''Jonah'' is an Australian television drama series which aired for 20 episodes starting from 15 October 1962 on the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

. Produced during an era when commercial television in Australia produced few dramatic series, ''Jonah'' was a period drama, and was inspired by the success of ABC's period drama mini-series like ''

Stormy Petrel Storm petrel or stormy petrel may refer to one of two bird family (biology), families, both in the order Procellariiformes, once treated as the same family. The two families are: * Northern storm petrels (''Hydrobatidae'') are found in the No ...

''. Eponymous actor Brian James had been the star of ''Stormy Petrel''. The episodes still exist.

Premise

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 c ...

describes the series as a "historical drama series about Jonah Locke, a merchant trader in the early Australian colony". Jonah lived in Sydney between 1840 and 1850. He would encounter historical figures.

Cast

Regular

Guests

Background

In March 1962 it was announced ATN would make the series with Michael Plant to be writer and story editor, Harry Dearth to produce and David Cahill to direct. By July the lead actors had been cast. It was shot at Artransa Park Studios. Michael Plant was the writer and script editor. The episode cost around £3,500 each. They sold to the Australian networks for £1,500 an episode and then to Britain for £1,000 an episode. There were disputes with Actors Equity over how much the actors should be paid.

Reception

One review called it "splendid". ''

The Australian Women's Weekly ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', sometimes known simply as ''The Weekly'', is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by Are Media in Sydney and founded in 1933. For many years it was the number one magazine in Australia before bein ...

'' called it "fast, action packed entertainment". ''Filmink'' wrote Plant "was a first-rate writer: the stories proceed logically and dramatically, scenes are focused and to the point, characters are well-rounded and their behaviour is consistent."

Episodes

References

External links

*
''Jonah''
at

{{Ken Hannam 1960s Australian drama television series 1962 Australian television series debuts 1963 Australian television series endings Black-and-white Australian television shows Australian English-language television shows Seven Network original programming Historical television series Television shows set in colonial Australia