The True Believers
series not in production
Ended
War & Politics
Drama
Seasons | 1
Episodes | 8
avg.Runtime | 60 min
First EP | 1988-06-28
Last EP | 1988-08-16
Overview
Stream on
The True Believers is a 1988 Australian mini series which looks at the history of the Australian Labor Party from the end of World War Two up to the Australian Labor Party split of 1955. It was co-written by Bob Ellis who focused on three characters "Chifley, the unlettered man of great dignity; Menzies, who used to stand for something but eventually stood only for Menzies; and Evatt, the grand idealist... It's almost like Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. It's a chunk of national history during Australia's great era of change after the war."
Created by
Produced by
Season List
season 1 || Season 1
Relesed on | 1988-06-28
1
Episode 1
1988-06-28
Just before the end of WWII, John Curtin lays on his deathbed. Who will fill the position? Brilliant legal mind, "Doc" Evatt or unschooled train driver Ben Chifley? With an election to face in 1946, the Labor Party needs to choose wisely.
2
Episode 2
1988-07-05
With a supposed Communist uprising in the coal industry moves are afoot to abolish the party from the Liberal side, but also to nationalise the banks from Labor. The High Court finds that nationalising the banks is not constitutional.
3
Episode 3
1988-07-12
After Chifley wins the election, Evatt spends much time overseas and is elected third President of the United Nations. The Miners' Union gets more concessions, but wants even more. Evatt argues to the Privy Council for bank nationalisation.
4
Episode 4
1988-07-19
Communist demands become so great even the ALP feels the need to oppose them leading to the coal miners' strike of 1949, gaoling of some union members and sending in the army to work the mines.
5
Episode 5
1988-07-26
Menzies is now Prime Minister and starts naming alleged Communists in parliament, subjecting them to gaol and sackings. Chifley's heart is giving up the ghost, and Doc Evatt becomes acting Opposition Leader.
6
Episode 6
1988-08-02
Menzies calls a double-dissolution over his Communist Party prohibition bill in April 1951, which he wins, but loses five seats. On 13 June 1951, Chifley dies following a heart attack in his Canberra hotel room.
7
Episode 7
1988-08-09
Doc Evatt is elected Opposition Leader after Chifley's tragic death, but the odds are stacked against him. Menzies uses the Communist menace as a stick to beat him and milks the Petrov affair for all it's worth.
8
Episode 8
1988-08-16
Following the Petov Affair, Evatt promises pension rises, the abolition of means tests and tax cuts. Noone believes him (even in his own party) and Menzies wins again. Disaffected Victorian ALP members split the party to form the DLP.
CAST
charactor: Ben Chifley
Original: Ed Devereaux
Total EP: 8
charactor: Robert Menzies
Original: John Bonney
Total EP: 8
charactor: H.V. Evatt
Original: Simon Chilvers
Total EP: 8
charactor: B.A. Santamaria
Original: John Derum
Total EP: 8
charactor: Arthur Fadden
Original: Graham Rouse
Total EP: 8
charactor: Les Hayden
Original: Nick Tate
Total EP: 8
charactor: Fred Daly
Original: Gary Files
Total EP: 8
charactor: Allan Dalziel
Original: Stuart McCreery
Total EP: 8
charactor: Joanna Malcolm
Original: Mary-Lou Stewart
Total EP: 8
charactor: Elizabeth Chifley
Original: Dorothy St. Heaps
Total EP: 8
charactor: Ethel Casey
Original: Leonie-Martin Smith
Total EP: 8
charactor: Sir William McKell
Original: Hec Macmillan
Total EP: 8
charactor: John Dedman
Original: Peter Corbett
Total EP: 8
charactor: Rosalind Evatt
Original: Michelle Marzo
Total EP: 8
charactor: John Burton
Original: Paul Hunt
Total EP: 8
charactor: Edgar Ross
Original: Harold Hopkins
Total EP: 8
charactor: Ron Tate
Original: Paul Sonkkila
Total EP: 8
charactor: Jim Cooper
Original: Bill Young
Total EP: 8
charactor: Mary Alice Evatt
Original: Valerie Bader
Total EP: 8
charactor: Tom Burke
Original: Ray Meagher
Total EP: 8
charactor: Arthur Calwell
Original: Ron Blanchard
Total EP: 8
charactor: Fred Daley
Original: John Ewart
Total EP: 8
charactor: Richard Casey
Original: Bryan Marshall
Total EP: 8
charactor: Idris Williams
Original: Malcolm Robertson
Total EP: 8
charactor: Pattie Menzies
Original: Joan Bruce
Total EP: 8
charactor: Narrator
Original: Kevin Golsby
Total EP: 8
charactor: Radio Announcer
Original: Tim Elliott
Total EP: 8
charactor: Bill Parkinson
Original: Kenneth Radley
Total EP: 8
charactor: Lloyd Ross
Original: Danny Adcock
Total EP: 8
charactor: Elsie
Original: Diane Craig
Total EP: 8
charactor: Garfield Barwick
Original: Jeff Ashby
Total EP: 8
charactor: Mr. Purcell
Original: Robin Bowering
Total EP: 8
charactor: H.C. Coombs
Original: Neil Fitzpatrick
Total EP: 8
charactor: Tess Ross
Original: Tracy Mann
Total EP: 8
charactor: Jim Healy
Original: Alan McQueen
Total EP: 8
charactor: Archbishop Mannix
Original: Norman Kaye
Total EP: 8
charactor: Clyde Cameron
Original: Rob Steele
Total EP: 8
charactor: Stan Keon
Original: Bob Baines
Total EP: 8
charactor: Jim Comerford
Original: Scott McGregor
Total EP: 8
charactor: Wally
Original: Gerry Duggan
Total EP: 8
CREW
Julie Belle
Art Direction
Art
Geoffrey Wedlock
Production Design
Art
Gregor McLean
Production Design
Art
Jolanta Nejman
Costume Design
Costume & Make-Up
Murray Tonkin
Cinematography
Crew
Peter Robson
Cinematography
Crew
Tony Conolly
Cinematography
Crew
Richard A. Bond Jr.
Cinematography
Crew
Peter Knevitt
Cinematography
Crew
Peter Fisk
Director
Directing
Graham Tickle
Editor
Editing
Cathy Forster
Editor
Editing
Stephen O'Rourke
Line Producer
Production
Matt Carroll
Executive Producer
Production
Sandra Levy
Executive Producer
Production
Bruce Liebau
Producer
Production
William Motzing
Music
Sound
Matt Carroll
Writer
Writing
Stephen Ramsay
Writer
Writing
John Lonie
Writer
Writing
Bob Ellis
Writer
Writing
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