ADVENTURES
OF THE
SEASPRAY
FEATURE ARTICLE

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EPISODES: 33, including pilot.
LENGTH: 30 Mins.
FORMAT: Colour, Film. (Pilot: Mono, Film).
PRODUCTION: 1965 - 1966 Pacific Films Production, in association with Screen Gems.
RUNNING ORDER: Official.
NETWORK: ABC.

CAST:
Captain Dan Wells.......WALTER BROWN
Sue Wells.......SUSAN HAWORTH
Mike Wells.......GARY GRAY
Willyum Lesi.......LEONE LESIANAWAI
Noah Wells.......RODNEY PEARLMAN (Eps 1 - 7)

CREW:
Producer.......ROGER MIRAMS
Production Consultant.......EDDIE DAVIS
Production Manager.......Chris Stewart
Music.......Eric Gross (& John Egginton)
Script Editor.......BILL STRUTTON
Assistant Directors.......David Morgan
.......DAVID SEIDLER

EPISODE TITLES
~ Mutiny On The Seaspray  Pilot episode
1. Voyage Into Danger
2. Survival
3. Battle Of Copra Island
4. Stalemate
5. Trapped
6. Forgotten Island
7. The Power Of Davu
8. The Hostages
9. The Hunt
10. Smuggled Cargo
11. The Switch
12. Haunted Island
13. Loaded Coconut
14. Bareknuckle Bay
15. The Fugitive
16. The Monster Of Tauro
17. The Treasure Of Ruala
18. The Cave Of Death
19. The Surfers
20. Three Mile Limit
21. The Evil Spirit
22. Sky Spy
23. The Death Dancers
24. Rain Of Death
25. Deadly Magic
26. Dangerous Waters
27. Shipwrecked
28. Black Sapphire
29. A Strange Charter
30. Dangerous Trek
31. A Deadly Game
32. Double Cross
 

~ THE CRUISE OF THE SEASPRAY
Mutiny On The Seaspray

Capt. Wilder.......Joe McCormick
Policeman.......Leone Lesianawai

Script.......Robert Summerfield
Director.......Joe McCormick

Synopsis:  When Noah is confined to his room after breaking the last radio valve on the Seaspray, he jokingly sends out a rescue note in a bottle saying he is being kept prisoner.  He is unaware that Artoo, son of a native chief on an island they have just visited, has stowed away, and the chief as well as the Fiji police take the note seriously.  The Seaspray is intercepted and Captain Wilder is arrested for kidnapping.

Notes:  Pilot episode, filmed in black and white. Series title: The Cruise Of The Seaspray. Features Joe McCormick as the ship's American captain Dan Wilder, with Susan Haworth, Gary Gray and Rodney Pearlman as his children.  Leonei Lesianawai appears in a cameo role as his real-life character, a Fijian policeman.

Airdate: Never screened.
 

Pilot ep: Susan Haworth and Joe McCormick

1. Voyage Into Danger

.......Liza Goddard
.......Peter Aanensen
.......Jack Allen
.......John Gray
.......Lois Ramsey
.......Barbara Joss

Script.......David Seidler
Director.......Joe McCormick

Synopsis: Captain Wells discovers that the Seaspray's rudder requires an overhaul and he makes for the nearest port. En route, Willyum notices a rowboat adrift, and upon a closer look, they discover that there are two unconscious men in it. The two men turn out to be desperate criminals who try to hijack the Seaspray.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 27/3/67
Adelaide & SA regional 10/4/67
 

Ep. 1: Susan Haworth, Gary Gray, Walter Brown, Leone Lesianawai, Rodney Pearlman, Peter Aanensen and John Gray

2. Survival

Flight Officer Max Barker.......John Gregg
Wing Commander West.......Leslie Wright

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Joe McCormick

Synopsis:  Captain Wells lands on a deserted island to replenish the Seaspray's water supply when suddenly a shot rings out. The Seaspray crew come across a man left on the island for survival training, and they also find evidence of Japanese soldiers who are unaware that that the war has ended.

Airdate:
Adelaide & SA regional 11/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 13/4/67

3. Battle Of Copra Island

Charlie Watts.......Eric Reiman

Script.......David Seidler
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  When the Seaspray arrives at a Fijian copra plantation island, Captain Wells and his crew see a young Fijian on shore yelling for help. Upon investigating, Wells and his sons are held prisoner by Charlie Watts, the corrupt manager of the plantation, who rules his workers by force. He is also holding the plantation's owner prisoner, but Wells plans an escape and gathers the natives on the island to overpower Watts.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 25/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 22/5/67

Ep. 2: John Gregg and Walter Brown

Walter Brown and Gary Gray.

4. Stalemate

John Miller.......Lloyd Lamble
Mildred Miller.......Diana Davidson

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  After a bank robbery on the Fijian island of Levuka, police suspect that the bandits may attempt to use the Seaspray as a means of escape. When some thugs attack Captain Wells, he is assisted by John Miller, a tourist. Wells offers Miller and his wife passage, but Noah finds money from the robbery in their cabin, proving that Miller is in fact the robber. Miller holds Wells at gunpoint, but a stalemate develops when Wells threatens to tip the money overboard.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Adelaide & SA regional 12/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 27/4/67
 

Susan Haworth, Rodney Pearlman, Leone Lesianawai, Gary Gray and Walter Brown

5.  Trapped

Shopkeeper.......Bachtava Patek
Fortune teller.......Bidar Singh

Script.......John Pinkney
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis:  The Wells children are shopping in the Fijian town of Lavtoka when they are told by a strange fortune-teller to beware of danger lurking everywhere.  Subsequently the Seaspray crew explore an island laced with booby-traps set by Nazis.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Adelaide & SA regional 13/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 26/4/67
 

Ep. 5: Gary Gray, Susan Haworth and Rodney Pearlman

6. Forgotten Island

Robert.......David Copping
Tobias.......Vaughan Tracey
Nathan.......Kit Taylor
Benjamin.......Paul Stockman

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis:  On an uncharted Pacific isle, Captain Wells and his family encounter descendants of some survivors of the ‘Bounty’ mutiny.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 11/5/67

7. The Power Of Davu

Script.......David Seidler
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  On a remote Fijian island, Captain Well's friend Chief Polandi tells him that Davu, the village witch doctor, is under the control of a white man who wants possession of the island's rich minerals.

Notes: Final episode featuring Rodney Pearlman.

Airdate:
Adelaide & SA regional 17/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 2/5/67
 

Gary Gray, Rodney Pearlman and Susan Haworth

8. The Hostages

Criminal.......Paul Karo
John Hansell.......Kit Denton
Inspector.......G. B. Wilson

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  Mike and Sue are left to care for an injured man they find on a New Zealand glacier, while Captain Wells and Willyum go for help. The man turns out to be a criminal fugitive who takes Mike and Sue hostage.

Notes: Filmed in New Zealand, with extensive scenes shot on the Tasman Glacier on the south island.

Airdate:
Adelaide & SA regional 18/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 3/5/67
 

Ep. 8: Walter Brown, Susan Haworth and Leone Lesianawai
 

9. The Hunt

Script.......David Seidler
Director.......Joe McCormick

Synopsis:  When the crew of the Seaspray visit a gold mine in Fiji, Willyum sees two thieves holding up the manager.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 4/5/67

10. Smuggled Cargo

Script.......David Seidler
Director.......Joe McCormick

Synopsis:  Captain Wells provides passage to an Oriental gentleman who will not discuss the details of his trip other than his destination - Kontau.

Airdate:
Brisbane & QLD regional 6/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 8/5/67
 

Susan Haworth and Gary Gray
 

11. The Switch

Stuart McComm.......Mark Albiston
Sandy.......David Morgan
Insp. Dales.......Paul Stockman

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  The crew of the Seaspray become involved with horse thieves when they arrive in Wellington, New Zealand.

Notes: Filmed in Wellington, New Zealand.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 17/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 26/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 10/5/67

12. Haunted Island

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis:  The Seaspray has reached an exotic, isolated island. When Captain Wells hears that the island is said to be haunted, he decides to explore it. He hears strange shrieks, groans and moans everywhere.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 18/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 27/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 11/5/67
 

Ep. 11: David Morgan and Gary Gray

13. Loaded Coconut

Script.......John Sherman
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis: Commissioned to carry coconuts from a Fijian plantation, Captain Wells learns he has been given the job to break the monopoly of Captain Bracken, who has terrorised all other shipping off the route. The Seaspray later narrowly survives an attempted bombing.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 28/3/67
Sydney & NSW regional 3/4/67
Canberra 3/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 10/4/67

14. Bareknuckle Bay

Script.......Colin Free
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  Captain Wells and his family are shocked by the hostile reception they are given by the inhabitants of Bareknuckle Bay, a small fishing village in New Zealand.

Notes: Filmed in New Zealand.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 29/3/67
Sydney & NSW regional 4/4/67
Canberra 4/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 11/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 24/5/67
 

Susan Haworth

15. The Fugitive

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: Captain Wells saves the life of an animal lover, and is puzzled when an old man breaks into the Seaspray galley. He learns later that the man has been shooting at loggers, and that the loggers are about to hunt him down.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 30/3/67
Sydney & NSW regional 5/4/67
Canberra 5/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 12/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 26/4/67

16. The Monster Of Tauro

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: Captain Wells and his crew tangle with a gang of kidnappers who use a submarine to abduct a famous scientist from a pleasure cruiser.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 3/4/67
Sydney & NSW regional 6/4/67
Canberra 6/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 27/4/67
 

Walter Brown and Susan Haworth

17. The Treasure Of Ruala

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: On a Fijian island, Captain Wells and his crew encounter a dictatorial woman missionary, whose ideas of Christian charity are backed by a loaded rifle.

Notes: Filmed in Fiji.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 4/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 17/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 1/5/67

18. The Cave Of Death

Script.......John Warwick
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  In New Guinea waters, Captain Wells and his crew visit an island and have a dangerous adventure when they find out why it got the name of 'Island of the Angry God'.

Notes: Filmed in New Guinea.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 5/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 18/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 2/5/67
 

Susan Haworth

19. The Surfers

Mona.......June Thody

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  When the Seaspray arrives in Sydney, Australia, Sue and Mike head for Bondi Beach. There they meet a girl called Mona, who teaches them surfing, and who is also involved in the theft of a valuable art collection.

Notes: Filmed in Sydney, Australia. Guest actor June Thody boasted that she neither fell in the water nor got seasick, but was surprised at being cast as a girl surfie: "They had to get a stand-in to do the board-riding scenes," she said.⁸

Airdate:
Brisbane & QLD regional 20/4/67
Melbourne & VIC regional 1/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 3/5/67


20. Three Mile Limit

Bill Tanner.......Don Philps
Insp. Baker.......Ron Roberts
Tanner's accomplice.......John Steen

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: Captain Wells finds that a stranger has taken over the Seaspray and re-named it as part of a plot to abduct a powerful native leader for ransom.

Notes: Filmed in New Guinea.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 6/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 19/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 4/5/67
 

Gary Gray, Walter Brown and Leone Lesianawai

21. The Evil Spirit

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: The crew of the Tiara feel that Captain Parker is jinxed because so many natives have fallen sick in his presence. Captain Wells finds that Parker, an old friend of his, has a serious tropical fever.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 10/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 24/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 8/5/67

22. Sky Spy

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: When the Seaspray picks a stranded space capsule out of the ocean, Captain Wells learns that it is actually a secret spy camera, and it soon becomes apparent that certain foreign powers desperately want it.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 11/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 25/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 9/5/67
 

Leone Lesianawai, Susan Haworth and Gary Gray
 

23. The Death Dancers

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  In New Guinea, Dan Wells, Mike and Sue try to prevent another occurrence of 'payback murder', the native belief that if a tribesman dies from any cause, a member of another tribe must be killed in balance.

Notes: Filmed in New Guinea.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 12/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 1/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 15/5/67

24. Rain Of Death

.......Clare Dunne

Script.......Bill Strutton & David Seidler
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis:  While trout fishing in New Zealand, Captain Wells and his crew realise that pollution has killed all the fish. An angry Wells becomes interested in the activities of Clint Hardin, who owns a fleet of crop-dusting planes.

Notes: Filmed in New Zealand.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 19/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 16/5/67
 

Walter Brown, Susan Haworth, Gary Gray and Leone Lesianawai
 

25. Deadly Magic

Taylor.......Brian James
Fred.......Dennis Miller
Native.......Jethro Mindring

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  As the Seaspray sails along the New Guinea coast, Captain Wells sees smoke rising from a remote island and, thinking it may be a distress signal, decides to investigate.  Wells discovers two white men after gold on the island, who are controlling the natives through fear by the use of ‘magic’ tricks.

Notes: Filmed in New Guinea.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 15/5/67
 

Ep. 25: Brian James and Dennis Miller

26. Dangerous Waters

Script.......Bill Strutton & Eddie Davis
Director.......David Baker

Synopsis:  When the Seaspray crew find several large pearls in oysters for which Mike had dived, they become involved with a gang of pearl thieves.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 24/4/67
Brisbane & QLD regional 4/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 18/5/67

27. Shipwrecked

Script.......William Manville
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  During a storm at sea near New Guinea, the crew of the Seaspray hear a distress call on the radio.

Notes: Filmed in New Guinea.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 9/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 23/5/67
 

Gary Gray and Walter Brown
 

28. Black Sapphire

Script.......Bill Strutton
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: After the Wells family arrive at the farm of their friend Tim Mitchell, Sue discovers a dying prospector in a lonely cabin. He gives her a note for a 'Miss Daisy' and a valuable sapphire.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 16/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 25/5/67

29. A Strange Charter

.......Terry McDermott
.......Keith Eden
.......Mark Edwards

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: In Melbourne, Australia, after a man named Charlton has chartered the Seaspray for a voyage to Fiji, the police ask Captain Wells to detain him as long as he can.

Notes: Filmed in Melbourne, Australia.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 20/4/67
Adelaide & SA regional 17/5/67
 

Walter Brown, Gary Gray and Leone Lesianawai.

30. Dangerous Trek

Carter.......Bob Haddow
Miss Douglas.......June Campbell
Cookie.......David Yorston
Jeremy.......Ray Caird

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis:  In New Zealand's McKenzie country, the Seaspray crew help a woman sheep farmer defeat another who is using underhand methods to try and squeeze her out of business.

Notes: Filmed in New Zealand.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 17/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 29/5/67
 

Ep. 30: June Campbell and Susan Haworth

31. A Deadly Game

.......Chips Rafferty

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......Eddie Davis

Synopsis: Off Eden on the New South Wales south coast in Australia, the Seaspray crew pick up a bundle of counterfeit money that brings them nothing but trouble.

Notes: Filmed in New South Wales, Australia.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 18/5/67
Adelaide & SA regional 30/5/67
 

32. Double Cross

Laslo Brerie.......Peter Williams
Thomas Kovan.......Max Bruch
Det. Insp. Creyton.......Stewart Weller
Det. Sgt. Compton.......Telford Jackson
Criminal.......Peter Armstrong
Policeman.......John Bhore

Script.......Robert Mansfield
Director.......Rex Lipton

Synopsis:  In Melbourne, Australia, the crew of the Seaspray pick a foreign man out of the harbour, and he claims that his country's secret police are after him and says he wants political asylum in Australia.  The Seaspray crew and the police are led on a merry chase when it is found out the man is a jewel thief who has double-crossed his accomplices.

Notes: Filmed in Melbourne, Australia.

Airdate:
Melbourne & VIC regional 10/5/67

 

8. TV Times, June 8, 1966.

Ep. 32: Leone Lesianawai and Peter Williams