Liz Burch
Filmmaker Nienke Eijsink is on a quest for her childhood idol and first love: Doctor Chris from the Australian TV-series The Flying Doctors, played by actress Liz Burch. Nienke's mission: to pluck Liz Burch from obscurity and give her a starring role in her debut film! This coming-of-age-story deals with the appeal of a character in a TV drama to a young lesbian and the excitement of meeting your childhood idol. But it's also about the pain of growing up, and what happens when fantasy and reality coincide. With animation, blue-screen, archive material and clever editing between Flying Doctors episodes and real life, the film pushes the boundaries of reality and fiction. Fan is a cheerful, poignant and fascinating self-portrait full of self-depreciating humor.
Blue Water High is an Australian television drama series, broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on ABC1 and on Austar/Foxtel Nickelodeon channel in Australia and on various channels in many other countries. Each season follows the lives of a young group of students at Solar Blue, a high-performance surf academy where several lucky 16-year-olds are selected for a 12-month-long surfing program on Sydney's northern beaches. There are three series in Blue Water High. The first two series were screened in 2005 and 2006 and the producers did not intend to create a third series. However, due to popular demand by fans, they relented and made one more series with only Kate Bell returning in a main role. Series three ended with the closure of Solar Blue, indicating that the show would most likely not continue.
CrashBurn was an Australian 13-part drama series airing on Network Ten, about surviving long-term relationships in an age where multiple partners and multiple orgasms are considered a birthright. It starred Catherine McClements and Aaron Blabey as Rosie and Ben Harfield, a couple whose marriage troubles send them to a counsellor. Most of the episodes are shown in two parts: half 'He says' and half 'She says'. Most of the episodes used flashbacks to an earlier part of their relationship when the trouble started. Also appearing is the couple, Candice and Richard, who are also seeking counselling and run into Rosie and Ben's lives. There are numerous problems arising in the course of the series, not least Ben's affair with Rosie's best friend, Abby. Although the series was not a huge hit, it was noted for its fine performances.
Ocean Girl is an Australian science fiction TV series aimed for family audiences and starring Marzena Godecki as the lead character. The show is set in the near future, and focuses on an unusual girl named Neri who lives alone on an island, and the friendships she develops with the inhabitants of an underwater research facility called ORCA. The show is an example of deep ecology science fiction.
The Flying Doctors is an Australian drama series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the real Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. It was initially a 1985 mini-series based in the fictional outback town of Cooper's Crossing starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. Tom Callaghan. The success of the mini series led to its return the following year as an on-going series with McFarlane being joined by a new doctor, Chris Randall, played by Liz Burch. McFarlane left during the first season and actor Robert Grubb came in as new doctor Geoff Standish. The series' episodes were mostly self-contained but also featured ongoing storylines, such as Dr. Standish's romance with Sister Kate Wellings. Other major characters included pilot Sam Patterson, mechanic Emma Plimpton, local policeman Sgt. Jack Carruthers and Vic and Nancy Buckley, who ran the local pub/hotel, The Majestic. Andrew McFarlane also later returned to the series, resuming his role as Dr. Callaghan. The popular series ran for nine seasons and was successfully screened internationally.
Five Mile Creek is a western television drama series produced in Australia; starred Liz Burch, Louise Caire Clark, Rod Mullinar, Jay Kerr, Michael Caton, Peter Carroll, Gus Mercurio, Martin Lewis, Priscilla Weems and a young Nicole Kidman. Jonathan Frakes was a guest star as Maggie's estranged husband, Adam Scott. The series aired on the Disney Channel in the US in the 1980s.
