Beauty and the Beast is an Australia

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...

n panel television show that has appeared in numerous versions since the early days of Australian television. The first version began in 1963 on the Seven Network

Seven Network

The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

 with host Eric Baume

Eric Baume

Eric Baume OBE was an Australian based journalist, radio presenter, actor and talk show host.Eric Baume was born Frederick Ehrenfried Baume in Auckland New Zealand in 1900. He moved to Sydney in the early 1920s and worked for as editor for several papers...

 as the "Beast". Baume was later replaced by presenters including John Laws

John Laws

Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...

, Stuart Wagstaff

Stuart Wagstaff

Stuart Wagstaff AM is an Australian television and stage entertainer.- Early life :Wagstaff was born in Great Durnford, Wiltshire, England, and grew up on a farm with his parents and two older sisters. His father was very strict and emotionally abusive, and he received little affection from his...

, Noel Ferrier

Noel Ferrier

Noel Ferrier AM was an Australian television personality, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He had an extensive theatre career which spanned over fifty years.-Biography:...

 and Rex Mossop

Rex Mossop

Rex Peers Mossop was an Australian rugby league and rugby union footballer—a dual-code international, and an Australian television personality from 1964 until 1991.-Rugby union career:...

. The original "Beauties" included Maggie Tabberer

Maggie Tabberer

Maggie Tabberer, AM, also known as Maggie T, is an Australian fashion, publishing and television personality.-Early life:She was born Margaret May Trigar on 11 December 1936 in Parkside, Adelaide, South Australia....

, Dita Cobb, Ena Harwood (mother of Andrew Harwood

Andrew Harwood

Andrew Harwood was an Australian quiz show host, announcer and actor. He had a career that spanned over 40 years in the Australian entertainment industry.-Career:...

), Pat Firman, Patricia Lovell

Patricia Lovell

Patricia Lovell is an Australian film producer whose work within the that country's film industry led her to receive the Longford Life Achievement Award in 2004 from the Australian Film Institute . One of her productions, Gallipoli, received an AFI Award in 1982 as best film...

, Hazel Phillips, Noeline Brown

Noeline Brown

Noeline Brown is an Australian actor and comedian. She has appeared in many films, television shows, plays and radio programs....

 and Freda Lesslie.

Viewers write in asking for advice about personal problems such as family squabbles, questions of social etiquette, marriage problems, contraception, work or career problems. The host of the program - usually an intentionally brusque and outspoken older male - presents each viewer question in turn and a panel of female celebrities provide their advice on the problem and the panel discusses the problem and the advice given offering opinions and views.

In 1982, the format was revived, with two rival versions, both carrying the same title, appearing on different networks. Network Ten

Network Ten

Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...

's version had John Laws

John Laws

Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...

 as host, later replaced by Clive Robertson. The Seven Network

Seven Network

The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

 version was hosted by Derryn Hinch

Derryn Hinch

Derryn Nigel Hinch is an Australian media personality best known for his work on Melbourne radio. He is currently the host of 3AW's drive time radio show...

.

Foxtel-produced version

A more recent version of the program has run on both Network Ten and Foxtel

Foxtel

Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....

, hosted by radio broadcaster Stan Zemanek

Stan Zemanek

Stan Zemanek was an Australian radio broadcaster who presented a popular night time show on 2UE Sydney and which was networked across parts of Australia via Southern Cross....

 and then by radio broadcaster Doug Mulray

Doug Mulray

Douglas John Mulray is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter.-Radio career:...

. The series ran from 1996–2002, before returning to W.

W. Channel

W is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms. Originally a retro channel, it moved into Women's interest programming around the late 1990s...

 exclusively in 2005 after a 3 year hiatus. Zemanek died on 12 July 2007, thus ending the series.

New Zealand version

It was also an afternoon New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 television series made in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

 by TVNZ (1976–85), hosted by Selwyn Toogood

Selwyn Toogood

Selwyn Featherston Toogood QSO was a New Zealand radio and television personality. He was born in Wellington and lived there until 1952 when he moved to Heretaunga in the Hutt Valley...

 with four women panelists, including Shona McFarlane

Shona McFarlane

Shona Graham McFarlane CBE was a New Zealand artist, journalist and broadcaster.McFarlane was born in Gore and educated at Otago Girls' High School, and studied teaching at Dunedin Teachers' College...

 and Catherine Tizard

Catherine Tizard

Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, was Mayor of Auckland City and the 16th Governor-General of New Zealand, the first woman to hold either office.-Early life:...

 (later Governor-General). A show with a similar concept called How's Life? aired in the early 2000s in New Zealand hosted by Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Dawson is known in New Zealand for her roles as host of Getaway, How's Life? and Charlotte's Lists, in Australia as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model and as a host of The Contender Australia....

.

Panel members

Notable female panel members in the Network Ten and Foxtel version version have included Tracey Bevan, Ann-Maree Biggar

Ann-Maree Biggar

-Career:In 1989, Biggar began hosting the children's morning program Agro's Cartoon Connection. She remained on the show for a number of years, finishing up at the end of the 1995 season....

, Jan Bowen, Ita Buttrose

Ita Buttrose

Ita Clare Buttrose, AO, OBE is an Australian journalist and businesswoman. She was the founding editor of Cleo, a high-circulation magazine aimed at women aged 20 to 40 that was ground-breakingly frank about sexuality , and later as the editor of the more sedate Australian Women's Weekly...

, Carlotta

Carlotta

Carlotta is an Australian cabaret performer and television celebrity. She began her career as an original member of the long-running Les Girls cabaret show, performed entirely by heavily costumed males, which started in 1963 in the purpose built Les Girls building which stood on a prominent...

, Jo Casamento, Angela Catterns

Angela Catterns

-Early career:Catterns began her radio career at Lismore's local station 2LM, followed by several years in Orange working at CBN8 TV.She then returned to her native Sydney after working as a sound recordist on a documentary shot in Papua New Guinea....

, Dita Cobb, Beccy Cole

Beccy Cole

Beccy Cole is an Australian country music singer and songwriter. She has released six albums and won seven Golden Guitar awards....

, Alyssa-Jane Cook

Alyssa-Jane Cook

Alyssa-Jane Cook is an Australian actress.She is best known for her regular role as Lisa Bennett on the Australian television soap opera E Street...

, Louise Crawford

Louise Crawford

Louise Crawford is an Australian television actress who has appeared in several Australian soap opera dramas, her most recent role being as Sgt. Karen Hatzic in primetime drama series City Homicide.-Career:...

, Clio Cresswell, Elaine Davies, Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Dawson is known in New Zealand for her roles as host of Getaway, How's Life? and Charlotte's Lists, in Australia as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model and as a host of The Contender Australia....

, Delilah

Delilah

Delilah appears only in the Hebrew bible Book of Judges 16, where she is the "woman in the valley of Sorek" whom Samson loved, and who was his downfall...

, Penne Dennison

Penne Dennison

Penne Dennison is an Australian music and television entertainment presenter.Penne's first role as a television presenter was on WIN television Wollongong. Penne has previously appeared on a national radio program hosted by Barry Bissell, "Barry Bissell’s Weekly Countdown” as an entertainment news...

, Anne Deveson, Miranda Devine

Miranda Devine

Miranda Devine is an Australian columnist and writer noted for her conservative stance on a range of social and political issues. Her column, formerly printed twice weekly in Fairfax Media newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, now appears in the News Limited Daily Telegraph with...

, Clare Dunne

Clare Dunne

Clare Dunne OAM is an Irish-born Australian actress, author, lecturer and broadcaster. Her first name is also found as Claire.-1960s Australian celebrity:Dunne was a popular Australian television and film personality of the 1960s...

, Maureen Duval, Susie Elelman, Diana 'Bubbles' Fisher, Lisa Forrest

Lisa Forrest

Elizabeth Marie "Lisa" Forrest is a former Australian swimmer and current media personality. Forrest was the captain of the Australian swimming team at the 1980 Summer Olympics-References:...

, Rachel Friend

Rachel Friend

-Career:Friend joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours in 1988, when she was eighteen. Friend chose to postpone her university degree to join the show as Bronwyn Davies. Friend quit Neighbours in 1990. That same year saw her win the Logie Award for "Most Popular Actress".Other roles have...

, Antonella Gambotto-Burke

Antonella Gambotto-Burke

Antonella Gambotto-Burke is an Australian author and journalist.Gambotto-Burke has written one novel, The Pure Weight of the Heart, two anthologies, Lunch of Blood and An Instinct for the Kill, and a memoir, The Eclipse: A Memoir of Suicide, which has been published in four languages...

, Chelsea Gibb, Cleo Glyde, Tottie Goldsmith

Tottie Goldsmith

Tottie Goldsmith is an Australian actress and singer.-Biography:Goldsmith is the daughter of Melbourne restaurateur and nightclub owner Brian Goldsmith and British-born actress Rona Newton-John. Her great grandfather was German physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max Born...

, Libbi Gorr

Libbi Gorr

Lisbeth Joanne "Libbi" Gorr is an Australian broadcaster, writer, voice artist and journalist. She is also known for the satirical character that she created called "Elle McFeast"....

, Belinda Green

Belinda Green

Belinda Roma Green won the 1972 Miss World contest, representing Australia, at the age of 20.Growing up in Sydney, she became the second woman from her country to win the title; the first, Penelope Plummer, was crowned Miss World in 1968...

, Johanna Griggs

Johanna Griggs

Johanna Leigh Griggs is a former swimmer and current television presenter from Australia.-Swimming career:Griggs represented Australia at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990—winning a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event....

, Donna Gubbay, Rose Hancock-Porteous, Ena Harwood, Louisa Hatfield, Fiona Horne

Fiona Horne

Fiona Horne is an Australian singer, rock musician, radio and television personality, actress and author. She is famous for her public promotion of Witchcraft and as the singer in Australian band Def FX...

, Christa Hughes

Christa Hughes

Christa Hughes is an Australian singer, known for her wild on-stage antics and powerful voice.From age 15 she did gigs with her father, jazz pianist and journalist Dick Hughes...

, Frida Irving, Shauna Jensen, Leigh Johnson, Gretel Killeen

Gretel Killeen

Gretel Killeen is an Australian journalist and author. Killeen is well known for being the primary host of Big Brother Australia from its inception in 2001 until the 2007 season ....

, Renae Leith, Rebecca Le Tourneau, Jeanne Little

Jeanne Little

Jeanne Little is an Australian entertainer and TV personality.-Biography:Little was born in Sydney, New South Wales. Little made her television debut on Network Ten's Mike Walsh Show in September 1974...

, Rachael Lloyd, Jackie Loeb, Prue McSween, Gillian Minervini, Carol Moores, Julia Morris

Julia Morris

Julia Morris is an Australian writer, comedian, actress, television presenter and television producer who has worked extensively in Australian and British television and radio. She has toured widely with her solo stand-up comedy shows. In Australia, she is best known as one of the stars of the...

, Jan Murray (with whom Stan had an ongoing battle), Ali Mutch

Ali Mutch

Ali Mutch is a Scottish-born model in Australia.Mutch has been featured on magazine covers, photo shoots, and magazine spreads. She was voted Inside Sport Model of the Decade and also placed 2nd in Queen of the World Beauty Contest in 1997. Mutch has expanded her expertise to special event hosting...

, Indira Naidoo

Indira Naidoo

Indira Naidoo is an Australian author, journalist and television presenter.-Education:Naidoo was educated in England, Zimbabwe and Australia, where she attended Launceston Church Grammar School in Tasmania before matriculating as School Dux from Naracoorte High School in South...

, Judy Nunn

Judy Nunn

Judy Nunn is an Australian actress and author.-Acting career:Her breakout role was as the scheming bisexual reporter Vicky Stafford in the risque soap opera The Box. Her character became a popular cult figure in the series. Nunn continued in the role for the show's entire 1974–1977 run...

, Lisa Oldfield, Cindy Pan

Cindy Pan

Cindy Pan is an Australian physician and television personality, who specialises in sexual health and women's health. Pan was born in Sydney, and was raised on a CSIRO research station in Badgerys Creek where her father was a scientist...

, Jacqueline Pascarl

Jacqueline Pascarl

Jacqueline Pascarl , formerly known as Jacqueline Gillespie and Jacqueline Pascarl-Gillespie, is an Australian author, TV personality and parents' rights advocate and humanitarian aid worker. Pascarl came to public attention in 1992, when her children were covertly removed from Australia,...

, Carmelle Pavann, Dr Patricia Petersen

Patricia Petersen

Patricia May Petersen is an Australian academic.Petersen has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Queensland, and is Fellow of the Philosophy Department at the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a relationships counsellor for Brisbane radio station B105 and Sydney radio station 2UE,...

, Diana Roger

Diana Roger

Diana Rodger , was an Australian socialite and TV personality. She was a panel member on the Channel 7 program Beauty and the Beast during the 1960s....

, Kristine Stanley, Maggie Tabberer

Maggie Tabberer

Maggie Tabberer, AM, also known as Maggie T, is an Australian fashion, publishing and television personality.-Early life:She was born Margaret May Trigar on 11 December 1936 in Parkside, Adelaide, South Australia....

, Heather Turland, Rowena Wallace

Rowena Wallace

Rowena Wallace is a Gold -Logie winning Australian actress, best known for her role as Patricia in Sons and Daughters.-Early life and budding career:...

, Lisa Wilkinson

Lisa Wilkinson

Lisa Wilkinson is an Australian journalist and television personality.Wilkinson is currently a co-host of the Nine Network's breakfast television program Today.-Career:...

, Sally Williams, Rebecca Wilson

Rebecca Wilson

Rebecca Wilson is an Australian media personality, known mainly for her reporting on sport.-Career:Wilson has worked in both the newspaper and television industry for over 20 years...

, Adriana Xenides

Adriana Xenides

Adriana Xenides was an Australian television personality. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a Greek father and a Spanish mother,...

, and Tania Zaetta

Tania Zaetta

Tania Zaetta is an Australian actress and television presenter who acts in Bollywood.-Early life:Zaetta was born to an Italian father and an Australian mother. Grand daughter of James Howard Browne OAM, botanist. She spent the earlier years of her life living in Merbein, Victoria...

.