''Water Under the Bridge'' is a 1980 miniseries based on the 1977 novel by

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsi ...

. The novel was one of Elliott's most acclaimed. The budget was $1.5 million.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford University Press, 1996 p238-239

Cast

Main

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Australian theatre performance art. F ...

as Shasta *

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...

as Neil *

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both List of Judy Davis performances, screen and stage, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses ...

as Carrie Mazzini *

Rowena Wallace Rowena Wallace (born 23 August 1947) is an English-born Australian stage and screen actress, most especially in the genre of television soap opera. She is best known for her Gold Logie-winning role as conniving Patricia "Pat the Rat" Hamilton/ ...

as Honor Mazzini *

Jacki Weaver Jacqueline Ruth Weaver (born 25 May 1947) is an Australian theatre, film, and television actress. Her accolades include five AACTA Awards (including the Longford Lyell Award) and a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations ...

as Maggie McGhee * Linden Wilkinson as Ida Flag *

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

as Archie *

Rod Mullinar Rodney Mullinar (born 1942) is a British Australian actor, noted for his roles on Australian television. Biography Early life Mullinar born in Hereford, Hertfordshire, emigrated to Australia in 1966, at the urging of an Australian friend in ...

as Don Brandywine *

Anne Scott-Pendlebury Anne Scott-Pendlebury (also known as Anne Pendlebury) is an Australian television, film and theatre actress. She plays the role of Hilary Robinson in the soap opera ''Neighbours''. Career Scott-Pendlebury is the daughter of L. Scott Pendlebur ...

as Mona

Recurring

Anthony Hawkins Anthony Hawkins (30 September 1932 – 23 September 2013), was an English-born, Australian-based television actor. He was best known for his roles as Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Smith in the police procedural ''Special Squad (1984)'' and Fr ...

as Mason ( 2 episodes) *

Arthur Dignam Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian actor. Early life Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island. He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder in 1955 and 1956 and then the University of Sydney. Career He was be ...

as Maynard Dickens (2 episodes) *

Deidre Rubenstein Deidre Rubenstein (born 1948) is a Jewish-Australian screen and theatre actress, dramatist and playwright, well known for her performance in Australian soap operas and main stage dramatic roles. Early life Rubenstein graduated from the Nationa ...

as Lainey (3 episodes) *

Lesley Baker Lesley Baker (born 20 January 1944) is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is best known internationally for her small screen roles in cult series ''Prisoner'' and her recurring role in ''Neighbours''. Career Early career ...

as Nurse Vickers (3 episodes) *

Peter Whitford Peter Whitford (born 1939) is an Australian former radio, theatre, television and film character actor known for numerous roles particularly as wealthy businessmen and members of the aristocracy. Early life Peter Whitford was born in Adelaide, ...

as T.C. Shallicott (3 episodes) *

Ralph Cotterill Ralph Cotterill (March 26, 1932 - May 7, 2023) was a British born Australian actor. Born in Yorkshire, Cotterill arrived in Australia in 1973 while touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major ...

as Mr Flagg (4 episodes)

Guests

Briony Behets Briony Behets (born 1951) is an English-born Australian actress who found fame acting in television soap operas of the 1970s and 1980s. She is known for her early roles in '' Birds in the Bush'', '' Number 96'', '' The Box'', '' Bellbird'', and ...

as Claire *

Frank Gallacher Frank Gallacher (7 April 1943 – 23 February 2009) was a Scottish-Australian actor. Early life Gallacher was born in Glasgow in 1943. In 1962, aged 19, he was working in London when his parents and younger sister decided to emigrate to Austra ...

as Luigi Mazzini *

Graeme Blundell Graeme Blundell (born 7 August 1945) is an Australian actor, director, producer, writer, playwright, lyricist and biographer. Early life Blundell was born on 7 April 1945 in Melbourne; he grew up in the suburb of Clifton Hill. He was educated ...

as Ralph *

John Clayton John Clayton may refer to: Arts and entertainment Writing *John Clayton (architect) (died 1861), English architect and writer *John Clayton (sportswriter) (1954–2022), American sportswriter and reporter *John Bell Clayton and Martha Clayton, Joh ...

as Rev Scott *

Kerry Armstrong Kerry Michelle Armstrong (born 12 September 1958) is an Australian actress and author. She is one of only two actresses to win two Australian Film Institute Awards in the same year, winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for ''Lantana'' and ...

as Dora *

Lorna Lesley Lorna Lesley (born 1956, in Kent) is an Australian actress, who has worked extensively in theatre, film and TV during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s period.Lulu Pinkus Lulu Pinkus is an Australian screenwriter, producer, stage, film and television actress. She made appearances on numerous television crime and police dramas during the 1970s and early 80s, including a nine-episode stint on ''Prisoner'', as well ...

as Ann *

Peta Toppano Peita Margaret Toppano (born 1951) known as Peta Toppano is a British-born Australian actress, singer and dancer. She is most widely known for her roles in television soap opera's including '' The Young Doctors'' as Dr. Gail Henderson, ''Prisone ...

as Uke *

Peter Cummins Donald Cummins (2 June 1931 – October 2024), better known as Peter Cummins, was an Australian actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the pe ...

as Rumbolt * Terry Gill as Rex *

Tommy Dysart Thomas Gibson Dysart (24 December 1935 – 7 June 2022) was a Scottish-born Australian actor, known for his appearances on television dramas and comedies and in character roles in films and miniseries. Early career Dysart graduated from NIDA ...

as Hamish

Premise

The story follows Neil Atkins, a man torn between his goals and the women surrounding him.

Reception

The mini series, aired 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 ...

, was considered a ratings disappointment.

References

External links

* 1980s Australian television miniseries 1980 Australian television series debuts 1980 Australian television series endings Works by Sumner Locke Elliott {{Australia-tv-prog-stub