Parallax (TV series)
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''Parallax'' is an Australian children's television series that screened on the
Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
. It is a 26-episode series funded by the
Film Finance Corporation Australia The Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) was the government agency responsible for funding commercial productions of Australian film, documentary, and television from 1988 to 2008. Unlike other publicly funded organisations responsible for f ...
and supported by
Lotterywest Lotterywest was established in 1932 as the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia, to run the lottery in Western Australia. It is referred to in the legislation as the Lotteries Commission. It distributes profits to a number of community bene ...
. The series was filmed in various locations around
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. These include Kings Park, East Perth, and many beach and South West forest locations. The series is about a boy named Ben Johnson, who discovers a portal to multiple parallel universes, and explores them with his friends: Francis Short, Melinda Bruce, Una, Due, Tiffany and Mundi as well as newfound sister, Katherine Raddic.


Cast


Main cast

* Joshua Marshall-Clarke as Ben Johnson *
Gillian Alexy Gillian Alexy (born March 13, 1986) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her roles as Tayler Geddes on ''McLeod's Daughters'', Gitta Novak on ''Damages'', and G'Winveer Farrell on '' Outsiders''. Early life Alexy graduated from the Jo ...
as Katherine Raddic *
Caroline Brazier Caroline Brazier is an Australian actress who is best known for the role of Chrissy Merchant in '' Packed to the Rafters'' and the starring roles of Veronica Johnson and her twin sister Betti in the children's television series '' Parallax''. Br ...
as Veronica Johnson / Betti * David Richardson as Francis Short / Francis Zapmeister * Francoise Sas as Melinda Bruce * Kazimir Sas as Martin Dunkly * Rebecca McCarthy as Fortuna / Una * Genevieve McCarthy as Due * Lauren Williams as Mundi * Luke Hewitt as Jeremy Johnson * Paris Abbott as Tiffany *
Igor Sas Igor Sas is an Australian film, television and stage actor. He is best known for his work on children's television series such as ''Parallax'', ''Wormwood'', ''Lockie Leonard'' and '' The Gift''. He has also appeared in a number of films, includin ...
as Stefan Raddic * David Ngoombujarra as Otto


Guest cast

* Faith Clayton as Mrs Irma Dawes * Kristian Barron as Spy Kid


Significant objects and locations

; Stave : A kind of baton that most Guardians possess. It has various functions including communication over different worlds to other stave holders, a radio, manipulation of electronic devices and most importantly, the ability to shoot lasers which kill Welkin and Krellicks ; Orb : A smooth, white sphere. There is one orb for every world whether it be hidden or in possession of the resident Guardian. When not in its original world, if a person with full Guardian blood touches the orb, whatever happened in the world before the removal of the orb will play like a movie on its surface. When the orb is in its original world the person will be transported to the Reading Room thus the orb being its 'keys'. The orbs also act as a defence to the Welkin and Krellicks hiding the blood of a Guardian. ; Reading Room : The central repository of all knowledge of the Parallax. It keeps records of all the bad and good times of the stories and creatures in the Parallax. Although it is not a control room. The weather can't be changed and an election can't be fixed. Also the central hub of all world transportation. ; Golden Stave : Only comes into being when a normal stave is taken to the Reading Room. Able to control the "Wheel of Knowledge". Can also manipulate certain times and events to an extent. ; Purple Water : The key to Betti's blandishment. Betti pours it into the water supply of a world. It reacts with a person who does not fit into the 17.65% personality average of that world and turns them into water vapour. For example if in Hippie World there is a businessman and he drank the purple water he would be blandished. ; Francis Cam : The form of communication through the Parallax. This is started by Techno World Una and Hippie World Francis. It is a link between four worlds, Techno, Forest, Ben's and Hippie World. The Francises in each world each have a camera with the exception of Techno World which is patrolled by Una. The Francis Cam is used to report Betti sightings, Spy Boy etc. ; Purple eyes : Betti and Spy Boy's alternate eye colour. Their eyes turn purple when they're not telling the truth or if they're getting angry. Its true purpose is not yet known.


Worlds


Main worlds

; Ben's World : The red world, in which the series starts. Could be considered as the "normal" world. Links to Katherine's World through an old drain and Techno World through a chicken shed. When pushing different points on the parallax at the old drain characters can also travel to Forest and Desert Worlds. There is also a portal in Mr Dawes's shed that links to Garden World when the right combination is used (1-1-11). ; Katherine's World : The blue world, where Ben finds a sister he never knew existed, as well as his biological father. A very formal and organised world with many strict laws. Links to Ben's World via two large rocks and Hippie World by going in between two bookcases at a library. When pushing points on the parallax at the two rocks you can travel to Forest World. There is also a portal on the nearby beach. It leads to the tent owned by Betti in Desert World. ; Francis' Hippie World : The yellow world. This is a very 'mellow' world filled with Hippies, literally. The only known portal here is through an old
Volkswagen Type 2 The Volkswagen Type 2, known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, or, informally, as the Bus (US), Camper (UK) or Bulli (Germany), is a forward control light commercial vehicle introduced in 1950 by the Ge ...
Kombi van located in front of the house of this world's Francis (A.K.A. The Werrinup Thief), which links to Katherine's World, and Forest World via the right combination. ; Una's Techno World : The silver world, first thought to be a hi-tech rubbish tip. Everyone lives well and the world is very advanced in technology. The town's motto is "Tomorrow's technology, at yesterday's prices." The portal to get to Ben's World is located at the hi-tech rubbish tip. The other portal is located at an abandoned office building and becomes accessible when a password is typed onto a computer, links to Garden World. ; Mundi's Forest World : The green world, Ben accidentally stumbles upon this world when he trips onto the Parallax symbol. A world that takes care of its environment, its Werrinup is built on towers above the forest floor to minimise human impact on the eco system. This world is infested by Krellicks and its people are protected through the height of their structures. The tree portal links to Ben's World, Katherine's World, or Techno World, though only when the right combination is hit on the symbol. The rock portal that links to Forest World is located outside of Mrs Dawes house on the forest floor. It is currently though guarded by the Krellicks and used as a nest.


Other worlds

; Desert World : The orange world, a lifeless place of sand and stone. Ben's mother sends him to this world as a test. One portal is located over a rock mound and goes to Ben's World via the right combination on the Parallax (7-1). The other portal is at the corner of a tent owned by Betti. It links to Katherine's World. It's later discovered that Desert World is also Otto's original homeworld, before it was destroyed by Betti. ; Garden World : The pink world, Betti shows Katherine this world as an example of her goal in the Parallax. This world is in its own way perfect, the people who did not fit in have been effectively blandished. One portal is located through a do not enter door, and links to Techno World. The other is at a forked tree and leads to Ben's World. ; Bush World : The brown world, this is the world in which Otto, the lost guardian has escaped to. Only one portal is known. It is in the middle of a river and links to Forest World. The other portal was meant to be down the river. ; Swamp World : Only seen briefly when Ben accidentally stumbles into this place via the Reading Room. No portals through this world are known.


Side Doors

There are portals known as Side Doors which are like normal portals but are for singular trips and once you go through it you cannot go through it the way you came out. Ben and Katherine noticed other portal lights when Ben pressed a button on the stave in the Reading Room. They then asked Mrs Dawes if she knew about Side Doors but she sent them to her brother, Mr Dawes. He told them about Side Doors and the condition if you use one. There is only one known Side Door which is Mr Dawes' shed and it links to a seat in Garden World.


Episodes

# One Big Happy Family # A Rare Find # The Artful Dodger # Achey, Breaky Heart # Lost in Paradise # One Man's Rubbish # Artes Veritas # The Battle of Mundi's World # The Big Sleep-Over # The Martin Crimes # The World According to Betti (writers: Paul D. Barron (creator),
Lynn Bayonas Lynnette Margaret Bayonas (11 April 1943 – 25 January 2010) was an Australian television producer and writer. Her sister was ''Neighbours'' executive producer Susan Bower. Personal life Bower was 18 years old and living in London when she go ...
) # The Curse of the Incredibly Bad News # Decoy # Too Many Chiefs # Ex-Ben # Dad Meets Dad # The Krellick War # The Reluctant Guardian # Seek and You Shall Find # Sand Witch # My Favourite Martin # Cheats Never Prosper # Martinmania # The Reading Room # Clownin' Around # It Ain't Over


Home media

''Parallax: The Portal Opens'', was released on 4 August 2005. It contains a condensed movie version, taking clips from the first 8 episodes.


References


External links

* *
''Parallax''
at the
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 co ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parallax (Tv Series) 2004 Australian television series debuts 2004 Australian television series endings Australian adventure television series Australian children's television series Australian science fiction television series Nine Network original programming Television series about parallel universes Television shows set in Western Australia