Flight into Danger (Wednesday Theatre) explained

Series:Wednesday Theatre
Season:2
Episode:40
Director:Patrick Barton
Teleplay:Arthur Hailey
Length:55 mins
Prev:Hamlet
Next:Twelfth Night

"Flight into Danger" is a 1966 Australian TV play. It was based on a 1956 Canadian TV play by Arthur Hailey which had been filmed as the movie Zero Hour!.[1] The episode aired on 14 September 1966 in Melbourne,[2] on 5 October 1966 in Sydney,[3] and on 12 October 1966 in Brisbane.[4]

Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[5]

Plot

On a plane flight, passenger George Spencer is forced to take controls when the crew fall ill with food poisoning.[2]

Cast

Production

The production starred TV personality Ray Taylor in his second television drama role; the first had been Ashes to Ashes, also for director Patrick Barton. Co-star Betty Bobbitt was best known for appearing on Daly at Night. Barton said, "Ray is extremely good in this role and manages to portray the anxiety the average man would feel when called on to land a large passenger plane."[2]

Reception

The Age called it "another local production that couldn't quite disentangle itself from technical shortcomings to get off the ground."[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: WEDNESDAY . . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 3 October 1966 . 11 February 2020 . 14 . Trove .
  2. News: The Age. Ray to Control. 8 September 1966. 11.
  3. News: Sydney Morning Herald. 3 October 1966. TV Guide. 18.
  4. TV Times. Ray Taylor stars in ABC's Flight into Danger. 1966.
  5. Stephen. Vagg. 60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & ‘60s. Filmink. February 18, 2019.
  6. News: The Age. Teletopics. 22 September 1966. 13.