1978: August 19-25

tvtimes_190878 Gil is an actor by accident
In the Seven Network‘s police drama Cop Shop, Gil Tucker (pictured, with co-star Paula Duncan) has taken on one of TV’s biggest challenges – character comedy – but the thirty-year-old admits that he only got into acting by accident. It was only after a near-fatal fall from a sportscar that led to a lengthy hospital stay that prompted him to reflect on life and that it was going nowhere. Soon after leaving hospital he played a minor role in the production of Othello for Sydney’s Independent Theatre and the acting career moved on from there with a stint at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), more theatre roles and then an appearance in ABC‘s Power Without Glory before scoring the role of the bumbling Constable Roy Baker in Cop Shop.

corneliafrances Scott free!
After two years as the over-efficient Sister Grace Scott (pictured) in The Young Doctors, actress Cornelia Frances is leaving the series to move to Melbourne with her husband whose job had transferred there. “I’ve grown very close to the people I work with and our friends are in Sydney, so it’s a nasty uprooting. But, of course, we’ll make new friends in Melbourne,” she told TV Times. Producers of the series insist that Sister Scott will not be written out permanently and that the door will be left open for her to return.

Ready, set, go for two quizzes
A honeymoon around the world and $25,000 are the two major prizes being offered by the Grundy Organisation in its two new quiz shows, Perfect Match and The Pyramid Challenge. Both programs, to be produced at TVQ0 Brisbane, are expected to debut next month across the 0-10 Network. Perfect Match intends to feature newlywed couples and question them separately about their relationship. The winning couple will be the one with the most, or closest, matched answers. The Pyramid Challenge, to be hosted by former Coles £3000 Question compere Malcolm Searle, promises to be a general knowledge quiz where contestants can work their way up a pyramid from one level to the next to win a potential prize of $25,000.

Travolta by satellite
John Travolta will be one of the first international stars to be featured in a new series of satellite interviews to be conducted on The Don Lane Show. Producer Peter Faiman said that about 10 satellite interviews were in planning, with others to feature Lucille Ball, Burt Reynolds and the Bee Gees.

7_black Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor:
“I would like to complain about something that I have noticed recently on ATN7 Sydney – that Channel 7 can’t spell ‘colour’, but insist on writing ‘color’. By the time you get to be grown up, I think you should be able to spell a simple six-letter word: ‘Color’ is the American way. Wake up Channel 7! Have you realised this is Australia? I am only 11 years old, but a spelling mistake on TV sticks out like a sore thumb!” M. Fenley, NSW

“We three disappointed fans, who watch The Restless Years every week, were very sorry to see Penny (Deborah Coulls) has suddenly dropped out of the show and her replacement, Sue Smithers, does not resemble her in any way and her personality is completely different. We think the show is fabulous and the acting excellent apart from this.” The Leoni family, QLD.

“I would like to say how much I admire Ian Meldrum‘s work on the TV documentary concerning heroin (TV Times, 1 July 1978). I think there should be more people to make a stand against the drug scene.” S. Shields, TAS.

What’s On (August 19-25)
ATV0 presents The Australian Film Institute Awards, live from Perth’s Entertainment Centre. Finalists for the Awards’ Best Film category are The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith, Newsfront, Mouth To Mouth and Patrick.

Monday night, ATV0 presents the curiously titled Thank God It’s Friday At The Zoo, a variety program with a focus on local and overseas disco performances, hosted by Sydney radio personality Ian MacRae.

HSV7‘s Wednesday night movie is the Canadian documentary Games Of The XXI Olympiad 1976, reviewing the Games held in Montreal depicting some of the great personal triumphs and challenges not seen in the mainstream coverage of the fifteen-day event.

A number of celebrity specials during the week including Gene Kelly – An American In Pasadena (GTV9), Lucille Ball – The First 25 Years (ATV0), and Glen Campbell And Olivia Newton-John – Down Home, Down Under (GTV9).

Sunday night movies are The Jerusalem File (HSV7), Can Can (GTV9) and How Sweet It Is (ATV0). ABC‘s Sunday night variety show Capriccio! features music chosen by former cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud and performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 19 August 1978. ABC/ACP

Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2008/08/1978-august-19-25.html

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