Secret Valley
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's television |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Terry Bourke, Roger Mirams |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, South Africa, Quebec (Canada) |
Key people | Terry Bourke, Roger Mirams (developers and producers) |
| Products | Children's adventure television series |
| Parent | Grundy Organisation (Australia), Telecip (France), TVE (Spain) |
Secret Valley is a children's adventure television series developed by Terry Bourke and Roger Mirams. The show was produced through a collaboration between Australia's Grundy Organisation, France's Telecip, and Spain's (TVE). It first aired in 1980 on Australia's ABC and later reached Spanish audiences in 1982 via TVE 2. This series eventually inspired the 1986 spin-off titled Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin.
Series synopsis
The narrative unfolds at the fictional holiday camp Secret Valley, situated in the imaginary town of Bildarra. This location is a repurposed ghost town transformed into a children's resort. The storyline focuses on the youngsters who live, work, and visit the camp, often engaging in spirited conflicts with Spider McGlurk and his crew from "Spider Cave." These encounters typically involve playful skirmishes using flour bombs and other food-based ammunition.
Aside from these youthful rivalries, Secret Valley faces external challenges, including potential shutdowns threatened by local officials and a property developer named William Whopper ('WW'), portrayed by Hugh Keays-Byrne.
The original pilot episode, directed by Howard Rubie and scripted by Terry Bourke, was produced in 1980 under the guidance of Roger Mirams, who also later created the spin-off series. Filming occurred towards the end of 1979, with a production budget of $100,000.
Cast
- Hugh Keays-Byrne as William Whopper (WW)
- Max Cullen as Claude Cribbins
- Sheila Kennelly as Cecilia Cribbins
- Simone Buchanan as Simone
- Miles Buchanan as Miles
- Beth Buchanan as Beth
- Marianne Howard as Marianne
- Michael McGlinchey as Mike
- Kelly Dingwall as Spider McGlurk
- Frank Gallacher as Dan McCormack
- Alfred Bell
- Benita Collings
- Marcia Britos
- Michael Aitkens
- Rodney Bell
International screenings
During the 1980s, the series was broadcast internationally, including in New Zealand, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom on ITV. In the Netherlands, it was shown in 1982/1983 through KRO television and later aired on Dutch channel Kindernet between 1989 and 1990. South African viewers saw it on the state-run SABC network in 1983. Additionally, a Quebecois French version was produced for the francophone division of the CBC.
Production
This series was jointly produced by Australia's Grundy Organisation, France's Telecip, and Spain's . Among the cast were siblings in real life: Beth Buchanan, Miles Buchanan, and Simone Buchanan. Filming locations included Smokey Dawson's ranch situated in Sydney's Terrey Hills area and the Sydney-based theme park El Caballo Blanco.
Initially, producer Roger Mirams intended to create a show called The Ghost Town Gang at Smoky Dawson's ranch in Ingleside—a site previously used for productions like Luke's Kingdom and Lost Islands. However, after bushfires destroyed much of the area and eliminated the ghost town set, the concept evolved into what became Secret Valley. Remarkably, filming recommenced only thirteen days following the fire. Mirams described the essence of the series as children establishing their own domain within an adult-centric environment.
The theme song
The opening theme "My Secret Valley" features a melody adapted from "Waltzing Matilda," composed by Bob Young with lyrics penned by producer Roger Mirams (under the pseudonym David Phillips).
I had a dream I could ride across the mountaintops Ride on the waves where the sea turns blue Gum trees, some trees rise until they touch the sky I know a place where it all comes true
Chorus: I know a valley, I know a valley My Secret Valley the world has to see One place for children, welcome from around the world Please come and share Secret Valley with me
Verse: Paris, London, Montreal and Amsterdam So many friends that we want to know From the hills of Spain to the city streets of Germany I know a place where we all can go
Repeat chorus
Episodes
1. Grand ambitions 2. Hidden advantage 3. Battle readiness 4. The dancing horse 5. The scavenger 6. The phantom of Secret Valley 7. Protect the bunyip 8. The creature 9. The incredible magnetizing device 10. The escapee 11. Twin dilemmas 12. The ultimate mini bike competition 13. Treasure of Spanish gold 14. I spy game 15. Secret Valley wildfire 16. Major scoop 17. Spider McGlurk faces his rival 18. The Trojan bull 19. A tricky predicament 20. The worm retaliates 21. Stranded in the wilderness 22. The pony courier 23. The Bildara Bank heist 24. The slippery bird catches its prey 25. Secret Valley visits the city 26. The rainbow’s end