Hey Dad..!
Encyclopedia
Hey Dad..! was an Australia
n sitcom produced by Gary Reilly Productions
, originally airing from 1987 to 1994 on the Seven Network
.
Martin Kelly singlehandedly raises his children Simon, Debbie and Jenny. His wife Margaret had died three years prior to the start of the series.
Martin runs his own architectural
business from the family home in the Sydney
suburb of Chatswood
. He employs his cousin Betty Wilson, a good natured ditz from the New South Wales
country town of Walgett
, as his secretary.
Many episodes deal with the daily stresses Martin faces as the family patriarch, such as settling arguments amongst his children. He frequently endures Betty's elaborate excuses for tardiness and is constantly frustrated with her delayed productivity at work. Simon's best friend is Gerald "Nudge" Noritas, a neighbour who constantly helps himself to whatever food he can find in the Kellys' kitchen.
In early episodes the show briefly examines how the characters are struggling to deal with the absence of Margaret from their lives. Martin also breaks the fourth wall several times to deliver sarcastic one-liners to camera. This trait is quickly dropped after the first 12 episodes.
Early in season 5 Debbie Kelly moves to Dunk Island to work as a waitress. She is replaced by new character Sam Kelly, Martin's niece from Hong Kong
who moves in. Nudge departs after the conclusion of season 5. No explanation is given in the show's story to explain his disappearance. From season 6 schoolboy Arthur MacArthur is the new neighbour who regularly visits. At the end of season 6 Simon moves out, leaving his friend Ben to move into Simon's room. At the end of season 12 Martin leaves for a $300,000-per-year contract to design and build a deep water port and mini-city in Saudi Arabia
. He leaves the house and the business in the care of friend Greg Russell. Sam moves to Adelaide soon after, opening the door for Greg's daughter Tracy to move in.
At the end of the series Betty and Jenny are the only remaining original characters. Jenny is portrayed by a different actress by this stage. Betty's portrayer Julie McGregor is the only original cast member to remain through the entire series.
the regular characters are held hostage in the house by a fugitive bank robber. The robber places a bomb in the family's VCR, as leverage with the police. After the hostage drama has been resolved and the robber arrested the family remembers there's a bomb in the VCR, but they don't know how to re-program it. Betty observes that "this is just like E Street
... at the end, where they all got blown up", but Greg responds that "That doesn't happen in sitcoms." (Greg's portrayer Mark Owen-Taylor had acted in E Street.) The characters panic as they countdown the seconds to the expected explosion and the screen fades to black. The cast are then shown in a curtain call
as the credits roll. The curtain call includes former regular cast members Christopher Truswell and Sarah Monahan who do not otherwise appear in the episode, series producer and writer Gary Reilly and writer John Flanagan
.
ultimately bought the series, airing the first episode on 11 February 1987.
One episode was taped each week. Rehearsals generally started on a Tuesday, and were held each day until Saturday, when taping would take place before a studio audience at ATN Channel 7 Studios
in Epping
, New South Wales
. The same episode was recorded twice on the same night in front of two different audiences. The taping with the better overall performance and more enthusiastic audience response was usually selected as the one to be aired. Sometimes the best takes from both tapings would be combined in post-production.
Production took a temporary break in mid-1991 when Hampton Court
, another Gary Reilly
sitcom featuring Betty Wilson, was produced. Hey Dad..! production resumed afterwards. Seven decided not to renew Hampton Court for a second season.
Hey Dad..! often used the same studio as another Seven Network series Home and Away
. The night before Hey Dad..! was to be recorded in front of an audience, the crew would work overnight to take down the Home and Away set, replacing it with the Hey Dad..! set. After the Hey Dad..! tapings concluded on Saturday night, the Hey Dad..! set would be dismantled and replaced with the Home and Away set once again. This was a regular occurrence for the entire run of the series.
The exterior shots of the Kelly house were filmed using a miniature model
constructed by British artist and designer Mike Worrall
. Recording of the exteriors took place in-studio over the course of a two-day period, undergoing a range of lighting situations to re-create various weather conditions and times of day. Producers often found themselves taking phone calls from people wanting to know the address of the house, with the hope of purchasing it and moving in. After the series ended, the model was stored by the producers, as no museums were able to take it at the time. However, the model eventually disintegrated while in storage, and is no longer in existence.
, Spain
, and throughout Asia
in the 1990s. A significant portion of its international fanbase was in Germany
. German voice over artist Arne Elsholtz received critical praise for his work as translator, while also voicing Martin in the German version of episodes 1 to 149.
s Australian edition, featuring characters such as Barfin' Killjoy, Petty, Simple, Dunny, Junky and Bludge. Coincidentally, 291 would also become the eventual number of episodes aired in the series.
In September 2006, satirical
comedy current affairs
show Real Stories
aired a fictional story about an up-and-coming director attempting to make a feature film of Hey Dad..! The film was to be titled Hey Dad..! The Movie and was to star Stephen Curry (who made a cameo appearance in the Real Stories episode) as Hey Dad..! character Nudge.
magazine, regular cast member Sarah Monahan
claimed she had been molested
on set during the production of the series.
Although Monahan did not initially name the cast member, in an interview on A Current Affair that aired on 24 March 2010, Monahan alleged that it was the show's lead actor, Robert Hughes
, who had sexually molested her. She claimed that this occurred on several occasions during production of the series. In addition, cast member Ben Oxenbould
claimed he discovered Hughes touching a different young girl, who was a guest actor on an episode, in a way that seemed inappropriate.
After Monahan named Hughes, the executive producer, Gary Reilly made a statement to the press in which he stated that he had been unaware of any misconduct towards Monahan, but that he had been aware of rumours in regard to impropriety towards a young actor who joined after Monahan's departure, and that he had acted to provide a chaperone for the actor and had confronted the accused, who later resigned from the series. Reilly said he confronted a man accused of inappropriate treatment of a young cast member hired after Monahan had left the program. In response to Reilly's claim that he was unaware, Simone Buchanan
and Ben Oxenbould
came forward and alleged that they had separately approached Reilly during the show about Monahan's allegations towards Hughes, but had been warned to keep quiet. In March 2011, Gary Reilly admitted that he had had "stand-up rows" with Hughes over the alleged abuse of Monahan which had driven Hughes decision to resign from the show.
Hughes, confronted by A Current Affair in Singapore where he now lives, denied the claims.
On 29 March 2010, police announced the creation of a task force, codenamed Strike Force Ruskin, to investigate the claims. On 30 March 2010, it was reported that detectives had begun interviewing former members of the show's cast and crew. In September 2010, six months after the allegations were published, it was reported that over a hundred people had been interviewed. Police had not spoken to Hughes and were weighing up whether a formal interview will take place.
In March 2011 Monahan announced that she intended taking civil action against Hughes and television station executives.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sitcom produced by Gary Reilly Productions
Gary Reilly Productions
Gary Reilly Productions was an Australian Television production company best known for producing the 1987-1994 sitcom Hey Dad..!. The company also produced Hampton Court, a spin-off of Hey Dad..! featuring the character Betty; My Two Wives, a sitcom about a man who moved into an apartment building...
, originally airing from 1987 to 1994 on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
Synopsis
ArchitectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Martin Kelly singlehandedly raises his children Simon, Debbie and Jenny. His wife Margaret had died three years prior to the start of the series.
Martin runs his own architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
business from the family home in the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Chatswood
Chatswood, New South Wales
Chatswood is a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood is located 10 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Chatswood West is a separate suburb...
. He employs his cousin Betty Wilson, a good natured ditz from the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
country town of Walgett
Walgett, New South Wales
Walgett is a town in North-West New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and near the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways...
, as his secretary.
Many episodes deal with the daily stresses Martin faces as the family patriarch, such as settling arguments amongst his children. He frequently endures Betty's elaborate excuses for tardiness and is constantly frustrated with her delayed productivity at work. Simon's best friend is Gerald "Nudge" Noritas, a neighbour who constantly helps himself to whatever food he can find in the Kellys' kitchen.
In early episodes the show briefly examines how the characters are struggling to deal with the absence of Margaret from their lives. Martin also breaks the fourth wall several times to deliver sarcastic one-liners to camera. This trait is quickly dropped after the first 12 episodes.
Character replacements
As the series progressed the original characters left one by one. Replacement characters were introduced to maintain the balance of the show's cast. The roles of two of Martin Kelly's children—Simon and Jenny—were recast during the show's run after the original actors left the series.Early in season 5 Debbie Kelly moves to Dunk Island to work as a waitress. She is replaced by new character Sam Kelly, Martin's niece from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
who moves in. Nudge departs after the conclusion of season 5. No explanation is given in the show's story to explain his disappearance. From season 6 schoolboy Arthur MacArthur is the new neighbour who regularly visits. At the end of season 6 Simon moves out, leaving his friend Ben to move into Simon's room. At the end of season 12 Martin leaves for a $300,000-per-year contract to design and build a deep water port and mini-city in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. He leaves the house and the business in the care of friend Greg Russell. Sam moves to Adelaide soon after, opening the door for Greg's daughter Tracy to move in.
At the end of the series Betty and Jenny are the only remaining original characters. Jenny is portrayed by a different actress by this stage. Betty's portrayer Julie McGregor is the only original cast member to remain through the entire series.
Final episode
In the series finaleSeries finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
the regular characters are held hostage in the house by a fugitive bank robber. The robber places a bomb in the family's VCR, as leverage with the police. After the hostage drama has been resolved and the robber arrested the family remembers there's a bomb in the VCR, but they don't know how to re-program it. Betty observes that "this is just like E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
... at the end, where they all got blown up", but Greg responds that "That doesn't happen in sitcoms." (Greg's portrayer Mark Owen-Taylor had acted in E Street.) The characters panic as they countdown the seconds to the expected explosion and the screen fades to black. The cast are then shown in a curtain call
Curtain call
A curtain call occurs at the end of a performance when individuals return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for their performance. In musical theater, the performers typically recognize the orchestra and its conductor at the end of the curtain call...
as the credits roll. The curtain call includes former regular cast members Christopher Truswell and Sarah Monahan who do not otherwise appear in the episode, series producer and writer Gary Reilly and writer John Flanagan
John Flanagan (author)
John Flanagan is an Australian fantasy author. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband. Her best known work is the Ranger's Apprentice novel series, which is about a boy named Will who is taken as an apprentice Ranger to the grim and mysterious Halt. They meet up with many new people,...
.
Main characters
- Martin Kelly — Robert HughesRobert Hughes (Australian actor)Robert Lindsay Hughes is an Australian actor whose most significant roles include ABBA: The Movie and the television sitcom Hey Dad..!-Early career:...
(1987–1994; episodes 1–265) - Betty Wilson — Julie McGregorJulie McGregorJulie McGregor is an Australian television actor.-Career:McGregor is best known to Australian audiences as Betty Wilson, the dim-witted secretary in the Australian television comedy series, Hey Dad...!, and its short-lived spinoff Hampton Court...
(1987–1994; episodes 1–291) - Simon Kelly — Paul SmithPaul Smith (Australian actor)Paul Smith is a former Australian actor, most known for his role as the original Simon in the television sitcom Hey Dad...!, and as Steve in the children's series The Henderson Kids....
(1987; episodes 1–39), Christopher Mayer (1988–1991; episodes 40–187) - Debbie Kelly — Simone BuchananSimone BuchananSimone Louise Buchanan is an Australian actress best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours....
(1987–1990, 1994; episodes 1–165, 268) - Jennifer Kelly — Sarah MonahanSarah MonahanSarah Monahan is an Australian actress. Best known for her role as Jenny on Hey Dad..!, she has also appeared in Sons and Daughters and Home and Away....
(1987–1993; episodes 1–227), Angela KeepAngela KeepAngela Keep is an Australian actress.Keep's television debut on the sitcom Hey Dad..!. She played Jenny Kelly, taking over the role from Sarah Monahan, on the show for two seasons, from 1993 until 1994. In 1997, she starred in children's mini series, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord and in the...
(1993–1994; episodes 231–291) - Gerald 'Nudge' Noritas — Christopher TruswellChristopher TruswellChristopher Truswell is an Australian actor best known as "Nudge" in the Australian TV sitcom Hey Dad...! He also voiced the character of Gilramos Libkath in United States film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones which was filmed in Sydney, Australia...
(1987–1991, 1994; episodes 1–174, 291) - Samantha Kelly — Rachael BeckRachael BeckRachael Beck is an Australian stage and television actress.-Career highlights:Beck's best known role is that of Martin Kelly's niece, Sam, on the popular sitcom, Hey Dad...!....
(1991–1994; episodes 166–267) - Arthur MacArthur — Matthew KrokMatthew KrokMatthew Krok is a former Australian child actor best known for playing the role of schoolboy Arthur McArthur on the Australian sitcom Hey Dad...! from 1991 to 1994...
(1991–1994; episodes 169, 178–291) - Ben Hubner — Ben OxenbouldBen OxenbouldBen Oxenbould is an Australian actor and comedian, best known for his work in the Australian film and television industry....
(1991–1994; episodes 177–291) - Greg Russell — Mark Owen-Taylor (1993–1994; episodes 263–291)
- Tracy Russell — Belinda EmmettBelinda EmmettBelinda 'Belle' Jane Emmett was an Australian actress and singer. She was married to television personality Rove McManus and was known for her roles in the TV drama series Home and Away and All Saints.-Early life:...
(1994; episodes 266–291)
Recurring characters
- Stan Hickey — Bill Young (episodes 17, 33, 48, 55, 73, 91, 92, 93, 130, 143, 164, 188, 189, 200)
- Lyn Parker — Mary Lou Stewart (episodes 233, 236, 239, 241, 244, 246, 248, 251, 253, 255, 264)
- Grandma Lois Kelly — Moya O'Sullivan (episodes 3, 21, 40, 71, 86, 134, 167)
- Jeanette Taylor — Joanne SamuelJoanne SamuelJoanne Samuel is an actress who remains best known for her role as the screen wife of Mel Gibson in the 1979 film Mad Max....
(episodes 67, 87, 93, 100, 114, 121, 134) - Det. Sgt. Anne Burke — Tina BursillTina BursillTina Bursill is an Australian actress usually seen on television playing sophisticated and coolly self-reliant women such as Louise Carter in Skyways. Det. Sgt...
(episodes 10, 11, 15, 22, 28, 34) - Katie — Kate Morris (episodes 102, 110, 120, 145)
- Shelley — Beth Champion (episodes 214, 221, 224, 229)
- Elaine — Beth BuchananBeth BuchananBeth Buchanan is an Australian actress. She is best known for the television roles of Gemma Ramsay in Neighbours, in the early '90s, and Susan Croydon in Blue Heelers from 1994. She is also a long-standing member of the Ranters Theatre company.-Early life:Buchanan is the daughter of musician Tony...
(episodes 88, 98, 116) - Karen — Rebecca CrossRebecca CrossRebecca Cross, is an American film, television and stage actress whose career based on her filmography was very busy between 1989 and 2000. Among her credits was a 2000 appearance on the television series Charmed, playing the ghost Charlene, an unfulfilled shade of a graduate student murdered...
(episodes 176, 186, 187) - Ros Woodlock — Laura Gabriel (episodes 233, 239, 248)
- Belinda — Naomi WattsNaomi WattsNaomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
(episodes 148, 153) - Mr. Blunt — Doug Scroope (episodes 149, 220)
- Tessa MacArthur — Tayce Krok (episodes 184, 276)
- Jolanda LeClerk — Nikki CoghillNikki CoghillNicola Vicars Coghill is an Australian actress.-Career:Nikki has appeared in many Australian television series and movies...
(episodes 193, 203) - Bruno — Rod Zuanic (episodes 197, 213)
- Dave Woodlock — Peter Braunstein (episodes 233, 239)
- Glenda the Bag Lady — Julie Haseler (episodes 262, 282)
Production
The Hey Dad..! pilot was recorded in September 1985. The project stalled for several months as network executives were initially reluctant to commission the series. Twelve episodes were then recorded in mid-1986. The series was very close to being cancelled before it was even aired. The Seven NetworkSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
ultimately bought the series, airing the first episode on 11 February 1987.
One episode was taped each week. Rehearsals generally started on a Tuesday, and were held each day until Saturday, when taping would take place before a studio audience at ATN Channel 7 Studios
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
in Epping
Epping, New South Wales
Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Epping is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde, the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire and is located in the Northern...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The same episode was recorded twice on the same night in front of two different audiences. The taping with the better overall performance and more enthusiastic audience response was usually selected as the one to be aired. Sometimes the best takes from both tapings would be combined in post-production.
Production took a temporary break in mid-1991 when Hampton Court
Hampton Court (TV series)
Hampton Court was an Australian situation comedy series produced by Gary Reilly Productions in 1991.The series was a spin-off of Hey Dad...! with the link being the inclusion here of Julie McGregor reprising her role of Betty Wilson...
, another Gary Reilly
Gary Reilly
Gary Reilly is an Australian television producer and writer born in New Zealand in 1945. He is most famous for his work on a variety of comedy series such as The Naked Vicar Show, Kingswood Country, Hey Dad..! and Bullpitt!. He also has a strong friendship and was once neighbours with Australian...
sitcom featuring Betty Wilson, was produced. Hey Dad..! production resumed afterwards. Seven decided not to renew Hampton Court for a second season.
Hey Dad..! often used the same studio as another Seven Network series Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
. The night before Hey Dad..! was to be recorded in front of an audience, the crew would work overnight to take down the Home and Away set, replacing it with the Hey Dad..! set. After the Hey Dad..! tapings concluded on Saturday night, the Hey Dad..! set would be dismantled and replaced with the Home and Away set once again. This was a regular occurrence for the entire run of the series.
The exterior shots of the Kelly house were filmed using a miniature model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
constructed by British artist and designer Mike Worrall
Mike Worrall
Mike Worrall is an English artist and designer. He has worked on films such as Nate and Hayes and Alien 3. He was also the model maker for the Australian television show Hey Dad and has a strong friendship with the shows producer, Gary Reilly. He moved to Australia in 1988 and continued his career...
. Recording of the exteriors took place in-studio over the course of a two-day period, undergoing a range of lighting situations to re-create various weather conditions and times of day. Producers often found themselves taking phone calls from people wanting to know the address of the house, with the hope of purchasing it and moving in. After the series ended, the model was stored by the producers, as no museums were able to take it at the time. However, the model eventually disintegrated while in storage, and is no longer in existence.
International versions
The series was sold to over 20 countries worldwide. Having been translated and dubbed into several different languages, the show was highly popular in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in the 1990s. A significant portion of its international fanbase was in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. German voice over artist Arne Elsholtz received critical praise for his work as translator, while also voicing Martin in the German version of episodes 1 to 149.
Parodies
A spoof by Peter Broelman titled Hey Dud! appeared in issue 291 of MAD MagazineMad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
s Australian edition, featuring characters such as Barfin' Killjoy, Petty, Simple, Dunny, Junky and Bludge. Coincidentally, 291 would also become the eventual number of episodes aired in the series.
In September 2006, satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy current affairs
Current affairs
Current affairs can refer to:*Current affairs : a genre of broadcast journalism* an approximate synonym for current events* an approximate synonym for politics* "Current Affairs", a song by Zion I from Heroes in the City of Dope...
show Real Stories
Real Stories
Real Stories is an Australian satirical television comedy series produced by Carlton Television for Network Ten. It was created by Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. The series was first broadcast on 22 August 2006....
aired a fictional story about an up-and-coming director attempting to make a feature film of Hey Dad..! The film was to be titled Hey Dad..! The Movie and was to star Stephen Curry (who made a cameo appearance in the Real Stories episode) as Hey Dad..! character Nudge.
Airings
- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
(original run, 1987–1994); Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
(repeats, 1998); Fox ClassicsFOX ClassicsFox Classics is an Australian cable and satellite channel that specializes in showing classic movies and television series from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and some content from the 80s and 90s.-History:...
(repeats, 2006–2007) The Comedy ChannelThe Comedy ChannelThe Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
(repeats, 2009) - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
(original run, episodes 1–149, 1990–1992); Kabel eins (original run, episodes 150–291, 1997–1998)
Book, CD and DVD releases
- The Betty Wilson Secretarial Companion (Paperback) — Written by John FlanaganJohn Flanagan (author)John Flanagan is an Australian fantasy author. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband. Her best known work is the Ranger's Apprentice novel series, which is about a boy named Will who is taken as an apprentice Ranger to the grim and mysterious Halt. They meet up with many new people,...
with Gary ReillyGary ReillyGary Reilly is an Australian television producer and writer born in New Zealand in 1945. He is most famous for his work on a variety of comedy series such as The Naked Vicar Show, Kingswood Country, Hey Dad..! and Bullpitt!. He also has a strong friendship and was once neighbours with Australian...
; Published by Penguin BooksPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
Australia Ltd. (24 April 1990) - Martin vs Betty — The Best of Hey Dad — A CD compilation of audio clips from the show, released by Rich River Records (1991).
- The Best of Hey Dad..! Volume 1 — A collection of 13 episodes released through Shock DVDShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
(18 March 2007). - The Best of Hey Dad..! Volume 2 — A second set of 13 episodes released through Shock DVDShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
(18 February 2008). - Hey Dad..! Season 1 — A 5 disc set, released in Germany by Polyband (24 October 2008).
- Hey Dad..! Season 2 — German release by Polyband (27 March 2009).
- Hey Dad..! Season 3 — German release by Polyband (25 September 2009).
- Hey Dad..! Season 4 — German release by Polyband (26 March 2010)
2010 sexual abuse claims
In a March 2010 interview with Woman's DayWoman's Day (Australian magazine)
Woman's Day is an Australian magazine published by ACP Magazines. It is the second largest magazine in Australia. The magazine recently underwent significant layoffs....
magazine, regular cast member Sarah Monahan
Sarah Monahan
Sarah Monahan is an Australian actress. Best known for her role as Jenny on Hey Dad..!, she has also appeared in Sons and Daughters and Home and Away....
claimed she had been molested
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
on set during the production of the series.
Although Monahan did not initially name the cast member, in an interview on A Current Affair that aired on 24 March 2010, Monahan alleged that it was the show's lead actor, Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes (Australian actor)
Robert Lindsay Hughes is an Australian actor whose most significant roles include ABBA: The Movie and the television sitcom Hey Dad..!-Early career:...
, who had sexually molested her. She claimed that this occurred on several occasions during production of the series. In addition, cast member Ben Oxenbould
Ben Oxenbould
Ben Oxenbould is an Australian actor and comedian, best known for his work in the Australian film and television industry....
claimed he discovered Hughes touching a different young girl, who was a guest actor on an episode, in a way that seemed inappropriate.
After Monahan named Hughes, the executive producer, Gary Reilly made a statement to the press in which he stated that he had been unaware of any misconduct towards Monahan, but that he had been aware of rumours in regard to impropriety towards a young actor who joined after Monahan's departure, and that he had acted to provide a chaperone for the actor and had confronted the accused, who later resigned from the series. Reilly said he confronted a man accused of inappropriate treatment of a young cast member hired after Monahan had left the program. In response to Reilly's claim that he was unaware, Simone Buchanan
Simone Buchanan
Simone Louise Buchanan is an Australian actress best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours....
and Ben Oxenbould
Ben Oxenbould
Ben Oxenbould is an Australian actor and comedian, best known for his work in the Australian film and television industry....
came forward and alleged that they had separately approached Reilly during the show about Monahan's allegations towards Hughes, but had been warned to keep quiet. In March 2011, Gary Reilly admitted that he had had "stand-up rows" with Hughes over the alleged abuse of Monahan which had driven Hughes decision to resign from the show.
Hughes, confronted by A Current Affair in Singapore where he now lives, denied the claims.
On 29 March 2010, police announced the creation of a task force, codenamed Strike Force Ruskin, to investigate the claims. On 30 March 2010, it was reported that detectives had begun interviewing former members of the show's cast and crew. In September 2010, six months after the allegations were published, it was reported that over a hundred people had been interviewed. Police had not spoken to Hughes and were weighing up whether a formal interview will take place.
In March 2011 Monahan announced that she intended taking civil action against Hughes and television station executives.