The Sundowners (radio serial) explained

The Sundowners
Format:	serial drama
Runtime:	15 mins
Start Time:	8.45am
End Time:	9 am
Country:	Australia
Language:	English
Home Station:	2FC
Announcer:	John Morgan^[1]
Producer:	Max Afford
Record Location:	Sydney
Num Series:	1
Num Episodes:	27

The Sundowners is a 1953 Australian radio serial based on the novel of the same name by Jon Cleary.^[2] It was a 15-minute morning serial for the ABC starting in April 1953 and played as a night-time serial in November of that year (where episodes ran for 30 minutes).^[3]

Cleary returned to Australia to live in October 1953 after several years away.^[4]

Premise

The adventures of the Carmody family in outback Queensland: Paddy, Ida and their son Sean.

Cast

• Rod Taylor as Paddy Carmody
• Sheila Sewell as Ida Carmody^[5]
• Kevin Brennan as Venneker
• Ray Hartley as Sean
• Fifi Banvard
• Sidney Chambers
• Ossie Wenban
• John Meillon
• Alma Butterworth
• Alan Herbert
• John Ewart

Reception

The Sunday Mail said the serial was inferior to the book, alleging "Cleary never hams his characters, prolongs his situations, or over dramatises his action. The radio version lavishly does all three and commits the further solecism of introducing Cockney speech and accent where Cleary never dreamt at it."^[6]

Notes and References

1. News: Women's Interests On The Air: Work-and-Study Plan At U.S. Varsity . . 35,980 . New South Wales, Australia . 16 April 1953 . 30 August 2023 . 7 (Women's Section) . National Library of Australia.
2. News: McGilvray for 2UE test broadcasts . . 13,474 . New South Wales, Australia . 17 April 1953 . 30 August 2023 . 12 (LATE FINAL EXTRA) . National Library of Australia.
3. News: Studio News Brevities . . 30,738 . Victoria, Australia . 5 November 1953 . 30 August 2023 . 19 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Women's News Fashions and Gossip . . 13,641 . New South Wales, Australia . 29 October 1953 . 10 September 2023 . 43 (LATE FINAL EXTRA) . National Library of Australia.
5. News: Sundowner . . LIII . 90 . New South Wales, Australia . 16 November 1953 . 10 September 2023 . 2 (Women's Magazine) . National Library of Australia.
6. News: 29 November 1953 . Roy Connolly's LOOK at a BOOK: Radio version unfair to "The Sundowners" . 23 . . Queensland, Australia . 30 August 2023 . National Library of Australia.