Skippy returns in new series

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32665, 22 July 1971, Page 4

Skippy returns in new series

When Scottie Denholm retired from the New South Wales police force at 60, it seemed that a career devoted almost entirely training animals was at an end. At that

i time, in 1966, a film company i called Fauna Productions was t planning a television series 1 that would feature a number ■ of Australian animals and t star a kangeroo. Scottie

CHTV3 2.00 p.m.: Headline news. 2.03: On Camera. 2.46: The Doctors. Drama. 3.07: Engelbert Humperdinck. 3.58: Galloping Gourmet Cooking (New series) 4.22: Peter. Cartoon. 4.27: The Magic Ball. 4.40: The Flintstones. Cartoon. 5.05: I Dream of Jeannie. Comedy. 5.29: Headline news, weather. 5.32: Is This Your Career?—"Commercial Art.” Documentary. 5.44: Lost in Space. Science fiction. 6.40: The Look of Things. Environment. (Final) 7.00. Network news. 7.20: Weather. The South Tonight. 7.46: Coronation Street. 8.16: Ironside.—“ Tom Dayton is Loose Among Us.” Detective. 9.12: Newsbrief. 9.14: Gallery. Current affair. 9.42: Four in One—Rod Serling’s Night Gallery. Drama. 10.37: On The Buses—“On The Make.” Comedy. (Final) 11.05: Late news, weather.

NATIONAL LINK (Including 3YA Christchurch (680 kilohertz); 2YA Wellington (S7O kilohertz); 4YA Dunedin (730 kilohertz); and 3YZ Greymouth (820 kilo- / hertz)] 7 p.m.: N.Z.B.C. Sports News. 7.30: The Maori Programme. 8.0: The Wilfrid Thomas Show. 8.30: Weather and News. 9.0: Let the Peoples Sing. 9.30: Aspect: A digest of comment on the current scene compiled by Tony Simpson. 10.0: Eurojazz ’7l. 10.30: N.Z.B.C. News, Comment, Weather. 10.45: The Flying Fish. 11.0: 8.8. C. News and Commentary. 11.15: Indoor Basketball. 12.6 a.m.: My Word! 1: A Song for All Seasons. 3.3: Sealed Orders. 4.9: Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. 3YC, CHRISTCHURCH (960 kilohertz) 7.5 p.m.: Jessie Hal! (piano). Chopin: Fantasia in F minor, Op. 49; Nocturne in C sharp (Op. post.); Polonaise in C sharp minor. Op. 26 No. 1; Waltz in A flat, Op. 42. 7.37: Roussel: Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 42—New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein.

8.3: Schumann, Pizetti— Cesare Valetti (tenor), Leo Taubman (piano). 8.15: Raymond Hanson: Trumpet Concerto in B flat (1952) —John Robertson (trumpet), Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Joseph Post. 8.31: Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Conducted by Edmond Stoutz Geminiani: Concerto grosso in G minor. Haydn: Divertimento in F. 9.0: From Conquistadores to Communism? 9.16: Opera Comique, by Jeremy Commons. 10.18: Mozart: Flute Quartet in C (K. 285b)—Everard van Royen (flute), Paul Godwin (violin), Johan van Helden (viola), Carel van Leewen Boomkamp (cello). 10.36: Mahler: Adagio (Symphony No. 10)—London Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez. 3ZB, CHRISTCHURCH (1100 kilohertz) 7.40 p.m.: Gardening with Reg Chibnall. 8.2: The Country and Western Show. 11.2: Late Extra. 3ZM, CHRISTCHURCH (1400 kilohertz) 7.30 p.m.: Things are Swinging. 10.0: From the Top Pops.

seemed the ideal man to train the animals, and so the now famous “Skippy” series was bom.

Since then the programme has bounded up in ratings all over the world, and a new series has been shot in locations around Sydney and in Waratah Park with an eye for further sales abroad in colour.

The new series begins from CHTV3 next Thursday. The team which works with Skippy includes Ed Devereaux as the head ranger, Matt Hammond; 11-year-old Garry Pankhurst as Sonny Hammond Matt’s younger son; Ken James as Mark Hammond Matt’s elder son, and Tony Bonner who plays the flight ranger, Jerry King, pilot of the Waratah Park Ranger helicopter.

Max Vamel (of "Z Cars,” “Troubleshooters,” and “Sherlock Holmes”) and Eric Fullilove direct the series, with producers Lee Robinson, John McCallum and Bob Austin.