Edwin Dudley Roberts (17 April 1931 – 23 February 2015) was an Australian

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

and supervising producer.

Early life and education

Roberts was born to Lesley Roberts and Louise Kearney in

Strathfield, New South Wales Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A sma ...

. After completing his education at

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic Church, Catholic religious institute of Religious brother, brothers. In 1817, Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from Fr ...

College in

Randwick Randwick is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government ar ...

, Roberts worked in advertising and sales promotion before commencing his career as a freelance writer for television and film.

Television screenwriter

Ted Roberts began his career in television in the 1960s, writing early episodes of ''

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo ''Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'' (known commonly as ''Skippy'') is an Australian television series created by Australian actor John McCallum, Lionel (Bob) Austin, and Lee Robinson, produced from 1967 to 1969 (airing from 5 February 1968 to 4 May 1 ...

''. The series was screened in over eighty countries and its theme tune, composed by Eric Jupp, is one of the best known and most recognisable Australian tunes. The long version (the B side on the 45rpm record) has lyrics written by Roberts. Ted Roberts' other television credits include major Australian television series: ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'' (

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, ...

, 1964–1976), '' Certain Women'' (ABC, 1973–1976), '' Rush'' (ABC 1974–1976), '' ''Patrol Boat'''' (ABC 1979–1980), ''Just Us'' (telemovie, 1986, Seven Network), '' Water Rats'' (

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and 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 the five main free-to-air television ...

, 1996–2001), ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

'', ''

Blue Heelers ''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian police drama series that was produced by Southern Star Group and ran for twelve years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted th ...

'', ''Mission Impossible'' and ''Star Trek''.

Film screenwriting

Roberts' film credits include ''Bush Christmas'', which starred

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

in her first film, playing "one of three children searching for a stolen racehorse... The 1983 film, directed by

Henri Safran Henri Safran (born 7 October 1932) is a Paris-born director who worked extensively in Australia. He worked in French television, then in Britain, before moving to Australia in 1960 to work with the ABC. He became an Australian citizen in 1963 bu ...

, gives us a skinny, pink-cheeked, abundantly plainted Nicole, many moments of good humour, some fine location shots filmed in Queensland's Lamington Plateau, and music from band the Bushwackers."

Awards

He won four Australian Awgies and a Henry Lawson Festival Award for his writing, and received AFI and Logie nominations. He won the 1974

Australian Writers' Guild The Australian Writers' Guild (AWG) is the professional association for Australian performance writers for film, television, radio, theatre, video, and new media. The AWG was established in 1962, and has conferred the AWGIE Awards since 1968, ...

in the Original Television Drama Category for Three Men of the City. He was also winner of the Henry Lawson Prize (for the TV

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

'' Lindsay's Boy'' (ABC, 1974). In 2003 he was awarded the prestigious Richard Lane Award by the

for Services to the Australian Writers' Guild.

Death

His death on 23 February 2015 was announced two days later in a press release by the Australian Writers Guild.

Songs

One of his first songs (1965) was "Bound for Hobart Town" with music by S.E. Libaek. Recorded by

Leonard Teale Leonard George Thiele Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (26 September 192214 May 1994), professionally Leonard Teale, was an Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant ...

and Andy Sundstrom on CBS records. The song celebrates the annual

Sydney to Hobart yacht race The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual oceanic yacht racing event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately ...

for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. A later commission was for the Decimal Currency Board. An advertising jingle for the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February 1966, the tune is to "

Click Go the Shears "Click Go the Shears" is a traditional Australian country song. The song details a day's work for a sheep shearer in the days before machine shearing. Song The enduring popularity of the song reflects the traditional role that the wool indus ...

In come the dollars and in come the cents To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence Be prepared for change when the coins begin to mix On the fourteenth of February 1966. Chorus: Clink go the coins, clink, clink, clink Change over day is closer than you think Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear And things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.

In 1968, he composed My Pal Skippy to music by Eric Jupp.

Select credits

*'' The Amorous Dentist'' (1983)

References

Sources

* * * Lindsay's boy by Ted Roberts in

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Ted 1931 births 2015 deaths Australian screenwriters