The Sullivans continues on DVD
Fans of the long running Australian drama serial The Sullivans will be pleased to know that the 21st DVD volume of the show has just gone on sale in the UK.
In this batch of episodes we are transported back to 1947 where Dave (Paul Cronin) decides to try his hand at State politics. Geoff Sullivan (Jamie Higgins) returns to Camberwell and people start to notice that Alice (Megan Williams) has a serious drinking problem. The vulgar Ray Kirk (Alistair Browning) proves once again that he will always put his ego and ambitions before everything else. Tom (Andrew McFarlane) and Patty (Penny Downie) come to the conclusion that their marriage is well and truly on the skids. Over in Indonesia, Norm Baker endures brutal interrogation at the hands of the Dutch.
Throughout the entire run of The Sullivans the divorced publican Maggie Hayward (Vikki Hammond) ran the Great Southern Hotel with the assistance of barman Jack Fletcher (Reg Gorman). Together they heard the woes of the residents of Camberwell as they relaxed over a nice cold beer, and Maggie would eventually find happiness with Norm Baker (played by the late Norman Yemm).
British born Vikki Hammond enjoyed a successful career in the UK working on the stage in variety and playing schoolgirl Jane Osborne in the movie Blue Murder at St Trinian’s. She worked for BBC Television presenting the children’s programme Crackerjack with Eamonn Andrews and starred with Bill Maynard in the comedy series Mostly Maynard.
Vikki travelled to Australia in 1959 after being booked by the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney for a sixteen week run of the circus comedy Ladies, Lions and Laughter. She loved Australia so much that she stayed and became a regular face on variety shows during the early days of television Down Under, even hosting her own ABC series called Vikki. Prior to The Sullivans she had guest roles in Crawford cop series such as Ryan, and later appeared in programmes including The Flying Doctors.
Vikki’s fans will be pleased to know that she can be seen in several recent Crawford DVD releases. She stars in The Sullivans Volumes 1-21, Bluey, The Flying Doctors Mini-Series, Matlock Police Volume 5, Homicide Volumes 13 & 14, Division 4 Volumes 5 & 7, and Carson’s Law Volumes 1, 2, 5 and 6.
Reg Gorman has enjoyed a remarkable career spanning more than 50 years and I can say from personal experience that he is one of the nicest people in the business.
Reg started out in vaudeville touring extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand. He found equal success in theatre and musical theatre working for the legendary JC Williamson and for the various State theatre companies in productions as diverse as How To Succeed in Business through to Petrov the Musical, Dimboola and The Odd Couple.
His big screen credits include Evil Angels, End Play, Inn of the Damned, Ned Kelly and They’re A Weird Mob. Reg has worked in television since its earliest days with roles in classics such as Skippy, Woobinda Animal Doctor, Boney and Bellbird. He has also starred in Cop Shop, All The Way, Prisoner: Cell Block H, Neighbours, A Country Practice and Blue Heelers.
Reg continues to find himself in regular demand and has played to capacity audiences with his one man show Hanging onto Vaudeville. He is currently working on a new movie called The Comet Kids, and his fans can catch him in a number of Crawford DVD releases. Reg stars in The Sullivans Volumes 1-21, All The Rivers Run, Bluey, Carson’s Law Volumes 4 and 7, Division 4 Volumes 6 & 8, Matlock Police Volumes 2-4, and Homicide Volumes 1, 4, 5, 10, 13 and 15.
The Sullivans Volume 21 and a host of other Australian television classics can be ordered in the UK exclusively from Eaton Films. Those of you who are based in Australasia can obtain your copies from Crawford DVD.
Always reminds me of watching TV with my gran at lunchtimes in the 1980s.
Happy memories.
The theme tune takes me back to those more innocent days, as the poster above said, to watching it during the holidays with nanna.
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