272:. When Ramsay decided to leave the series in 1968, his character was written out in dramatic fashion, with Cousens plunging to his death from the top of a wheat silo. The death scene has figured prominently in retrospectives of great moments in Australian television, and its celebrity meant that it became one of the few segments from the early years of the series that has survived.
267:
The show's storylines followed the lives of the residents of the small fictional country town that gave the show its title. While the series plots concentrated mainly on small-scale interpersonal, domestic and local relationships, issues and conflicts, there were occasional moments of high drama. One
258:
screened from Monday to
Thursday nights, leading in to the 7:00 pm evening news bulletin. In 1976, the series was screened as a single one-hour episode each week, before switching to three half-hour instalments per week during its final season.
275:
Other notable deaths during the course of the series included those of local farm girl, Hagar
Grossark (Barbara Ramsay), who drowned during a flood, and the 1974 death of major character Rhoda Lang, played by foundation cast member
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955:, it was reported that the ABC taped over the master tapes of the series, which was a common practice of the time something which series cast member Alan Hopgood had complained about in a
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in
Australia insisted the ABC increase the price of the episodes so as to pay the actors more. As a result of the price increase, the UK broadcaster purchased no further episodes.
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The show's ratings were modest but it had a devoted following, especially in rural
Australia. During most of its 10-year production run, 15-minute episodes of
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Bellbird has the distinction of being the longest-running soap opera/serial ever produced by the ABC. It ended the same year as commercial broadcast series
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article in 1976: "They just wiped off and another episode run over them .... This failure to preserve the program is criminal, to my way of thinking."
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986:(1971). It focused on Bellbird's problems during a severe drought. Many future soaps followed suit, spawning their own film versions, including
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241:. Bellbird screened from 28 August 1967 to 23 December 1977 and although it was not Australia's first television serial (the first was
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of the most celebrated was the death of the local stock and station agent, Charlie
Cousens, played by foundation cast member
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210:, it screened for 10 seasons between 1967 and 1977, with the series centring around the residents of the small fictional
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The series was the first soap opera in
Australia to spin-off into a feature film version and tie-in novel, entitled
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The series was produced by the ABC at the
Ripponlea Studios in Melbourne, with the opening titles filmed at nearby
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holds a collection of 43 black and white prints from 1977, identifying over 30 actors involved at that time,
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42:
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Moran's guide to
Australian TV series: your complete guide to every drama series, children's show and sitcom
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in
Melbourne, while several colour episodes are known to exist in the hands of private collectors.
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1241:. Vol. 45, no. 12, 803. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 6 May 1971. p. 8
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were screened in the United
Kingdom in 1972. After the initial 52 episodes had been screened,
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featured a regular cast of 46 actors over its 10-year run (see links, for actor information).
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1170:"Forgotten Australian Television Plays: Boy with Banner, Objector and Watch It"
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1104:. North Ryde, NSW: Australian Film Television & Radio School. p. 77.
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Although an extensive selection of episodes survive and reside with the
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episode is available to be viewed at the Australian Mediatheque at the
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List of programs broadcast by ABC (Australian TV network)
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Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
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229:, which had run for six and four years respectively.
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was the fifteenth most popular show in the country.
1762:
1185:
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1192:"Soap: It's just what the great unwashed need"
232:
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1801:Australian English-language television shows
1796:Black-and-white Australian television shows
930:
907:. The original story team included Vernon,
899:The show was based on a short treatment by
894:
1321:
1307:
1249:– via National Library of Australia.
1776:1977 Australian television series endings
1791:Television shows set in Victoria (state)
1771:1967 Australian television series debuts
903:then developed by original story editor
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970:Australian Centre for the Moving Image
1302:
1204:from the original on 23 October 2012.
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1190:Mercado, Andrew (27 November 2004).
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1020:List of Australian television series
214:rural township of the series title.
1354:Corruption in the Palace of Justice
915:. The first executive producer was
13:
1221:. 11–17 December 1976. p. 10.
14:
1822:
1781:Australian television soap operas
1294:National Film & Sound Archive
1257:
975:
132:15 minutes (excluding commercial)
1168:Vagg, Stephen (29 August 2023).
1075:"Prisoner stars before Prisoner"
1474:The Man Who Shot the Albatross
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1208:
1161:
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1130:National Archives of Australia
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953:National Archives of Australia
919:. The original directors were
889:National Archives of Australia
113:
102:
1:
1514:The Balanced Particle Freeway
1264:Aussie Soap Archive: Bellbird
1215:"Home-Truths From Bellbird".
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1541:Delta (Australian TV series)
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16:Australian television series
7:
1157:. 23 July 1970. p. 38.
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233:Production and broadcasting
206:and written and created by
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931:International screenings
895:Foundation creative team
1806:Works by Barbara Vernon
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1651:The Power, The Passion
1619:Locusts and Wild Honey
1482:The Professional Touch
1402:A Phoenix Too Frequent
1100:Moran, Albert (1993).
1811:Works by Alan Hopgood
1273:– Overview and review
759:Anne Scott-Pendlebury
579:Constable Des Davies
451:Penne Hackforth-Jones
1498:Burn the Butterflies
1466:I'm Damned if I Know
1418:Course for Collision
1269:14 July 2018 at the
1233:"TELEVISION RATINGS"
361:Colonel Jim Emerson
1692:Power Without Glory
1581:And the Big Men Fly
1573:Frank and Francesca
1506:A Wild Ass of a Man
1049:Aussie Soap Archive
786:Elizabeth Alexander
655:Father John Kramer
1740:The Flying Doctors
1708:All the Green Year
1627:The Flying Doctors
1611:I Can Jump Puddles
1490:Trial of Ned Kelly
1450:The Shifting Heart
1329:TV productions of
1238:The Canberra Times
645:Christine Jackson
569:Georgia Moorhouse
329:Elspeth Ballantyne
77:Elspeth Ballantyne
1758:
1757:
1378:Duet on Wednesday
1370:Otherwise Engaged
1111:978-0-642-18462-7
885:
884:
827:Cheryl Turner #2
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468:Gabrielle Hartley
200:broadcast by the
198:soap opera serial
196:is an Australian
191:
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94:Original language
86:Country of origin
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1716:Outbreak of Love
1700:Lucinda Brayford
1533:Australian Plays
1434:Romeo and Juliet
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1051:. Archived from
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665:Charlie Cousens
584:Carmel Millhouse
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165:23 December 1977
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1271:Wayback Machine
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1055:on 14 July 2018
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777:Denise Drysdale
771:Hagar Grossark
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597:Scott Leighton
555:Terry McDermott
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441:Sheila Florance
384:Moira Charleton
379:Wendy Robinson
375:Anne Charleston
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1245:20 September
1243:. Retrieved
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1053:the original
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1007:
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983:Country Town
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936:
935:Episodes of
934:
921:James Davern
917:Brett Porter
909:Alan Hopgood
898:
886:
851:Tommy Dysart
823:Lesley Baker
808:Edward Grey
699:John Stanton
670:Gregory Ross
661:Robin Ramsay
613:Terry Norris
593:Rod Mullinar
587:Marge Bacon
559:Max Pearson
491:Ian Bennett
477:Alan Hopgood
463:Roger Green
460:Brian Hannan
403:Penny Downie
358:Carl Bleazby
319:Lesley Baker
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270:Robin Ramsay
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184:Country Life
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129:Running time
72:Lesley Baker
24:
18:
1748:Ratbag Hero
1666:Bush Patrol
1426:Slow Poison
1346:On Approval
1059:1 September
814:John Orcsik
711:Terry Hill
683:Ron Wilson
679:Sean Scully
673:Chris Lang
633:Anne Phelan
617:Joe Turner
497:Lynda Keane
487:Brian James
455:Ginny Hill
397:Rhoda Lang
349:Julia Blake
339:Bruce Barry
116:of episodes
1765:Categories
1676:Miniseries
1394:Plain Jane
1045:"Bellbird"
1031:References
901:Colin Free
878:Val Lehman
860:Tracy Mann
753:Character
743:Guest cast
623:Tom Oliver
525:Anne Lucas
507:Patsy King
422:Keith Eden
369:Rose Lang
313:Jim Bacon
305:Character
263:Storylines
239:Daylesford
169:1977-12-23
159:1967-08-28
124:Production
105:of seasons
52:Created by
38:Soap opera
1662:(1990–92)
1635:Studio 86
1560:(1970–77)
1525:TV series
1135:10 August
1006:In 1971,
989:Number 96
689:Ian Smith
627:Tom Grey
425:Gil Lang
295:Main cast
220:Number 96
212:Victorian
89:Australia
1557:Bellbird
1338:TV plays
1289:Bellbird
1278:Bellbird
1267:Archived
1218:TV Times
1202:Archived
1014:See also
1008:Bellbird
958:TV Times
947:Episodes
937:Bellbird
703:Leo Hil
535:Bob Maza
289:Bellbird
256:Bellbird
194:Bellbird
62:Starring
25:Bellbird
1595:Catspaw
1549:Dynasty
1292:at the
1197:The Age
1174:Filmink
1155:The Age
1085:13 July
1002:Ratings
226:The Box
177:Related
167: (
163: –
157: (
152:Release
142:Network
97:English
1751:(1991)
1743:(1985)
1735:(1985)
1727:(1984)
1719:(1981)
1711:(1981)
1703:(1980)
1695:(1976)
1687:(1974)
1684:Marion
1668:(1996)
1659:Cluedo
1654:(1989)
1646:(1989)
1638:(1986)
1630:(1986)
1622:(1980)
1614:(1980)
1606:(1978)
1598:(1978)
1590:(1975)
1584:(1974)
1576:(1973)
1568:(1970)
1552:(1969)
1544:(1969)
1536:(1969)
1517:(1997)
1509:(1980)
1501:(1979)
1493:(1977)
1485:(1976)
1477:(1972)
1469:(1972)
1461:(1969)
1453:(1968)
1445:(1968)
1442:Salome
1437:(1967)
1429:(1967)
1421:(1967)
1413:(1966)
1405:(1966)
1397:(1966)
1389:(1965)
1381:(1965)
1373:(1965)
1365:(1965)
1357:(1964)
1349:(1964)
1108:
763:Cathy
750:Actor
302:Actor
43:Serial
119:1,562
31:Genre
1588:Rush
1283:IMDb
1247:2017
1137:2022
1106:ISBN
1087:2020
1061:2015
992:and
923:and
911:and
887:The
284:Cast
223:and
1281:at
245:'s
203:ABC
146:ABC
114:No.
103:No.
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