- Source: The Dismissal (miniseries)
The Dismissal is an Australian television miniseries, first screened in 1983, that dramatised the events of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
It was partly written and directed by the noted film makers George Miller and Phillip Noyce as well as Mad Max screenwriter Terry Hayes, with cinematography by Dean Semler.
The miniseries comprised six one-hour episodes. It was originally broadcast by Network Ten, beginning on 6 March 1983 (the day after the 1983 federal election), and was also broadcast in the United Kingdom.
It was voted the 19th-best Australian television show on the 50 Years 50 Shows list.
In the 1970s, there were several attempts to make a film based on the same story called King Hit, written by Erwin Rado and Bruce Grant. Phillip Noyce and Paul Cox were both attached as directors for a time.
Cast
Max Phipps as the dismissed Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
John Meillon as Governor-General Sir John Kerr
John Stanton as the appointed Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
John Hargreaves as Whitlam's Deputy Prime Minister Jim Cairns
Bill Hunter as Labor politician Rex Connor
Ruth Cracknell as Margaret Whitlam, the prime minister's wife
George Ogilvie as Labor Senator Jim McClelland
Peter Sumner as Treasurer Bill Hayden
Vincent Ball as Labor Senator Justin O'Byrne, President of the Senate
Ed Devereaux as Phillip Lynch
Arthur Dignam as Eric Robinson
Stewart Faichney as Billy Snedden
Robyn Nevin as Anne Kerr, Lady Kerr
Tom Oliver as Liberal Senator Reg Withers
Sean Scully as Doug Anthony
Martin Vaughan as independent Senator Albert Field
John Clayton as Barry Cohen
Lucky Grills (uncredited) as George Harris as President of Carlton Football Club
Dennis Miller as Gordon Scholes / The Second Speaker
Peter Carroll as Narrator
Reception
The series was a huge ratings success in Australia, getting a 42% viewing share.
See also
The Dismissal (musical)
References
External links
The Dismissal at IMDb
The Dismissal at Australian Screen Online