7.2 /10 1 Votes
6.4/10 TV No. of episodes 26 First episode date 1980 | 8.1/10 IMDb Country of origin Australia Running time 30 mins Number of episodes 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Created by Terry BourkeRoger Mirams Starring Alfred BellRodney BellMarcia Britos Network Australian Broadcasting Corporation Genre Children's television series Similar Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Ze, Mission Top Secret, The Magic Boomerang, The Adventures of the Ter, Adventures of the Seaspray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secret Valley was an Australian children's television adventure series from 1980 made by the Grundy Organisation in association with Telecip, S.A., and first shown on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Contents
Series synopsis
Secret Valley was a fictitious children's holiday camp in Bildarra which had been transformed from a run down ghost town into a resort. The children who worked and visited the camp often found themselves in battle against a gang of bad kids – Spider McGlurk and his gang from "Spider Cave". These battles usually featured flour bombs and other food related missiles and everyone inevitably ended up in a big mess.
Spider McGlurk and his gang were not the biggest threat to the peace at Secret Valley. Secret Valley was also under threat of closure by the local council, and property developer William Whopper (also known as 'WW') played by Hugh Keays-Byrne.
Produced by Roger Mirams who also produced a spin-off series in 1986 (Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin), amongst other programs and series.
The 1980 pilot was directed by Howard Rubie and written by Terry Bourke.
International screenings
The series was aired in New Zealand, Spain, Greece, Italy, the UK on ITV in the 1980s, and the Netherlands in 1982/1983 by KRO television. It was also broadcast by the Dutch TV station Kindernet in 1989/1990.
Production
Roger Mirams originally intended to make a series called The Ghost Town Gang at Smoky Dawson's ranch at Ingleside, which had been used to film Luke's Kingdom and Lost Islands. However bushfires went through it, and there was no ghost down so the show became Secret Valley. Thirteen days after the fire, filming started again. Producer Mirams says the overall theme of Secret Valley is depicted through kids doing their own thing in what usually is an adult world.
The theme song
The theme song "My Secret Valley" was sung to the tune of "Waltzing Matilda" and composed by Bob Young, with lyrics by series producer Roger Mirams (credited as David Phillips).
I had a dream I could ride across the mountaintops
Ride on the waves where the sea turns blue
Gum trees, some trees rise until they touch the sky
I know a place where it all comes true
Chorus:
I know a valley, I know a valley
My Secret Valley the world has to see
One place for children, welcome from around the world
Please come and share Secret Valley with me
Paris, London, Montreal and Amsterdam
So many friends that we want to know
From the hills of Spain to the city streets of Germany
I know a place where we all can go
Repeat chorus