Wiki states ATV0 produced their own version but I can’t find any evidence of that. From what I can gather ATV0 ran the Sydney show from September 7, 1964 at 3.30pm for a short time. HSV7 ran the Adelaide show late '60s/early '70s and ATV0 picked up that version mid 1973 after HSV dropped it. I can’t find any mention of Romper Room in guides from 1976-77 but it reappears in HSV7’s schedule from 1978. I would assume that’s when it went national?
There was a Miss Patricia on the Sydney Romper Room when I was watching it as a pre schooler. One of my neighbours was on the show around that time. I was always insanely jealous every time I saw that framed Romper Room certificate in her room. My mother probably thought I’d spill my milk or whack another kid over the head with my “Come With Us and Gallop” horse if I appeared on the show.
its history is very muddy but I’m still not sure about the accuracy of the Wikipedia article.
Something else I’ve learned today But probably because as far as Melbourne goes, we never saw Michael Pope in that role. I only knew Michael Pope back then as the guy who tried to break up Scott and Charlene in Neighbours
According to the information I can gather online, the Sydney version of NewsWorld also started out as a straight late night news bulletin before Clive Robertson took over and it evolved into a less serious news program around 1985/86.
ATN revamped their Newsnight late bulletin in early 1982 by renaming it Newsworld and installing Kay Stammers as the anchor. Karina Kelly, previously SBS, took over in 1984 and the show was extended to one hour. Karina ended up co-presenting Seven National News with Ross Symonds when they moved it to 6pm and extended it to one hour. Clive Robertson had been presenting Eleven AM in 1985 and was such a hit that they moved him to Newsworld in 1986. He, and the set’s goldfish, developed such a cult following Nine had to lure Graham Kennedy out of retirement to overcome them.
4 February 2002 - a special All Saints themed episode of The Weakest Link airs on Seven.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no episode of it on YouTube, but what I do know was that Conrad Coleby was the first to be eliminated, and Erik Thomson won.
Fairfax already owned BTQ7 before 1987. It bought a 19.9% share of BTQ7 in 1982, increasing this to 100% in 1983 following a bidding war with TWT (WIN Television).
5 February 1968: A bush kangaroo becomes an instant TV star when Skippy locks vile Frank Thring in a cage during the show’s premiere on TCN9 and GTV9 at 7pm. Skippy is already being seen on television in Britain, Canada and Finland.
Detective drama Ironside starring Raymond Burr premieres the same night on TCN9. It doesn’t start in Melbourne until May 1968 although regional viewers in Victoria get to see it through station GLV10 from late February.
5 February 1979: Relaunch day at ATV0! The station’s news service gets a major revamp with a new title, new presenting team, new slogan, new graphics and new set.
Eyewitness News, “Where News Comes First”, with Bruce Mansfield and Annette Allison plans to revolutionise television news by introducing investigative reports, a “Fair Go” consumer segment and “roundsmen” for health, entertainment and environment stories. The Age reports the $30,000 new set features a “panoramic shot of the Melbourne skyline… three tons of thick carpet, a suede topped desk, and the most comfortable chairs available”.
5 February 1994: Seven turns the tables on the traditional female beauty pageant by introducing Man O Man to unsuspecting Saturday night television viewers. Men compete for the approval of an all female audience by participating in a series of elimination rounds. Losing contestants are pushed into a swimming pool.
That would have been a lot more lavish than the plain backdrop sets at 7 and 9. Pity it didn’t help the ratings much. Bruce and Allison both dumped from the news team (but retained in other roles) by the end of the year.
You could’ve bought a house in some suburbs of Melbourne for $30,000 in 1979. I think TEN10 had the more lavish sets in Sydney at that time, too. I remember some of Seven and Nine’s sets had basic carpeted wall backdrops with a chroma key square for story graphics around that time.
Am I right in remembering they used the same set, minus the skyline backdrop, when David and Jana came on board the following year?
That was the clip I was recalling when I commented earlier. Hard to believe Jana was 23 years old when she was appointed to that job. So much poise and authority. A crying shame she didn’t do news reading again after she left ATV.
But probably because as far as Melbourne goes, we never saw Michael Pope in that role. I only knew Michael Pope back then as the guy who tried to break up Scott and Charlene in Neighbours