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Rush (1974 TV series)

From Alfawiki
Rush
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryTelevision production
Founded1974
Defunct1976
Headquarters
Australia
Area served
Australia, France
ProductsTelevision drama series

Rush is an Australian television drama series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 1974 and 1976. The show’s first 13 episodes were recorded in black and white in 1974, followed by another 13 episodes in colour two years later, created in collaboration with French public broadcaster Antenne 2. Each season introduced a new ensemble cast, with the exception of John Waters, who remained a consistent presence.

Story and characters

Set against the backdrop of the Victorian Gold Rush during the 1850s, Rush is a period drama. The initial series unfolds at "Crocker's Gully," a fictional mining site near Melbourne, inspired by lithographs from artist Samuel Thomas Gill, who vividly portrayed life on Victorian goldfields.

The narrative focuses on Edmond Fitzalan (portrayed by Brendon Lunney), a young Gold Commissioner tasked with overseeing law enforcement and managing mining licenses on the goldfields.

The primary cast for the first season featured Waters, Olivia Hamnett, Brendon Lunney, Alwyn Kurts, Peter Flett, and Max Meldrum.

The sequel released in 1976 relocates the storyline to New South Wales, specifically Turon Springs (formerly known as Wheogo), set nine years later. Filming took place near Sydney utilizing sets previously used for a historical drama about Ben Hall. John Waters reprised his role as Sgt Mackellar, joined by French actor Alain Doutey as Constable Emile Bizard. Additional cast members included Jane Harders, Delore Whitman, and Vincent Ball. David Gulpilil appeared as an Aboriginal character in a guest role.

The series launched with a feature-length episode followed by weekly 50-minute installments, premiering on ABC-TV in Victoria on 20 August 1974 before being broadcast across Australia.

Awards

John Waters received the 1976 Sammy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Series for his work on Rush. The final episode of the second season, titled A Shilling a Day, garnered several honors. Screenwriter Colin Free was awarded both the 1977 Logie Award for Best Drama Script and the 1977 AWGIE Award for Best TV Series Episode. Actor Hugh Keays-Byrne earned the 1976 Sammy Award for Best Actor in a Single Television Performance as well as the 1977 Logie Award for Best Individual Performance by an Actor for his portrayal in this episode.

Theme music and commercial releases

The series’ theme tune was released as a successful single in Australia by Brian May and the ABC Showband under the Image label in 1974, reaching number five on the Australian national singles chart. The score was composed by George Dreyfus with arrangements by Brian May. The opening theme bears resemblance to the British folk song Ten Thousand Miles Away.

Due to contractual agreements restricting rights to broadcast only, the original series has never been made available through commercial release.

Cast

Episodes

  1. Of All The Crowd That Gathered There
  2. They'll Regret It Yet
  3. Those Bold Bushrangers Braved Every Danger
  4. Toe The Line And Never Give Up
  5. Transitioning From The Old To The New
  6. For That New Promised Land
  7. Three Cheers For Her Majesty
  8. Mourning The Days That Have Passed
  9. Poor John Chow Chow
  10. Manners Make The Man
  11. A Good Time Is Coming
  12. It's Just You, Mate, And Me

Cast

Episodes

  1. Welcome Back Sergeant McKellar
  2. The Great Eastern Bubble
  3. Romany Gold
  4. The New Golden Mountain
  5. La Belle France
  6. Farrar's Pride
  7. Live To Fight Another Day
  8. I'll See You Dead McKellar
  9. You Just Can't Win
  10. The Kadaitcha Man
  11. McKellar R.I.P.
  12. The Second Oldest Trade
  13. A Shilling a Day

Later parody

A recurring feature during the initial season of ABC’s comedy series The Late Show (1992) was a spoof segment titled The Olden Days, which satirized Rush. This segment involved re-editing and overdubbing black-and-white footage from Rush's first season. Comedic actors assumed new character names: Brendon Lunney voiced "Governor Frontbottom" (originally Tony Martin), John Waters became "Sgt. Olden" (Mick Molloy), and Alwyn Kurts was renamed "Judge Muttonchops" (Martin). The narrative humorously relocated to "the Victorian Mud Fields." In the final installment, Lunney and Waters appeared unexpectedly, replacing Martin and Molloy’s voices before joining the live stage performance.

These parody segments were subsequently compiled and distributed on VHS under the title The Late Show Presents The Olden Days. In 2007, both The Olden Days and another parody, Bargearse—which lampooned the 1970s series Bluey—were released on DVD. During the commentary, Santo Cilauro disclosed that a mislabeled lost episode was discovered inside a film canister.

See also

References

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External links

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