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Bodyline (miniseries)
Encyclopedia
Bodyline is an Australian 1984
television miniseries
which dramatised the events of the 1932–1933 English
Ashes
cricket
tour of Australia.
The producers
were George Miller
and Terry Hayes
. The directors were Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos
, George Ogilvie
and Carl Schultz
. The scriptwriters for the mini-series were Robert Caswell, Lex Marinos
, Denny Lawrence and Terry Hayes
. The music
for the mini-series was written by Chris Neal and Phillip Scott
. Photography
was by Dean Semler
and Andrew Lesnie
.
The seven-part mini-series was a ratings success, and was shown over a four-week period.
However, it was regarded by those still alive who took part in the 1932-33 series, or remembered it, as a ludicrous travesty of the real events.
The title refers to the bodyline
cricket
ing tactic devised by the English cricket team
during their 1932–33 Ashes
tour of Australia.
during the Ashes series.
1984 in television
This article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
which dramatised the events of the 1932–1933 English
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
tour of Australia.
The producers
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
were George Miller
George Miller (producer)
George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is most well known for his work on the Mad Max movies, but has been involved in a wide range of projects, including the Oscar-winning Happy Feet and "Babe" family films.Miller is the older brother...
and Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes is an English screenwriter and producer born on the 8 October 1951. In 2001, he was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay for his work on From Hell...
. The directors were Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos
Lex Marinos
Lex Marinos OAM is an Australian television actor, director and writer. Notable for his acting role as 'Bruno', the Italian son-in-law of bigot Ted Bullpitt, on the Australian comedy television series Kingswood Country as and host of Late Night Legends on ABC2, he was also a presenter on radio...
, George Ogilvie
George Ogilvie
George Ogilvie is an Australian actor and film director. He was born in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1931. He directed Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome with George Miller.He was awarded the A.M...
and Carl Schultz
Carl Schultz
Carl Schultz is a Hungarian film director.-Early life:He left his native Budapest during the uprising of 1956 with his brother Otto Schultz. They fled to England; after arriving in London, they moved to Manchester...
. The scriptwriters for the mini-series were Robert Caswell, Lex Marinos
Lex Marinos
Lex Marinos OAM is an Australian television actor, director and writer. Notable for his acting role as 'Bruno', the Italian son-in-law of bigot Ted Bullpitt, on the Australian comedy television series Kingswood Country as and host of Late Night Legends on ABC2, he was also a presenter on radio...
, Denny Lawrence and Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes is an English screenwriter and producer born on the 8 October 1951. In 2001, he was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay for his work on From Hell...
. The music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for the mini-series was written by Chris Neal and Phillip Scott
Phillip Scott
Phillip Scott , is an Australian actor, singer, pianist, writer and comedian.He has appeared on film as well as in sketch comedy television programs...
. Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
was by Dean Semler
Dean Semler
Dean Semler, A.C.S., A.S.C. is an Australian cinematographer. Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator, director, second unit director, and assistant director.-Early years:...
and Andrew Lesnie
Andrew Lesnie
Andrew Lesnie is an Australian cinematographer. Lesnie attended the Australian Film Television and Radio School , graduating in 1979. His first job after graduation was as a cameraman on the Logie Award-winning Australian magazine-style afternoon TV show Simon Townsend's Wonder World...
.
The seven-part mini-series was a ratings success, and was shown over a four-week period.
However, it was regarded by those still alive who took part in the 1932-33 series, or remembered it, as a ludicrous travesty of the real events.
The title refers to the bodyline
Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ing tactic devised by the English cricket team
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
during their 1932–33 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour of Australia.
Plot
The events leading up to the England Cricket Team's 1932-1933 Ashes tour of Australia and the tactics, of bowling directly at the batsman, used by the English cricket team to counteract the batting prowess of Australian cricketer Donald BradmanDonald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
during the Ashes series.
Cast
- Gary SweetGary SweetGary Sweet is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project , Police Rescue, Cody, Big Sky, The Battlers, Bodyline and Stingers....
as Donald BradmanDonald BradmanSir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time... - Hugo WeavingHugo WeavingHugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
as Douglas JardineDouglas JardineDouglas Robert Jardine was an English cricketer and captain of the England cricket team from 1931 to 1933–34.When describing cricket seasons, the convention used is that a single year represents an English cricket season, while two years represent a southern hemisphere cricket season because it... - Jim HoltJim Holt (actor)Jim Holt, is a British-born actor who has appeared in many Australian television shows and films.Holt is also a magician, and has had the opportunity to incorporate this talent into some of his television appearances. Well known productions in which he has appeared include "Crocodile" Dundee II, A...
as Harold LarwoodHarold LarwoodHarold Larwood was an English cricket player, an extremely accurate fast bowler best known for his key role as the implementer of fast leg theory in the infamous "bodyline" Ashes Test series of 1932–33.... - Rhys McConnochie as Pelham Warner
- Ryan LongRyan LongRyan Marcus Long is a former Major League Baseball player. Long played for the Kansas City Royals in the season. In six games, Long had 2 hits in nine at-bats, with two RBIs. He played right field, and batted and threw right-handed. He was drafted by the Royals in the 2nd round of the 1991...
as Bill PonsfordBill PonsfordWilliam Harold "Bill" Ponsford MBE was an Australian cricketer. Usually playing as an opening batsman, he formed a successful and long-lived partnership opening the batting for Victoria and Australia with Bill Woodfull, his friend and state and national captain... - Frank ThringFrank ThringFrank William Thring was an Australian character actor.-Early life:Thring was born in Melbourne and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father, Frank W. Thring, was the head of Efftee Studios, in Melbourne, in the 1920s, and is said to be the inventor of the clapperboard...
as Lord HarrisGeorge Harris, 4th Baron HarrisGeorge Robert Canning Harris, 4th Baron Harris, GCSI, GCIE was a British politician, cricketer and cricket administrator... - Heather MitchellHeather MitchellHeather Mitchell , is an Australian actress, appearing in Australian productions of Stage, television and film. She is a graduate of NIDA...
as Edith - Ellie Nicol-Hilton as Alice Jardine
- Julie NihillJulie NihillJulie Nihill is an Australian actress.-Biography:After early roles in 1980s soap operas such as The Young Doctors, Prisoner and Sons and Daughters and the miniseries Bodyline .Nihill was cast in the role for which she became a household face: as bartender and local councilor Chris...
as Jessie Bradman (Donald Bradman's wife) - John Gregg as Percy George FenderPercy FenderPercy George Herbert Fender was an English all-round cricketer who played 13 Tests for England. He was a middle order batsman and bowled mainly leg spin.-Biography:...
- John WaltonJohn Walton (actor)John Walton is an Australian actor.He is best known for his role as Doctor Craig Rothwell in the television soap opera The Young Doctors during 1976 and 1977.He also appeared in the miniseries Bodyline....
as Bill WoodfullBill WoodfullWilliam Maldon "Bill" Woodfull OBE was an Australian cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s. He captained both Victoria and Australia, and was best known for his dignified and moral conduct during the tumultuous bodyline series in 1932–33 that almost saw the end of Anglo-Australian cricketing ties... - Max CullenMax CullenMax Cullen is an Australian stage and screen actor. Max has appeared in many Australian films and television series but is best known for his role in the film Spider and Rose and the television series The Flying Doctors and Love My Way.Cullen was born in Wellington, New South Wales...
as Chooka (the reporter) - Vincent BallVincent BallVincent Ball is an Australian actor who has worked both in Australia and in the United Kingdom....
as the Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime... - Colin Croft as Sir Stanley JacksonStanley JacksonSir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:...
- Leslie DaymanLeslie DaymanLeslie "Les" Dayman is an Australian actor best known for being the fighter of the Nightman.He starred in the crime series Homicide as Senior Detective Bill Hudson during the late 1960s. In the 1980s, he was a major cast member in the soap operas Sons and Daughters and Prisoner...
as Bert OldfieldBert OldfieldWilliam Albert Stanley "Bert" Oldfield was an Australian cricket player. He played for New South Wales and the Australian cricket team as wicket-keeper.... - John DoyleJohn Doyle (comedian)John Partick Doyle AM is an award-winning Australian actor, writer, radio presenter and comedian.-Early life:Doyle was born in Lithgow, New South Wales in 1953 into a music-loving, Catholic household with three sisters and a brother. His mother was a business woman and father a railway fettler...
as George "Gubby" AllenGubby AllenSir George Oswald Browning "Gubby" Allen, CBE was a cricketer who played for Middlesex, Cambridge University, MCC and England. Australian-born, Allen was a fast bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, who captained England in eleven Test matches... - George Whaley as Lord HawkeMartin Hawke, 7th Baron HawkeMartin Bladen Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke of Towton , generally known as Lord Hawke, was an English amateur cricketer who played major roles in the sport's administration....
- Celia De Burgh as Mrs. Larwood
- Reg Gillam as Sir Clive Wigram
- Edward HowellEdward HowellEdward Howell was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Newburgh, New York, Howell attended the public schools....
as Lord HailshamViscount HailshamViscount Hailsham, of Hailsham in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1929 for the lawyer and Conservative politician Douglas Hogg, 1st Baron Hailsham, who twice served as Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom... - Paul ChubbPaul ChubbPaul Chubb was an Australian film and television actor primarily in genres of comedy and drama. He was born Paul Dunford in Arncliffe, Sydney....
as "YabbaYabbaStephen Harold Gascoigne, better known as Yabba, was an Australian sports fan, remembered as a heckler at Sydney Cricket Ground cricket and rugby league games in the early part of the 20th century...
" - Alan David LeeAlan David LeeAlan David Lee is an Australian actor.Television and film credits include Prisoner, Special Squad, The Cowra Breakout, Murder Call, All Saints, Water Rats, Blue Heelers , McLeod's Daughters and H2O: Just Add Water....
as Eddie PaynterEddie PaynterEdward "Eddie" Paynter was an English cricketer: an attacking batsman and excellent fielder. His Test batting average of 59.23 is the fifth highest of all time, and second only to Herbert Sutcliffe amongst Englishmen; against Australia alone Paynter averaged an extraordinary 84.42.Born in... - Ashok Banthia as Nawab of PataudiIftikhar Ali Khan PataudiIftikhar Ali Khan , sometimes I.A.K. Pataudi was the 8th Nawab of Pataudi and captain of the Indian cricket team. He was one of few cricketers to have played for two countries, having also played for the English Test side...
- Arthur Digman
- John ClaytonJohn Clayton (actor)John Clayton was an Australian actor.He was best known for his television work, with credits including: Division 4, Rush, The Outsiders, Chopper Squad, A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, E Street, Police Rescue, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Wildside, Farscape, Grass Roots and All...
- Peter Whitford