Touch the Sun (TV series)

Touch the Sun is a series of television films commissioned by Patricia Edgar for the Australian Children's Television Foundation. It was to be the ACTF's project for the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988. The Australian Bicentennial Authority named Touch the Sun as the Bicentenary official children's series for 1988. Edgar's plan was to locate stories in every state in Australia showing the diversity of the Australian landscape. It was written, produced, and directed by some of the top film and tv personnel in Australia. Patricia Edgar was Executive Producer of the show and it was backed by the ABC, Australian Film Commission, the New South Wales Film Corporation, the South Australian Film and Television Financing Fund, the South Australian Film Corporation, Film Victoria and the French distribution company Revcom International.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1986). Australian Children's Television Foundation Annual Report 1985-1986. A.C.T.F. Productions Limited. ISSN: 0864211929 National Trustees agreed to act as investor representatives for Touch the Sun in 1986 and the series was offered to the Australian Television networks for telecast in 1988. The $7.5 million necessary for production of this unique children’s series for the Bicentennial year was fully subscribed by 30 June 1987.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1987). Australian Children's Television Foundation Annual Report 1986-1987. A.C.T.F. Productions Limited. ISSN: 086421264X The ABC paid $2 million for the Australian rights to Touch the Sun, the most the ABC had ever spent to acquire the rights to a program.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1987). Care for kids: Television News, The newsletter of the Australian Children's Television Foundation, Issue No. 19, p. 1-4. ISSN: 0813-3727

The six episodes of the Foundation’s bicentennial telefeature series, Touch the Sun, were produced entirely in 1987/88. Production took place in every state of Australia: Top Enders was shot in the Northern Territory, Devil's Hill in Tasmania, Princess Kate in New South Wales, Peter and Pompey in Queensland, Captain Johnno in South Australia and The Gift in both Victoria and Western Australia.

Scope The six telemovies (each of 95 minutes' duration) deal with issues important to children: adoption, multiculturalism, country life, fame, running away and deafness. The series was aimed at reflecting contemporary issues for Australian children by touching upon the critical nature of early adolescence, how to overcome obstacles faced during this time and what it means to look towards the future at this young stage of life.

Production timeline By October 1987, production was well underway with filming completed and post production started on Peter & Pompey; Captain Johnno and Top Enders.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1987). Care for kids: Television News, The newsletter of the Australian Children's Television Foundation, Issue No. 21, p. 1-4. ISSN: 0813-3727 Additionally, filming had begun on Princess Kate. Devil's Hill and The Gift were in pre-production with filming due to start on 2 and 16 November 1987 respectively.

By December 1987, Princess Kate had also completed shooting.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1987). Care for kids: Television News, The newsletter of the Australian Children's Television Foundation, Issue No. 22, p. 1-4. ISSN: 0813-3727 The Gift was shooting in Victoria at this time, and the production team was set to travel to Perth on 6 December to complete production in WA.

Captain Johnno

(South Australia)

Premise Johnno is a deaf ten year old boy with good intentions who lives in Streeton, a small fishing town, during the 1950s. He spends a lot of his time alone by the water and playing at the beach. The locals of the town who farm and fish don't understand him and look upon him as though he is a bit of a clown. Johnno's sister, Julie, is the only one who really cares and helps him out, but Julie has to leave home for the first time to go to boarding school and suddenly Johnno's life is uprooted. He also has a new teacher at school that is far less tolerant of his 'unusual' and 'disruptive' behaviour in the classroom as she puts it. As a result, Johnno gets expelled and his mother is left to educate him at home. This proves to be very challenging because she is already a working mother herself.

The only positive event happening in Johnno's life is the arrival of Tony, a solitary Italian fisherman without a penny to his name who cannot speak English. Johnno sees a bit of himself in Tony and is consequently left feeling very betrayed when he believes Tony has violated the terms of their new friendship. Johnno unintentionally becomes tied up in a number of mishaps which pushes his mother to breaking point and she decides to send him to a 'special school'. But when Johnno hears about this plan he runs away, sailing to a nearby island with the intention of living solo away from the complex problems society brings. However, life on the island is harsh with exposure and dehydration taking their toll. He grows increasingly desperate for food and climbs a cliff, only to slip and fall into the dangerous surf. He washes ashore the isolated beach injured and in need of help. Back in Streeton, Johnno's lost presence is noticed and a search party begins, but Tony is the only one with any idea where Johnno might be. Tony ignores the instructions of the search organisers and heads for the island himself just in time to save Johnno. Tony and Johnno reconcile there and Johnno comes to realise running away from his problems doesn't help. He sets a new and more independent course for his future with Tony's help.

Cast Damien Walters as Johnno Joe Petruzzi as Tony John Waters as Frank Rebecca Sykes as Julie Michele Fawdon as Kathleen Elspeth Ballantyne as Mrs Greenwood Vivienne Graves Sam Sowton Phoebe Salter Peter Green Henry Salter Grant Piro

Launch In Adelaide, the premiere screening of Captain Johnno was held at the Academy Cinema on Thursday, 7 April 1988. The film, which was introduced by the premier of South Australia, the Hon. John Bannon, MP, had been especially subtitled for the hearing impaired. Present at the screening were: the Managing Director of the South Australian Film Corporation, John Morris, AM; the writer of the film, Rob George; the producer, Jane Ballantyne; the director, Mario Andreacchio; the child stars of the film, Damien Walters (Johnno) and Rebecca Skyes (Julie); members of the film and television industry and the media; and members of the deaf community. The following morning a special screening of the film was held for hearing impaired children and their classmates, who included children from Damien Walters’ class. The film was received very enthusiastically.

International Emmy Award In 1988 the Foundation won the most prestigious international television award for Captain Johnno as part of the Touch the Sun series.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1989). Australian Children's Television Foundation Annual Report 1988-1989. A.C.T.F. Productions Limited. This was the first time an Australian Children’s program won an Emmy and only the second time an Emmy was awarded to an Australian program. Captain Johnno, one of the six films in the Touch the Sun series, was entered in the Children's and Young People's Section of the Awards which are presented by the International Council of the American National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences. At the Awards ceremony held in new York on 21 November, only five Emmys were presented after judges had viewed 198 entries from 48 countries.

Devil's Hill

(Tasmania)

Premise Badge has always felt daunted by his cousin Sam because he has spent time in the city and been exposed to a world Badge can only imagine, having spent his whole life on a remote farm in rugged southwest Tasmania. However, the tables get turned once Sam's mother falls ill and his father is away working. Sam and his two younger sisters, Bron and Sheppie, are sent to live with Badge and his mum, Jessie. Sam has an arrogant disdain for the bush that gets on Badge's nerves, so he forms an alliance with Bron who is timid and fearful, but sensitive. However, at the same time, Badge begins to question his father's beloved wilderness and whether that is the kind of life he wants for himself, when he hears of the glorified tales of the city.

One night the tension between Sam and Badge breaks and their feelings appear to be reflected in the violent weather occurring in the valley. By morning, they discover that Brindle, the family heifer, has escaped into the dense bush and needs to be tracked down and recovered. The kids persuade Jessie to bring them with her on her trek through the mountainous Tasmanian wilderness to find Brindle.

En route they are led up into the valley to a dark and mysterious crag called Devil's Hill. They find tracks which indicate they are headed in the right direction, but the path is dangerous with tiger snakes and raging rivers. Supplies are limited and Jessie starts to think that they may have missed Brindle, so she backtracks and leaves the kids at their camping spot for the day. Shortly after Jessie leaves, the kids spot Brindle in the valley far below. The boys climb down towards Brindle, but Badge slips which frightens her away. Sam scolds Badge, but Badge decides to break camp and follow Brindle.

This new chase leads the kids into adventure and conflict, and only by resolving their differences do they find a way to pool their talents and recapture Brindle. Not only do they end up finding Brindle, but also the lost herd that will enable Badge's parents to have a successful farm. Badge, Sam, Bron and Sheppie drive the herd home in triumph and meet up with Jessie along the way, who is overjoyed with their findings.

Once they return home, they are welcomed with more good news – Sam's mother has recovered and his father has arrived to take him home. To everyone's surprise, Sam asks his father if he can return to the farm next summer, and Badge decides he doesn't mind the idea of going to school with his cousins. Badge and Sam's rivalry turns to mutual respect.

Cast Cameron Atkins Peter Hehir Mary Haire John Flaus Alexander 'Matthew' Jacobs Emma Pugh Jane McArthur

Launch The premiere screening of Devil's Hill was introduced by The Hon. Peter Rae, MHA, the Tasmanian Minister for Education and the Arts, at the University of Tasmania on Wednesday, 13 April 1988. Attending the screening were: Dr Patricia Edgar; Graeme Foster, the Tasmanian representative on the ACTF Board; director, Esben Storm; the child stars of the film, Alexander Jacobs, Cameron Atkins, Jane McArthur and Emma Pugh; crew members, educationalists; and the media.

The Gift

(Victoria and Western Australia)

Premise Nicos and Sofia Georgialis are Greek-Australian siblings living in a comfortable inner-city suburb, who win first prize in a national lottery.Australian Children's Television Foundation, (1988). Australian Children's Television Foundation Annual Report 1987-1988. A.C.T.F. Productions Limited. ISSN: 0864213204 To their amazement, they become the new owners of five hundred hectares of beautiful bushland in Western Australia – 3,000km from their Melbourne home. The big win throws their lives into turmoil. Tensions in the family rise and Sofia breaks up with her boyfriend. Their grandfather, Christos, joins them on an all-expenses paid trip to visit the new plot of land, leaving the family nearly split in two. Sofia and their dad, Con, want to sell the land to purchase a new modern house for them all outside of the city, while Nicos and their mum, Helen, don't want to leave their current home.