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EPISODES: 14, including pilot.
LENGTH: 30 mins.
FORMAT: Mono, Film.
PRODUCTION: 1971 Davies-Morphett Production.
ORIGINAL SCREENING: Feb-April 1972.
RUNNING ORDER: Official.
NETWORK: Seven.

CAST:
Saxon Wells.......JOHN FORGEHAM
Jenkins.......CECILY POLSON
Ricky Novak.......JOHN WOOD (eps 1 - 7)
Paula Healy.......JUNE SALTER
Cornelia Heyson.......CORNELIA FRANCES

CREW:
Director.......DAVID CAHILL (except ep. 12)
Producer.......DAVID CAHILL (except ep. 12)

EPISODE TITLES
~. Catwalk  Pilot episode.
1. The Second Time Around
2. The Small Sea Of Your Hand
3. The Angel Look
4. Mr. Saxon Wells... Hobbyist
5. Model Internationale
6. Sister Jenkins Will Carry The Banner
7. Dear Desperate
8. There Is No Business Like No Business
9. Try Anything Twice
10. Pitched Battle
11. They Loved Me Tonight, Didn't They?
12. The Bramblebush Technique
13. A Life In The Day Of...

HSV-7 airdate order
~. Catwalk  Pilot episode.
13. A Life In The Day Of...
3. The Angel Look
2. The Small Sea Of Your Hand
7. Dear Desperate
10. Pitched Battle
1. The Second Time Around
8. There Is No Business Like No Business
5. Model Internationale
9. Try Anything Twice
11. They Loved Me Tonight, Didn't They?
4. Mr. Saxon Wells... Hobbyist
6. Sister Jenkins Will Carry The Banner
12. The Bramblebush Technique

 

~.  Catwalk

Marguerite Sommers.......Margo Lee
Tony Fielding.......Michael Latimer

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: Marguerite Sommers, an ageing world-famous English fashion designer, is brought to Australia by Saxon Wells to create a new collection. The new designs are a catastrophe, and during the ensuing conflict she reveals that her previous designs had actually been the work of Tony Fielding, her long-time young, moody lover. They broke up just before she left England, and Saxon has to rekindle the creative spark in the lovelorn Miss Sommers to obtain a set of drawings.

Notes: Pilot episode. Screened by Seven along with four other pilots, and viewers were asked to vote on which pilots should go into series production. The highest votes went to Catwalk and The Group.

Airdate: Melbourne 27/1/71, Sydney 25/1/71, Canberra 25/3/71

Pilot ep: Cornelia Frances, Margo Lee and John Forgeham
 

1. The Second Time Around

Sandra Goodall.......Jill Forster
Ray Shannon.......James Condon
'Torchy' Byrne.......John Ewart

Script.......Richard Lane

Synopsis: Ray Shannon, an old friend of Paula Healy, returns to Australia unexpectedly and soon it seems an old love may be rekindled. Saxon Wells manipulates the situation to ensure he retains her services as editor.

Airdate: Melbourne 22/2/72, Sydney 29/2/72

2. The Small Sea Of Your Hand

Jack Wilson.......Max Phipps
Peter 'Pietro' Wilson.......Peter Hanlon

Synopsis: Saxon Wells sees an opportunity for a series on costume jewellery when Cornelia shows him photographs of pieces being sold by her hairdresser. The hairdresser, Pietro, is evasive concerning the source of the jewellery, and probing by Saxon and the 'Catwalk' staff reveal the truth - Pietro is the brother of Jack Wilson, a former famous surfboard rider, presumed dead. Jack is actually in hiding after contracting an infection that affected his balance and brought his surfing career to an end.

Airdate: Melbourne 15/2/72, Sydney 22/2/72

3. The Angel Look

Angela Merrett.......Karin Altmann

Script.......Pat Flower

Synopsis: An old friend of Ricky Novak, Angela Merrett, is deserted by her boyfriend when she becomes pregnant, leaving her penniless and unable to pay the rent. She turns to Ricky, who takes time off to help her, bringing him into conflict with Saxon, who is concerned about Ricky's work in a major fashion shoot. Ricky solves the problem by using Angela as the model, without telling Saxon. However, Saxon is one jump ahead of him, planning to use Angela to promote a whole new series of clothes which he dubs the 'Angel Look'.

Airdate: Melbourne 21/3/72

4. Mr. Saxon Wells... Hobbyist

Terry Watson.......Michael Boddy
Madam Lee.......Nini

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: Paula Healy is shocked when Saxon announces that he is going to start a new ‘girlie’ magazine. Paula is hoping to interest an American publisher to take 'Catwalk' to the U.S., however Saxon is bored and wants to move in a new direction. Paula resorts to devious methods to get Saxon to abandon his idea.

Airdate: Melbourne 11/4/72, Sydney 20/4/72

5. Model Internationale

Marit Schemmler.......Judy McBurney
Erik Van Toran.......Keith Lee
Himself.......Roger Climpson
Mrs. Schemmler.......Lynn Murphy
Marcia Wainwright.......Pamela Page

Script.......Kerry Hamilton

Synopsis: A 'Model Internationale Quest' is sponsored by the Van Toran Charities Commission and 'Catwalk' magazine. The winner of the quest, Swedish girl Marit Schemmler, is presented with the winning cheque by Erik Van Toran in a televised presentation, but when he learns her father was German, Van Toran walks out in mid-conversation. Van Toran then demands that Marit Schemmler be replaced, and Saxon investigates the matter. He discovers that Van Toran's wife was Jewish, a victim of German genocide, and devises a plan to bring about a reconciliation. The end result is that Marit retains her tile of 'Model Internationale'.

Airdate: Melbourne 8/2/72

6. Sister Jenkins Will Carry The Banner

Uncle Eli.......John Llewellyn

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: Jenkins’s Uncle Eli, a ‘bush baptist’, comes down from his farm in the country to 'save' Jenkins. At first Saxon humours him, but later devises a scheme to get rid of him. Jenkins does not take kindly to this, and she decides to leave 'Catwalk'. Saxon then has to hatch another scheme to get Jenkins to come back.

Airdate: Melbourne 28/3/72, Adelaide 6/4/72

7. Dear Desperate

Mrs. Wheeler.......Diana Perryman
Kerry Wheeler.......Alexandra Hynes
Jane 'Auntie Jane' Morris.......Mary Mackay

Script.......Ann Brooksbank

Synopsis: The 'Catwalk’ advice columnist retires, and Cornelia volunteers to write the column. Despite opposition from Paula, Cornelia gets the job. The printed reply to a letter from a fifteen-year-old girl wanting an abortion has far-reaching repercussions, and Saxon is left to find a solution that is satisfactory to all involved parties, without alienating Cornelia.

Notes: Final episode with John Wood.

Airdate: Melbourne 7/3/72, Sydney 14/3/72

8. There Is No Business Like No Business

Peggy Ellis.......Pat Bishop
Harry Ellis.......Christopher Cary

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: Harry and Peggy Ellis are old friends of Paula and Saxon. Peggy is a former model, and Harry is a former businessman who has retired to the country, and is now living a quiet life making carved leather belts. Saxon feels both Peggy and Harry are wasting their talents. He does a feature story on Harry's belts in 'Catwalk', and the orders pour in, and before long Harry finds himself once again running a business. Peggy feels she is losing Harry to business and decides to go back to modelling. Saxon is delighted, until tensions increase to the point where Peggy and Harry decide they need to reconcile and take back control of their lives.

Notes: American actor Christopher Cary, who had a lead role in the U.S. series Garrison's Guerillas, was visiting Australia in 1971 when he landed a part in this Catwalk episode. Glyn Davies and Tony Morphett were sufficiently impressed with his first performance that they wrote his part into a second episode, No. 12 'The Bramblebush Technique'.

Airdate: Melbourne 4/4/72

9. Try Anything Twice

Vicky Hamilton.......Elli Maclure
Christopher Klemper.......Richard Meikle
Margaret Kornbluth.......Freda Leslie

Script.......David Anthony

Synopsis: A meeting in the 'Catwalk' office between Saxon, fashion designer Christopher Klemper and Vicky Hamilton, who is seeking a job as a model, results in Saxon offering Vicky a job and intending to go into business with Klemper's designs. It seems that Saxon has fallen for Vicky, however Klemper is planning to rob Saxon. Saxon has suspected this all along and manipulated events to achieve his own ends.

Airdate: Melbourne 18/4/72

10. Pitched Battle

Lionel Cross.......John Bonney
Julia Battle.......Lyn James
Fletcher Craig.......David Whitford
Joey.......James Bowles

Script.......Pat Flower

Synopsis: Saxon Wells clashes with the agent of his top male model, Lionel Cross, under contract to 'Catwalk'. The model wants to become a writer and is working on a novel, but Saxon opposes this. Saxon devises a legal, but unethical, scheme to extend a modelling session which will effectively stop Lionel meeting the deadline for his novel. Paula, Cornelia and Jenkins come to the assistance of Lionel, which leaves Saxon furious - until he chances upon a big surprise and a new male model.

Airdate: Melbourne 29/2/72, Sydney 7/3/72

11. They Loved Me Tonight, Didn't They?

Hal Tench.......Alfred Sandor
Moya Sandford.......Dina Shearing
Don Jennings.......Mike Dorsey
Claire Jennings.......Margot Reed
Reporter 1.......Les Foxcroft
Reporter 2.......Maggie Ohlbeck
Piano player.......Tommy Tycho

Script.......Kerry Hamilton

Synopsis: Expatriate singer Moya Sandford's career is going downhill and she has turned to drink. Her manager, Hal Tench, who is in love with her, decides to start a comeback in Australia. Meeting a hostile press reception, Moya is rescued by old acquaintance Paula Healy, who undertakes to cover her tour for 'Catwalk'. Things do not improve, Moya is edgy and irritable, and Paula deduces that she is still in love with an old boyfriend, Don Jennings, clinging to the memory of falling in love at nineteen. Paula arranges for Moya to meet Don, and afterwards she is shattered, realising that he is pompous and they have nothing in common. Paula reminds Moya that she had broken from Don to pursue her singing career. Her concerts become great successes, and Moya discovers that her real love is Hal Tench.

Notes: Dinah Shearing did her own singing for the role of Moya Sandford. Tommy Tycho, who composed the music for a number of television series, makes a cameo appearance as a piano player.

Airdate: Melbourne 14/3/72, Gippsland VIC 26/4/72

12. The Bramblebush Technique

Peggy Ellis.......Pat Bishop
Harry Ellis.......Christopher Cary
Vicky Hamilton.......Elli Maclure

Script.......Tony Morphett
Director.......Hugh Taylor
Producer.......Hugh Taylor

Synopsis: Saxon is on holiday in Fiji, and Paula has to choose the theme of the magazine for the month. Peggy and Harry Ellis are back in town, and they suggest the theme should be 'Planet Earth'. Paula starts getting the magazine together, the articles start coming in - poisons in food, pollution, animal conservation, etc - and when Saxon returns he is furious. His concern is the magazine is attacking every advertiser who put money in his pocket. Paula, Jenkins, Cornelia and Peggy get together to decide what to do - and come up with the 'Bramblebush Technique'. Unbeknownst to Saxon, Harry Ellis buys 'Catwalk', and Paula convinces some of the 'big polluter' advertisers that it would be wise to take institutional advertising space in a pro-environment magazine. Harry then conspires to sell the magazine back to Saxon.

Notes: Pat Bishop and Christopher Cary reprise their roles of Peggy and Harry Ellis, first seen in ep. 8, 'There Is No Business Like No Business'. Elli Maclure appears only in a brief scene, referring to events that took place in ep. 9, 'Try Anything Twice'.

Airdate: Melbourne 25/4/72

13. A Life In The Day Of...

Rock Wilson.......Jacki Weaver
Kate McKenzie.......Kerry Maguire
Jim Griffin.......Bill Hunter

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: Kate McKenzie intends to make a television documentary about Saxon Wells and 'Catwalk' magazine. Saxon thinks it will be great publicity, but Kate intends a far more scandalous treatment.

Notes: HSV-7 screened this as the first episode.

Airdate: Melbourne 1/2/72, Gippsland VIC 15/3/72

 

 

DYNASTY - Episode 2 'Catwalk'

Jason Werner.......John Forgeham
Jenkins.......Cecily Polson
Danny Bernac.......John Wood
Georgina Clausen.......Cornelia Frances
Larry Conrad.......Bill Hunter
Freda Murphy.......Leila Blake
David Mason.......Kevin Miles
Peter Mason.......Nick Tate
John Mason.......Ron Graham
'Unk' Martel.......Ben Gabriel
Jack Mason.......John Tate
Patricia Mason.......Pat Bishop
Jacob Goldberg.......Owen Weingott
Nigel Dayton.......Tony Ward
Kathy Mason.......Anne Haddy
Maggie Tench.......Lyn James
Christopher Mason.......Serge Lazareff

Script.......Tony Morphett

Synopsis: The successful glossy magazine for women, 'Lilith', is threatening the Mason's magazine 'Homemaker'. The Masons approach Jason Werner, independent publisher of 'Lilith', with a takeover bid.

Notes: This episode of the ABC Dynasty series led to the spin-off series, Catwalk. The same actors took part, playing similar characters with different names, except for Cecily Polson who retained the name Jenkins in both. Another change was the magazine name, 'Lilith' rather than 'Catwalk'. Consequently, this Dynasty episode cannot be considered part of the Catwalk continuity or vice versa.

Airdate: Melbourne 16/10/70, Sydney 14/10/70