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The year 1956 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1956.
TCN is the flagship television station of the Nine Network in Australia. The station is currently located at 1 Denison Street, North Sydney. The licence, issued to a company named Television Corporation Ltd headed by Sir Frank Packer, was one of the first four licences to be issued for commercial television stations in Australia. TCN-9 is the home of the NRL coverage and national-level Nine 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.
Bandstand is an Australian live pop music, variety television program screened from November 1958 to June 1972. Featuring both local and international music artists, and produced in-house at the studios of the Nine Network in Willoughby, New South Wales, it was originally broadcast only in New South Wales, It became a national program in the early 1960s as the network expanded into other Australian states. The host of Bandstand for its entire existence was radio presenter and television newsreader Brian Henderson.
Picture Page was an early Australian television series which aired from 1956 to 1957 on ABC. It was hosted by Valerie Cooney.
Fun Farm was an early Australian television series. It debuted on 29 October 1956, and was aired live on Nine Network Sydney station TCN-9.
Campfire Favourites was an Australian television series which aired in 1956 on Sydney station TCN-9. Despite having a very brief run of less than 2 months, it is notable as one of the earliest Australian-produced television series, and for featuring Frank Ifield.
Accent on Strings was an Australian television series which aired in 1956 on Sydney station TCN-9. A music series, the first episode aired October 27, 1956. It was among several early locally produced series which debuted during the first official week of programming by the station, along with The Johnny O'Connor Show, game show What's My Line, religious series Give Us This Day, children's series Fun Farm, and music series Campfire Favourites, with these series having varying degrees of success.
Books and Authors was an Australian television series which aired from December 1956 to 1 September 1957. Broadcast live on Sydney station ATN-7 in a 15-minute time-slot on Sundays, as the title suggests the series focused on the authors of books. It is not known if any of the episodes were kinescoped.
Australia Unlimited was an Australian television program, which aired from 1956 to circa 1961 on Sydney station ABN-2, with part of the run also being shown on Melbourne station ABV-2. The first episode of the series aired 7 November 1956. The series moved time-slot and day of broadcast several times. Ron Powell hosted the series for part of the run. Originally 30 minutes, it later became a 15-minute show. It was one of the first series produced by the ABC.
The Johnny O'Connor Show is an early Australian television series which aired on Sydney station TCN-9. The first episode aired 28 October 1956. The quarter-hour variety series proved to be short-lived, running just a couple months. Performers on the series included pianist Glen Marks and Toni Lamond.
Sydney Tonight was an Australian television variety series which aired from December 1956 to early 1959 on Sydney station ATN-7. Originally compered by Keith Walshe, it was later hosted by Roy Hampson and re-titled Tonight. The series featured a format including guests, interviews, audience participation, and music. Like In Melbourne Tonight, which came later, it was patterned on the groundbreaking U.S. series Tonight Starring Steve Allen.
Town Talk, originally T.V. Town Talk, was an Australian television series which aired on Sydney station TCN-9 during 1957, from circa May to December. Little information is available on this series. The series was hosted by early Australian television personality Robert Kennedy, who had been the original host of the Sydney version of What's My Line. Town Talk aired at 7:15PM on Fridays, following the evening news, which itself aired in a 15-minute time-slot during 1957.
Australia's Amateur Hour was a talent quest, broadcast on Australian AM radio from 1940 to 1958, and a television spinoff, which ran for less than a year, 1957–1958.
Rendezvous at Romano's was an Australian television series which aired on Sydney station TCN-9. The series debuted 2 April 1957 and ran to 23 April of the same year, for a total of four episodes. The series aired on Tuesdays at 9:30PM.
Say It with Music was an early Australian television series. It aired on Sydney station TCN-9 from 21 February 1957 to 15 April 1958. Hosted by pianist Frank Lawrence and his wife, Marie Lawrence, the series was a variety show.
Beauty Case was an Australian television series which aired from 12 February to 5 November 1958 on Sydney television station TCN-9. The weekly series was broadcast on Wednesdays. TV listings suggest the episodes usually aired in a 45-minute time-slot. Assuming the series had a sponsor, it is not known what the running time was minus the commercials.
Teenage Mailbag is an Australian television series which aired in 1960 on Sydney station TCN-9. It was a panel discussion series on teenage issues. Roger Climpson was the host. Teenagers would send in letters with problems and questions which would be discussed by a panel of three, with June Dally-Watkins and John O'Grady being the regular panellists, along with a guest panellist.
Give Us This Day is an Australian religious television short program aired from 1956 to 1958 on TCN-9. It is significant as one of the very earliest Australian-produced television programs. It was among the television shows aired during the first "official" week of television in Sydney. Give Us This Day was a live six-minute religious program in which a minister gave a short speech, with ministers from different Christian denominations appearing during the show's run. There was no recurring cast. It was based on a British format.
"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.
References
- ↑ "Hints to see at home". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 24, no. 14. Australia. 5 September 1956. p. 36 – via National Library of Australia.
- 1 2 "Television Parade". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 24. Australia. 16 January 1957. p. 18 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Television Parade". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 25, no. 8. Australia. 31 July 1957. p. 13 – via National Library of Australia.
