Certain Women (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Tony Morphett |
| Defunct | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Commission |
Certain Women was an Australian television soap opera developed by distinguished TV writer Tony Morphett and produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission from 1973 until 1976. The show consisted of 166 episodes, each approximately fifty minutes in length. The first 59 episodes were filmed in black and white, with episodes 60 through 166 produced in colour following the launch of colour broadcasting in Australia in 1975.
Program synopsis
The concept for the series stemmed from Morphett’s dissatisfaction with the scarcity of substantial roles for women in Australian television dramas. Initially released as a six-episode mini-series, each installment highlighted a different member of the Stone/Lucas family. Due to positive viewer feedback, it subsequently expanded into a full-length ongoing series.
Main
| Actor | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Wenzel | Barry Gardiner | 90 |
| Ivar Kants | Michael Fraser | 68 |
| Jenny Lee | Helen Stone | 75 |
| Joan Bruce | Jane Stone | 258 |
| June Salter | Frieda Lucas | 258 |
| Queenie Ashton | Dolly Lucas | 257 |
| Ron Graham | Alan Stone | 98 |
Regular
| Actor | Role | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Haddy | Barbara | 18 |
| Bruce Spence | Julius 'Big Julie' Primmer | 19 |
| Christine Amor | Gillian Stone | 18 |
| Diane Craig | Marjorie Faber | 27 |
| Elisabeth Crosby | Gillian Stone | 27 |
| Joanne Samuel | Caroline Stone | 29 |
| Judy Morris | Marjorie Faber | 26 |
| Kris McQuade | Christine Clayton | 11 |
| Peter Sumner | Carl Faber | 16 |
| Shane Porteous | Peter Clayton | 26 |
Screening schedule in Australia
Following its initial presentation as six TV plays in February 1973, Certain Women gained considerable popularity, leading to its return on 10 October 1973 with a second series comprising 26 episodes. The program was broadcast on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm, immediately after ABC’s current affairs show This Day Tonight.
The core cast reprised their roles—solicitor Frieda Lucas (June Salter), her widowed mother Dolly (Queenie Ashton), Dolly’s eldest daughter Jane (Joan Bruce), as well as the Stone siblings Marjorie (Judy Morris), Helen (Jenny Lee), Gillian (Elisabeth Crosby), their brother Damon, and Marjorie’s spouse Carl Faber (Peter Sumner). New characters introduced included young physician Julius Primmer ('Big Julie', played by Bruce Spence), Army non-commissioned officer Barry Gardiner (Brian Wenzel), and nurse Michelle.
The writing team featured creator Morphett alongside playwrights such as David Williamson and Cul Cullen. By mid-1976, the broadcast time shifted to 8:30 pm following The Inventors, with repeats airing Sundays at 10:30 pm.
Cancellation
Between 1975 and 1978, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) underwent government-imposed budget reductions. In mid-1976, ABC declared that the upcoming season would mark the conclusion of Certain Women. The final episode was broadcast on Wednesday, 22 December 1976. Despite maintaining strong viewer interest, the series was terminated due to financial cutbacks at ABC.
After the show's cancellation, numerous cast members moved on to roles in other Australian commercial television productions. A selection of episodes was later sold for UK broadcast; however, these were not re-aired in Australia, where Sunday night reruns had previously been screened.
Existing ABC Videotape
At first, it was widely assumed that the majority of the 166 episodes had been lost or erased by ABC. A 1999 account by Bob Ellis indicated that nearly the entire series had been wiped, although some episodes continued to be broadcast on British television as late as 1981.
By early 2016, approximately one-third of the series—primarily consisting of 50 episodes from the later color seasons (1975–76)—were verified as preserved and digitized by ABC in 2006. However, whether these episodes are accessible for airing or DVD distribution remains unclear.
While most black-and-white episodes from 1973–74 were deleted, fragments of outdoor scenes still exist, though only as partial footage rather than full episodes.
Theme music
The primary opening theme for Certain Women is part of the ABC sound collection and has been featured on several commercially available compilations of ABC television theme music.
Archival clip from the series
The Australian National Film & Sound Archive hosts a two-minute segment from the final episode (episode 166, December 1976) of Certain Women on its website for public viewing.
http://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/certain-women-episode-166/
External links
- Certain Women at the National Film and Sound Archive Complete scripts and promotional materials from ABC in the 1970s.
- Certain Women at AustLit