1978: October 14-20

Cover: Farrah Fawcett-Majors Debbie's agony isn't over yet Former Young Talent Time star Debbie Byrne might have had drug possession charges against her and her husband dismissed by a Melbourne magistrate, but the 21-year-old quickly realised that she was being tried all over again - by the public. "I feel as though I have to prove my innocence all over again," she told TV Times . "I'd done nothing wrong at all and yet there was my name in a newspaper story associated with drugs.

And I know some people think there's no smoke without the fire." Byrne and her husband David were in temporary share house accommodation, a 23-roomed Edwardian mansion, when police found the drugs. "The magistrate was convinced that we knew nothing about the drugs when he dismissed the charges - and he was right. But I learned my lesson.

I won't ever share a house again after this experience." Byrne is now busy working on a new musical comedy series being made in Sydney for ABC . People come first The 0-10 Network 's Steve Raymond (pictured) has chosen to put the focus on people rather than events in his new afternoon show: "We are finding plenty of interesting people because we do our homework. We'll have well-researched interviews, quality entertainment with people like Julie Anthony and Marcia Hines , and a sense of fun.

You can't hit people over the head with a verbal sledgehammer at 1.30 in the afternoon." 007 - Sorry wrong number! New Zealand-born actor Noel Trevarthen was working in the United Kingdom when he was a fraction away from becoming the next James Bond, until Roger Moore agreed to lower his asking price, "it was something of a disappointment." The actor first came to Australia in 1969 for the drama series The Rovers , and apart from a brief stint back in the UK, has been in Australia ever since and is now settled in to the 0-10 Network series The Restless Years . Invention must be a snoring success The Inventors ' panelist Diana Fisher is hoping that entrants in the show's anti-snoring competition will improve on her own method in dealing with a snoring spouse: "When Humphrey snored, a foot or an elbow went his way. I found a swift kick to turn him over worked." The competition, to run for five weeks, will endeavour to uncover the ultimate anti-snoring device with a continental quilt offered as first prize.

Briefly: Sue Smithers (pictured), who replaced Deborah Coulls in The Restless Years , has now been written out of the series. The Sullivans ' Paul Cronin is sitting for a portrait to be entered for this year's Archibald Prize. Melbourne's HSV7 have said that they may not seek a new co-host for Ernie Sigley on Penthouse '78 after the departure of Mary Hardy .

Viewpoint: Letters to the Editor: "Congratulations to the ABC ! I have just learnt that another series of The Saturday Show (pictured) will be produced in 1979 and the first series is expected also to be repeated next year." C. Isaac, TAS. "The ultimate horror in commercials has arrived, and those of us who wouldn't watch Garry McDonald if they paid us have now to put up with him in TV commercials.

If there was ever a commercial to turn me off the product it's one with Garry McDonald/ Norman Gunston ." E. James, NSW. "Why do TV stations insist on showing copyright warnings and cautions at the end of a show (after we've all copied it) instead of at the beginning?" P.

Cunningham, NSW. What's On (October 14-20): HSV7 's summer tennis coverage starts off with the South Pacific Classic , live from Milton tennis courts, Brisbane, over both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. On Monday night, HSV7 screens a live telecast of the selection and crowning of Miss Victoria for 1979, hosted by newsreader Mal Walden .

Featured in this week's The Paul Hogan Show on GTV9 is a sketch titled Seeds , a send-up of the mini-series Roots . Also featured is a sketch featuring the cast visiting a supermarket in the year 2000, a send-up of Starsky And Hutch and a sketch on energy conservation. ATV0 presents a Thursday night documentary, Scream And You're Dead , aimed to warn women about sexual assault.

Evidence for the program is the result of seven years' investigation by the Police Department of Western Australia . Later the same night, HSV7 presents a one-hour documentary, Birth , examining childbirth practices in western society. The special, narrated by Scottish-born psychiatrist Dr R D Laing , was produced in New Zealand and has been already screened to wide acclaim in the United Kingdom, United States and South Africa.

On Friday night, ATV0 presents a special edition of Peter Couchman Tonight marking the final appearance in Melbourne of Dame Edna Everage , recorded at the end of her recent Australian tour. Sunday night movies are Three Days Of The Condor ( HSV7 ), Night Flight From Moscow ( GTV9 ) and The Black Windmill ( ATV0 ) - though there are some movie epics scheduled through the week as well: El Cid ( HSV7 , Wednesday), The Sound Of Music ( GTV9 , Wednesday) and the television premiere of Cleopatra ( GTV9 , Friday). Source: TV Times (Melbourne edition), 14 October 1978. ABC/ACP.

Mon Oct 2008 10:10 (1 month, 1 week ago)