A Town Like Alice (miniseries)

A Town Like Alice
Based onNovel by Nevil Shute
Written byTom Hegarty
Rosemary Anne Sisson
Directed byDavid Stevens
StarringHelen Morse
Bryan Brown
Gordon Jackson
Theme music composerBruce Smeaton
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes3 x 1 hour 45 minutes.
Production
ProducerHenry Crawford
Running time301 mins
Production companiesMariner Films
Australian Film Commission
Victorian Film
Budget$1.25 million[1]
Original release
NetworkSeven Network
Release4 October (1981-10-04) –
18 October 1981 (1981-10-18)

A Town Like Alice is a five-hour 1981 Australian television adaptation of Nevil Shute's novel of the same name. Produced by the Seven Network, and directed by David Stevens, it was the second major adaptation of the book.[2]

In the United States it was shown on PBS under the Masterpiece Theatre banner, a rare non-British production to be so aired.

Cast

Changes from the book

While generally faithful to the original book, there are several notable differences, the most significant right at the end.

  • In Malaya, Jean learns of the Japanese invasion while at a party, rather than while working in her Kuala Lumpur office, and evacuates by truck from there, not from a friend's house.
  • There are noticeably fewer women and children who make, and survive, the walk, than the 30 and 17 respectively in the book.
  • In Kuantan, Joe is nailed to a outbuilding door, not to a tree.
  • In Willstown, after Jean dresses down the bank manager for his fly-ridden office, Joe does not tell her that the manager has ordered gallons of DDT; rather he tells Jean she is stirring up resentment in the town, and shouldn't be trying to teach the locals how to live; they argue, and each declares they no longer want to marry.
  • Receiving a letter from Jean about the apparent break-up, Noel is knocked down in the street by a taxi, but then decides to fly out to Willstown himself, taking Jean's iceskeates with him, in the hope she'll now come back to England with him.
  • Joe and Jean are married in a church (in the book, the town had no church until after Jean's several businesses), with Noel giving Jean away. At the reception, Noel toasts the bride and groom, and reads out two congratulatory telegrams from Malaya: from Sally and Derek Wilson-Hayes, and from Mrs Renee Frith. There is no explanation as to who told them of the wedding (presumably Jean has maintained contact with them both by letter).

Production

It was the most expensive Australian television series at the time. It was filmed on location in England, Malaysia and western New South Wales.[3]

Reception

The series was a huge ratings success in Australia, getting a 49% viewing share.[4]

Awards

The series won an International Emmy Award for drama in 1981[5] and won a Logie Award in the Best Single Drama or Mini Series category at the 1982 awards with Morse, Brown and Jackson winning Logies for their performances.[6]

References

  1. ^ "The magic of Helen Morse". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 18 June 1980. p. 10 Supplement: FREE your TV Magazine. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  2. ^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p217
  3. ^ Stanley, Raymond (15 September 1979). "'Alice' to set TV landmark". Screen International. p. 9.
  4. ^ Sadlier, Kevin. "Death of the Australian mini-series". Sydney Sun Herald. p. 47.
  5. ^ "'Town Like Alice' Wins International Emmy". St Petersburg Times. 25 November 1981. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  6. ^ "1982 – The Logie Awards". Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015.
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