Nearly 20 years ago, when I was a struggling sitcom writer, someone at Channel 7 told me that a new production company called Screentime was looking for an afternoon teen soap.
My then co-writer Steve recalls that by the time I had driven from Epping (Sydney) to the city centre for coffee, I had nutted out a proposal for series that would eventually be called Breakers and run to about 400 episodes.
Screentime meanwhile went on to become one of the major players in Australian TV .
After that I created Crash Palace for Fox and Sky (UK) and co-created (with Tony Morphett) Rain Shadow for the ABC .
In between times, following my philosophy of never turning down a paying gig, I wrote for some weird and not-so-wonderful TV shows.
I absolutely loved Rain shadow, I kept waiting for the next series, will it ever happen?
I’m reading your book Perfect Criminals now, found it by accident and love it, will there be more?
Hi Dianne. The second series was all plotted but the ABC was told they’d have to move quickly as Rachel Ward was going off to direct a movie. They replied that they would decide when they were good and ready. A year later they came back and said “OK, let’s do it” but by that time it was too late. Look out for Mole Creek (written under the name James Dunbar) and another coming out soon called Twisted River. Superior novels to Perfect Criminals, although I did enjoy writing that.
I absolutely loved Rain shadow, I kept waiting for the next series, will it ever happen?
I’m reading your book Perfect Criminals now, found it by accident and love it, will there be more?
Hi Dianne. The second series was all plotted but the ABC was told they’d have to move quickly as Rachel Ward was going off to direct a movie. They replied that they would decide when they were good and ready. A year later they came back and said “OK, let’s do it” but by that time it was too late. Look out for Mole Creek (written under the name James Dunbar) and another coming out soon called Twisted River. Superior novels to Perfect Criminals, although I did enjoy writing that.