Brass Monkeys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
by Gary Reilly
Tony Sattler
- Gary Reilly
- Tony Sattler
| Brass Monkeys | |
|---|---|
 Series title card | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Based on | Twelve Below by Gary Reilly Tony Sattler |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Kevin Burston |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Mike Perjanik |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Producers | |
| Editor | Noel Brady |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | RS Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Seven Network |
| Release | 7 November 1984 |
Brass Monkeys is an Australian television sitcom that was first broadcast in 1984 on the Seven Network. The series was written and produced by Gary Reilly and Tony Sattler, who were known for comedy series The Naked Vicar Show and Kingswood Country. The title comes from the colloquial expression "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey", in reference to the cold climate of the Antarctic.
Brass Monkeys is the story of a pretty female doctor who joins a group of men confined to the lonely isolation of an Australian Antarctic expedition station.[1]
Cast
- Graeme Blundell as Noddy
- Paul Chubb as Big Eye
- Kev Golsby as Hugo the OIC ("officer in charge")
- Ross Hohnen as Rex (aka, "the Ferret")
- Margie McCrae as Dr Sally Newman
- Colin McEwan as Nick
- Doug Scroope as Cookie
- Bill Young as Martin "Marty" Lightfoot
Background and production
The series was based on a television pilot titled Twelve Below, written by Reilly and Sattler. The pilot was devised as a vehicle for Noel Ferrier. However, owing to Ferrier's schedule, he proved unavailable to star in the series.[1][2] The pilot starred Ferrier as OIC, Robert Hughes as Noddy, Cornelia Frances as Dr Sally Newman, Colin McEwan as Nick and Jeff Ashby as Rex, aka, "the Ferret".[1] Only McEwan returned for Brass Monkeys.[1]
An original draft script and a camera script were written for each episode. Each episode was recorded twice before a live studio audience, using the camera scripts. The two recordings were then edited into one recording, using the best audience reaction from each recording.[3] The series was recorded on Saturdays at Sydney's Epping Studios.[4]
The series is the only example of a situation comedy set in Antarctica.[5]
Owing to exhaustion at having to write the scripts for this series, coupled with those of their previous series, writer Tony Sattler left RS Productions, the company operated by him and writing partner Gary Reilly, leaving Reilly to form his own company, Gary Reilly Productions, in 1984. This was the final series written by Reilly and Sattler as part of their production company RS Productions, until they reunited in 1997 for Bullpitt!.[6]