Children’s TV Puts its Stamp on History – Australia Post is celebrating Australian children’s screen content with a special Kids’ Showtime Greats collectable stamp collection, launched this week in participating Australia Post outlets across Australia.
The iconic Australian children’s television series and films being immortalised in The Kids’ Showtime Greats collection span more than five decades. They are Round the Twist, Blinky Bill, Dot and the Kangaroo, Babe and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.
ACTF CEO Jenny Buckland said:
“Australia has a long-standing tradition of producing unique and distinctive children’s screen content, which contributes to our cultural identity and shared collective memories and bonds us together. The joy and nostalgia that these stamp collections will evoke in grown up Australians underscore how important it is that we keep telling Australian stories for children today. In a modern, globalised, fragmented media environment we cannot take our local culture for granted. Bravo to Australia Post for spotlighting these great shows from our childhoods.”
Australia Post Executive General Manager Retail Josh Bannister said:
“The Kids’ Showtime Greats stamp range is a colourful tribute to some of the most iconic children’s film and television to come out of Australia. For many Australians, this range will be a sentimental throwback to their childhood, bringing back memories of watching these ‘Showtime Greats’ with friends and family. So, if you’re feeling a little nostalgic, head into a participating Post Office or online, and send your loved ones a letter stamped with your favourite piece of Aussie film and television history.”
The Round the Twist collection features original artwork of the lighthouse where the series is set, along with stamps depicting items from some of its most memorable episodes, including The Cabbage Patch Fib and Smelly Feat. The award-winning television series,based on stories by Australian author Paul Jennings, aired in four series between 1990 and 2001. It remains one of Australia’s most successful and well-loved series, with a new musical – Round the Twist The Musical – having its worldwide debut with Queensland Theatre in Brisbane this November.
The stamp collection also features two projects from Australia’s oldest continuing animation studio – Flying Bark Productions – which was founded in 1967 by Yoram and Sandra Gross. The 1977 feature film Dot and the Kangaroo was based on Ethel Pedley’s 1899 children’s book, and Blinky Bill isone of Australia’s most recognisable screen characters. The 1992 animated feature film Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala was so popular it led to three seasons of an animated TV series and a Christmas movie, followed by a CGI reboot series and feature film.
Flying Bark Productions CEO Barbara Stephen said:
“Australian family content – particularly animation – has a special place in the hearts of audiences worldwide, and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of that legacy. Seeing our beloved characters, Blinky Bill and Dot, featured in this stamp collection is a wonderful acknowledgment of the impact these stories have had, not just in building community here in Australia, but in shaping our cultural identity on the global stage. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of authentic local storytelling and why it’s so vital to keep sharing these tales with new generations.”
Also featured in the collection is the 1995 family film Babe, produced by Kennedy Miller Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures, which received worldwide critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards; and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, produced by Fauna Productions between 1967 and 1969, resulting in 91 episodes.
Fauna Productions Co-Chairs Philip Austin and Nicholas McCallum said:
“Fauna Productions is both honoured and proud to have the iconic and beloved Skippy the Bush Kangaroo included in the Kid’s Showtime Greats Stamp Collection. We thank Australia Post and wish them every success with the release.”
The Kids’ Showtime Greats stamp collection is available now at participating Post Offices or online.
Media Release – Flying Bark
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Children’s TV Puts its Stamp on History
