Barley Charlie

Australian television sitcom

Barley Charlie

Genre| Sitcom
Created by|

* Ronald Chesney
* Ronald Wolfe

Written by|

* Ronald Chesney
* Ronald Wolfe
* Alan Hopgood

Directed by| Rod Kinnear
Starring|

* Edward Hepple
* Robina Beard
* Sheila Bradley
* Stewart Weller

Theme music composer| Bruce Clark
Country of origin| Australia
Original language| English
No. of series| 1
No. of episodes| 13
Production
Producer| Rod Kinnear
Camera setup| Multi-camera
Running time| 30 minutes
Original release
Network| GTV-9
Release| 31 March (1964-03-31) –
23 June 1964 (1964-06-23)

Barley Charlie was an Australian television sitcom which aired in 1964. It was the second television sitcom produced in Australia; being preceded by the 1957–1959 series Take That, although that Crawford Productions sitcom had only aired in Melbourne.[1] Some of the creatives went on to be involved in the serial drama Undercurrent (1965).

## Overview

[edit]

Barley Charlie aired for 13 episodes, produced by GTV-9 and also shown on other stations across Australia.[2] Though short-lived, the series was a ratings success.[3] The main cast were Sheila Bradley, Robina Beard, and Edward Hepple.[4]

The National Film and Sound Archive hold at least four episodes of Barley Charlie as well as some documentation.[5]

## Cast

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### Main

[edit]

* Edward Hepple as Charlie Appleby
* Robina Beard as Shirley Muggleton
* Sheila Bradley as Joan Muggleton
* Stewart Weller as Stinger

### Guests

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* George Whaley (1 episode)
* Joe McCormick as Harrison Blake, Jr (1 episode)
* Michael Duffield as Inspector (1 episode)
* Terry Norris as Herb (1 episode)
* Wynn Roberts as Jim Fogarty (1 episode)

## Premise

[edit]

The premise was developed by the British scriptwriting team of Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe while they were visiting Australia in the wake of the worldwide success of The Rag Trade.[4]

Joan and Shirley Muggleton are two cityslicker sisters who inherit a roadhouse café and garage midway between Melbourne and Sydney. Working there is Charlie Appleby, a lazy and clueless mechanic.[4][6]

## Episodes

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All episodes were produced and directed by Rod Kinnear. The first six episodes were written by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney and adapted for Australian audiences by Alan Hopgood; the remaining seven were written solely by Hopgood. The series was first broadcast in Melbourne; selected episodes were later broadcast for the first time in Adelaide.[6]

No.| Title| Written by| Original release date [6]

|
|
|

1| "The Double Take"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 31 March 1964 (1964-03-31)
2| "The Big Fix"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 7 April 1964 (1964-04-07)

Also aired in Adelaide on 17 August 1964.[6]

3| "A Quid Each Way, Every Way"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 14 April 1964 (1964-04-14)
4| "The Inspector Calls"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 21 April 1964 (1964-04-21)
5| "Petticoat Prison"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 28 April 1964 (1964-04-28)

Also aired in Adelaide on 7 September 1964.[6]

6| "Hygiene Hi-Jack"| Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe| 5 May 1964 (1964-05-05)

Also aired in Adelaide on 14 September 1964.[6]

7| "Home Sweet Brew"| Alan Hopgood| 12 May 1964 (1964-05-12)

Also aired in Adelaide on 21 September 1964.[6]

8| "Hot Lines"| Alan Hopgood| 19 May 1964 (1964-05-19)

Also aired in Adelaide on 28 September 1964.[6]

9| "Cawler's Ghost"| Alan Hopgood| 26 May 1964 (1964-05-26)

Also aired in Adelaide on 5 October 1964.[6]

10| "Bad Nose for Charlie"| Alan Hopgood| 2 June 1964 (1964-06-02)
11| "Colonel Blood"| Alan Hopgood| 9 June 1964 (1964-06-09)
12| "Frenzy Persuasion"| Alan Hopgood| 16 June 1964 (1964-06-16)

Also aired in Adelaide on 26 October 1964.[6]

13| "A Candle for Charlie"| Alan Hopgood| 23 June 1964 (1964-06-23)

Also aired in Adelaide on 2 November 1964.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". FilmInk. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
2. ^ "Cast in GTV-9 Series". TV & Radio Guide. The Age. Melbourne. 12 December 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
3. ^ "Barley Charlie". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
4. ^ a b c "GTV-9s new comedy series". TV & Radio Guide. The Age. Melbourne. 9 January 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
5. ^ "Australia's Living Archive Annual Report 2010–11" (PDF). National Film and Sound Archive. p. 196. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Storey, Don; Keating, Chris (2013). "Barley Charlie Episodes". Classic Australian Television. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2024.

## External links

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* Barley Charlie at IMDb
* Barley Charlie at AustLit
* Barley Charlie Episode 5 on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

TV drama productions of Rod Kinnear

* Lovely to Look At (1957) (TV series)
* Tragedy in a Temporary Town (1959)
* The Big Day (1959)
* Ruth (1959)
* Rope (1959)
* No Picnic Tomorrow (1960)
* Man in a Blue Vase (1960)
* You, Too, Can Have a Body (1960)
* The Concert (1961)
* The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1961)
* The One Day of the Year (1962)
* Manhaul (1962)
* And the Big Men Fly (1963)
* Barley Charlie (1964) (TV series)
* Wicked City (1973)

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