Cash and Company
Encyclopedia
Cash and Company was an Australian television period adventure series, set during the Victorian
gold rush
of the 1850s. The original series consisted of 13 one hour episodes, filmed in colour and on location in rural Victoria.
Production began in July 1974 and the series premiered in Sydney on the Seven Network
on 26 May 1975, in Melbourne on 29 May, and in Brisbane a few weeks previously. It was also was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and was sold to Sweden, Holland, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Norway and Nigeria. The series was also shown at Sunday lunchtime in the United Kingdom by the London Weekend Television
(LWT) Network, in advance of its airing in Australia.
It was produced by Homestead Films, a TV production company set up by Patrick Edgeworth
and Russell Hagg, who had worked together at Crawford Productions on Matlock Police
. Edgeworth's brother is the musician Ron Edgeworth, who was married to Judith Durham
of The Seekers
.
The episodes dealt with the adventures of bushrangers Sam Cash (Serge Lazareff
) and his partner Joe Brady (Gus Mercurio
) and a helpful widow, Jessica Johnson (Penne Hackforth-Jones
). Cash and Brady were fugitives, constantly absconding from the authorities, led by the corrupt police trooper Lieutenant Keogh (Bruce Kerr). Other regular and recurring characters included Jessica’s father in law (John Frawley
) and her servant, Annie (Anne Scott-Pendlebury
).
The series was shot almost entirely on location at Sunbury, Victoria
, the same area where Mad Max
(1979) was filmed.
Lazareff decided to leave at the end of the first series, when a second series was still in the planning stages. His character was replaced by Ryler, a former bounty hunter, played by Gerard Kennedy
, a former cast member of Division 4
. The Ryler character had appeared in one episode of Cash & Co. and Kennedy was recruited to replace Lazareff after Seven told the Homestead Films that they would not buy a second series unless the popular Logie-winning actor was cast in the new series.
The series was renamed Tandarra
as the character of Sam Cash was no longer featured, and the fugitives from justice story line was removed. The character of Keogh was also dropped, and the character of Annie (Jessica's maid, played by Anne Pendlebury) only appeared in one episode. The character of Sam Cash was not mentioned at all in Tandarra, and all flashback sequences from the first series removed any reference to him.
Although the series title is taken from history, the story, events and timeline are of no relation to real life Australian bushranger
, Martin Cash
, whose gang went by the name of Cash and Co.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
of the 1850s. The original series consisted of 13 one hour episodes, filmed in colour and on location in rural Victoria.
Production began in July 1974 and the series premiered in Sydney on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
on 26 May 1975, in Melbourne on 29 May, and in Brisbane a few weeks previously. It was also was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and was sold to Sweden, Holland, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Norway and Nigeria. The series was also shown at Sunday lunchtime in the United Kingdom by the London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
(LWT) Network, in advance of its airing in Australia.
It was produced by Homestead Films, a TV production company set up by Patrick Edgeworth
Patrick Edgeworth
Patrick Edgeworth is an English stage and screenwriter.-Career:Edgeworth’s first stage play Boswell for the Defence was a hit for Leo McKern in London's West End at the Playhouse Theatre and throughout Australia. A second play Love Julie starring Millicent Martin and Anne Charleston toured England...
and Russell Hagg, who had worked together at Crawford Productions on Matlock Police
Matlock Police
Matlock Police was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1975....
. Edgeworth's brother is the musician Ron Edgeworth, who was married to Judith Durham
Judith Durham
Judith Durham, OAM is an Australian jazz singer and musician who became the lead vocalist for the Australian popular folk music group The Seekers in 1963. She left the group in mid-1968 to pursue her solo career...
of The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
The episodes dealt with the adventures of bushrangers Sam Cash (Serge Lazareff
Serge Lazareff
-Acting:Lazareff performed in many Australian television series from the late 1960s to the late 1980s and made numerous appearances in Crawford Productions police shows including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Chopper Squad. He had a featured part in the 1970 ABC-TV drama series Dynasty...
) and his partner Joe Brady (Gus Mercurio
Gus Mercurio
Augustino Eugenio "Gus" Mercurio was an American-born Australian character actor who appeared on both film and television.-Early life :...
) and a helpful widow, Jessica Johnson (Penne Hackforth-Jones
Penne Hackforth-Jones
Penne Hackforth-Jones is an American-born Australian actress and writer.She has a number of television credits such as Bellbird, Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4, Tandarra, Cash and Company, Young Ramsay, Punishment, Bellamy, A Country Practice, Mother and Son, Tanamera - Lion of Singapore,...
). Cash and Brady were fugitives, constantly absconding from the authorities, led by the corrupt police trooper Lieutenant Keogh (Bruce Kerr). Other regular and recurring characters included Jessica’s father in law (John Frawley
John Frawley (actor)
John Frawley was an Australian actor with a number of film, television and stage credits to his name. After a television career in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, which included episodes of The Prisoner and The Avengers, Frawley appeared mainly in Australian films during the 1970s...
) and her servant, Annie (Anne Scott-Pendlebury
Anne Scott-Pendlebury
Anne Scott-Pendlebury is an Australian television and film actress, who played the role of Hilary Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
).
The series was shot almost entirely on location at Sunbury, Victoria
Sunbury, Victoria
Sunbury is a regional city, located north-west of Melbourne's central business district, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Sunbury had a population of 31,000...
, the same area where Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
(1979) was filmed.
Lazareff decided to leave at the end of the first series, when a second series was still in the planning stages. His character was replaced by Ryler, a former bounty hunter, played by Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy (actor)
Gerard Kennedy is an Australian actor and two-time Gold Logie winner. He played six different characters in guest appearances in Homicide, all in 1966...
, a former cast member of Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
. The Ryler character had appeared in one episode of Cash & Co. and Kennedy was recruited to replace Lazareff after Seven told the Homestead Films that they would not buy a second series unless the popular Logie-winning actor was cast in the new series.
The series was renamed Tandarra
Tandarra
Tandarra was the follow-up Australian television series to Cash and Company , set during the Victorian gold rush period of the 1850s...
as the character of Sam Cash was no longer featured, and the fugitives from justice story line was removed. The character of Keogh was also dropped, and the character of Annie (Jessica's maid, played by Anne Pendlebury) only appeared in one episode. The character of Sam Cash was not mentioned at all in Tandarra, and all flashback sequences from the first series removed any reference to him.
Although the series title is taken from history, the story, events and timeline are of no relation to real life Australian bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
, Martin Cash
Martin Cash
Martin Cash was a notorious convict bushranger known for escaping twice from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land...
, whose gang went by the name of Cash and Co.
See also
- TandarraTandarraTandarra was the follow-up Australian television series to Cash and Company , set during the Victorian gold rush period of the 1850s...
- Rush
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