Though I have been concentrating on Aussie-made TV for young adults in the 90s, there were some decent shows to come from other countries in the same era.  Made from 1989 through to 1993, The Press Gang gave many of us an edgy and humorous look at how the English view their teens.
“Originally aired on ABC TV, Press Gang was a BAFTA Award-winning series chronicling the world of youth newspaper the Junior Gazette, run by high school students in the fictional city of Norbridge.”

Lynda Day (played by Julia Sawalha) is a rather stressed editor and chief, and is begrudgingly backed up by bad boy, Spike (Dexter Fletcher). Paul Reynolds played the consummate sleaze bag, Collin Mathews, that you just can’t help feeling somewhat sorry for.

The writing credits go to Steven Moffat, based on an idea by Bill Moffat. It was filmed on location in Uxbridge and Hayes in England.

This series, besides getting the giggles with fast-paced wit and stereotypical character types, really took a swipe at the way teens were seen as being useless and lazy. The characters worked hard to get that newspaper on the shelves,  learning along the way about what makes a good news story and when to draw the line.

They tackled some really hard issues, from terrorism to teen suicide, drug addiction, and adultery, interpersonal relationships at work and a little bit about love along the way.

Here’s a clip from Season 1…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpaZcBoj-qY

and the complete series is available on DVD.

This really was a huge step towards treating teens as intelligent members of society. It was prior to the time when ‘youth’ started being used as a derogatory term to describe young delinquents. For so many in this decade the motto for the Junior Gazette really did describe the show: “A voice for today’s youth.”

Heartbreak High httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O1NqPAEcsA

was the single most controversial and the longest running  kids program to grace our TV screens. It was successful because it dared to cover things most parents would never dream of talking to their kids about. The full cast and crew for season 1 can be found here.

The show was a spin-off of the movie from 1993 The Heartbreak Kid in which teacher Christina Papadopoulous (Claudia Karvan) and student Nick Polides (Alex Dimitriades) fall in love. The first season follows Nick and his classmates in their final years of high school. As the series continued the new batch of students take over from the graduates from the previous seasons.

We get to see Rebecca Smart again and quite a few other faces you’ll recognise from more current TV shows. Probably the most striking face would be that of Callan Mulvey, who now is a crime fighter on the Aussie made cop show Rush.

When a show can be that controversial and still manage to get 7 seasons aired, you know we had a quality program. Working, teen suicide, drug abuse, homelessness, pregnancy, racism, shoplifting, and romance all thrown in on top of the daily struggle to achieve in school and maintain some semblance of a social life.

The series was recently replayed on ABC 3, right from the beginning. I don’t think they played all 7 seasons but it was great to see the Heartly High kids back on my screen for a while.

They just do not make TV like this anymore. Political correctness has gotten in the way of the brilliant teaching aid that is the television medium. This golden era of Aussie-made programs is missed greatly by those who had the pleasure to live through it. We now cringe at the insipid and pointless plotlines of shows in recent years. We need to get back to basics and bring forth a second golden era of intelligently written, Aussie-made TV for Young Adults.

I would like to introduce you to a series that was shot from 1994 right through until 1997.

Ocean Girl

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScsPLZRIExQ&feature=related

brought environmental concerns to the forefront of our minds. It was directed by Mark Defriest, Colin Budds, Brendan Maher, Judith John-Story. The writing credits go to Peter Hepworth, Niel Luxmoore, David Phillips, Michael Joshua, Judith Colquhoun, Alison Nisselle, Jenny Sharp, Lois Booton, Helen MacWhirter, Graham Hartley, Everett De Roche, Colin Budds and Jonathan M. Shiff, and it was shot in both North Queensland and Victoria.

IMDB usually has a synopsis on the  program, but I guess because the series went for so long it is a little hard to pin down to a 10-line summary. I’ll try.

Neri, (a girl who can talk to whales and lives alone in paradise) is discovered by the teenage son of a marine scientist, Jason, and his little brother, Brett. They become fast friends and together they overcome many issues surrounding conservation, pollution, illegal whaling, and keeping Neri secret.

Casting was brilliant for this program. Jeffrey Walker who you may know better as Bronson from Round the Twist, and Kerry Armstrong from SeaChange, as well as Lauren Hewett from the second season of Spellbinder, combined to create a solid foundation for the new ecologically aware series.

The mid-nineties had us concerned with saving the earth. Reduce, reuse, recycle was becoming the catchcry of the under 20’s and Ocean Girl came in at the perfect time. The twist in the tail that made this series a little more sci fi was the hinting that Neri wasn’t quite ‘human’; but you’ll have to find that out for yourself.

I’ll continue on with my nostalgia in future instalments. Hope you don’t mind.

I would like to introduce you to a series that was shot from 1995 and the second installment in 1997.

Spellbinder

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-7aDtfy6-o

had us jumping into parallel universes and doing double takes when we went bush walking. It was directed by Noel Price and writing credits go to Ron Saunders, Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson, and the same winning team joined, minus the genius of Ron Saunders for the 1997 sequel Spellbinder: Land of the dragon Lord. Series one was shot in New South Wales and Poland and season two was shot in New South Wales, Poland and China.

IMDB is a great place to find out stuff and here is their synopsis for Spellbinder… When a prank at a school camp goes drastically wrong, 15-year-old Paul Reynolds is blasted into an alternative reality and has to try to find a way home.

Here is their synopsis of the sequel, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord… When 14-year-old Australian teenager, Kathy Morgan, discovers a mysterious boat during a family vacation, she decides to investigate – little realising that the boat is actually a transdimensional craft which is able to transcend parallel worlds.

Casting for the first series included Zbych Trofimiuk from Sky Trackers and I have always had a love for the work of Heather Mitchell. In the second series she is the only character kept over from the first season and we see a young Ryan Kwanten before he was on Home and Away and True Blood.

I think this may have been Australia’s first taste of a very steampunk-esque style of show. Themes of learning to act responsibly have our lead actors pulling their hair out. Home being where your heart is, brought forth adventure and drama. It was science fiction with just enough fantasy to take the sharp edge off. I want me one of those power suits.

I’ll continue on with my nostalgia in future installments. Hope you don’t mind.

I spent time living on both Bribie Island and in Caboolture while I was growing up. The hottest thing on the calendar besides the Caboolture Show was the Abbey Tournament held at the Abbey Museum off Old Toorbul Point Road towards Bribie Island. (Basically, take the Bribie Island exit off the Bruce highway and follow the signs.)

Now you don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy yourself at this grand event; you can be a bogan or moron and still have a damn good day out.  It was, and still is, the place to be seen on the July school holidays.  I still run into my school friends every time I attend.

They have workshops, jousting, displays, stalls, food and so many costumes you’d be mistaken for thinking you’d stepped back in time. For the second year in a row there will be a birds of prey element to the festival.  There is ALWAYS something happening around you; and, considering the event is in its 22nd year, you can believe me when I say it runs smoothly, like a well-oiled wheel.

Hubby and I are major photographic buffs and this event is a brilliant place to get some awesome live action photos of some of the most incredibly talented and fearless re-enactors I have ever had the pleasure to see. Not to mention the fact that some of the attendees put a huge amount of effort into their costuming; it would be a shame to not acknowledge their work in photos.

Here is a clip by rikki71 from the last year I was in attendance, ‘The Knights Order of Lion Rampant Greatest Hits of Abbey 2009’

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasX55__Ywg&feature=fvsr

The clip is amazing. I can tell you, though it’s cool on YouTube, you don’t actually get a true idea of the strength, skill, and pure force of those blows unless you’re there on the spot, cheering them on.

The wandering Minstrels and the Jesters are also a highlight for me–so colourful, and again, talented. You can learn to make chain mail, shoot a few arrows with the archers, and *Boo* at the black knight as he spurs his trusty steed forward on the path towards his opponent in the jousting. Allow the atmosphere to wash over you and take in the sights and sounds of the Abbey Tournament, July 9th and 10th 2011. Tickets are available at the gate, and gates open at 9am.

I just might see you there.

xBelx