At this point, the pickings are pretty slim for Australian mini-series makers. We’ve done INXS, we’ve the bikie wars, we’ve done Kerry Packer‘s quest for cricket domination,and we’ve even done Ita Buttrose and the rise of Cleo Magazine. The good people at Channel 7 were scratching their heads and wondering what the bloody hell to do next when someone said “hey, Molly Meldrum‘s sort of a thing … right?”
And so it came to pass. A mini-series about the life of the noted hat-wearer, TV presenter and music journalist is underway, and rumour has is that The Secret Life Of Us star Samuel Johnson is a favourite for the lead role. Meldrum hand-picked Johnson for the part, and Johnson is now meeting with Channel 7 brass to finalise the deal. “I’ll be busting a gut to make sure the role’s mine, it’s the most exciting opportunity I’ve had in years,” he said, presumably over the sound of his gentle sobbing.
The series is based on an unpublished Molly Meldrum biography by writer Jeff Jenkins. The story picks up in the mid-1960s, with Meldrum as a young music journalist, then moves on ahead to his glory days on Countdown and Hey Hey It’s Saturday, and will then cover his later life. It will be produced by Mushroom Pictures, the company behind Chopper and Gettin’ Square.
via News Limited
Picture: Robert Prezioso via Getty Images
