTRS 1993 p 74
  2. Robinson, Harry (4 March 1968). "They've run out of Excuses". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 11.
  3. "Training of "The Kid"". The Age. 4 June 1968. p. 10 (The Guide).
  4. Marshall, Valda (16 June 1968). "New Local Drama Series on ATN 7". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 97.
  5. "Teletopics". The Age. 11 July 1968. p. 2 (Guide).
  6. Robinson, Harry (4 July 1968). "The Battlers Puff into Round Two". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 8.
  7. Mayhead, Gerald (25 July 1968). "Something New in TV Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.
  8. Robinson, Harry (4 December 1968). "Plots that kill". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 6.