''Riptide'' is an Australian adventure television series, starring American actor

Ty Hardin Ty Hardin (born Orison Whipple Hungerford Jr.; January 1, 1930August 3, 2017) was an American actor best known as the star of the 1958 to 1962 American Broadcasting Company, ABC/Warner Brothers Television, Warner Bros. Western (genre), Western ...

, which was first broadcast in 1969. The show featured a foreign lead actor and a foreign producer, similar in approach to the later series ''

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''. Co-stars were Jonathan Sweet and Sue Costin, while guest roles featured Australian actors such as Tony Ward,

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, Bill Hunter,

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, and Jack Thompson. The series was filmed at Australian locations.

Plot

The protagonist Moss Andrews (played by Ty Hardin, who had previously appeared in ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for ro ...

'') is a once successful US-American businessman who took a

sabbatical A sabbatical (from the Hebrew: (i.e., Sabbath); in Latin ; Greek: ) is a rest or break from work; "an extended period of time intentionally spent on something that’s not your routine job." The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Bi ...

after his wife had died prematurely. The widower undertook a long sailing trip, hoping that experiencing pure nature would give him some peace of mind. In Australia, the beautiful environment helped him to pull himself together again and therefore he has decided to stay for the time being, operating a charter boat company along the eastern seaboard. However, he is frequently bothered by suspicious characters who try to follow through on hidden schemes. He always manages eventually to put paid to all looming menaces.

Cast

Main/regular

as Moss Andrews * Jonathan Sweet as Neal Winton * Sue Costin as Judy Plenderleith

Guests/recurring

Production

Development

The series was based on an idea by American Guy Thayer and developed by London-based Australian writer Michael Noonan who had worked with Thayer on ''

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''. Noonan had helped create two earlier British-financed television shows with American stars set in Australia, ''The Flying Doctor'' and '' Whiplash''. Noonan says Thayer's original pitch was about a show about a man wbo ran a charter boat on the

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and was called ''Charter Boat'' with

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor, known for his upper-middle class, macho image and his heavy-drinking, "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career spanned over 40 years, between 1955 and 1999. At the ...

to star. The show was announced in 1966 as ''Charter Boat''. Finance was raised from an Australian company, Artransa, and a British company, Associated British. (The series was officially a co-production between a Bermudan-based company of Thayer's, Trans Pacific Enterprises, and Artransa Park Studios, with copyright owed by Associated British Pathe, Amalgamated Television Services and Trans Pacific.) Noonan says the intention was that the series would be written by three Australian writers based in London under Noonan's supervision - Bruce Stewart, Tony Scott Veitch and Rex Rienits. They each wrote two episodes each but Associated British were rejected them and

Robert Banks Stewart Robert Banks Stewart (16 July 1931 – 14 January 2016) was a Scottish screenwriter, television producer and former journalist. He was sometimes credited as Robert Stewart early in his career. Banks Stewart contributed extensively to drama for th ...

became story editor instead. By November 1967 Leon Becker, manager of Artransa, reported that five Australians had submitted scripts: Bruce Stewart, Michael Noonan, Peter Yeldham, Rex Rienits and Anthony Scott Veitch. No script from an Australian-resident writer was used on the series. This led to a dispute with the Australian Writers Guild. The lead role went to Ty Hardin. The series was filmed in colour. Ty Hardin said: "We can make a Riptide episode here for $70,000. In the States it would cost $200,000." Filming started 29 November 1967. During the making of the series Hardin told a journalist, "I'm really a very humble man. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for my looks, my stature and my talent." Shooting was problematic. Several months in Ralph Smart was brought out to act as a producer. Among the things he did was sack the two co-stars.

Reception

The series rated well in Australia. However the reception of the series did not meet the expectations of its producers. US-American broadcasters rejected the series and the enthusiasm of audiences in Australia and Europe was merely lukewarm. There was no second season for this TV show.

Episode

#''Bound from California'' (5 February 1969). w Robert Bruce Stewart, p Ralph Smart d Peter Maxwell. Moss Andrews arrives on a boat from the USA, recovering from the death of his wife. He runs into an old friend and gets involved in a battle over tug boats. GS: Gordon Boyd, Pat Sullivan, Ron Graham, Fernande Glynn, John Gray. NB. This episode was the sixteenth episode filmed.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 0144731, Riptide Seven Network original programming 1969 Australian television series debuts 1969 Australian television series endings Black-and-white Australian television shows