Stormy Petrel (TV series)

Stormy Petrel is an early Australian television drama. A period drama, the 12-episode serial told the story of William Bligh and aired in 1960 on ABC.

Stormy Petrel
Genrehistory
Created byRex Rienits
Directed byColin Dean
StarringBrian James
Country of originAustralia
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original networkABC
Original release29 May (1960-05-29)[1] –
14 August 1960 (1960-08-14)
Chronology
Followed byThe Outcasts

It was based on a script by Rex Rienits adapted from his 1948 radio serial.[2] The radio serial was rebroadcast in 1953.[3]

Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[4] Stormy Petrel was a critical and popular success and led to the ABC making a number of period drama series set in Australia's past: The Outcasts (1961), The Patriots (1962), and The Hungry Ones (1963). Telerecordings (also known as Kinescope recordings) of the series are held by National Archives of Australia.

Premise

The story of William Blight's governship of New South Wales leading up to the events of the Rum Rebellion.

Cast
  • Brian James as William Bligh
  • Muriel Steinbeck as Mrs Bligh
  • Walter Sullivan as John MacArthur
  • Margo Lee as Mrs MacArthur
  • Alistair Duncan
  • Richard Perry
  • Ric Hutton as John Putland
  • Delia Williams as Mary Bligh, Bligh's daughter
  • Charles McCallum as the Minister
  • Ric Hutton as Lt John Putland
  • Annette Andre as Ann Bligh
  • Elizabeth Waterhouse as Elizabeth Bligh
  • Moray Powell as Dr Warren
  • Geoffrey King as Sir Joseph Banks
  • Owen Weingott
  • Nat Levison
  • Nigel Lovell as Major Johnston
  • Charles McCallum
  • Walter Pym as Lt-Gen Keppel

Production

The series was based on a radio play which Rex Rienits had written in 1948. Rienits said he believed Bligh "was a great man."[5] The play was a great success when broadcast. Rienits sold it to the BBC and the ABC rebroadcast it in 1953.[6]

Episodes
  • Ep 1 "The Assignment" – 15 May (Syd), 29 May (Melb) – Sir Joseph Banks offers Bligh the governership of NSW
  • Ep 2 "The Voyage Out" 22 May (Syd), 5 Jun (Melb) – Bligh takes the boat to Australia
  • Ep 3 "The Arrival" – 29 May (Syd), 12 Jun (Melb) – Bligh, his daughter Mary and Lt Putland arrive in Sydney, they meet MacArthur and his wife
  • Ep 4 "Enter John MacArthur" – 5 Jun (Syd), 19 Jun (Melb)
  • Ep 5 "Storm Clouds" – 12 Jun (Syd), 26 Jun (Melb)
  • Ep 6 "The Challenge" – 19 Jun (Syd), 3 July (Melb)
  • Ep 7 "The First Skirmish" – 26 Jun (Syd), 10 July (Melb)
  • Ep 8 "The Storm Gathers" – 3 July (Syd), 17 July (Melb) – Bligh clashes with MacArthur in a second court action
  • Ep 9 "The Storm Breaks" – 10 July (Syd), 24 July (Melb)
  • Ep 10 "Rebellion" – 17 July (Syd), 31 July (Melb)
  • Ep 11 ' Aftermath" – 24 July (Syd), 7 Aug (Melb)
  • Ep 12 "The Way Back" – 31 July (Syd), 14 Aug (Melb) – final episode – Bligh returns to England to give evidence at the court martial of Major Johnston. Bligh's widowed daughter Mary becomes betrothed to Macquarie's aide, Maurice O'Connell, while Bligh's secretary, Griffin, who loves Mary, looks on. Bligh is appointed Admiral.

Reception

Coming at a time when Australia produced few dramatic television series, The Age called it a "successful serial" and commented "These colorful – and factual – Australian series are a "must" for Australian television"[7][8] At the end of the series' run The Age called it "Channel 2's most consistent production."[9]

The Woman's Weekly said Dean was to be "cogratulated on a production (made difficult, I'm sure, by budget-balancing) marked by a simplicity that has been the trademark of some of the B.B.C. adaptations of famous classics. You may cock a snoot at Australian history, but "Stormy Petrel" makes Australian history come alive in absorbing TV."[10] At the end of the series' run the Woman's Weekly called it "an outstanding production."[11]

According to director Colin Dean "I got the results from Audience Research – the average audience for Stormy Petrel was the same as a years run in her Majesty's Theatre including matinees. I thought to myself – that is unbelievable. That is what we have been missing. We never had audiences like that before. What a great thing we done!"[12]

It was repeated by the ABC in 1974.[13]

Sequel

In November 1960 it was announced that Rex Rienits and Colin Dean would reunite on a sequel that would focus on William Redfern but feature many characters from Stormy Petrel.[14]

References
  1. "Aust TV Serial About Bligh". The Age. 26 May 1960. p. 14.
  2. "STARS OF THE AIR". Wodonga and Towong Sentinel (Vic. : 1885 – 1954). Vic.: National Library of Australia. 17 December 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  3. ""THE STORMY PETREL"-NEW A.B.C. SERIAL ABOUT BLIGH". South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 – 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 3 August 1953. p. 2 Section: South Coast Times AND WOLLONGONG ARGUS FEATURE SECTION. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  4. Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  5. "STARS OF THE AIR". The Grenfell Record And Lachlan District Advertiser. 81 (95). New South Wales, Australia. 16 December 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ""THE STORMY PETREL"-NEW A.B.C. SERIAL ABOUT BLIGH". South Coast Times And Wollongong Argus. LIII (60). New South Wales, Australia. 3 August 1953. p. 2 (South Coast Times AND WOLLONGONG ARGUS FEATURE SECTION). Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Standard set by Petrel". The Age. 29 December 1960. p. 9.
  8. "Serial on Bligh is Good TV". The Age. 9 June 1960.
  9. Janus (18 August 1960). ""Petrel" Milestone for Australian TV". The Age. p. 27.
  10. "They don't socialise". The Australian Women's Weekly. 28, (4). Australia, Australia. 29 June 1960. p. 57. Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  11. "20th century wisdom". The Australian Women's Weekly. 28 (11). Australia, Australia. 17 August 1960. p. 55. Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Interview with Colin Dean". ABC Gore Hill.
  13. "1960 series on Bligh was worth repeating". The Canberra Times. 48 (13, 821). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 31 July 1974. p. 12. Retrieved 16 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "A.B.C. plans new historical serial". The Australian Women's Weekly. 28, ([?]). Australia, Australia. 2 November 1960. p. 74. Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)


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