Ron McLean (1943–1983) was an Australian screenwriter, producer and executive producer, best known for his work on TV. He wrote most of the episodes for ''

Spyforce ''Spyforce'' is an Australian television series that aired from 1971 to 1973 on Nine Network. The series was based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II. It was produced ...

'', which he helped create. He had a long collaboration with producer Roger Mirams.

Biography

McLean was running a woman's shoe shop in

Double Bay Double Bay is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district. It is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipalit ...

, Sydney when he read an article about a TV series being made in Australia, ''

Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal f ...

'' (1969). He sent them a couple of stories which the show liked and he taught himself how to adapt them into scripts. He wrote some episodes of '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' and did sketches for ''

The Mavis Bramston Show ''The Mavis Bramston Show'' was a weekly Australian television satirical sketch comedy revue series which aired on the Seven Network from 1964 to 1968. Inspired by the British TV satirical revue TV shows of the period (notably ''That Was The Week ...

''. He came much in demand in the early 70s, writing a number of shows for

Crawford Productions Crawford Productions is an Australian media production company, focused on radio and television production. Founded in Melbourne by Hector Crawford and his sister, actress and voice artist Dorothy Crawford, the company, also known as Crawfo ...

. McLean met Roger Mirans when working on '' Woobinda, Animal Doctor''. The two formed a company, South Pacific Films, which made ''Spyforce''. McLean was also one of a team of four people who wrote children's books under the name of Mary Elliott. In the early 1980s he set up Ron McLean Productions which produced ''Airhawk'', ''The Little Fella'' and ''Outbreak of Hostilities''. The company went into liquidation in 1982.

Personal life

McLean Married to, Elizabeth, and together they have three daughters, Sara, Sallie Samantha and son Steven.

Select credits

*'' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' (1969) (TV series) – writer *''

'' (1969) (TV series) – writer *''

'' (TV series) – writer *''

Good Morning Mr Doubleday ''Good Morning Mr Doubleday'' is a black and white 1969 Australian TV series which ran for 26 episodes. It is a sitcom set in a high school. Ron McLean, who wrote several scripts, called it "appalling." Cast Main * Gerry Gallagher * Katie Wilde ...

'' (1969) (TV series) – writer *'' Woobinda, Animal Doctor'' (1969–70) (TV series) – writer *''

The Galloping Gourmet Graham Kerr (born 22 January 1934) is an English cooking personality who is best known for his television cooking show ''The Galloping Gourmet'' from December 30, 1968 to September 14, 1973. Early life Kerr was born in Brondesbury, London. H ...

'' (TV series) – writer *'' The Rovers'' (1969–70) (TV series) – writer, script editor *''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'' (1970–71) (TV series) – writer – episodes include "The Cat", "Flash Johnny", "Juliet" *''

'' (1971–72) (TV series) – co-creator, associate producer, writer *''

Barrier Reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

'' (1972) (TV series) – writer *'' Ryan'' (1973) (TV series) – writer *''

Division Four The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name ...

'' (1973) (TV series) – writer *'' Silent Number'' (1974–76) (TV series) – creator, writer, co-producer, director of episode *'' Certain Women'' (TV series) – writer *''

The Evil Touch ''The Evil Touch'' is an Australian television series, originally broadcast in Australia in 1973 and produced by Amalgamated Pictures Australasia in association with Olola Productions Australia. An anthology series, each episode had a self-con ...

'' (1974) (TV series) – writer *''

Human Target The Human Target is the name of two fictional characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first is Fred Venable, while the second is private investigator and bodyguard Christopher Chance who assumes the identities of clients tar ...

'' (1974) (TV movie) – writer, producer *''

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiperfect ...

'' (TV series) – writer *''

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also r ...

'' (TV series) – writer *'' Case for the Defence'' (1978) (TV series) – writer, co-producer *''

Secret Doors Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' (TV series) – writer *'' King's Men'' (1976–79) (TV series) – creator, writer *''

Glenview High ''Glenview High'' is an Australian television drama series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Seven Network between 1977 and 1978. Story English teacher Greg Walker ( Grigor Taylor) transfers from the country to Glenview High, ...

'' (1977–79) (TV series) – writer, producer *'' Night Nurse'' (1978) (TV movie) – writer *''

Chopper Squad ''Chopper Squad'' is an Australian television series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the 0-10 Network (as it was then known).Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 115 The series recounted the work o ...

'' (1978) (TV series) – writer *'' Prisoner: Cell Block H'' (1979) (TV series) – writer *''

The Young Doctors ''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983. The series is prima ...

'' (TV series) – writer *''

Airhawk ''Airhawk'', also known as ''Star of the North'', is a 1981 Australian television action film directed by David Baker and starring Eric Oldfield and Louise Howitt.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, ...

'' (1981) (aka ''Star of the North'') (TV movie) – writer, co-producer *'' Bellamy'' (1981) (TV series) – creator, writer *''

Island Trader ''Island Trader'' is a 1982 Australian TV movie directed by Howard Rubie and starring John Ewart, Sancho Gracia, Eric Oldfield and Ruth Cracknell. It was written by Ron McLean for Reg Grundy Productions. Plot A plane transporting a cargo of t ...

'' (1982) (TV movie) – writer *'' Outbreak of Hostilities'' (1983) (TV movie) – writer, co-producer *'' The Little Feller'' (1983) (TV movie) – writer, co-producer *'' Innocent Prey'' (1984) – writer

Books as "Mary Elliot"

*''Clare Carson and the Sheep Duffers : Bush Nurse in the Australian Outback'' Hawthorn : Lloyd O'Neil, 1970 *''Clare Carson and the Gold Rush : Bush Nurse in the Australian Outback'' Adelaide : Rigby, 1970 *''Clare Carson at Wilga Junction : Bush Nurse in the Australian Outback'', Adelaide : Rigby, 1970 *''Clare Carson and the Runaways : Bush Nurse in the Australian Outback'' Adelaide : Rigby, 1970

References

External links

Ron McLean
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national c ...

*
Ron McLean
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature), usually referred to simply as AustLit, is an internet-based, non-profit collaboration betwee ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, Ron 1983 deaths Australian screenwriters 1943 births 20th-century Australian screenwriters