Ted Roberts
Encyclopedia
Ted Roberts is an Australian television
screenwriter
and supervising producer
.
After completing his education at Marist Brothers
College in Randwick
, Roberts worked in advertising and sales promotion before commencing his career as a freelance writer for television and film
Ted Roberts began his career in television in the 1960s, writing early episodes of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
. The series was screened in over eighty countries and its theme tune, composed by Eric Jupp
, is one of the best known and most recognisable Australian tunes. The long version (the B side on the record) has lyrics by Ted Roberts.
Ted Roberts' other television credits include
Homicide (Seven Network
- 1964-1976), Certain Women
(ABC - 1973-1976), Rush (ABC - 1974-1976), Patrol Boat
(ABC 1979-80), Water Rats
(Nine Network
- 1996-2001), A Country Practice
, Blue Heelers
, Mission Impossible, Star Trek.
His film credits include "Bush Christmas", which starred Nicole Kidman in her first film, playing "one of three children searching for a stolen racehorse... The 1983 film, directed by Henri Safran, gives us a skinny, pink-cheeked, abundantly plainted Nicole, many moments of good humour, some fine location shots filmed in Queensland's Lamington Plateau, and music from band the Bushwackers." (Weekend Australian, 26-27 Dec 09)
s and a Henry Lawson Festival Award for his writing, and received AFI
and Logie
nominations. He won the 1974 Australian Writers' Guild
in the Original Television Drama Category for Three Men of the City. He is also Winner of the Henry Lawson prize (for the TV miniseries
Lindsay's Boy (ABC - 1974) ). In 2003 he was awarded the prestigious Richard Lane Award by the Australian Writers' Guild
for Services to the Australian Writers' Guild.
A later commission was for the Decimal Currency Board. An advertising jingle for the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February 1966, the tune is to "Click Go the Shears
".
In come the dollars and in come the cents /
To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence /
Be prepared for change when the coins begin to mix/
On the fourteenth of February 1966.
Chorus:
Clink go the coins, clink, clink, clink
Change over day is closer than you think
Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear
And things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.
In 1968, he composed My Pal Skippy to music by Eric Jupp.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and supervising producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
.
After completing his education at Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
College in Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, Roberts worked in advertising and sales promotion before commencing his career as a freelance writer for television and film
Ted Roberts began his career in television in the 1960s, writing early episodes of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series for children created by John McCallum, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.Ninety-one 30-minute...
. The series was screened in over eighty countries and its theme tune, composed by Eric Jupp
Eric Jupp
Eric Jupp was a British-born musician, composer, arranger and conductor who gained wide popularity in Australia after settling there in the 1960s, hosting a long-running light music TV show and composing for film and TV...
, is one of the best known and most recognisable Australian tunes. The long version (the B side on the record) has lyrics by Ted Roberts.
Ted Roberts' other television credits include
Homicide (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...
- 1964-1976), Certain Women
Certain Women
Certain Women was an Australian television soap opera created by prominent Australian TV dramatist Tony Morphett and produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 1973 and 1976....
(ABC - 1973-1976), Rush (ABC - 1974-1976), Patrol Boat
Patrol Boat (TV series)
Patrol Boat is an Australian television drama series that screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Patrol Boat was created by James Davern and two series were produced, in 1979 and 1983, with a total of 26 episodes....
(ABC 1979-80), Water Rats
Water Rats (TV series)
Water Rats is an Australian TV police procedural broadcast on the Nine Network from 1996 to 2001. The series was based around the men and women of the Sydney Water Police who fight crime across Sydney Harbour and surrounding locales. The show was set on and around Goat Island in Sydney...
(Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
- 1996-2001), A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A 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,...
, Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
, Mission Impossible, Star Trek.
His film credits include "Bush Christmas", which starred Nicole Kidman in her first film, playing "one of three children searching for a stolen racehorse... The 1983 film, directed by Henri Safran, gives us a skinny, pink-cheeked, abundantly plainted Nicole, many moments of good humour, some fine location shots filmed in Queensland's Lamington Plateau, and music from band the Bushwackers." (Weekend Australian, 26-27 Dec 09)
Awards
He has won four Australian AwgieAWGIE Awards
The AWGIE Awards is an annual awards ceremony conducted by the Australian Writers' Guild, for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. The awards began in 1967....
s and a Henry Lawson Festival Award for his writing, and received AFI
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
and Logie
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
nominations. He won the 1974 Australian Writers' Guild
Australian Writers' Guild
The Australian Writers' Guild is the professional association for all performance writers, that is, writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video and new media. The AWG was established in 1962 and is recognised throughout the industry in Australia as being the voice of performance writers...
in the Original Television Drama Category for Three Men of the City. He is also Winner of the Henry Lawson prize (for the TV 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...
Lindsay's Boy (ABC - 1974) ). In 2003 he was awarded the prestigious Richard Lane Award by the Australian Writers' Guild
Australian Writers' Guild
The Australian Writers' Guild is the professional association for all performance writers, that is, writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video and new media. The AWG was established in 1962 and is recognised throughout the industry in Australia as being the voice of performance writers...
for Services to the Australian Writers' Guild.
Songs
One of his first songs (1965) was "Bound for Hobart Town" with music by S.E. Libaek. Recorded by Leonard Teale and Andy Sundstrom on CBS. The song celebrates the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.A later commission was for the Decimal Currency Board. An advertising jingle for the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February 1966, the tune is to "Click Go the Shears
Click Go the Shears
"Click Go the Shears" is a traditional Australian folk song. The song details a day's work for a sheep shearer in the days before machine shears. The enduring popularity of this song reflects the traditional role that the wool industry has played in Australian life...
".
In come the dollars and in come the cents /
To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence /
Be prepared for change when the coins begin to mix/
On the fourteenth of February 1966.
Chorus:
Clink go the coins, clink, clink, clink
Change over day is closer than you think
Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear
And things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.
In 1968, he composed My Pal Skippy to music by Eric Jupp.