Series synopsis
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian family television series that premiered on Nine Network on February 5, 1968. It ended on March 16, 1970. It was created by John McCallum. It stars Garry Pankhurst, Ken James, Tony Bonner and Ed Devereaux.
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, and the various visitors to the fictional Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.
Premise
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, and the various visitors to the fictional Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Garry Pankhurst as Sonny Hammond
- Ken James as Mark Hammond
- Tony Bonner as Jerry King
- Ed Devereaux as Matt Hammond
- Eric Reiman as Repping
- Billy Cox as Bruhl
- Reginald Evans as Frog
- Bob Haddow as Sailor
Supporting cast
- Red Moore as McMurtrie
- Gita Rivera as Lisa
- Charles McCallum as Sir John Banks
- Alan Light as Cummings
- June Thody as April
- Jack Allan as Joe
- Pamela Raymond as Sonia Pearson
- Mike Dorsey as Alan Condon
- Ted Hepple as Tacky
- Bill Hodge as Coutts
- Stanley Rodgers as Butler
- Mark McManus as Ted
Guest cast
- Ed Devereaux as Matt Hammond
- Eric Reiman as Repping
- Billy Cox as Bruhl
- Reginald Evans as Frog
- Bob Haddow as Sailor
- Red Moore as McMurtrie
- Gita Rivera as Lisa
- Charles McCallum as Sir John Banks
- Alan Light as Cummings
- June Thody as April
- Jack Allan as Joe
- Pamela Raymond as Sonia Pearson
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 93 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 2 | December 12, 1969 | December 12, 1969 |
| Season 1 | 39 | February 4, 1968 | October 31, 1968 |
| Season 2 | 39 | November 24, 1968 | September 8, 1969 |
| Season 3 | 13 | September 9, 1969 | March 16, 1970 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Skippy's Playground at Waratah Headquarters A group of children from 'El Pasafero Kindergarden' visit the fictional Waratah National Park Ranger Headquarters with Hostess Bobbie. They meet Skippy, sing a song, pretend to be kangaroos, listen to a story, watch a puppet show, and pretend to be park rangers. |
December 12, 1969 |
| 2 |
Which Way Did They Go, Skip? Actor Ken James, who played Mark Hammond in the series "Skippy", talks about his memories of the show. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Poachers Sonny, Mark and Jerry investigate an expensive game fishing cruiser with three men aboard after Skippy and Sonny came across men trapping animals in the bush at night. Swimming out to the cruiser, Jerry overhears a conversation which indicates the men are stealing koalas for Dr. Stark's private zoo. |
February 5, 1968 |
| 2 |
Sports Car Rally An invasion of sports cars threatens the life of protected fauna in Waratah National Park, but when Matt leads a rescue squad to save the life of a driver pinned under his car in a serious accident, the rally organisers gratefully decide on another venue. |
May 9, 1968 |
| 3 |
The Golden Reef Skin-diving geologists discover aluvial gold on a reef at Seal Rocks, in the mouth of the Flinders River. Thieves move in armed with deadly spear guns, and once again Matt, Sonny and Skippy are there to stop them. |
May 16, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Raft While on a rafting trip throught the mangrove swamp, Sonny and Skippy come to the aid of a boy who has run away from his step-father while on a camping trip. |
November 25, 1968 |
| 2 |
The Perfect Hosts At home alone during a violent rainstorm — and nervous about radio reports of an armed bandit on the loose — Sonny and Clancy are surprised by a suspiscious visitor. |
November 4, 1968 |
| 3 |
Honest Jack Sonny finds a man chopping down trees in Waratah National Park and when Sonny tells him it is illegal, the determined man insists that he owns the land. Matt Hammond has received word from Jerry of a bulldozer clearing land in the Park, and Mark radios in from his patrol boat that someone is building a fence down by the river. It transpires that "Honest Jack", a slick operator, has been selling blocks of land in Waratah National Park. For his final scam he tries to sell off Ranger Headquarters as an 'ideal home'. |
November 11, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Work of Art A temperamental artist painting wildlife in the Nation Park demands Matt catch the vandals that have damaged his work. Skippy befriends the reclusive artist and acts as both muse and collaborator. |
September 10, 1969 |
| 2 |
A Manner of Speaking While trying to do a good deed for Theresa Fiorini, Mark accidentally releases her father's cows from their paddock. Mark tries to impress the pretty girl by learning Italian but his language skills prove more useful with her father. |
October 27, 1969 |
| 3 |
The Prince of Siam Sonny gets a job with a local market gardener so he can earn some pocket money to donate to charity. Skippy asks his bush friends to help search for a lost cat — a potentially expensive rescue for Matt. |
November 10, 1969 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Nine Network |
|---|---|
| First aired | February 5, 1968 |
| Last aired | March 16, 1970 |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 20:00:00 |