Skyways (TV series)

1979-1981 television series by Crawford Productions

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Skyways

Tony Bonner as Paul MacFarlane and Bill Stalker as Peter Fanelli in Skyways

Genre| Soap opera
Drama
Created by| Terry Stapleton
Jock Blair
Country of origin| Australia
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 188
Production
Production company| Crawford Productions
Original release
Network| Seven Network
Release| 9 July 1979 (1979-07-09) –
27 July 1981 (1981-07-27)

Skyways is an Australian television soap opera drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network.

## Production and casting[edit]

The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there.

Skyways was mainly taped in a television studio where, in many interior-set scenes, Colour Separation Overlay created the illusion of a bustling airport with taxiing planes outside the window. Many of the exterior scenes were shot on location at Melbourne Airport.

The show's regular cast members included Tony Bonner as airport manager Paul MacFarlane, later replaced by Gary Doolan (Gerard Kennedy). Tina Bursill played glamorous and ruthless assistant manager Louise Carter. Bill Stalker, played head of airport security Peter Fanelli, an ex-detective. When Skyways ended Fanelli was moved to Crawford police procedural Cop Shop, while Brian James' character George Tippett was transplanted to Holiday Island.

## Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan roles[edit]

Years before Neighbours and international pop stardom, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan appeared together in one episode as siblings.

## Storylines[edit]

An early storyline featured a lesbian flight attendant (Judy Morris) unsuccessfully attempting to seduce a colleague (Deborah Coulls) who revealed she was heterosexual. Morris' character was soon afterwards stabbed to death in the shower as part of a murder-mystery storyline.

## International broadcast[edit]

The series screened across Europe and the UK during 1984-1986 on Sky Channel which would later become Sky One. It also aired in the UK on Astra Satellite channel, Lifestyle during 1990 at 1.00 p.m Monday to Friday.

### Syndication[edit]

During the first week of January 2006 the entire series was replayed Thursday early mornings, weekly at 2.00am, then at the later time-slot of 3.00am on WIN TV in Wollongong (South Coast NSW) as part of the early morning Crawfords Classics TV series.

## Cast[edit]

### Main / regular[edit]

* Tony Bonner as Paul MacFarlane
* Tina Bursill as Louise Carter
* Ken James as Simon Young
* Bruce Barry as Douglas Stewart
* Bill Stalker as Peter Fanelli
* Brian James as George Tippett
* Joanne Samuel as Kelly Morgan
* Deborah Coulls as Jacki Soong
* Kris McQuade as Faye Peterson
* Bartholomew John as Nick Grainger
* Andrew McKaige as Alan MacFarlane
* Gaynor Martin as Mandy MacFarlane
* Gerard Kennedy as Gary Doolan
* Kerry Armstrong as Angela Murray
* Maurie Fields as Chas Potter
* Kylie Foster as Belinda Phipps
* Carmen Duncan as Elaine MacFarlane
* Fred Parslow as David Rankin
* Kit Taylor as Tim Barclay
* Susanna Lobez as Janet Patterson
* Jeff Kevin as Geoff Goodwin

### Recurring / guests[edit]

* Alan Hopgood as Edward Fielding (2 episodes)
* Alex Menglet as Mikhail Gosenko (1 episode)
* Anna Hruby as Sharon Webster (1 episode)
* Anne Charleston as Wendy Stewart (2 episodes)
* Anne Phelan as Joan Hailey (1 episode)
* Anne Tenney as Eileen (1 episode)
* Barry Creyton as John Hunter (13 episodes)
* Barry Quin as Jeremy Drake (1 episode)
* Belinda Giblin as Christine Burroughs (12 episodes)
* Brian Wenzel as Frank Richmond (1 episode)
* Briony Behets as Pam McKinnon (1 episode)
* Bruce Spence as David Howard (1 episode)
* Catherine Wilkin as Hanna Clayton (1 episode)
* Cecily Polson as Jocelyn Powell (3 episodes)
* Chantal Comtouri as Lorraine Cruikshank (1 episode)
* Charles Tingwell as Harold Forbes (4 episodes)
* Cornelia Frances as Susan Winters / Wendy Kirk (2 episodes)
* Danny Adcock as Nigel Poulter
* Dannii Minogue
* David Gulpilil as Koiranha (1 episode)
* Debra Lawrence as Sheila Turner (1 episode)
* Di Smith as Meg Robinson (1 episode)
* Diane Craig as Catherine Tissot (1 episode)
* Dina Mann as Fiona Woods (6 episodes)
* Frank Gallacher as Marcel Boussac / Alexandrow (6 episodes)
* George Mallaby as District Attorney (2 episodes)
* Gerda Nicholson as Joan Fitzgerald (1 episode)
* Grant Dodwell as Grant Simpson (1 episode)
* Gus Mercurio as Willard Fry (1 episode)
* Ian Smith as Col. Garner (2 episodes)
* Irene Inescort as Mrs. Young (15 episodes)
* Jackie Woodburne as Marie Newman (1 episode)
* Jane Clifton as Shelley (1 episode)
* Jason Donovan as Adam / Trevor Kirk (2 episodes)
* John Hamblin as Bob Kennedy (1 episode)
* John Walton as Bryan Johnson (3 episodes)
* Judith McGrath as Dr Mendelsohn / Mrs Mason / Zoe Lawrence (5 episodes)
* Judy Morris as Robyn Davies (12 episodes)
* Judy Nunn as Bessie Langhurst (2 episodes)
* Justine Saunders as Helen Smith (6 episodes)
* Kylie Minogue as Robin (1 episode)
* Kerry McGuire as Ann Driscoll (1 episode)
* Lesley Baker as Gladys Skinner (1 episode)
* Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Leslie Foy (6 episodes)
* Lorna Lesley as Pippa Shaw (2 episodes)
* Mark Littie as Jimmy McDonald (3 episodes)
* Martin Vaughan as Charlie Dat (1 episode)
* Mercia Deane-Johns as Susan Masters (1 episode)
* Michael Duffield as Sir Joseph Miles / Sir Godfrey Fox (9 episodes)
* Miles Buchanan as Bert Simpson (1 episode)
* Monica Maughan as Mrs Jones (1 episode)
* Nadia Tass as Sarah McGregor (1 episode)
* Penelope Stewart as Barbie Beach / Jenny McKay (3 episodes)
* Penne Hackforth-Jones as Lady Pamela Griff (1 episode)
* Penny Cook as Joanne Whicker (1 episode)
* Penny Ramsey as Judy Pinnington (1 episode)
* Peta Toppano as Sister Theresa (1 episode)
* Peter Cummins as Les Mitchell / Raymond Dixon (2 episodes)
* Peter Curtin as David Kerridge / Roy Hamilton (2 episodes)
* Peter Whitford as Nigel Forsythe (1 episode)
* Queenie Ashton as Mrs Fow (1 episode)
* Ray Meagher as Sgt Murphy (1 episode)
* Reg Evans as Errol Foote (1 episode)
* Rod Mullinar as Geoff Blake (3 episodes)
* Roger Oakley as Joe D'Angelo (2 episodes)
* Ronald Falk as Derek Powell (3 episodes)
* Rowena Wallace as Ann Wallace (1 episode)
* Sandy Gore as Yvonne Deauville (1 episode)
* Shane Porteous as John Dermarney (1 episode)
* Sigrid Thornton as Olivia Baker (1 episode)
* Stefan Dennis as Richard (1 episode)
* Terry Gill as Ed Sloane / Keith Shelton (2 episodes)
* Terry McDermott as Fred Manning / Captain Gardner (3 episodes)
* Tom Burlinson as Jim Backwell (1 episode)
* Tom Oliver as Scott Honeyman (1 episodes)
* Tommy Dysart as Paddy MacDonald (1 episode)
* Tracy Mann as Mickey Devine (1 episode)
* Vincent Ball as Capt Fitzgerald (1 episode)
* Wyn Roberts as Barney Waters (2 episodes)

## External links[edit]

* Skyways at IMDb
* Aussie Soap Archive: Skyways
* Crawford Productions
* Skyways at the National Film and Sound Archive

*[No.]: Number