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Alan Coleman has been involved with TV hits worldwide
Alan Coleman has pioneered hit TV shows around the world.
Born in Birmingham, England he began his career with ATV in the Midlands and was an original director on the motel based serial Crossroads. Alan would go on to become Head of Children's Drama at ATV producing much loved series such as Escape into Night, The Jensen Code and the Kids from 47A.
After being head hunted by Reg Grundy he moved to Australia and was the driving force behind The Young Doctors which became a ratings winner around the world. Alan was associated with other Grundy hits including Class of 74, Case for the Defence, Prisoner: Cell Block H, Punishment, Secret Valley and many other successful shows.
During his long and distinguised career Alan has been the Executive Producer of Neighbours, Shortland Street in New Zealand, Unter Uns in Germany and Goede Tijden - Slechte Tijden in The Netherlands. His other directing credits include Home & Away, Echo Point, Breakers, Above The Law, Going Home, The Adventures of the Bush Patrol and Family Affairs in the UK.
Alan's autobiography, One Door Shuts, has been published by Trafford Publishing (www.trafford.com) and gives a fascinating insight into his amazing career. He also gives advice to those wishing to break into this unique industry in a section of the book which he has called Take Five.
Alan now has his own official Facebook group which will be of special interest to fans of the various shows he has worked on.
Actor and television presenter Nic Testoni hit the big time playing the Logie Award winning role of Travis Nash in the soap opera Home & Away. After leaving the Summer Bay saga he moved over to the USA to study film production at New York University. On returning to Australia he established a boutique production company called Reel World Productions with fellow New York University graduate Jo Plomley and today they specialise in producing documentaries, television shows, commercials and corporate videos.
What few people realise is that in the early stages of his career Nic learnt a great deal by spending time at the now defunct community television station CTV1 in Redfern, a suburb of Sydney. CTV1 had its own purpose built studio in the basement of a block of high rise housing commission units and whilst the working conditions weren’t luxurious the channel attracted a large number of entertainment industry professionals who gave their time to help train ordinary Aussie battlers in the skills needed to work both in front of and behind the camera.
When CTV1 closed Sydney lost a vital facility. TVS (Television Sydney) which now broadcasts on digital channel 44 is an excellent platform on which community television producers can screen their output but sadly the station doesn’t have its own dedicated studio - the beauty of CTV1 was that Joe Blow could just walk in off the street and would be given the opportunity to appear on screen or to operate a camera. Hopefully at some point in the future a channel like TVS will pick up the mantle and continue the sterling work which was initiated by CTV1 and which helped to put people such as Nic Testoni on the right path to career success.
You can find out more about Reel World Productions at www.reelworld.com.au and the official TVS website is at www.tvs.org.au
PHOTO: Former Home & Away actor Nic Testoni with one time CTV1 producers Isabel Williams (left) and Zara Williams (right). Photo by Doug Moody.
If you are heading to Australia and want to view stunning Sydney from a different perspective why not climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge?
BridgeClimb run several types of tours across the top of the bridge from the Express Climb which takes just over two hours to the more leisurely Discovery Climb which takes three and a half hours. You can even get married on the summit of this world famous icon if the fancy takes you! Paul Cave launched his BridgeClimb company in 1998 after organising a climb over the arch of the bridge as part of an international business convention. All participants are escorted by a fully trained guide and in 2007 the company welcomed their two millionth paying climber to this unique experience.
Prior to your climb you should take a look at the Sydney Harbour Bridge Visitor Centre. Entry is free and you’ll learn of the history of this unique structure whilst also being able to view fascinating footage both past and present in the onsite cinema. You can even attempt to re-build the arch of the bridge on an interactive display screen.
If you’d rather not brave the elements perhaps you’d prefer to climb the 200 stairs of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout which stands 87 meters above the beautiful harbour below. The pylon boasts stunning views as well as fascinating historical displays.
At 151.3 feet wide the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the worlds widest steel arch bridge although it isn’t the longest, until 1967 it was also Sydney‘s tallest structure. The New South Wales Government hired the English firm Dorman Long & Co from Middlesborough to construct what would become known as The Coat Hanger, Dr John Job Crew prepared the general design for the bridge but the more detailed design and erection plans were formulated by Sir Ralph Freeman. Construction began in 1923 and sadly 16 men lost their lives in the process. 79% of the steel girders that you’ll cross were shipped over from England whilst the remaining 21% originate from Australia. The steel bridge also features six million hand driven rivets. Today it has eight vehicle lanes carrying approximately 161,000 cars and trucks a day, it also has two train lines, a cycleway and a footpath.
The bridge was officially opened by Premier Jack Lang on 19 March 1932 however Captain Francis De Groot managed to cut the ribbon first. De Groot was a member of the New Guard political party and felt that only a member of the Royal family was important enough to open such a major facility. De Groot rode up on his horse and slashed the ribbon with his sword before the Premier had time to act. De Groot was sent to a lunatic asylum and declared insane whilst the ribbon was re-tied for the ceremony to proceed as originally planned.
So if you feel fit enough and want to view Sydney Harbour and the Opera House from a birds eye view book your bridge climb now by heading to www.bridgeclimb.com
PHOTO: Two former Home & Away cast members climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise money for charity. Kate Ritchie (right) played Sally Fletcher and Cameron Welsh played Mitch McColl. Welsh has now moved behind the scenes to become producer of the soap which launched his career and Ritchie has most recently been playing Senior Constable Samantha Cooper in Cops LAC. Photo by Doug Moody.
Baldness is a condition that we tend to associate with old men however hair loss can strike both men and women of all ages and surprisingly three in ten of all 30 year old men have thinning hair whilst half of all 50 year old men are bald. The condition can be hereditary, it can be a side effect of some medical treatments or can be caused by hormonal changes in the body. Whilst some people come to accept baldness many others find it to be a traumatic experience and suffer from a drop in confidence.
So what can be done? Old fashioned wigs look very unnatural and cosmetic concealers such as coloured sprays and fibres tend to wash off in the rain. Volumising shampoo can only thicken the hair you have left and the array of herbal remedies available have no medical backing behind them so their benefits are questionable. Hair transplant surgery has come a long way in recent years and the results can look impressive however even the most skilled surgeon can only move the limited hormone resistant hair on the sides and back of your head across to your balding areas. This means that patients will never regain a full head of flowing locks
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