''Bingles'' is an Australian

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

which screened on

Network 10 Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...

from 5 December 1992 until 13 June 1993. It is set in a suburban smash repair workshop called Bingles owned by Ron Bignell (

Cliff Ellen Cliff Ellen (born 22 March 1936) is an Australian character actor who played a prominent guest role on the soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Charlie Cassidy. His first role was in ''Homicide''. His credits include '' Crackerjack'', '' Garbo'', and ...

Production

The sitcom was conceived by

Ian McFadyen Ian McFadyen (born 8 July 1948) is an Australian television writer, actor, director and producer. He is best known as the creator and producer of the Australian television series '' The Comedy Company'', which he also directed and wrote episode ...

in 1989 and intended to be a vehicle for the male cast members of

The Comedy Company ''The Comedy Company'' is an Australian sketch comedy television series that aired from 16 February 1988 until 11 November 1990 on Network Ten. It was created and directed by cast member Ian McFadyen, and co-directed and produced by Jo Lane. Th ...

. Network 10 brought the show and it went into production in August 1991. Filming on 23 episodes was completed in August 1992. McFadyen said most of the episodes centre on Ron Bignell's attempts to get his staff to work. Bingles is a play on the word bingle, which is Australian slang for a minor crash or upset.

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...

commissioned a second series of 13 episodes before the first series had gone to air, however the series was not very successful. ''Bingles'' aired during the Summer non-ratings period in a Saturday 8pm timeslot. Raymond Gill of ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' said the scheduling "does not inspire confidence in the program."

Cast

Shane Bourne Shane Jerome Bourne (born 24 November 1949) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, musician, and television host. Early life and education Shane Jerome Bourne was born on 24 November 1949 in Melbourne, Victoria. He was raised by his mot ...

as Barry *

Nicholas Bufalo Nicholas Bufalo (born 1961 or 1962) is an Australian actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Ben Green in ''A Country Practice'' and for directing a number of episodes for the soap opera ''Neighbours''. He starred in the short ...

as Tony *

Tammy MacIntosh Tammy MacIntosh (born 16 February 1970) is an Australian actress known for portraying Dr. Charlotte Beaumont in the medical drama '' All Saints'' and Jool in the TV series ''Farscape''. She is also known for her roles on television series '' The ...

as Stacy Bignell *

as Ron Bignell * Dalibor Satalic as Oscar * Tim Scally as Clive *

Sally-Anne Upton Sally-Anne Upton is a British–Australian stage, film and television actress. Upton is known for her roles in ''Bring Her Back'', ''Neighbours'', and as Lucy Gambaro in prison drama ''Wentworth.'' Personal life Upton has served on the committe ...

as Dierdre *

Andrew Maj Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

as Lester *

Russell Gilbert Russell Gilbert (born 17 October 1959) is an Australian comedian from Footscray, Victoria, best known for his television appearances on programs such as ''The Comedy Company'', ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' and ''The Russell Gilbert Show''; he was a ...

as Kev

Episodes

Reception

Robert Fidgeon of the ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a Conservatism, conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the American Rupert Murdoch, Murd ...

'' named ''Bingles'' as one of "Australia's All-time Top 50 TV Turkeys". He stated "Unfunny sitcom set in a mechanic's garage, with Shane Bourne, Russell Gilbert, Nick Bufalo and Tammy Macintosh. Thirteen episodes made, a further 13 were ordered before the first 13 were screened and died."

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0103368 Network 10 original programming 1990s Australian television sitcoms 1992 Australian television series debuts 1993 Australian television series endings Australian workplace comedy television series