Sky Trackers
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's television, Science fiction |
| Founded | 1990 (telemovie), 1995 (series) |
| Founder | Jeff Peck, Tony Morphett |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Children's science adventure television series, telemovie |
| Owner | Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) |
| Website | www |
Sky Trackers is an Australian children's science adventure series consisting of 26 episodes, alongside a separate telemovie. Both were developed by Jeff Peck and Tony Morphett, with executive production led by Patricia Edgar for the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF). The narrative centers on youngsters residing at space-tracking facilities across Australia.
The telemovie, produced in 1990, was shot at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex located in Tidbinbilla, Australian Capital Territory. The subsequent 1995 television series, featuring performances by Petra Yared and Zbych Trofimiuk, was filmed at the Australia Telescope Compact Array near Narrabri, New South Wales, and broadcast on the Seven Network. While both the series and the movie share characters, their storylines do not directly connect.
The concept for the series emerged from a request by Australia's federal scientific agency, the CSIRO, directed to Patricia Edgar. The goal was to develop a program that would inspire girls to pursue careers in science. The show sought to make science appealing to children through dramatic storytelling, emphasizing career paths and clarifying the roles of scientists.
Sky Trackers received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Children's Drama Series in 1994, with Zbych Trofimiuk honored as Best Young Actor. Additional accolades include recognition at the Cairo International Film Festival for Children (1994) and the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Awards (1995).
Series synopsis
Blending elements of adventure, adolescent romance, and scientific exploration, Sky Trackers follows three young protagonists living beneath the large white satellite dishes of an Australian outback space tracking station, where their parents are employed as scientists.[1]
Thirteen-year-old Nikki aspires to become an astronaut and holds great admiration for Mike’s father, who is an astrophysicist.[2]
Mike, aged fourteen, enjoys activities such as playing guitar, horse riding,[3] and rollerblading but experiences tension with his father due to his father's intense work commitments.[2] Initially doubtful about science, Mike soon forms a close friendship with Nikki and her sister Maggie.
Together, this trio utilizes cutting-edge technology available at the station to tackle challenges and rescue people.[4] Their escapades involve tracking meteorites, treasure hunting, interpreting signals from space, and investigating UFO sightings. These experiences contribute significantly to their personal growth and intellectual development.[5][2][6]
Main
- Petra Yared as Nikki Colbert (credited as Petra Jared)
- Zbych Trofimiuk as Mike Masters
- Emily-Jane Romig as Maggie Colbert
- Steve Jacobs as Tony Masters
- Anna-Maria Monticelli as Marie Colbert
Recurring
- Gareth Yuen as Joe
- Paul Sonkkila as Frank Giles
- Marco Chiappi as Christian
- Rosalind Hammond as Elfie
- Max Phipps
Guests
- Luke Carroll as Simon Tjapiljari (1 episode)
- Nicholas Bell as Dan (1 episode)
- Shane Connor as Sergeant Blake (2 episodes)
Television Film
The telemovie Sky Trackers was developed through a collaboration between the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) and the Disney Channel, with the screenplay penned by Tony Morphett based on an original idea by Jeff Peck. Executive production was overseen by Patricia Edgar, direction by John Power, and Anthony Buckley served as producer.[7] Filming took place at NASA's Tidbinbilla Tracking Station.[7]
The cast featured American actress Pamela Sue Martin portraying Dr Spencer Jenkins, alongside Maia Brewton and Courtney Kieler as her daughters, Australian actor Paul Williams playing Dr Tony Masters, and Justin Rosniak in the role of Mike.[7] The storyline follows the children of scientists who race against time to locate a satellite that is falling to Earth.[8]
Production was carried out from April to May 1990, with post-production finishing in September of the same year.[9] The film debuted on the Disney Channel in the United States on 27 May 1991,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and was subsequently screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival in June 1991.[8] The ACTF then independently produced the Sky Trackers television series prior to broadcasting the telemovie in Australia.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
On 11 March 1995, shortly before the series premiere,[10] the movie was broadcast on Australia's Seven Network.[11]
Television Series
The concept for Sky Trackers originated from a request by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to the Australian Children's Television Foundation to develop a children’s program aimed at inspiring girls to consider careers in science. The series centers around Nikki Colbert, a 13-year-old girl with ambitions of becoming the first woman to set foot on Mars. The scripts were crafted to ensure scientific authenticity, with guidance from CSIRO and NASA personnel, while Dr Karl Kruszelnicki provided expertise as the science advisor.
Funding approval came from the Australian Film Finance Corporation in July 1992, leading to pre-production activities starting in February 1993. Although originally planned to be filmed at NASA’s Tidbinbilla Tracking Station, production was shifted to the Australia Telescope Compact Array at CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility near Narrabri, New South Wales, due to concerns regarding a rollerblading scene.
The filming schedule spanned 28 weeks and combined location shoots at the Australia Telescope Compact Array—depicted as "Kaputar Tracking Station"—with studio production in Melbourne, along with additional outdoor scenes filmed around Victoria. Principal photography commenced in June 1993 and wrapped up in 1994. The series’ debut episode, titled "Skating the Dish," received the 1994 AACTA Award for Best Children's Television Drama, while Zbych Trofimiuk was honored with Best Young Actor.
In February 1995, Sky Trackers was officially launched in Australia by Michael Lee, then Minister for Communications and the Arts, during an event held at the Museum of Victoria's Planetarium. The launch was attended by representatives from The Seven Network, NASA, CSIRO, and media outlets. The series premiered nationwide on The Seven Network and its affiliate Prime Television beginning March 1995.
In June 1995, NASA astronaut Dr Tamara Jernigan toured schools across Australia alongside lead actress Petra Yared to promote the show. To mark its 25th anniversary, Sky Trackers underwent digital remastering for renewed release and distribution.
Reception
The Australian magazine TV Week commended the series, describing it as: "A giant satellite dish dedicated to inline skating, a space monitoring station where teenagers have open access to computer networks—nearly flawless. Introducing Sky Trackers, the newest production from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. The performances are outstanding, with Petra Jared shining as the science-driven Nikki Colbert and Zbych Trofimiuk portraying Mike Masters, whose scientific curiosity is as expansive as a Jimi Hendrix guitar riff."
Educational resources
The Australian Children's Television Foundation created three educational Sky Trackers Curriculum Packs designed for school use:
- Sky Trackers: The Environment authored by Annemaree O'Brien and Noel Gough
Explores themes such as environmental activism, water ecosystems, human environmental impact, and planetary conservation.
- Sky Trackers: Space also by Annemaree O'Brien and Noel Gough
Examines rockets, cosmic phenomena, radio astronomy, microwaves, SETI initiatives, scientific culture, ethics, and core values.
- Sky Trackers: Family and Self by Don Edgar and Annemaree O'Brien
Discusses family dynamics, coping with grief, domestic violence, relationship breakdowns, and adoption.
Each curriculum pack contains three videotaped episodes introduced by the young cast members, comprehensive teacher notes, discussion prompts, and student exercises aimed at upper primary to early secondary levels (grades 5-8). The episodes interweave narratives about science, outer space, environmental issues, and family experiences to encourage critical thinking and classroom dialogue.
These teaching materials are presently accessible as downloadable pdf documents through the ACTF website.
Moreover, selected Sky Trackers episode excerpts are included in ACTF's What's Fair, a multimedia toolkit designed to facilitate ethical inquiry education in schools.
Novel
A novelization tied to the series titled Sky Trackers was published in Australia by Penguin Books, authored by Amanda Midlam.
Videotape
The Sky Trackers film was made available on video via Village Roadshow.
Reel Entertainment issued the series on videotape across nine volumes, with the initial set released in June 1995.
Digital release
In 2007, the series was launched on DVD and is offered for download from ACTF in an upscaled HD format at 720p (4:3 aspect ratio).
International broadcast
The Sky Trackers movie was licensed in 1996 to Showcase Television in Canada and EuroArts International Gmbh in Germany.
The television series has been distributed to 105 countries worldwide, achieving notable success across Europe with broadcasters such as ARD Germany, Danmarks Radio, NRK Norway, Finnish Broadcasting Company, Slovak TV, RTSR Switzerland, AVRO Netherlands, and RTE Ireland. A deal with France 2 was finalized in 1995. In 1996, Telepiu Italy secured a one-year broadcast window while Canal Plus Poland obtained a two-year license.
Additional markets include the Philippines, Nigeria, Brazil, Turkey, Israel, Iceland, Cyprus, Arabic-speaking regions, Hong Kong, Mexico, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka; along with distribution to Encore Media Corporation for its WAM! channel targeting teenagers in the United States.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work Recognized | Award Ceremony | Category | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 'Skating the dish' episode from Sky Trackers |
Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, Melbourne, Australia | Best Children's Television Drama | Template:Win | |
| Zbych Trofimiuk portraying Mike Masters |
Young Actor Award | Template:Win | |||
| 'Skating the dish' episode from Sky Trackers |
Banff Television Festival, Canada | Banff Rockie Award for Best Children's Program | Template:Nom | ||
| Sky Trackers series | Cairo International Film Festival for Children, Egypt | Golden Cairo for TV Programmes | Template:Win | ||
| 1995 | Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Awards, Melbourne, Australia | Best Children's Television Series | Template:Win | ||
| Bavarian State Ministry for Education, Culture, Science and Art, Munich | International Competition of the MediaNet Awards | Template:Center | |||
| 1996 | Prix Jeunesse, Munich | Children's program, Age 7-12 | Template:Center |
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:3 - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:12 - ↑ "Sky Trackers". Australian Children's Television Foundation.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:22 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCinema Papers 94 - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:11 - ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:03 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCinema Papers 80 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:6 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:4