The Astronauts (film)

The Astronauts

Company type	Television drama
Industry	Television broadcasting
Founded	1960
Headquarters	Melbourne , Australia
Products	Live television drama
Parent	Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

The Astronauts is a live television drama from Australia that aired on ABC in 1960. It first appeared in Melbourne on 18 May 1960, with a kinescope version subsequently broadcast in Sydney on 27 July 1960. This production is possibly unique as the sole Australian drama focused on the space race and holds the distinction of being the inaugural Australian sci-fi drama written locally for television.

Plot

Set in Australia, the story follows four men—two Americans, one Englishman, and one Australian—undergoing astronaut training as they vie for a single position on the initial manned space mission. Despite all candidates passing medical evaluations for mental and physical fitness, one contender is discovered to have a physical impairment.

Cast

• Alan Hopgood portraying Dave Armstrong, the Australian astronaut
• David Mitchell as Len Cassidy
• Mark Kelly in the role of Jeff Burrows
• Tony Brown playing Flight Lieutenant Peter Corbitt, representing England
• Keith Eden as Dr. Vaughan
• Kurt Ludescher cast as a German scientist
• Kendrick Hudson in the role of a U.S. Air Force general
• Marie Redshaw as Jill Corbitt, spouse of Peter
• Anne Harvey portraying Del Armstrong, wife of Dave
• Collins Hilton as a steward

Production

Sydney-based writer Don Houghton created this drama following the public announcement of the Mercury Seven astronauts. Composed in late 1959, Houghton expressed concern that his work might soon shift from speculative fiction to historical record. The play was also purchased by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Houghton clarified that the piece was grounded in contemporary space exploration realities rather than traditional science fiction, aiming to investigate "what sort of man is an astronaut?"

During the initial live broadcast on 18 May, an unintended audio switch resulted in a private discussion about Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones’s wedding being transmitted. The ABC acknowledged this as a human mistake and issued an apology.

Reception

Reviewing existing footage, Filmink commended the intriguing premise of an Australian space program, highlighting its coherent narrative progression combined with meaningful stakes and well-developed characters. The dialogue was noted for its understated tension reminiscent of Only Angels Have Wings.

The production was subsequently sold for airing on American television.

See also

• The End Begins (1961)
• The Road (1964)
• The Stranger (1964–65)
• Campaign for One (1965)