The Lost Islands
Encyclopedia
The Lost Islands is an Australia
n television series. It first aired in Australia
on 1 January 1976, and was later screened around the world, including the UK, France, Italy (and various other parts of Europe), as well as Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
The island, Tambu, ruled by a supposedly 200 year old immortal tyrant called "Q", who came to the island on one of several ships originally bound for New Holland
. In the center of the island is a valley in which the descendants of the original ship still live, in the manner of an 18th century colonial community. Adjacent to Tambu is a smaller island, Malo, which is a barren wasteland. It is noteworthy because of a lagoon where prisoners are forced to dive for a "blue weed" which, according to the people of Tambu, is refined into a powder which the Q uses to extend his life.
The children befriend a local family, the Quinns, who help them remain hidden on the island in a swamp avoided by locals because it is, according to local myth, inhabited by the ghosts of the dead. Most of the episode storylines pit the children against the Q, who fears their knowledge of the outside world is a threat to his dominion of Tambu.
.
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 series. It first aired in Australia
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...
on 1 January 1976, and was later screened around the world, including the UK, France, Italy (and various other parts of Europe), as well as Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the United States.
Plot
A hurricane nearly sinks the United World, a ship holding 40 teenagers from all around the world. Most of them flee the ship in lifeboats, however the evacuating children are not counted and five are left behind. The storm blows the battered sailing ship across a reef into the lagoon of an island.The island, Tambu, ruled by a supposedly 200 year old immortal tyrant called "Q", who came to the island on one of several ships originally bound for New Holland
New Holland (Australia)
New Holland is a historic name for the island continent of Australia. The name was first applied to Australia in 1644 by the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman as Nova Hollandia, naming it after the Dutch province of Holland, and remained in use for 180 years....
. In the center of the island is a valley in which the descendants of the original ship still live, in the manner of an 18th century colonial community. Adjacent to Tambu is a smaller island, Malo, which is a barren wasteland. It is noteworthy because of a lagoon where prisoners are forced to dive for a "blue weed" which, according to the people of Tambu, is refined into a powder which the Q uses to extend his life.
The children befriend a local family, the Quinns, who help them remain hidden on the island in a swamp avoided by locals because it is, according to local myth, inhabited by the ghosts of the dead. Most of the episode storylines pit the children against the Q, who fears their knowledge of the outside world is a threat to his dominion of Tambu.
Production history
Unlike most Australian television series of the day, which were either entirely produced by a TV network, or a TV network in association with a local production company, The Lost Islands was a co-production between the an Australian network (the Ten Network) and a US studio, ParamountParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
Cult status In Israel
The series was aired constantly in Israel during summer vacations in the 70s and 80s on what was then the country's only television channel, helping it reach cult status among the Israeli generation which grew up at those times.Cast
- Tony Hughes as Tony
- Jane Vallis as Anna
- Robert Edgington as David
- Amanda Ma as Su Ying
- Chris Benaud as Mark
- Margaret Nelson as Helen Margaret Quinn
- Rodney Bell as Aaron James Quinn
- Ric Hutton as Prime minister Rufus Quad
- Ron HaddrickRon HaddrickRonald Norman Haddrick MBE is an Australian theatre, film and voice actor.-Early life:Haddrick was born in Adelaide, Australia, the only son of Olive May and Alexander Norman Haddrick.-Cricket:...
as The Q - Cornelia FrancesCornelia FrancesCornelia Frances is a British-born actress based in Australia since the early 1970s. Frances is best known for her recurring role as judge Morag Bellingham on Home and Away.-Early life and personal life:...
as Elizabeth Quinn - Frank Gallacher as Jason Quinn
- Willie FennellWillie FennellWilliam "Willie" Fennell , also known as "Phooey" Fennell, was an Australian radio, television, stage and film actor and comedian....
as Jeremiah Quizzle - Ron BlanchardRon BlanchardRon Blanchard is an Australian film and television actor. He is best known for his starring roles in five popular children's television series Breakfast-a-Go-Go, The Lost Islands, Alexander Bunyip's Billabong, Watch This Space and Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin...
as Quell - Michael HowardMichael Howard (actor)Michael Howard is an American actor, director, and master teacher, and founder of Michael Howard Studios in New York City.-Early life:...
as Quig - Don Pascoe as Adam Quinn
- Wallace Eaton as School headmaster Quilter