Emergency (1959 TV series)

Emergency
Company type	Television drama series
Industry	Television
Founded	1959
Headquarters	Melbourne, Australia
Products	Television drama
Parent	Nine Network

Emergency represents an Australian television drama created by Melbourne's GTV-9, a station within the Nine Network, and first aired in 1959.

Synopsis

The narrative unfolds in the emergency department of a prominent fictional hospital located in Melbourne. Emergency holds the distinction of being one of the earliest drama series broadcast on Australian TV.

Cast

Developed by GTV-9 in partnership with the Royal Melbourne Hospital and inspired by the British series Emergency Ward 10, Emergency featured Brian James portraying Dr Geoffrey Thompson, Syd Conabere as orderly George Rogers, and Judith Godden in the role of Nurse Jill Adamson. Moira Carleton appeared as Matron Evans.

Cast roles after series

Following the conclusion of Emergency, Brian James took on leading parts in ABC’s Stormy Petrel (1960) and ATN-7’s historical drama Jonah (1962). He later became well-known for his portrayal of George Tippit in Skyways (1979–81) and for his role in the cult classic Prisoner. Moira Carleton made guest appearances on various Australian television dramas throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including a recurring character, Olive Turner, on Bellbird. Syd Conabere was featured prominently in the soap opera Sons and Daughters.

Production

Most scenes were shot within GTV-9’s studios, with limited outdoor footage filmed on 35mm by newsreel cameramen. Episodes were recorded via kinescope to allow for flexible broadcasting schedules, enabling later airings in Sydney.

The storyline centered on intense cases within the hospital’s Casualty ward. Scripts were written by GTV personnel Roland Strong (producer) and Denzil Howson (director), who used pseudonyms for their writing credits.

British Petroleum (BP) sponsored the series under a contract for 52 half-hour episodes. The show debuted on 16 February 1959 on GTV-9 and was broadcast a week later on Sydney’s ATN-7. Despite initial interest, critical response was mixed; a particularly unfavorable review from a Sydney newspaper led BP to end its sponsorship after just sixteen weeks. With no sponsor support, GTV-9 discontinued production, and the final episode aired on 1 June 1959.

Actress Patricia Kennedy described her experience working on the series as "exhausting but exciting."

Reception

The Australian Women's Weekly characterized the program as "shudderingly bad."

External links