The Box (Australian TV series)
| Industry | Television production |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Hector Crawford |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Television series, including The Box |
| Website | crawfords |
The Box was an Australian soap opera broadcast on ATV-0 from February 1974 until October 1977, also airing on various Network Ten affiliates nationwide.
Created by Crawford Productions, a company primarily known for police dramas at the time, The Box marked their initial venture into soap operas. It was developed to build on the popularity of the adult-themed soap Number 96. The show originated from Ian Jones' concept titled The Dream Makers, which was revived following the success of Number 96 to fill a one-hour programming slot.
Synopsis
Set within the fictional Melbourne television station UCV Channel 12, The Box portrayed both the professional activities and private lives of its staff, offering a satirical glimpse into the Australian TV industry. Several characters were inspired by actual media personalities; for instance, Sir Henry Usher drew from figures such as Sir Frank Packer and Sir Reginald Ansett. The character of Mrs Hopkins, the tea lady (Lois Ramsay), was modeled after the real-life tea lady working at the station.
Sharing similarities with Number 96, including adult themes, nudity, and sexual content, the series also led to a cinematic adaptation titled The Box.
Storylines
Within the show, UCV-12 produced fictional programs that paralleled real Australian television series: the police drama Manhunt echoed Crawford’s crime shows; variety program Big Night Out resembled In Melbourne Tonight; alongside other shows such as children’s program Holliday Farm and period drama Gully Rider. A flyer referenced an unmentioned program called Slattery's People.
Initial episodes concentrated on themes of sex, scandal, and workplace politics, featuring multiple nude scenes. The debut episode introduced Felicity (Helen Hemingway), who seduced variety host Gary Burke (Peter Regan) before revealing she was only 15 years old, prompting crisis management by station executives. Reporter Vicki Stafford (Judy Nunn) capitalized on this by arranging for Felicity to pose nude with Tony Wild (Ken James) and delivering Australian television's first lesbian kiss. It was later disclosed that Felicity was actually over 18 and subsequently pursued a career in adult films. Vicki’s character evolved into producing daytime chat show Girl Talk, then prime-time current affairs program Newsmakers.
The series featured openly gay producer Lee Whiteman (Paul Karo) alongside tea lady Mrs. Hopkins (Lois Ramsay). Mrs. Hopkins faced challenges regarding her son Wayne’s homosexuality. Lee frequently clashed with Gary Burke over control of Big Night Out.
Following its first year, a feature film was released featuring regular cast members in a standalone comedic narrative.
In its second year (1975), the series shifted towards comedic elements, particularly highlighting Tony Wild. New additions included secretary Enid Parker (Jill Forster) and her scheming sister Emma (also portrayed by Forster). Lee Whiteman briefly dated closeted newsreader John Barnett (Donald McDonald). Television personality Angela O'Malley (Cheryl Rixon) appeared frequently nude during 1975–76.
For the 1976 season, producer Jock Blair returned to steer the series back towards adult drama, restoring its original tone.
Production
Produced by Crawford Productions, created and scripted by Ian Jones and Tom Hegarty, filming began at Melbourne's ATV-0 studios in October 1973. The premiere episode, lasting 90 minutes, aired on 11 February 1974 at 9:00 pm. Initially filmed in black-and-white, the show transitioned to colour later in 1974.
Initially titled The Dream Makers, the series was renamed The Box after being declined by the Seven Network due to its mature content. Executive Hector Crawford anticipated refusal from network owner Reginald Ansett, but eventually sold the series to the 0-10 Network on 14 July 1973.
In 1974, The Box became Australia's second highest-rated program after Number 96. A feature film adaptation emphasizing comedy and including scenes of full frontal nudity was produced in January 1975. The film’s sets were incorporated into the TV show following an on-screen office fire in October 1975.
Episodes were originally produced as half-hour segments, often broadcast consecutively to form hour-long blocks or as five separate half-hour episodes per week depending on region. From 1976 onward, episodes were combined into one-hour formats. In Melbourne, two one-hour episodes aired weekly throughout that year.
Declining ratings led to production ceasing on 1 April 1977; remaining episodes were aired late at night during that year. The final episode (number 603) was broadcast in Melbourne on 11 October 1977.
Regular cast 1974-1975
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| George Mallaby | Paul Donovan |
| Barrie Barkla | Max Knight |
| Ken James | Tony Wild |
| Fred Betts | Sir Henry Usher |
| Peter Regan | Gary Burke |
| Belinda Giblin | Kay Webster/Kay Webster-Brookes |
| Paul Karo | Lee Whiteman |
| Judy Nunn | Vicki Stafford |
| Briony Behets | Judy Donovan |
| Fred 'Cul' Cullen | Eddie Holliday |
| Helen Hemingway | Felicity Baker |
| Kay McFeeter | Cathy Holliday |
| Graeme Blundell | Don Cook |
| Monica Maughan | Jean Ford |
| Lois Ramsay | Mrs. Hopkins |
| Ken Snodgrass | Jack O'Brien |
| Luigi Villani | Mick Maloney |
| Lynda Keane | Barbie Gray/Barbie Cook |
| Vanessa Leigh | Fanny Adams |
| Carol Passmore | Chris Burke |
| Margaret Cruickshank | Marion Knight |
| Shane Porteous | David Warner |
| Syd Heylen | Vern Walters |
| Owen Weingott | Phillip Bailey-Smith |
| Bruce Kilpatrick | Wayne Hopkins |
| Patricia Stephenson | Susie King |
| Delvene Delaney | Penny O'Brien |
| David Downer | Brad Miller |
| John Krummel | Frank Roberts |
| John Waters | Michael Brookes |
Guest cast
Colleen Hewett appeared as herself as resident singer on 'Big Night Out,' performing Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" both in the pilot movie episode and episode number 351 in 1975.
Deborra-Lee Furness had a recurring minor role with brief lines in episodes filmed in late 1974.
Cast notes
Judy Nunn, Barrie Barkla, Ken James, Ken Snodgrass, and Lois Ramsay maintained ongoing roles throughout the series’ run. Barrie Barkla transitioned from Canberra’s CTC-7 to portray station manager Max Knight before relocating to Perth for STW-9 presenting duties.
Peter Regan, who played TV host Gary Burke, subsequently hosted ABC's variety show Quest from 1976 to 1978.
Scriptwriters
Among early principal writers were Tom Hegarty (c.1934–2023), Don Battye, and Jonathan Dawson.
Awards
George Mallaby earned the Best Australian Actor award at the National Logies for his portrayal of executive Paul Donovan. The following year, Paul Karo received the same honor for his role as producer Lee Whiteman.
Feature film
In 1975, a feature film titled The Box, based on the television series and featuring much of its original cast, was released. It included appearances by Graham Kennedy as himself and Cornelia Frances portraying Dr. S. M. Winter, an efficiency expert tasked with improving UCV-12 operations.
A DVD release of this film was announced in 2023 and became available starting 1 February 2024.
DVD releases
Starting in late 2014, Crawford Productions initiated the release of selected episodes on DVD, beginning with Volume 1, which covered the series' inaugural year. Volume 2 was issued in 2015; each of these first two volumes featured approximately 50 episodes but excluded certain installments due to unavailable or damaged original recordings. Subsequent releases, Volume 3 (September 2015) and Volume 4 (January 2017), offered complete episode sets without any omissions.
Following a six-year break, Volumes 5 through 7 were distributed from September to December 2023. As of February 2024, an additional seven volumes are slated for future release. The DVD edition of the feature film was also launched in February 2024. The concluding Volume 14 is scheduled for October 11, 2024, and will include audio commentary by television historian Andrew Mercado alongside a newly produced retrospective documentary.
| Title | Format | Ep # | Discs | Region 4 (Australia) | Special Features | Distributors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Box (Volume 01) | DVD | 44 | 07 | 2014 | None | Crawford Productions | Six episodes are missing. |
| The Box (Volume 02) | DVD | 55-105 | 07 | 2015 | None | Crawford Productions | Episode 57 is absent due to tape damage. |
| The Box (Volume 03) | DVD | 106-155 | 07 | September 2015 | None | Crawford Productions | Complete collection. |
| The Box (Volume 04) | DVD | 156-205 | 07 | January 2017 | None | Crawford Productions | Complete collection. |
| The Box (Volume 05) | DVD | 206-255 | 07 | September 2023 | None | Crawford Productions | Complete collection. |
| The Box (Volume 06) | DVD | 256-305 | 07 | October 2023 | None | Crawford Productions | Complete collection. |
| The Box (Volume 07) | DVD | 306-355 | 07 | November 2023 | None | Crawford Productions | Complete collection. |
| The Box (Volume 08) | DVD | 356-405 | 07 | March 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 09) | DVD | 406-455 | 07 | April 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 10) | DVD | 456-491 | 07 | May 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 11) | DVD | 492-519 | 07 | June 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 12) | DVD | 520-547 | 07 | July 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 13) | DVD | 548-575 | 07 | August 2024 | None | Crawford Productions | |
| The Box (Volume 14) | DVD | 576-603 | 07 | October 2024 | Audio commentary by Andrew Mercado; exclusive retrospective documentary. | Crawford Productions |
See also
External links
- Crawford Productions
- Aussie Soap Archive: The Box – Overview and review
- Articles with short description
- Australian television soap operas
- Network 10 original programming
- Television series about television
- Television shows set in Victoria (state)
- 1974 Australian television series debuts
- 1977 Australian television series endings
- Black-and-white Australian television shows
- Television series by Crawford Productions
- Australian English-language television shows