Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Taurus Rising

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 2 (Australia)
    21 x 60 minute episodes

    Taurus Rising was meant to be ‘Dallas Down Under’ but ended up being branded ‘Dullest Down Under’.

    The Brent family and the Drysdale family were both big in the construction industry and wanted to destroy each other. The men were faithless and the women were vengeful, and the late Harry Brent (Gordon Glenwright) had loved and left old Isabella Drysdale (Georgie Sterling) who’d brought up her family to hate the Brents.

    taurusrising_clarke&andreHer son Ben Drysdale (Alan Cassell) had rogered Jennifer Brent (Annette Andre of Randall & Hopkirk: Deceased fame) who’d had a son (his!) and when Drysdale’s wife, Faith (Betty Lucas) found out she drove off with their two little sons, then crashed and killed one.

    She’d been batty ever since and Ben (‘The Skyscraper King’) treated her like dirt.

    As the series began Jennifer Brent and her son Mike (Andrew Clarke) had inherited the family firm from Harry and had swept into town breathing fire and fury.

    Drysdale had meanwhile found enough time mid wheeler-dealing to fix his amorous attentions on beautiful but conniving finance journalist Libby Hilton (Diane Craig) whom he had set up in a lavish flat even though she was secretly investigating him for her newspaper.

    But Ben’s problems really began when his disturbed grandson Phillip (Damon Herriman) was kidnapped along with his new nanny, Alice (Linda Newton).

    Alice’s construction worker father Bert (Maurie Fields) was, in fact, a spy paid by Ben Drysdale’s underling, Sam Farrer (Michael Long), whose mother Marie (Jessica Noad) worked ‘below stairs’ at the Drysdale mansion.

    taurusrising_cassell&craigThe title Taurus Rising referred to a complex named Taurus which was being constructed by the Brent construction company and which gradually grew higher during the series.

    Made on film (rather than video), the series certainly looked glossy. There were Rolls Royce’s, private jets and wood-panelled offices. And the actresses changed outfits five times an hour.

    The Grundy Organisation spent $4.5 million on this expensive disaster – half a million on the pilot alone – only to find that Channel 9 were screening it on Tuesday nights to clash with the extremely successful Prisoner on Channel 10.

    It was eventually moved to a Saturday slot but the audiences didn’t perk up and the show – branded “Taurus Falling” by people in the industry – had sunk without trace by the end of the year, proving once again that Australia is really bad at making American TV shows.

    Isabella Drysdale
    Georgie Sterling
    Ben Drysdale 

    Alan Cassell
    Faith Drysdale
    Betty Lucas
    Jennifer Brent 
    Annette Andre
    Mike Brent 

    Andrew Clarke
    Libby Hilton
    Diane Craig
    Keith Drysdale
    Andrew Sharp
    Elizabeth Drysdale
    Marina Finlay
    Phillip Drysdale
    Damon Herriman
    Alice Blake (Nanny)

    Linda Newton
    Sam Farrer
    Michael Long
    Bert
    Maurie Fields
    Marie the housekeeper
    Jessica Noad
    Harry Brent
    Gordon Glenwright

    Related Posts

    • Striker
      Striker
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 (UK) 8 x 25 minute episodes This BBC kid's series revolved around…
    • Sullivans, The
      Sullivans, The
      1 9 7 6 - 1 9 8 3 (Australia) 30 minute episodes This World War II drama series, set in…
    • Kommotion 
      Kommotion 
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 6 7 (Australia) In December 1965, the fledgling Australian Channel 0-10 (now Channel…
    • Celebrity Tattletales
      Celebrity Tattletales
      1 9 8 0 (Australia) 42 x 30 minute episodes When his long-running guest stint on Blankety Blanks ended, cigar-smoking comedian…
    • Bluestone Boys
      Bluestone Boys
      1 9 7 6 (Australia) 26 x 60 minute episodes This Crawford Productions comedy series for Channel 10 in Australia took…
    • Beauty and the Beast
      Beauty and the Beast
      1 9 6 4 - 1 9 7 3 (Australia) 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 4 (Australia)…
    • Police Surgeon
      Police Surgeon
      1 9 6 0 (UK) Ian Hendry starred as Doctor Geoffrey Brent - a doctor with the Bayswater police - in…
    • Denise Drysdale
      Denise Drysdale
      Australia's most famous Go-Go dancer, Denise Drysdale's name was actually spelt with a 'c' (Denice) but she changed the spelling…

    Australia
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleBellbird
    Next Article Possession

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Star Virgin (1979)
      In the distant future, a beautiful Space Virgin (blonde Hustler […]
    • Baretta
      1 9 7 5 – 1 9 7 8 (USA) 80 x 60 minute episodes Tony […]
    • Dr Syn Alias the Scarecrow (1963)
      Dr Syn, the vicar of Dymchurch (Patrick McGoohan), is also a […]
    • Telephone Time
      1 9 5 6 – 1 9 5 8 (USA) 81 x 30 minute episodes The plays […]
    • Satin Pants
      Satin was a romantic fabric, dedicated to wedding gowns, […]
    • El Dorado (1966)
      Gunfighter Cole Thornton (John Wayne) is invited to the western […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 day ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.