The Nargun and the Stars (TV series) facts for kids

The Nargun and The Stars is an exciting fantasy mini-series made for children. It is based on a famous book by Patricia Wrightson called The Nargun and the Stars. This TV show has five episodes, and each one is about thirty minutes long. The very first episode was shown on September 15, 1981.

Making the TV Show

From Book to Screen

The amazing story by Patricia Wrightson was turned into a TV mini-series. This happened between 1977 and 1978. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) made the show. A writer named Margaret Kelly wrote the script for television.

Filming and Costs

Artist Peter Kravchenko, who created the model for Potkoorok in the series.

Lynn Bayonas produced the series. It has five episodes, each lasting thirty minutes. Filming took 45 days in Sydney and Melbourne. This happened during the last three months of 1977. The show cost about $150,000 to make.

Why the Delay?

This show was expected to be a very popular children's program. It was even hoped to be sold to other countries. But its release was delayed for almost two years. This was because of a disagreement with a union. The union wanted higher pay for ABC technicians. They also had concerns about new technology.

Even though filming finished in January 1978, the tapes could not be edited. The union had stopped the installation of new editing equipment. An ABC spokesperson, Graham Reynolds, said it was sad. He felt that if the series had been shown on time, it could have been as popular as movies like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The first episode finally aired on September 15, 1981.

The Story of the Nargun

Simon's New Home

The story of The Nargun and The Stars takes place in Australia. It uses ideas from Australian Aboriginal mythology. It also talks about protecting nature. The main character is Simon Brent, a boy from the city. He becomes an orphan and goes to live on a big sheep farm. This farm is called Wongadilla. It is in the Hunter Region of Australia. Simon lives with his mother's cousins, Edie and Charlie, who are very kind.

Discovering Ancient Creatures

At first, Simon does not really care much about nature. But in a hidden valley on the farm, he finds many ancient creatures. These creatures come from Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

The Nargun Awakens

Big machines arrive to clear the land and build a road. Simon also acts carelessly towards nature. These actions wake up a scary, ancient stone creature. This creature is called the Nargun. It has the power to move! Other mythical creatures Simon meets are Potkoorok. He is a playful green water-spirit who lives in the swamp. There are also the Turongs, who are tree people, and the Nyols, who are cave people.

Main Characters

The actors in the TV series included:

• Rodney Bell as Simon Brent
• Noel Brophy as the voice of Potkoorok
• Peter Gwynne as Cousin Charlie
• Melissa Jaffer as Cousin Edie
• Marianne Howard
• Roberta Grant as Liz
• Noel Trevarthen as Andrew

Episode Guide

Here are the names of the five episodes:

• Simon
• The Potkoorok
• The Turongs
• The Nyols
• The Nargun

Where It Was Shown

The series was broadcast in several countries:

• Australia: (ABC) (1981, 1987—1989)
• Canada: (Knowledge Network) (1987—1991), (TVO) (1990—1992)
• Republic of Ireland: (RTÉ One) (1983)