The Stranger (Australian TV series)
Australia's first locally produced science fiction television series.
The Stranger is an Australian science fiction children's television series that first aired on the ABC from 1964 to 1965. Produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, it is recognized as Australia's first locally produced science fiction television series. It was also among the first Australian TV series to be sold overseas.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Creator
- G. K. Saunders
- Starring
- Ron Haddrick
- Country
- Australia
- Language
- English
- Series
- 2
- Episodes
- 12
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
A schoolmaster discovers an unconscious young man on his doorstep and cares for him. The stranger, Adam, develops a close friendship with the headmaster's children Bernard and Jean, and their friend Peter. They learn Adam is from another planet, sent to find a new home on Earth for his people. He is later joined by fellow alien Varossa. In the second series, Peter is kidnapped by an alien, leading the children to seek help from the Australian Prime Minister, and events eventually take them to the aliens' home planet of Soshuniss.
Production
The Stranger first appeared as a six-episode radio drama on the BBC Home Service in December 1963, written by New Zealand-born author G.K. Saunders and featuring David Spenser as the title character, Adam Suisse. Just four months later, an Australian television adaptation aired, again penned by Saunders, with Storry Walton producing, Gil Brealey directing, and Geoffrey Wedlock handling production design. Two six-episode series were made in 1964 and 1965. The show became a major success in Australia and was later sold back to the BBC. The first series aired on BBC1 on Thursdays at 5:25 PM from 25 February to 1 April 1965, but was never repeated. The second series ran from Tuesday 11 January 1966 at 5:00 PM on BBC1. Saunders created a unique language for the aliens, who spoke English with a foreign accent. Because Adam could speak German and French, the children’s father initially assumed he was from Switzerland, which explains his surname. The series was produced with help from the CSIRO, and key scenes were filmed at the Parkes Observatory, with its radio telescope appearing in the iconic opening credits. The CSIRO also advised on the design of the alien spacecraft, which lands on the steps of Sydney Town Hall, where the Prime Minister—played by veteran actor Chips Rafferty—greets the visitors. In 2019, the ABC digitally restored the entire series, releasing it in January 2020 on their on-demand service iview and the ABC TV & iview YouTube channel.
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