The Sullivans

I have watched almost every episode of The Sullivans when it was on and have been quite disappointed throughout the years to see re-runs of so many different series BUT NOT of The Sullivans. Does anyone know if you can get the boxed DVD sets of the entire series? Unlike todays serials, The Sullivans was a series that showed good morals and values and a healthy clean-living family life, it also showed life before electronics, where kids knew how to occupy themselves without the need for 24 hour TV or electronic games, they were healthier, more active and much happier, where treats were given as rewards and not as an everyday norm.

Effectively an Australian remake of the successful British TV series "Family at War. The Sullivans initially started out as the story of an Australian family coping with WW2. However, it soon developed into just a soap opera set in the 1940s.

The Sullivans told the story of a lower middle class Catholic family during World War 2. As far as it went, it was a decent soap opera - indeed the creative force behind it was quoted as saying it was brilliant: as it was set during world war 2, there was little sex, no drugs, and nothing to offend.

Detail was noticed - it was shot in the Melbourne suburb of Camberwell, in a street which had no television aerials. The Neanderthals knocked this street down. Anyway, Paul cronin played Dave Sullivan, the patriarch. He was a world war one veteran, along with the barman of the local pub, Norm. At the beginning of the War, Norm, and dave's two eldest sons enlist. Lorraine Bayly, who was hitherto best known for her role on Play School, played Grace Sullivan. The two eldest sons see action in Europe, then the pacific, and eventually Terry, the youngest son, signs up. Terry is somewhat of a crook. Other recurring characters included Uncle Harry, a con-man (Graces Brother), played by Michael caton, who later played Daryl Kerrigan in the Castle, Mel Gibson in a very early role (try to find that on his official bio) and Noni Hazlehurst (another Play School Graduate.)

Forgettable, but much better than Neighbours or Home and Away (and more typical of Australian lifestyles, too.)

I remember the fist episode where Kitty alights from a W class tram on her way home from school. It was set in 1939 but shot in 1976, I wondered if the producers did anything special to choose the tram that Kitty rode on or just boarded the regular service W class which were still running at the time?

Probably the former because they would have done retakes and made the tram go back and forth.

Your IMDb only states the Sullivan's is only one season 1976-77. According to Wikipedia the show ran from 1976 to 1983 and ran for 16 seasons with 1114 episodes.Loved Vivien Gray as Mrs Jessop. Lorraine Bayly (Grace Sullivan)

Lorraine Bayly is one of Australia's most celebrated actors, with a career spanning five decades. For a generation of TV viewers around the world, Lorraine will always be remembered as the matriarch of the Sullivan clan, despite staying with the show for less than half its run. She is also a familiar face on television thanks to her years presenting Play School and for the role of lawyer Jennifer Carson of Carson's Law, a serial created by Crawford Productions especially for her. Lorraine is also a prolific and highly respected stage actor and was one of the founders of the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney. When she retired from the stage in 2003 the restaurant at the Ensemble Theatre was renamed "Bayly's" in her honour. Lorraine made a triumphant return to acting in August 2007 in the play Rabbit Hole.