| The Big Deal | |
|---|---|
 Advertisement from The Age 29 Nov 1961 | |
| Written by | Charles Cohen |
| Directed by | William Sterling |
| Starring | Don Crosby |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 mins [1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | 29 November 1961 (Melbourne) [2] |
| Release | 9 May 1962 (Sydney) [3] |
| Release | 5 March 1963 (Brisbane) [4] |
The Big Deal is a 1961 Australian TV play. [5] Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time. [6]
Herbie, a despatch worker at a plastics factory, dreams of being a millionaire, but he lacks the killer instinct. His friend Julian dreams of creating novelties from plastic.
The play had been broadcast in London and New York but this was its first production in Australia. Brenda Beddison and Morton Smith made their debuts in "live" drama. [7] Eight studio sets were constructed by Kevin Bartlett. [4]
The critic from the Sydney Morning Herald thought the play was "neither comical, subtle, ironic, nor in fact even, remotely entertaining" having "no plot worthy of the name, and its theme, tenuous to say the least, gained nothing from the hourlong treatment" with "dialogue of unrelieved stodginess, produced without imagination, dramatic sense or photographic skill." [8]
The Story of Peter Grey was an Australian television daytime soap opera produced by the Seven Network and first broadcast in July 1962. James Condon starred in the title role as a church minister.
Shell Presents was an early attempt at Australian television drama, being an umbrella title for several different productions. It debuted on 4 April 1959, and aired on ATN-7 and GTV-9, who split production of plays for the series between them. It was an anthology series, each program being a self-contained play for television. The series won a Logie award in 1960 for TV Highlight of 1959. As the title suggests, it was sponsored by Shell. It was described as "a very big deal for the station: major institutional sponsorship from international companies for locally produced drama." It would be followed by The General Motors Hour.
"They Were Big, They Were Blue, They Were Beautiful" is an Australian television movie, or rather a live television play, which aired live on 27 June 1959 in Sydney, and on 8 August 1959 in Melbourne. It aired as part of Shell Presents, a monthly presentation of standalone productions which aired from 1959 to 1960 on ATN-7 in Sydney and GTV-9 in Melbourne.
"The Big Day" is an Australian television film, or rather a live television play, which aired in 1959. The fifth episode of the Shell Presents presentations of standalone television dramas, it originally aired 11 July 1959 on Melbourne station GTV-9, a video-tape was made of the broadcast and shown on Sydney station ATN-7 on 25 July 1959.
A Little South of Heaven is Australian live television play which aired in 1961 on ABC. It was based on a radio play by D'Arcy Niland and Ruth Park.
The Lady from the Sea is a 1961 drama one-off presented on Australian broadcaster ABC. An adaptation of 1888 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, it went for 75 minutes and was telecast live on 4 October 1961 in Melbourne, and was recorded for showing in Sydney.
The General Motors Hour was an Australian radio and television drama series.
Venus Observed is a play in blank verse by the English dramatist and poet Christopher Fry. The play concerns a Duke who decides to remarry for a third time. He gets his son Edgar to pick the bride. The Duke likes Perpetua but Edgar wants her for himself.
"A Season in Hell" is a 1964 Australian TV movie broadcast on the ABC which originally aired as an episode of Wednesday Theatre. It was directed by Henri Safran from a script by Patricia Hooker and was shot at the ABC's Gore Hill Studios in Sydney. "A Season in Hell" aired on 1 April 1964 in Sydney, on 22 April 1964 in Brisbane, and on 29 April 1964 in Melbourne.
Traveller Without Luggage is a 1961 Australian television film directed by Henri Safran and starring Ric Hutton. It was Safran's first English language work.
A Night Out is a 1961 Australian television play. It was based on A Night Out by Harold Pinter. It starred John Ewart and Richard Meikle.
Marriage Lines is a 1962 Australian television play directed by Christopher Muir.
Fury in Petticoats is a 1962 television play broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was directed by Christopher Muir. It was based on a play which had been filmed by British TV the year before.
The House of Mancello is a 1962 Australian TV drama shot in Melbourne about a new Australian family.
Mine Own Executioner is a 1960 Australian television play based on Nigel Balchin's 1945 novel of the same name. It was shot in Melbourne, at a time when Australian drama was rare.
Black Limelight is a 1959 Australian TV play. It was shot in ABC's Melbourne studios. It was made at a time when Australian drama production was rare.
Fly By Night is a 1962 Australian TV play broadcast on the ABC and filmed in London. Written expressly for television, it starred Sophie Stewart who was also in The Little Woman.
Lola Montez was a 1962 Australian TV play which was based on the musical of the same name.
The Devil Makes Sunday is a 1962 Australian television play by New Zealand-born author Bruce Stewart. It was broadcast live from Melbourne, and taped and shown in other cities at a later date.
The Dock Brief is a 1960 Australian TV play directed by Ray Menmuir and starring Reg Lye and Moray Powell. It was based on the play by John Mortimer.
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