Adventure Island (TV series) facts for kids

Adventure Island was a popular Australian television show made just for kids. It was shown on the ABC channel from September 11, 1967, to December 22, 1972. The show was created by Godfrey Philipp and John Michael Howson. Howson also acted in the show.

Adventure Island was a joint effort between Godfrey Philipp Productions and the ABC. It was filmed in Melbourne, Australia. This was one of the first times the ABC worked with an outside company to make a show. The series was like a pantomime, which is a type of musical play with comedy and magic. It was set in a fun kingdom called Diddley-Dum-Diddley. The show had different hosts over the years: Nancy Cato (1967-1968) and Sue Donovan (1969-1972).

Meet the Characters of Adventure Island

The show featured many fun and memorable characters. They included:

• Liza (Liz Harris)
• Clown (John-Michael Howson)
• Mrs Flower Potts (Brian Crossley)
• Percy Panda (Jack Manuel)
• Dodo Panda (1967–1969) (Marion Edward)
• Betty Bruin (Carole Walker)
• Smiling Jim (James Smillie)

There were also some "baddies" who caused trouble:

• Fester Fumble (Ernie Bourne)
• Miser Meanie (Colin McEwan (1967–1968), Robert Essex (1969–1972))
• Captain Crook (Ernie Bourne)
• Giggles Goblin (Peter Homewood)
• Squire Squeezum (Burt Cooper)

Many other actors appeared as guest characters, like Vivean Gray, Patsy King, and Mary Hardy.

Who Wrote the Stories?

John Michael Howson wrote most of the scripts for Adventure Island. Other stories were written by Peter Homewood. Howson also wrote four special storybooks based on the show. These books quickly sold out and are now very rare!

The Show's Hosts and How It Began

Adventure Island had two main hosts during its run.

Nancy Cato: The First Host (1967-1968)

Nancy Cato was the first host of Adventure Island. Each show started with Nancy in a magical forest. She would sit by a tree stump with a magic book. Nancy would open the book and begin to read a story about Adventure Island and its town, Diddley-Dum-Diddley. Viewers would then see the story acted out by the characters.

Later, Nancy would chat with puppet friends like Gussie Galah, Crispian Cockatoo, and Matilda Mouse before reading from the book. At the end of each story chapter, Nancy would talk to a cat puppet named Samson.

Sue Donovan: The Later Host (1969-1972)

Sue Donovan took over as host in 1969. The show's main idea stayed the same. Each episode began with Sue talking to a friendly talking house called Mister House (later named Serendipity House). Sue would then go inside the house and chat with puppets like Crispian Cockatoo, Gracie Galah, and Maxie Mouse. A chime would ring, telling Sue it was time to read the story.

Every show ended with Sue talking to Samson the cat. On Fridays, Sue would magically transport herself to Diddley-Dum-Diddley to have a chat and tea with all the characters.

The Main Idea of Adventure Island

The show always taught good lessons, focusing on "good over evil." Each story would unfold over five days, from Monday to Friday. The people of Diddley-Dum-Diddley would often be tricked or bothered by the "baddies."

Often, the silly Clown, who had "sawdust for a brain," would save the day. He was surprisingly good at seeing through disguises, even when others couldn't! Some weeks, there were no baddies. Instead, the stories focused on a visitor to Diddley-Dum-Diddley, like a relative or a new business person.

If things got too exciting or scary, a cast member would remind the young audience, "it always turns out all right on Fridays!" The show used a lot of over-the-top acting and humor, like in traditional pantomimes. Kids loved its simplicity, and adults enjoyed the fun escape.

Music in Adventure Island

Music was a very important part of Adventure Island. Almost every moment had background music. Each episode also had two original songs that fit the story. The words for these songs were written by the scriptwriter, and the music was composed by the show's musical director, Bruce Rowland. Many of his songs were reused after he left the show in 1971. Rowland later became famous for writing movie music. Alan Teak took over as musical director.

The songs were usually recorded on Thursdays. Then, actors would take the recordings home to learn them. This way, they could perfectly pretend to sing along during filming.

Meet the Puppets

In parts of each episode, the host would talk with puppet characters. This was also when drawings, riddles, and jokes sent in by viewers were shared.

The puppets on Adventure Island included:

• Gussie Galah (1967–68)
• Crispian Cockatoo (1967–72)
• Matilda Mouse (1967–68)
• Samson (cat) (1967–72)
• Gracie Galah (1969–72)
• Maxie Mouse (1969–72)

Samson was a large hand puppet, similar to a Muppet. The other puppets were mechanical. The show's puppets were made by a person named Axel Axelrad, who was known as "Axel" in the credits.

Magic on the Island

Just like in another show called The Magic Circle Club, the characters on Adventure Island had magic powers. They would use these powers when needed, but not too often. This was probably because of the technical challenges of editing video back then.

Each Friday episode usually ended with the host visiting Adventure Island. She would click her fingers to magically transport herself there. Samson the cat was also a magic cat. He would be invisible until Monday afternoon's episode. To make him appear, the host had to answer a question he asked. He would disappear again on Friday afternoons by sneezing.

Why No Colour?

Adventure Island was never made in colour. At that time, Australian TV was broadcast in black-and-white. There were no plans to sell the show to other countries. Many viewers thought the show was in colour because of the bright and colourful sets, which were designed by Paul Cleveland.

In 1971, an American TV network was interested in the show. However, they didn't make an offer because it was in black-and-white. John Michael Howson suggested filming the show in colour on Tuesdays, after they had already filmed the black-and-white version. But the ABC wasn't interested in this idea.

A short piece of colour footage from the show was shown for the first time in 1996. It was part of an ABC anniversary program.

Awards for Adventure Island

Adventure Island won several awards:

• The show won the first TV Week Logie award for Best Children's Show in 1969.
• In 1971, Sue Donovan won the Logie for Best Female Personality in Victoria.
• Godfrey Philipp received a special Logie award in 1973 for his work in Australian children's television.

Why the Show Ended

The decision to end Adventure Island was announced in mid-1972 and caused a lot of discussion. Many people were upset, especially because it was replaced by the American show Sesame Street. A huge number of people protested, and a group of politicians even started a "Save Adventure Island" campaign. They asked questions about it in Parliament!

However, the campaign was not successful. The final episode, number 1175, aired on December 22, 1972. Some people believed the show was cancelled for political reasons, not just money reasons.

In Memoriam

Several cast members of Adventure Island have passed away in recent years.

• Colin McEwan - August 22, 2005 (aged 64)
• Marion Edward
• Peter Homewood - December 22, 2008 (aged 79)
• Ernie Bourne - January 21, 2009 (aged 82)
• Brian Crossley - September 8, 2012 (aged 85)

On January 22, 2009, after Ernie Bourne's death, a special message appeared in a Melbourne newspaper. It said:

BOURNE, Ernie - A dear, lovable and funny man who brightened the lives of children around Australia and his fellow Cast Members in the Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island. Goodbye Sir Jasper, farewell Fester Fumble and Samson.
- Flower, Clown, Percy, Betty, Lisa, Sue, Miser, Hep Cat, Marlena, Fredd and Feefee, Godfrey, Bruce and the Boys in the Band.