Betty's Bunch was a television drama/adventure series from New Zealand, produced in 1989. Aimed at a young audience, the story revolved around four foster kids living with Betty. Though things are not always easy financially for the family, they keep the spirit up. Things quickly become more difficult when they attract the attention of the two thieves Arthur and The Charmer. Soon afterwards, Betty is kidnapped and her foster children are forced to search for her, as well as avoid being separated by social services.[1]
| Betty's Bunch | |
|---|---|
| Created by |
|
| Directed by | Chris Bailey |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Dave McArtney |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Wayne Tourell |
| Cinematography | Matt Bowkett |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 2 |
| Release | 18 February – 13 May 1990 |
The series was repeated on New Zealand afternoon television in 1993 and screened in the UK on Channel Four.
The music and theme tune was performed by Dave McArtney of Hello Sailor.
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Maggie Kirkpatrick as Betty[2]
- Sarah Ford as Megan
- Anthony Samuels as Mick
- Jessica Cardiff-Smith as Chrissie
- Clayton Spence as Billy
- Paul Chubb as Arthur "the Con" Quinter
- Ken Blackburn as the Charmer
Guest
edit- Rena Owen as Shirley Gardner
- Ian Watkin as Sgt. Meadows
- Frank Whitten as Eagleton[3]
- Tina Grenville as Amanda
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "No Dough" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 18 February 1990 |
| 2 | "Stalled" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 25 February 1990 |
| 3 | "Stake Out" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 4 March 1990 |
| 4 | "Uncle Chas" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 11 March 1990 |
| 5 | "Billy Does a Runner" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 18 March 1990 |
| 6 | "Gotcha" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 25 March 1990 |
| 7 | "Ghosts" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 1 April 1990 |
| 8 | "Happy Families" | Chris Bailey | Chris Hampson | 8 April 1990 |
| 9 | "The Incredible Journey" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 14 April 1990 |
| 10 | "The Weirdest Show on Earth" | Chris Bailey | Chris Hampson | 22 April 1990 |
| 11 | "To the Island" | Chris Bailey | Dean Parker | 29 April 1990 |
| 12 | "Down to the Centre of the Earth" | Chris Bailey | Dean Parker | 6 May 1990 |
| 13 | "The Lolly" | Chris Bailey | Unknown | 13 May 1990 |
References
edit- ^ "Betty's Bunch | Films". Southpacificpictures.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ "Wicked part for a veteran villain". Nzherald.co.nz. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ "Outrageous Fortune - Frank Whitten". Outrageousfortune.co.nz. Archived from the original on 22 January 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
External links
edit- Betty's Bunch at South Pacific Pictures
- Betty's Bunch at IMDb
- Betty's Bunch at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
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