Adventure Island - Episode 1 (excerpt)

[Leowen2]

I loved to watch this as a 5 year old and had such fond memories, hallo was I retarded.

[44tonkel]

Tish1023

Hi there the show was made at the ABC studios in Elsternwick Melbourne. It was great fun working on the show. Lots of laughs. We used to come in on our days off to watch the dry run rehearsals. They were videotaped out of studio 31 using a crew of about 15. 3 cameras, audio operators, vision operators, lighting director etc.

[44tonkel]

I was working at the abc when this show was made. I vision switched the first episode. Great show to work on. I'm 67 next month. How the years have flown.

[Tish1023]

@44tonkel Was it made in Melbourne or Sydney?

[LiteracyLabyrinth]

I remember this well... I remember a song that went "it's worth a try Percy, it's a worth a try, dont laugh at me Percy and please dont you cry..." It is as clear as that all those years ago.

[Rogokofats]

When I grow up I wanted to be in Adventure Island.I had a crush on Sue McIntosh.Fester Fumble was a dude.May Godfrey Phillipp rest in peace.If I qualify for the first resurrection I will be happy to teach him the truth when all awake in the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5) for his warm heart and joy he gave to our generation.

[TenD619]

Oh dear!!! Miser Meanie.... Fester Fumble, names I haven't thought about in many years. How lovely!!!!

[anandriyaz]

miser meanie fester fumble !!!! HA HA HA i use to watch this too funny !!!! john michael howson dressing up OH DEAR who would have thought !!!!

[bustermk2]

I watched this show as a kid and I just realised that flower pots was a drag queen !!!

[auspete]

@bustermk2 Flower Potts was a pantomime dame, she was certainly not a drag queen :)

[yaluobud]

@auspete

If Brian Crossley played Mrs Flower Potts that's awfully close to a drag queen isn't it?. The ABC was always a bit "New Age" ~ even in the sixties. Some how I don't think men dressing up as women (especially in childrens' TV shows) is properly promoting gender roles is it? Shows like Adventure Island might explain why Aussie society changed so much in the 1970s with everyone so inclined coming out of the closet thereafter.

[auspete]

@yaluobud I think you'll find pantomime dames have been around a fair bit longer than the hippie movement. I'd love to see your research paper on the connection between cross-dressing in children's TV and homosexuals outing themselves, I need a good laugh. When I was a kid my school mates and I had no idea a man played Flower Potts until we worked it out by a process of elimination. That's how much we knew or cared it was a pantomime dame. It's only adults who sour and infect these things.

[Rogokofats]

@yaluobud True.This period still had innocents.We were to young to know otherwise.Society changed in the seventies in many ways as in the decline into moral degradation as you imply.Thing now can not get much worse.It won't be long now!

[mumandtwins]

@bustermk2 I did too, and used to laugh at the thought of her being a him LOL

[kashigata]

Thank you!!!!!

[aussielad10]

Oh wow it is great to see this again. I grew up watching this program on the ABC and loved it, so much so I cried the day it went off air. Bring it back it was GREAT

[auspete]

@aussielad10 The last ep went to air on December 22, 1972, after which, like you, I went to my room and bawled my eyes out. I am unashamed to admit it.

[MsIdiotbox]

The best memories. Brings back how I thought/felt at that age.

[ma4very]

This is wonderful. It brings back so many memories. I sent them a letter or a drawing and they sent me back a couple of postcards of the characters. I wish I still had the postcards.

[001AussieMale]

I had forgotten about this show. memories

[MasonHellCat]

SHIRTY!!!! (the slightly aggressive bear!!)

[RonaldsonTippet]

I'd do almost anything for a pair of overalls with a big P on the front! lol....such an innocent time...

[cwegers1]

I'm trying to remember the arfternoon line up on ABC. Sesame Street and Playschool , Bill and Ben , Andy Pandy , Captain Pugwash, Adventure Island , Magic Roundabout, , Roger Ramjet . F-Troop came on at six. Search for Sesame Street counting guru , Wanda the witch, and lower case n for some cool memories too.

[cwegers1]

Tales of the Riverbank, and Catweasle were a couple more.

[MsIdiotbox]

I bought my kids some "Hammy Hamster" DVD's that the guy made in the 1990's (or thereabouts) - they love them. I loved that show!

[39RatRodCoupe]

50 farking cents are you joking.

[emdB67]

50 cents was a lot of money back then - especially to kids. I'd get 5-10 cents to buy a paper bag of mixed lollies and thought that was great - could buy a bagful for that amount.

[pinballKing012]

wow ! I watched adventure Island when I was a kid , watching this makes me feel old ,, scarey !! :-O

[lilynick1]

What's up with Percy Panda? He's so paranoid about losing his overalls in the laundry that he has a ruddy big "P" embroidered on the front of them. I tell you what, he's got NO class!

[ozoneflyertoo]

Google the Australian site '' Tape Trading ( rolgen ) '' and ask him about the DVD having four episodes of Adventure Island .

[ozoneflyertoo]

Google Tape Trading for a copy of the Adventure Island DVD .

[menagers]

Good gracious! Is that Shirty the Slightly Aggressive Bear?!

[DaisyLamoo]

I loved this show when I was a kid.

[woodylove06]

i loved this show it was my fave i was seven

great memories

[evalibra]

Brings back memories, I was 5 years old and used to rush home from school to watch :))) nice

[Grrrrunt]

I recall I was 8 when this show began, and had already progressed from "kids shows' such as the 'Happy Club" to "grown up stuff" like "Thunderbirds". But a friend insisted I watch it. I did and was instantly mesmerised and 'hooked'. There was often a cliffhanger, and the characters were loveable. The plots were intriguing. Even my parents enjoyed it! Although intended for kids younger than me, it was far and away the best kid's show on telly at the time. Thank you for posting this. Wow!

[theconstantlaunderer]

I am 7 years old again.!!! Thanks for posting this -it 's made me all emotional.......gawd!

[DJaney]

My other favourite of favourite shows was The Magic Circle Club and Nancy Cato was my fairy godmother!

Does anybody PLEASE have any footage or photos from that series?

I was so heartbroken when these shows finished never to be repeated...

Big Sighs...

[auspete]

In fact The Magic Circle Club was repeated (certainly in capital cities) for many years in the mornings (usually with two episodes cobbled together). I think the last time an episode went to air was 1974. Adventure Island was repeated until the end of 1976, approximately 2 years after colour came in.

[misermeanies]

I have Four different 30 min episodes of Adventure Island on the one DVD . Does anyone want a copy ? , then send your name and a postal address .

[leahmizzi]

I would be very thankful for a copy of the episodes that you have so that i could

reminise . my name is leah and my address is

po box 103 banksia 2216.

with many thanks.

[misermeanies]

Hello people out there . I have four seperate thirty minute episodes of Adventure Island , one of the episodes has Nancy Cato hosting in the very first week . If you send me a message with your name and address details , then i will send you the four copies on one CD.

[janee1962]

Hi again

I just found utube through my kids and i would really love the episodes. My Name is Jane Nowland and I'm at 77 Kenmore Road Kenmore 4069 Q

Thanks very much.

Jane

[auspete]

Reply to Stevemusicfan - sorry mate, I accidentally deleted your comment asking if there was more of this episode available. Sadly not in private hands, it would seem, other than the portion aired in "The Way We Were" elsewhere on YouTube.

[Stevemusicfan]

Thanks for your reply Auspete. This was great stuff when I was growing up,I am not sure what kids would make of it today.

[auspete]

They would be drawn in by the fun, innocence and sheer entertainment of it, as we - and indeed many adult viewers - were. Today's kids are only "sophisticated" because adults think they should be.

[Stevemusicfan]

Most kids today won't watch anything in b/w.

[auspete]

I screened it for my 5yo niece on the weekend and she was transfixed, in fact she didn't even notice it was in b&w until I mentioned it to her. When I told her I watched it when I was her age her eyes nearly popped out.

[auspete]

Superb show too! Such a shame none of it was made in colour. The small amount of colour material that exists shows just how wonderful it would have looked. Apparently there is Adventure Island footage being traded around particularly in Sydney, please contact me if you have any, or you have any contacts who may be able to assist in locating footage of this rare show.

[misstinsley]

Superb bit of footage!

[lonelyhearts100]

thanks, mum nd dad loved it

[aussiebeachut]

GOLD !! Great Tribute !!