Hotel Story
Encyclopedia
Hotel Story was an Australia
n television
series made by Crawford Productions
(now Crawfords Australia) for the Ten Network in 1977.
The series, intended as a replacement for The Box, was set in a luxury international hotel. The regular characters were the hotel workers and in each one-hour episode they hosted a new batch of glamorous guest-star hotel guests, and rather like a drama version of The Love Boat
stories would focus on both the self-contained dramas of the passing guests and the on-going problems of the hotel staff.
The regular cast was headed by Terence Donovan
as the hotel manager, and also included Carmen Duncan
, George Spartels
, and American actor Richard Lawson.
The title sequence was shot on film at the then Old Melbourne Inn on Flemington Road
, North Melbourne. This distinctive looking hotel building is now an accommodation hostel owned by RMIT
University. Interior sequences were largely shot on video at Channel Ten's Nunawading studios, giving the series a soap opera
look.
Hotel Story was cancelled before it even went to air. Originally planned to run for at least 26 episodes, the series was cancelled after only seven episodes had been produced, and before any had been broadcast. The first four episodes were later screened over two nights and the network elicited audience feedback asking whether the show should continue. There was some positive feedback and while it was too late for Hotel Story itself, the concept was later revived for the series Holiday Island
.
In 1978 actor June Salter
won a Sammy Award for Best Actress in a Single TV Performance for her guest performance in one episode. Salter played the American head of a cosmetics firm, Annabelle Lee, a lesbian. Her main co-star was Jane Harders.
Former The Box regular and Network Ten weather girl Christine Broadway
also made a guest appearance in one episode.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series made by Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions is an Australian television production company founded by Hector Crawford; the present incarnation of the company, Crawfords Australia, is now a subsidiary of the WIN television corporation.-History:...
(now Crawfords Australia) for the Ten Network in 1977.
The series, intended as a replacement for The Box, was set in a luxury international hotel. The regular characters were the hotel workers and in each one-hour episode they hosted a new batch of glamorous guest-star hotel guests, and rather like a drama version of The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
stories would focus on both the self-contained dramas of the passing guests and the on-going problems of the hotel staff.
The regular cast was headed by Terence Donovan
Terence Donovan (actor)
Terence Donovan , also known as Terry Donovan, is an English-born Australian actor and the father of fellow actor and entertainer Jason Donovan...
as the hotel manager, and also included Carmen Duncan
Carmen Duncan
Carmen Joan Duncan is an Australian actress.-Biography:Carmen Duncan is known to Australian audiences as a character actress in films and on television...
, George Spartels
George Spartels
George Spartels is an Australian actor of Greek descent, who is best known for his role on the television soap opera Neighbours, playing Benito Alessi. He was married to actress Elizabeth Alexander....
, and American actor Richard Lawson.
The title sequence was shot on film at the then Old Melbourne Inn on Flemington Road
Flemington Road, Melbourne
Flemington Road is a major thoroughfare in the inner suburbs of North Melbourne and Parkville in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the north end of Elizabeth Street to the south end of Mount Alexander Road, Flemington, and provides a main connection between the Melbourne CBD and the...
, North Melbourne. This distinctive looking hotel building is now an accommodation hostel owned by RMIT
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
University. Interior sequences were largely shot on video at Channel Ten's Nunawading studios, giving the series a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
look.
Hotel Story was cancelled before it even went to air. Originally planned to run for at least 26 episodes, the series was cancelled after only seven episodes had been produced, and before any had been broadcast. The first four episodes were later screened over two nights and the network elicited audience feedback asking whether the show should continue. There was some positive feedback and while it was too late for Hotel Story itself, the concept was later revived for the series Holiday Island
Holiday Island (TV series)
Holiday Island is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten. The show aired twice weekly from 1981 to 1982, with the first episode going to air on 17 June 1981....
.
In 1978 actor June Salter
June Salter
June Marie Salter AM was an Australian actress.-Biography:June Salter was born in Bexley, New South Wales, the youngest of six children. As a child she studied piano and elocution and attended Kogarah Secondary School...
won a Sammy Award for Best Actress in a Single TV Performance for her guest performance in one episode. Salter played the American head of a cosmetics firm, Annabelle Lee, a lesbian. Her main co-star was Jane Harders.
Former The Box regular and Network Ten weather girl Christine Broadway
Christine Broadway
Christine Broadway is a French-born television personality active in Australia in the 1970s and early 1980s.The glamorous blonde rocketed to fame on ATV-O appearing on The Box, the Australian versions of The Gong Show, Second Chance and Have A Go, as well as presenting weather reports on the...
also made a guest appearance in one episode.