Aimed at children from senior primary to junior secondary school, this fast-moving experimental kids’ television show from the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) debuted on 3 July 1978 to almost unanimous bad reviews, with critics calling the series “aggressive, seditious, self-indulgent and negative”.
The controversial show was concerned with raising kids’ awareness of their environment and lifestyle, and producer Jon Stephens (who was also a member of the cast) agreed it took an aggressive stance: “There have to be certain elements of aggression in it. We have to cut through an awful lot of preconditioning, and we only have half an hour,” he said.
Designed to stimulate young minds, the succession of songs and sketches addressed subjects such as divorce, school bullying, sport, growing up, sibling rivalry, alcoholic fathers, death and attitudes about God.
The series featured five regular performers (known collectively as “The Company”), along with guests (including Bunney Brooke from Number 96 and Tickled Pink), and employed more than 60 musicians.
Jon Stephens
Deborah Kennedy
Michael Salmon
Michael Caulfield
John Summers
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