The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 72

li 'f if TUE SHJW-HEIRIALP'S WEEKLY LOOK AT -Mr $6 I The premiere of Cop Shop, the latest venture by Crawford and the Seven network, only lacks two things: Gerard Kennedy and a car chase. ft mt J' Greg Ross (Const Tony Shop. Paula Duncan (Policewoman Donni Francis) and Benjamin) In a scene from Cop 6 at It A 1 RENEE GEYER harmony. WIS IS REALLY WE REAL THING The Real Thing, a new 13-part music series on Channel 2, is a merciful escape from the terrible sameness of the routine pop series. WHEN the Nine network launched The Young Doctors, sceptics said it would never work.

up. appeared at lunchtima Coleman said: "He was and was never seen so embarrassed he dis- again." mm it's also borrowed some familiar faces from Bell-bird. Apart from Norris, Greg Ross is cast as a young policeman, and in episode one Peter Aan-ensen plays the bull-headed father of an errant schoolgirl. A series of attacks on homosexuals preoccupies the law men in the premiere. "If this keeps up," detective Tony Bonner comments wryly, "they're going to be an endangered species." We quickly learn that the basher is rogue cop Peter Sumner.

He's obviously the station misfit, and I confidently forecast he'll get his just deserts in episode two or three. Happily, the producers intend to move out of the cop shop frequently and explore the officers' private lives. The lovely Rowena Wallace plays Mallaby's wife, and thev have a teenage daughter (Jo-anne Moore) who has to remind him: "I'm not a 10-year-old anymore." Rowena, who's given to nagging, thinks police work is "dangerous and grotty." "It's what I do," is George's expansive reply. ui mi week, and a special will follow. Clive Robertson, 2BL's breakfast man, is taking a month's leave from December 9, to be replaced by Bruce Menzies.

It will be a holiday-on-wheels, as Clive is travelling to Perth and back on the India n-Pacific. He's taking a tape-recorder to interview interesting characters along the way, Breakfast with Malcolm Fraser last week gave 2SM's Mike Gibson a fascinating insight into the Prime Minister's tastes. Mr Fraser had Bo wen (Queensland) mango, soft-boiled eggs, bacon and crumbed brains washed down with black coffee. In just about every other respect, the new 26-part serial doesn't stray far from the formula of Crawford's Division 4. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, for Divvy 4 sustained a six-year run, and Cop Shop's backers would be delighted to emulate that.

But I'd like to have seen in the premiere a more original, creative approach. Channel 7 is screening Cop Shop at 8.30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays, starting tomorrow. Like Divvy 4, Cop Shop is set in an inner-suburban police station. George Mallaby remember him from Homicide and The Box? takes over from Chuck Faulkner as the top cop. He's much less stern almost one of the boys and not at all grumpy.

Terry Norris is the desk sergeant, a more jolly character than his predecessor Scotty. He provides a spot of light relief, and I do mean light. One of his running "jokes" concerns a fan that won't work. Paula Duncan appears as the most glamorous oolicewoman since Angie Dickinson. If Cop Shop fs a fond reminder of Division 4, fumy mi Sunday show on Haldeman says: KY, "I'll be offering equal time on my Monday program from 8 to 9 am." Radio 2UW is doing its bit to help Sydney's unemployed youth.

The station is inviting employers to write in, stating suitable job opening and the attributes required. The jobs will then be advertised free on Sam Galea's show each day from 7 pm to midnight. Gordon O'Byrne, 2SM's afternoon jock, is flying back this weekend from Stockholm where he interviewed Abba and previewed Abba The Movie. He'll play the interviews in his show this 1 IWMi FROM Mike to Miko Guest compere of tha Mike Walsh Show on Thursday will be Mika "Shirley Temple" Williams, his first chance at compering. PRODUCTION starts next February on a new Reg Grundy, game show.

The Better Sex. Perth's Channel 9 has commissioned the series, and Grundy's hope it' will go national. Auditions aro under way for the dual comperes. CHANNEL 2 will make seven self-contained situation comedy programs next year, hoping that one or two Will spin off into a series. Umbrella title is Tickled Pink.

ACTOR Martin Vaug-han discovered he had unexpected fame in London. A Cockney barrow boy recognised him from Power Without 1 Glory, which is screening on British TV, JOHNNY FARNHAM and James Pegler will be Marcia Hines' guests in a Christmas Day special planned by Channel 2. It will be recorded at Dal-wood Children's Home at Seaforth, with an 80-voice choir. JEANNE LITTLE will be back on Channel 7 next year, but not in a daytime chat show. Executives want to give her a new style of show, possibly a situation I "They're still saying it," Alan Coleman, the serial's producer, director and occasional writer, said this week with a laugh he can well afford.

The English press had said the same thing about another show he worked on Crossroads and 14 years later it was still going, he added. Cast and crew of the Doctors are taking a month's break from December 9, by which time 285 episodes will have been recorded. The serial has used 220 regular and semi-regular actors and 1,050 extras. Coleman, who's handy with a pocket calculator, says they will have uttered 630,120 words. Why has The Young Doctors succeeded? "Because we are giving people what they want," he said, "Births, deaths and marriages and a bit of gossip.

And we give a little insight into the world of medicine." Coleman claims that the standard of performances and production has improved considerably. Next year, he said more characters would be introduced he's keen to use more children and he's talking to the network about recording some episodes in Melbourne and Brisbane. The record for the shortest association with the serial is held by a keen young chap who was hired as props standby. He lasted four hours. Coleman recalled the scene in which Judi Con-nelli was to knock a stack of serviettes off the bar then nervously pick them up.

The cameras rolled, she knocked them off, and the props boy rushed on to the set to pick them harmonising nicely with Leo de Castro; Crossfire; the bewildering Radio Birdman: and rerhans the most talented of all, Jon English. Among the acts in later programs are Ariel. Skyhooks, Air Supply and Doug Ashdown. Disc jockey Ron F. Sparx links with segments with topical chat.

Producer Bernie Cannon says the series has also resulted in a Little River Band special recorded in front of an enthusiastic home-town audience in Adelaide. had the "Good Guys" Bob Rogers and Mike Walsh among them. and the station went all-out on the Beatles. In 1970, Haldeman joined the 2CH "Snob Mob," quitting two years later to work in the lucrative "voice-over" commercials field. He's also a regular on the Mike Walsh Show.

Preparing for his radio return, he's dusting off a cupboardful of joke books. Haldeman is already showing his fun approach. For anyone who considers he's been 'rubbished" on Bob Rogers' QEfflfflL) The show, which starts at 10 pm on Thursday, avoids endless repetition of those tired overseas film clips mostly mimed and local top-40 songs. The acts are all Australian, they're recorded "live," and the result is a tasteful blend of rock and jazz. The artists may not sound as polished as they do in the recording but the excitement of live performance more than compensates.

The premiere features Dragon; Renee Geyer "FUNNY PHIL" Hal-deman is returning to regular radio after an absence of five years. known as the gag-man from his heyday on 2SM, will handle the breakfast shift on 2KY from tomorrow week. Initially he'll do the show for a month while John Burls is on holidays, but that could be extended. 'l love radio, and this is a good opportunity to dive in and keep my hand in," Haldeman said. As SM's breakfast an-' nouncer for seven years, he had the distinction of beating UE's Gary O'Callaghan in one survey-That was in the mid-605, he said, when SM CAR AVANNERS STOP LOOKING VAN PAC2CI Has opened Stage 2 of its caravan park on the shores of beautiful Lake Macquarie.

All sites have water views and are available for Christmas and permanent bookings. Overnight vans are also available. We welcome you to inspect our park which is just a few minutes from beaches, shops, golf clubs, bowling clubs, etc. Just 2V miles off the Pacific Highway, down Chain Bay Valley Road, then third turn left and follow signs. Inquiries to Proprietors Chick and Betty Bidweli VALLEY BAY VAN PARK PTY.

Lot 1, off Findlay Avanua. CHAIN VALLEY BAY. 2259. Phone Gosford 58 767 After April, 1978, Gosford 58 8767 rr 73 THE SUN-HERALD. NOV 27 1977 71.