Minty (TV series) facts for kids

Minty is a fun TV show from 1998 about two girls who look exactly alike! One is an Australian soap opera star named Minty, and the other is an English schoolgirl named Melanie. They decide to swap lives, and almost no one finds out their secret. This comedy series was made by companies in Australia and the United Kingdom.

The show had 13 episodes and was a team effort. It was produced by Scottish Television (now called STV Central) and RT Films. They worked with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The project also got help from ScreenWest and The Lotteries Commission of Western Australia.

Who's in the Show?

The main actors who brought Minty to life are:

• Angela Kelly as "Minty Sullivan" and "Melanie Hobson" (she plays both look-alikes!)
• Damian De Montemas as "Shane Connor"
• Kim De Lury as "Cameron Davis"
• Vivienne Garrett as "Pamela-Anne"
• Bill Kerr as "Willie Courtnay"
• Michael Loney as "Lionel Hobson"
• Phineas Glover as "Alex Hobson"
• Peter O'Brien as "Ric da Silva"

What's the Story About?

The story of Minty begins when Melanie Hobson, a British schoolgirl, wins a trip to Australia. When she arrives at the airport, she is shocked! She meets Minty Sullivan, an Australian soap opera star, who looks exactly like her.

Minty is tired of her life as an actress. She is dressed as Cinderella for a fan event. Melanie and Minty quickly decide to swap places. Melanie goes to the awards ceremony as Cinderella, pretending to be Minty.

After this first swap, Minty and Melanie often switch lives. Almost no one ever suspects their secret! Even though they look identical, they have different skills. For example, Melanie is good at sports, but Minty isn't. Melanie can sing, but Minty can't. Minty is good at dancing, but Melanie isn't. Minty loves to study, but Melanie doesn't. Minty knows a lot about wildlife, but Melanie doesn't (she even thinks whales are fish!).

Melanie has a family in England, including parents, a brother, and many aunts and uncles. Minty, however, has no family. The two girls manage to share each other's lives. They keep swapping places in both England and Australia. In the very last episode, they switch places for good. Melanie starts a singing career, and Minty finally gets to have a real family.

Episode Guide

There are 13 exciting episodes in the Minty series:

• No Worries, Cinderella
• No Probs, Princess
• If I Were You
• Dangerous Creatures
• I've Got Who Babe?
• Between Rock 'n' Roll And A Hard Place
• The Great Escape
• Secret Identity
• Good One, Sport
• Reality Bites Back
• All The World's A Stage
• Double Exposure
• All Good Things

Music from the Show

The song "I Wanna Be Free" was released as a single from the TV show's 1999 soundtrack. A soundtrack is an album of songs from a movie or TV show. The album was called "Minty: Favourite Songs From The Hit TV Series". "I Wanna Be Free" was a hit in the United Kingdom. It reached #67 on the official singles charts on January 23, 1999. Angela Kelly, who plays both Minty and Melanie, sings all ten songs on the soundtrack. Virgin Records released the album.

Track list

• I Wanna Be Free
• Wish I Could
• Don't Look Back
• Secret Identity
• In Your Head
• Hard Habit To Break
• Destination Somewhere Wonderful
• Show Me
• Snakes And Ladders
• I Found Myself In You

Fun Facts About Minty

• The Australian Broadcasting Corporation originally planned to make a second season of Minty. However, it never happened.
• The show was re-aired in 2009 on wknd@stv. This was a special block of children's TV shows on the Scottish television channel, STV.