March 2004

Series storyline stars seniors

A television series focusing on seniors living in a fictional retirement village in a leafy Melbourne suburb is being developed by veteran screenwriter Hugh Stuckey, 75.

The series revolves around the real-life dramas of newly-arrived and incumbent residents, family and staff of the Pasadena Gardens retirement village.

As part of the series development, the Office of Senior Victorians in the Department of Human Services’ Aged Care Branch funded a reading session performed in front of an audience of seniors and other interested people.

The session aimed to gauge reactions and seek feedback on the pilot episode’s story lines and characters before the series was presented to television networks.

The readings were part of the State Government’s push to encourage more positive and realistic images of ageing throughout television, cinema and stage.

Seniors greeted the pilot episode readings enthusiastically saying ‘residents’ were portrayed as ‘characters, not caricatures.’

A Media Taskforce has been established to advise the Department on initiatives to improve age-inclusive programming in the media and entertainment industries.

An Images of Age grants program will provide individual funding of up to $5,000 to support the creation of new film, television and theatre works involving seniors.

Hugh Stuckey’s past work includes programs such as In Melbourne Tonight, A Country Practice, Neighbours, The Restless Years and numerous British and American programs.

Over the years, he has written comic material for Australians of the calibre of Graham Kennedy, Joff Allen, Rosie Sturgess, Bert Newton and Americans Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffiths.