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The year 1957 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1957.
ATN is the Sydney flagship television station of the Seven Network in Australia. The licence, issued to a company named Amalgamated Television Services, a subsidiary of John Fairfax & Sons, was one of the first four licences to be issued for commercial television stations in Australia. The station formed an affiliation with GTV-9 Melbourne in 1957, in order to share content. In 1963, Frank Packer ended up owning both GTV-9 and TCN-9, so as a result the stations switched their previous affiliations. ATN-7 and HSV-7 joined to create the Australian Television Network, which later became the Seven Network. ATN-7 is the home of the national level Seven News bulletins.
Autumn Affair is an Australian television series made by and aired by Network Seven station ATN-7, and also shown in Melbourne on Nine Network station GTV-9. Television in Australia had only been broadcasting since 1956 and Seven was the first commercial station to make drama a priority. It premiered 24 October 1958 and continued until 1959. The series was the first ever Australian television soap opera. It was also the second regular Australian-produced dramatic television series of any kind, with previous locally produced drama consisting of religious series The House on the Corner, and one-off plays largely aired on ABC.
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.
1959 in Australian television was the fourth year of television broadcasts in Australia.
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.
Stormy Petrel is an early Australian television drama. A period drama, the 12-episode serial told the story of William Bligh and aired in 1960 on ABC. It was the first live TV serial from the ABC.
Make Ours Music was an Australian music television series which aired from 1958 to circa 1961 on ABC. Produced in Sydney, it also aired in Melbourne. Originally a half-hour series, it later expanded to an hour. Make Ours Music featured a mix of live songs and dance numbers.
Youth Show is an Australian television series which aired from 1959 to 1960 on Sydney station ATN-7. Hosted by Keith Walshe, it was a music series, with emphasis on teenage talent, particularly artists who had not yet reached stardom. It was later replaced by The B.M.C. Show. The archival status of the series is unknown, given the highly varied survival rates of 1950s Australian television series.
"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.
Shower of Stars is an Australian television series which aired in 1959 on Sydney station ATN-7. It was a variety show with comedy and music, and regulars included Hal Lashwood, Syd Heylen, and Al Thomas. It was originally presented live on Tuesdays at 10:00PM, but later moved to Fridays. It was a 60-minute black-and-white series, running time excluding commercials is unknown. Archival status is unknown.
On Camera is an Australian television which aired 1959–1960 on Sydney station ATN-7. A variety series with music and comedy, regulars included Colin Croft and John Ewart. It was shown twice-monthly. Confusingly, the Canadian series On Camera had previously been shown on Australian television.
Look and Laugh is an Australian television series which aired from 1958 to 1959 on ATN-7. The series was hosted by Ray McGeary, who had his start as a performer on radio program Australia's Amateur Hour.
"Johnny Belinda" was a 1959 Australian TV adaptation of the 1940 play by Elmer Harris which had been filmed in 1948. It was the first "live" one hour drama on commercial television in Australia.
"Pardon Miss Westcott" is a 1959 Australian TV play by the Seven Network as part of drama anthology series Shell Presents. It was a musical set in colonial Australia and was broadcast live. It was Australia's first television musical comedy. "Pardon Miss Westcott" aired on 12 December 1959 in Sydney and on 19 December 1959 in Melbourne.
"Other People's Houses" is the second episode of the 1959 Australian TV drama anthology Shell Presents. It was based on a play by Tad Mosel and starred Diana Perryman and was directed by David Cahill. It aired on 2 May 1959 in Sydney and on 3 October 1959 in Melbourne.
"Thunder of Silence" is an episode of the 1959 Australian TV drama anthology Shell Presents, and the fourth made in Sydney. It was based on an American play by Stewart Stern which had been produced in the U.S. with Paul Newman and Inger Stevens. It aired live on 22 August 1959 in Sydney with a recorded version airing on 28 November 1959 in Melbourne.
"A Tongue of Silver" is an episode of the 1959 Australian TV drama anthology Shell Presents. Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time. It starred John Meillon, who had been in Thunder of Silence in the same series.
"Thunder on Sycamore Street" is a 1960 Australian television play directed by David Cahill. It was based on a script by Reginald Rose. It aired on 23 July 1960 in Melbourne and Sydney.
References
- ↑ "Many stars in new local show". TV Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald . 25 January 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
