Australian science fiction television
Encyclopedia
Science fiction television has been produced in Australia
since the 1960s, as a homegrown response to imported overseas US and British shows.
Artransa Park productions made a number of programmes in collaboration with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
on shoestring budgets, these generally running for one season and being aired on ABC TV. They included The Interpretaris (1968), Vega 4 (1967), and Phoenix Five
(1970). Phoenix Five
was the best known of these. It resembled US shows like Star Trek and Flash Gordon without the budget and effects, but with a pscychadaelic rock soundtrack.
There was also Alpha Scorpio
and this led to Andra
. Adapted from the novel by Louise Lawrence, Andra won a 1976 Penguin Award for its quality production. The ABC claims to retain copies of Andra in its archives, but controversy surrounds this claim. Insiders claim the tapes were wiped by accident when they were sent to Malaysia.
The ABC produced one further Science Fiction series, the drama Timelapse, featuring Robert Colby and John Meillon in an Orwellian future.
More recently, Australia's most well known Science Fiction show was Farscape
, made with American co-production. It ran from 1999 to 2003, and was filmed at Sydney's Fox Studios.
A significant proportion of Australian produced science fiction programmes are made for the teens/young Adults market, including The Girl from Tomorrow
, Watch This Space
, the long-running Mr. Squiggle, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
, and the Jonathan M. Shiff Productions programmes Ocean Girl
, Thunderstone
, and Cybergirl
.
The Australian Children's Television Foundation
, a government initiative, produces a number of Science Fiction children's shows, including Spellbinder (in collaboration with Poland), The Miraculous Mellops, and The Crash Zone. A number of these are adaptations of children's books.
In the late 1990s, Community TV in Melbourne (Channel 31) screened the independent science fiction series Damon Dark
, about a government agent who investigates UFO reports and hunts alien invaders, which has gone on to become a webseries for YouTube.
The upcoming Television version of Star Wars, will be a Lucasfilm production shot in Sydney
Other shows like Time Trax
, Roar
, and Space: Above and Beyond
were filmed in Australia, but used mostly US crew and actors.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since the 1960s, as a homegrown response to imported overseas US and British shows.
Artransa Park productions made a number of programmes in collaboration with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
on shoestring budgets, these generally running for one season and being aired on ABC TV. They included The Interpretaris (1968), Vega 4 (1967), and Phoenix Five
Phoenix Five
Phoenix Five is a low-budget Australian science fiction television series produced in 1970 by Artransa Park in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation....
(1970). Phoenix Five
Phoenix Five
Phoenix Five is a low-budget Australian science fiction television series produced in 1970 by Artransa Park in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation....
was the best known of these. It resembled US shows like Star Trek and Flash Gordon without the budget and effects, but with a pscychadaelic rock soundtrack.
There was also Alpha Scorpio
Alpha Scorpio
Alpha Scorpio was a short-lived Australian children's science fiction television series, written and produced by James Davern, and which aired on ABC Television in 1974. It starred Peter Hepworth and Kevin Wilson as two university students who begin to witness strange events while camping at Aireys...
and this led to Andra
Andra
Andra is a 1971 science fiction novel, the first novel by English writer Louise Lawrence. The book was set 2000 years from now, after the world was destroyed by war leaving the earth knocked off its rotation and the ground above to become a desolate frozen wasteland with everyone that survived...
. Adapted from the novel by Louise Lawrence, Andra won a 1976 Penguin Award for its quality production. The ABC claims to retain copies of Andra in its archives, but controversy surrounds this claim. Insiders claim the tapes were wiped by accident when they were sent to Malaysia.
The ABC produced one further Science Fiction series, the drama Timelapse, featuring Robert Colby and John Meillon in an Orwellian future.
More recently, Australia's most well known Science Fiction show was Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
, made with American co-production. It ran from 1999 to 2003, and was filmed at Sydney's Fox Studios.
A significant proportion of Australian produced science fiction programmes are made for the teens/young Adults market, including The Girl from Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow is an Australian children's television series created by Film Australia. The series is based around Alana , a girl from the year 3000...
, Watch This Space
Watch This Space
Watch This Space was a short-lived Australian children's science fiction television series which ran on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 7 April to 13 June 1982. The show starred Paul Chubb, in his first leading role on a television series, as a red skinned alien who arrives on Earth...
, the long-running Mr. Squiggle, Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left is a 1985 novel by Australian children's author Robin Klein which also became a children's television series.The story focuses on an alien family who seek refuge on Earth, in the small town of Bellwood...
, and the Jonathan M. Shiff Productions programmes Ocean Girl
Ocean Girl
Ocean Girl is an Australian science fiction TV series aimed for family audiences and starring Marzena Godecki as the lead character...
, Thunderstone
Thunderstone (TV series)
Thunderstone is a 1999 Australian children's television series produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions set in a post-apocalyptic world after Earth is hit by a comet. The main character Noah is played by Jeffrey Walker...
, and Cybergirl
Cybergirl
Cybergirl is an Australian children's television series that first screened on Network Ten in Australia. The 26 episode series was created by Jonathan M. Shiff, whose previous series include the BAFTA-award-winning Ocean Girl. Cybergirl has also screened on ABC1 on 6:00am, Thursday and on other...
.
The Australian Children's Television Foundation
Australian Children's Television Foundation
The Australian Children's Television Foundation is a non-profit, government-funded organisation in Australia concerned with the development, production, dissemination and promotion of children's television and other audio-visual material for children....
, a government initiative, produces a number of Science Fiction children's shows, including Spellbinder (in collaboration with Poland), The Miraculous Mellops, and The Crash Zone. A number of these are adaptations of children's books.
In the late 1990s, Community TV in Melbourne (Channel 31) screened the independent science fiction series Damon Dark
Damon Dark
Damon Dark is a science fiction series from Australia, created by and featuring Adrian Sherlock.-Origins of the Series:The series began as a semi-professional TV pilot episode called Damon Dark: "Timeslip" and when this was not picked up by TV networks, its creator made a continuation for community...
, about a government agent who investigates UFO reports and hunts alien invaders, which has gone on to become a webseries for YouTube.
The upcoming Television version of Star Wars, will be a Lucasfilm production shot in Sydney
Other shows like Time Trax
Time Trax
Time Trax was an American/Australian co-produced science fiction television series that first aired in 1993. A police officer, sent through time into the past, has to track down and return convicted criminals who have escaped prison in the future...
, Roar
Roar (TV series)
Roar is an American television show that originally aired on the Fox network in the summer of 1997. In the year AD 400, a young Irish man, Conor , sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish this, he must unite the Celtic clans.-Premise:Roar chronicles the...
, and Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond was a short-lived mid-90s American science fiction television show on the FOX Network, created and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Originally planned for five seasons, it ran only for the single 1995–1996 season. It was nominated for two Emmy Awards and one Saturn...
were filmed in Australia, but used mostly US crew and actors.
See also
:Category:Australian science fiction television series- Science fiction on televisionScience fiction on televisionScience fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...