Brides of Christ
Encyclopedia
Brides of Christ was an Australian television
miniseries
produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
in 1991.
The series takes place behind the walls of a Sydney
convent school and deals with the struggles of both the Roman Catholic nuns and the young students to adapt to the many social changes taking place within the church and the outside world during the 1960s.
Six fifty-minute episodes were made. Each episode focused on a particular story and set of characters. Some characters would appear in multiple episodes with varying levels of prominence from episode to episode. Lead characters in one episode might appear in a support role in another episode. Josephine Byrnes' character was the focus of both the first and last episodes.
In her first major role, Naomi Watts
starred as Frances, one of the students. One episode also guest starred the then-unknown Russell Crowe
as a young man distressed about being called up for the Vietnam War
.
The series was filmed on location at Santa Sabina College
, Strathfield, New South Wales and St Scholastica's College
, Glebe, New South Wales.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
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...
produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
in 1991.
The series takes place behind the walls of a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
convent school and deals with the struggles of both the Roman Catholic nuns and the young students to adapt to the many social changes taking place within the church and the outside world during the 1960s.
Six fifty-minute episodes were made. Each episode focused on a particular story and set of characters. Some characters would appear in multiple episodes with varying levels of prominence from episode to episode. Lead characters in one episode might appear in a support role in another episode. Josephine Byrnes' character was the focus of both the first and last episodes.
In her first major role, Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
starred as Frances, one of the students. One episode also guest starred the then-unknown Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
as a young man distressed about being called up for the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
The series was filmed on location at Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College
Santa Sabina College, is a Roman Catholic, Dominican, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Strathfield, New South Wales and St Scholastica's College
St Scholastica's College
St Scholastica's College , is a day and boarding, Roman Catholic school for girls, located in Glebe Point, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Glebe, New South Wales.
Cast
| The Nuns | |
|---|---|
| Sister Agnes | Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles... |
| Mother Ambrose | Sandy Gore Sandy Gore Sandy Gore is an Australian actress, renowned for her work in theatre. Was married to Director George Miller and had one daughter. Gore has worked extensively for Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company... |
| Diane/Sister Catherine | Josephine Byrnes |
| Veronica/Sister Paul | Lisa Hensley |
| Sister Attracta | Melissa Jaffer Melissa Jaffer Melissa Jaffer is an Australian actress who has made many appearances in television series, including Kings, Mother and Son, G. P., Brides of Christ, Grass Roots and All Saints... |
| Sister Patrick | Penny Stehli |
| Sister Philomena | Caroline Gillmer Caroline Gillmer Caroline Gillmer is an Australian actress, best known for her roles in various television series, such as Prisoner as Helen Smart and Neighbours as Cheryl Stark.... |
| Sister Clare | Beth Champion |
| Sister Francine | Michelle Pettigrove Michelle Pettigrove Michelle Pettigrove is an Australian actress, well known for her role as Kate Bryant in the long-running rural soap opera A Country Practice.She has also appeared in several other series, including Blue Heelers and Home and Away.... |
| The Girls | |
| Frances Heffernan | Naomi Watts Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone... |
| Rosemary Fitzgerald | Kym Wilson Kym Wilson Kym Wilson is an Australian actress.Wilson was born in Brisbane, Australia. She completed her secondary education at Stella Maris College, Manly. Her first major role was in the television mini-series Brides of Christ and she remains best known for playing Darcy Hudson in A Country Practice... |
| Bridget Maloney | Melissa Thomas Melissa Thomas Mélissa Thomas is an Australian actress . She co-starred with Heath Ledger in the television series Sweat and has most recently been seen in the Heath Ledger episode of E! True Hollywood Story as herself, speaking frankly about life as his friend and co-star... |
| Other characters | |
| Jack Delahunty | Simon Burke Simon Burke Simon Burke is an Australian actor. Burke began his acting career as a 13 year-old in the Australian film, The Devil's Playground for which he was awarded Best Actor at the 1976 Australian Film Institute Awards.... |
| Ian McGregor | Philip Quast Philip Quast Philip Quast is an Australian actor perhaps best known for his role as Inspector Javert in the stage musical version of Les Misérables, or for appearances in numerous Australian soap operas including Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors and Police Rescue.-Personal life:Quast was born in 1957 in... |
| Mary Maloney | Pat Bishop Pat Bishop Pat Bishop was an actress noted for her performances in Australian theatre, film and television.She received an Australian Film Institute award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her representation of Jenny in the 1976 film Don's Party.Bishop also appeared frequently on television, with... |
| Dominic Maloney | Russell Crowe Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a... |
| Liz Heffernan | Anne Tenney Anne Tenney Anne Tenney is an Australian film and television actress, probably best known for her role as Molly Jones in the television drama A Country Practice and as Sal Kerrigan in The Castle.-Career:... |
Awards
- 1991 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionHuman Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionThe Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
TV Drama Award was presented to the ABC TV and accepted by Penny ChapmanPenny ChapmanPenny Chapman is an Australian television producer. Her work includes Brides of Christ and RAN Remote Area Nurse. and the award winning My Place -References:...
and Sue Masters (Executive Producers) - 1992 Logie AwardsLogie Awards of 1992The 34th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 13 March 1992 at the Radisson President Hotel in Melbourne and broadcast on the Seven Network...
the show and cast won several awards:
-
-
- Most Popular Telemovie or Mini Series
- Most Popular Actress in a Telemovie or Mini Series to Josephine Byrnes
- Most Popular New Talent to Kym WilsonKym WilsonKym Wilson is an Australian actress.Wilson was born in Brisbane, Australia. She completed her secondary education at Stella Maris College, Manly. Her first major role was in the television mini-series Brides of Christ and she remains best known for playing Darcy Hudson in A Country Practice...
(along with her work on A Country PracticeA Country PracticeA Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
) - Most Outstanding Actress to Josephine Byrnes
- Most Outstanding Telemovie or Mini Series
-