It’s Australian TV’s diamond year, and to celebrate the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is hosting a special evening of retro treasures, blasts from the past, and a lineup that rivals the best of binge-watching parties on Wednesday 23 November 2016.
From hidden gems, to memorable moments, we’ve searched the NFSA vaults for clips so rare we’ve only just discovered some of them. Highlights include: the Bee Gees backing Johnny O’Keefe in a 1964 episode of Sing Sing Sing; Canberra’s CTC7 children’s show Meeting in the Middle with a young Shani Wood; or for sports fans, Rod Marsh at the crease in the 1974 Gillette Cup.
Joining the NSFA for the event are two Australian TV legends – Gold Logie award winning actress Lorrae Desmond, and Sale of the Century announcer Pete Smith. They’ll share their memories of life ‘on the box’, and look back on Australia’s television journey across the years.
“I can’t get over the magic that television has brought to our world,” said Pete Smith. “The gift of communication and entertainment at the flick of a switch.”
TV in Australia began with Bruce Gyngell’s famous words, ‘Good evening and welcome to television’, on 16 September 1956. The 4-hour TCN9 Sydney broadcast catapulted TV into Australia’s living rooms and included The Johnny O’Connor Show, What’s your line, Father Knows Best, I Love Lucy and the Australian music show, Accent on Strings.
A segment from Accent on Strings from 8 December 1956, which may be the earliest complete surviving television program in existence, will also screen on the night.
“We have to preserve our TV history,” said Lorrae Desmond. “It is important to know your past to help us look to the future with a sense of clarity.”
60 Years of TV: Lost and Found
Arc Cinema – National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton (Canberra)
Event: Wednesday 23 November 2016 – 6.30pm
Free admission (bookings essential)
For more information and bookings, visit: www.nfsa.gov.au for details.
Image: courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive