Five Mile Creek is a western television drama series adapted from Louis L'Amour's novel The Cherokee Trail and produced in Australia. It starred Liz Burch, Louise Caire Clark, Rod Mullinar, Jay Kerr, Michael Caton, Peter Carroll, Gus Mercurio, Martin Lewis, Priscilla Weems and Nicole Kidman. It also featured a then-unknown Asher Keddie in her film debut. Jonathan Frakes was a guest star as Maggie's estranged husband, Adam Scott. The series aired on the Disney Channel in the US in the 1980s.[1]
| Five Mile Creek | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on | The Cherokee Trail by Louis L'Amour |
| Written by | David Boutland Tom Hegarty |
| Directed by | Frank Arnold Gary Conway |
| Starring | Louise Caire Clark Liz Burch Jay Kerr Rod Mullinar Michael Caton Gus Mercurio Priscilla Weems Martin Lewis Nicole Kidman |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 46 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 4 November 1983 – 7 August 1985 |
Cast
editMain
edit- Louise Caire Clark as Maggie Scott
- Liz Burch as Kate Wallace
- Jay Kerr as Con Madigan
- Rod Mullinar as Jack Taylor
- Michael Caton as Paddy Malone
- Gus Mercurio as Ben Jones
- Priscilla Weems as Hannah Scott
- Martin Lewis as Sam Sawyer
- Nicole Kidman as Annie
- Peter Carroll as Charles Withers
- Scott McGregor as Edward Armstrong
Guests
edit| Actor | Role | Eps. |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew McKaige | Drunk #1 | 1 |
| Anna Maria Monticelli | ||
| Anne Scott-Pendlebury | Mrs Clinton | 1 |
| Arthur Dignam | Arthur Archer | 1 |
| Asher Keddie | Emma | 1 |
| Beth Buchanan | Bessie | 1 |
| Bob Hornery | Mr Wheen | 1 |
| Brett Climo | Brennan | 1 |
| Chris Haywood | McCrea | 1 |
| Dinah Shearing | Mrs Armstrong | 5 |
| Don Crosby | Doctor | 1 |
| Garry McDonald | ||
| Gerard Kennedy | Mr O'Bannion | 1 |
| Gia Carides | Beth | 1 |
| Graham Kennedy | Walker the Hawker | 1 |
| Greg Stone | ||
| Heather Mitchell | Jocelyn | 1 |
| Helen Buday | Bess | 1 |
| Hugh Keays-Byrne | Bill Carruthers | 1 |
| Joanna Lockwood | Madelaine | 1 |
| John Jarratt | Brodie | 1 |
| John McTernan | Fatger Jenkins | 1 |
| John Orcsik | Frank Moore | 1 |
| John Sheerin | Mr Barton | 1 |
| John Walton | Harrison Miller | 1 |
| John Waters | Cameron | 1 |
| Jon Blake | Trooper Wilson | 1 |
| Jonathan Frakes | Adam Scott | 1 |
| Lewis Fitz-Gerald | Nigel | 1 |
| Linda Cropper | Tillie | 1 |
| Melissa Jaffer | Mrs O'Bannion | 1 |
| Michael Aitkens | McStay | 1 |
| Norman Coburn | Stage Coach Passenger (uncredited) | 1 |
| Pat Bishop | Muriel Bostock | 1 |
| Patricia Kennedy | Lillie | 1 |
| Peter Fisher | Slim | 1 |
| Peter Sumner | Mr Anderson | 1 |
| Peter Whitford | Lucas Morgan | 1 |
| Ralph Cotterill | Doctor Gluck | 1 |
| Ray Barrett | Harry | 1 |
| Ray Meagher | Lightning Ridge | 1 |
| Rebecca Gilling | Miss Armstrong | 1 |
| Reg Evans | Fred Finnegan | 1 |
| Rob Steele | Mr Hawkins | 1 |
| Robert Coleby | Oliver Hamilton | 1 |
| Robert Grubb | Mr Harbottle | 1 |
| Serge Lazareff | Mickey | 1 |
| Simon Chilvers | Lord Rivers | 1 |
| Stefan Dennis | Boy #2 | 1 |
| Tamsin Carroll | ||
| Tommy Dysart | Trantor | 1 |
| Tony Barry | Mr Drummond | 1 |
| Wendy Hughes | Arabella | 1 |
Production
editThe first two seasons cost $12 million to make. The show was popular on the Disney Channel in the US but struggled in the ratings in Australia.[2]
DVD releases
editOnly Season One of Five Mile Creek has been released on DVD. No release information is known for Seasons Two and Three on DVD.[3]
Episode list
editSeason 1: 1983–84
edit| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Making Tracks" | George Miller | Graham Foreman | 4 November 1983 | |
|
When Maggie arrives at Five Mile Creek, her husband is nowhere to be found, no other letters explaining his whereabouts, and no one has heard or seen anything of him. Meanwhile, the way-station and the stage coach are constantly being held-up by outlaws and bush-rangers, who try to run Five Mile Creek out of business. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Horses for Courses" | Frank Arnold | Gwenda Marsh | 11 November 1983 | |
|
Ben Jones arrives from the United States with team of horses for The Australian Express; Maggie offers to raise a juvenile bushranger with the proper care and education, and "Backer" Bowman visits Five Mile Creek, trying to discourage The Australian Express out of business. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Love Before a Fall" | Di Drew | Sarah Crawford | 7 December 1983 | |
|
A mysterious traveler arrives at Five Mile Creek and immediately falls in love with Kate, who also shares the same feelings for him, but he holds a shocking secret that can lead to trouble for The Australian Express. Meanwhile, Sam and Kate have trouble getting along. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "A Few Surprises" | Frank Arnold | Michael Joshua | 21 December 1983 | |
|
While rounding up horses for the coach line, Jacks falls from his horse and injures his knee. He comes down with a deadly fever, and it's up to Paddy to cure him with a native potion. Meanwhile, Mr. Withers' snobbish friends visit Five Mile Creek with Lord David Rivers from London, and Sam is accused of being a thief. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Scrub Bulls" | Chris Thomson | Denise Morgan | 4 January 1984 | |
|
As The Australian Express booms with business, Con and Jack make plans to expand. But they run into trouble when a stubborn neighboring squatter insists that the land the men have purchased is rightfully his. When a feud breaks out, it's the squatter's wife that manages to calm the troubled waters. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Bang the Big Drum" | Michael Jenkins | Michael Joshua | 18 January 1984 | |
|
Maggie is informed that her missing husband is a bushranger, but keeps it a secret from Hannah; Sam eavesdrops on Maggie and Kate and learns of the secret. When he spills the beans to Hannah, she runs away to go back home to America and it's up to him to find her when she gets lost. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Gold Fever" | Kevin James Dobson | Graham Foreman | 1 February 1984 | |
|
Adam finally arrives at the way station, with intentions of taking Maggie and Hannah with him. With a bounty still out for him, Maggie thinks better of the situation and tells him that she and Hannah will come only when he can assure them that he has made the kind of life that she and Hannah would be willing to share with him. Guest Star: Jonathan Frakes | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Annie" | Brendan Maher | Greg Millin | 15 February 1984 | |
|
A pregnant woman traveling to Wilga in search of her husband stops at the way station for a night's board, and ends up going into labor. It's then up to Con to go search for her husband and bring him back to Five Mile Creek. Meanwhile, Maggie is distraught over being separated from Adam again and takes her aggrivation out on everyone, especially Sam. Guest Star: Hugh Keays-Byrne | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Home and Away" | David Stevens | Michael Joshua | 7 March 1984 | |
|
When Harry, a handyman from a neighboring farm is dismissed, Kate lets him stay at The Haven as her guest. When Jack signs responsibility for a shipment of gold and the gold is later stolen in a hold-up by bushrangers, Jack becomes suspicious of Harry for having showed up at Five Mile Creek the same time as the hold-up. Meanwhile, Con is furious with Jack for having signed off on the gold and demands Jack to get on the search for it. Also, Maggie receives a letter from her parents who want for her and Hannah to come back to the States, and must decide on going back home or staying with her newfound friends. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "The Awakening" | Frank Arnold | Denise Morgan | 21 March 1984 | |
|
Mr. Swenson, the editor for The Chronicle in Wilga, calls Kate an "immoral" woman when she stands up for a stage woman who performs in the saloon after she and her manager are thrown out of their hotel room. Kate invites them to stay at Five Mile Creek, where they offer Sam a job on tour with them and he seriously considers the career change. Mr. Swenson also causes havoc when he overhears that the people of Five Mile Creek are helping aborigines, who dwell on Kate's property, and is determined to have them thrown off her land, in fear that they will spread diseases. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Prize" | Kevin James Dobson | Sarah Crawford | 4 April 1984 | |
|
The Australian Express takes interest in the mail contract, but another businessman from out-of-town has his eyes set on it as well. The resolution is a boxing match between Con and the out-of-towner. When Con gets injured the night before the match, taking him completely out of the fight, it's up to Jack to stand in for Con. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Tricks of the Trade" | Gary Conway | Gwenda Marsh | 18 April 1984 | |
|
Sam's godparents arrive to take him with them to the east coast, but he refuses to leave with them. Meanwhile, Con and Kate discover an interest in each other. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Thanksgiving" | Brian Trenchard-Smith | Sarah Crawford | 2 May 1984 | |
|
Maggie learns that Adam has been killed, but she tries to make the best of things by holding a Thanksgiving Day celebration at Five Mile Creek. The holiday however could be ruined when Jack plans to sell the Australian Express to another coach line against Con's will. | ||||||
Season 2: 1984
edit| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Hangman's Noose" | Gary Conway | Graham Foreman | 16 May 1984 | |
|
When "Redhat", a famous bushranger, and his gang hold up the way station and the coach line, he is mysteriously shot to death and Jack is framed for the murder. When Jack is convicted and sentenced to hang, it's up to Paddy to search for the real murderer and bring him to justice. | ||||||
| 15 | 2 | "The Challenge" | Kevin James Dobson | Sarah Crawford | 6 June 1984 | |
|
To the dismay of the men, another stage coach company moves in across from the way station, providing customers with another means of transportation back and forth to Wilga and Port Nelson. To keep the route with the Australian Express, Con wagers a bet with the stage coach driver: a stage coach race; winner keeps the routes between the two towns. | ||||||
| 16 | 3 | "Blood, Sweat and Faith" | Brian Trenchard-Smith | David Boutland | 20 June 1984 | |
|
Involved in another hold-up, Ben is shot and paralyzed. After he is operated on, Hannah manages to lift his spirits. Meanwhile, Maggie seeks faith in God when she wants to have an abandoned church building moved to the Five Mile Creek property. | ||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Mail Order Brides" | Kevin James Dobson | Denise Morgan | 4 July 1984 | |
|
Three unmarried women visit Five Mile Creek, each in search for a man. When they set their sights on the men of The Australian Express, causing the men to lose concentration on their work, it's up to Maggie and Kate to become matchmakers. | ||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Maggie" | Brendan Maher | Keith Thompson | 18 July 1984 | |
|
Death shatters Maggie's life once again when she receives word that her parents have died from an outbreak of cholera. Meanwhile, the people of Five Mile Creek get to the bottom of a mysterious stage coach accident along the road with injured passengers, where Sam also learns a lesson in death. | ||||||
| 19 | 6 | "When The Kookaburra Sings" | Kevin James Dobson | Sarah Crawford | 1 August 1984 | |
|
Jack begins arriving late with the coach and when confronted, he decides to take a holiday, only to reveal that he is in love and wants to marry the lady. She, however, is a widow, who considers whether to move on and accept his proposal, or be her own woman. | ||||||
| 20 | 7 | "Walk Like A Man" | Rob Stewart | Gwenda Marsh | 15 August 1984 | |
|
A bounty hunter makes his way through Five Mile Creek. Sam takes an instant liking to the Alpha male persona, but things turn for the worst when it appears that a wanted man may have been staying at five-mile creek. | ||||||
| 21 | 8 | "Across The Great Divide" | Brendan Maher | Keith Thompson | 5 September 1984 | |
|
When wildfires rage through the outback, causing Wilga to burn, the hopes, dreams, works, and lives at The Haven stand in grave danger. The fire also brings back haunting memories for Con, and a boarding family gets lost, attempting to escape the burning outback by journeying across the Great Divide. | ||||||
| 22 | 9 | "Missing, Presumed Lost" | Kevin James Dobson | David Boutland and Tom Hegarty | 19 September 1984 | |
|
When Maggie and Paddy take the school children on an afternoon outing, the women mysteriously vanish. The men of Five Mile Creek discover the girls locked in an abandoned cabin, but Maggie and Hannah are nowhere to be found. A massive search party is formed to search for the missing Scotts. Meanwhile, Charlie Withers gets to the bottom of things when he discovers that a breach of security has taken place in his bank. | ||||||
| 23 | 10 | "Matchmaker" | Brendan Maher | Sarah Crawford | 3 October 1984 | |
|
When a boarding school of girls visit Five Mile Creek, Hannah discovers her dream: to go to school, but she feels guilty about leaving her mother on her own, so she plays Cupid and sets Maggie up with Jack, and with Charlie Withers. They both propose, leaving Maggie with a major decision of either accepting one or the other, or staying on her own. | ||||||
| 24 | 11 | "Good Old Reliable Me" | Kevin James Dobson | Sarah Crawford | 17 October 1984 | |
|
Kate is informed that Eddie has gambled away the deed to Five Mile Creek and the new owner's new working conditions causes her to quit and start life over in Port Nelson. It's then up to the men to scheme a way to get her back: a poker game. | ||||||
| 25 | 12 | "Women of Means" | Gary Conway | Denise Morgan | 7 November 1984 | |
|
With Wilga being a ghost town after the fire, The Australian Express' business is poor, and Charles informs the men that it could be hurtling toward extinction. The men then consider selling one of the coaches for extra cash. Meanwhile, Charles manages the inheritance that Maggie has received since her parents' passing. | ||||||
| 26 | 13 | "The Last Round Up" | Kevin James Dobson | Tom Hegarty | 5 December 1984 | |
|
Charles announces that he is retiring, and everyone makes a decision on selling Five Mile Creek and moving to the Emu Plains. | ||||||
Season 3: 1985
edit| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "Travellers' Tales" | Kevin James Dobson | Keith Thompson | 2 January 1985 | |
|
Journeying 500 miles across the continent to the new establishment becomes stressful for the Five Mile Creek family as they run into constant misfortunes along the way. | ||||||
| 28 | 2 | "The Gauntlet" | Brian Trenchard-Smith | Sarah Crawford | 6 February 1985 | |
|
Arriving in the Emu Plains, the town gives the Five Mile Creek family eerie feelings, as they are given the cold shoulder. Possessing the new way station is harder than expected, as they must convince the current owner that they are not working for the Armstrongs, the richest family in town who plans to scare The Australian Express back to New South Wales. | ||||||
| 29 | 3 | "Real Cowboys Play Fair" | Gary Conway | Sarah Crawford | 6 March 1985 | |
|
The people of Five Mile Creek are hit with more disaster as Con is injured when a mysterious bushranger throws dynamite in the coach he's driving, shattering the Charlie Wither's Flyer. They confront the Armstrongs, who maintain their innocence, but later stumble on a surprising twist. Meanwhile, Annie takes up work for Five Mile Creek. | ||||||
| 30 | 4 | "Possum" | Kevin James Dobson | Henry Crawford | 20 March 1985 | |
|
A young girl applies her deadbeat father for a job at the way station and he is hired. She misses out a lot on life to make sure he stays straight, but when she and Sam are rescued from a caved-in old mineshaft, he becomes the father he should be. Meanwhile, the Australian Express have more trouble with the Armstrongs when they close the bridge to their coachline, leading them to take a long detour. | ||||||
| 31 | 5 | "The Best of Mates" | Kevin James Dobson | Denise Morgan | 3 April 1985 | |
|
Kate struggles to get the hired hands to respect her as boss. Meanwhile, Annie has become smitten with Jack. | ||||||
| 32 | 6 | "The Gold Cup" | Kevin James Dobson | Peter A. Kinloch | 17 April 1985 | |
|
Edward Armstrong outbids Con and Jack on a stallion with the intent to race him in the local Gold Cup race. He makes a wager with Jack against the field, leading the Australian Express to support Matt Buckland, a former Pony Express rider who beat them out for the mail contract. Meanwhile, Maggie and Kate inspire the townsfolk to stand up to the Armstrongs. | ||||||
| 33 | 7 | "A Dog Called Johnson" | Gary Conway | Denise Morgan | 1 May 1985 | |
|
Jack's mother visits Five Mile Creek with her border collie in tow. | ||||||
| 34 | 8 | "A Fish Out of Water" | Brendan Maher | Denise Morgan | 15 May 1985 | |
|
Maggie becomes smitten by dashing Scottish sea captain Michael Callaghan, who is considering selling his boat for a parcel of land, much to Jack's dismay. Sam becomes obsessed with racing Matt, leading Matt's horse, the Countess, to fall victim to a potentially deadly illness. | ||||||
| 35 | 9 | "The Great Coach Race" | Kevin James Dobson | Peter A. Kinloch | 5 June 1985 | |
|
A childish quibble between Annie and Matt over who is a better coach driver, Con or Jack, leads to a full blown race between the two partners, egged on by Charlie, who sees an opportunity to promote the coachline and his new, specially improved coach. | ||||||
| 36 | 10 | "A Death in the Family" | Brendan Maher | Denise Morgan | 19 June 1985 | |
|
Bushrangers hold up the stage coach yet again, and Matt and another passenger are shot. Matt survives, but the passenger dies and a familiar character is revealed as the murderer. Meanwhile, Maggie takes charge in building the town's first hospital, and Kate breaks her engagement to Con. | ||||||
| 37 | 11 | "A Lot of Hot Air" | Kevin James Dobson | Peter A. Kinloch | 3 July 1985 | |
|
Jack and Charlie compete in the mayoral election for Emu Plains. | ||||||
| 38 | 12 | "One Fine Day" | Brendan Maher | Sarah Crawford | 17 July 1985 | |
|
Death visits the Five Mile Creek family in a bank hold-up. | ||||||
| 39 | 13 | "America" | Kevin James Dobson | Unknown | 7 August 1985 | |
|
Con is offered the chance to return to the United States and run coach lines all across New Mexico. He asks Kate to marry him, so they can go to America together, but she turns him down, then later changes her mind when she sees he is serious this time. Maggie breaks down over Charles' death and losing her best friend, and Sam fears he will be forgotten when Con and Kate settle in America. | ||||||
References
edit- ^ Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television. Hyperion Books. pp. 293–294, 580. ISBN 0-7868-6359-5.
- ^ Albert Moran, Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, AFTRS 1993 p 177-178
- ^ Five Mile Creek – The Complete First Season Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine